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Apple will replace iPhone Duo phones with cracked screens

Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo handsets whose screens developed problems, after owners of its first foldable reported cracked inner screens within hours or days of use.^{⁠[8, 10, 11]} The phone went on sale Friday at a starting price of $1,999—the most Apple has ever charged for a phone—and quickly sold out, with backorders stretching into January 2027.^{⁠[1, 6]} Apple acknowledged that a 'small number' of iPhone Duo units have display problems, according to The Wall Street Journal and The Register.^{⁠[7, 12]}

Forbes reported that Apple can replace faulty phones, but if it decides an owner is to blame, the replacement bill is over $1,000.^⁠[5] Some owners reported a crunching sound or a newly stiff hinge before the screen cracked, and a teardown points to the hinge as a possible explanation.^{⁠[6, 10]} The Financial Times described the outcry as 'Crackgate' and called it a setback for new chief executive John Ternus.^⁠[9]

Why it matters Apple is replacing affected units, and a teardown points to the hinge as a possible cause while the stock is slipping.^⁠[6]

Covered by The Daily Beast, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal and 10 more

Read first Some iPhone Duo owners say Apple’s $1,999 foldable cracked within hours of unboxing—and a possible explanation has emerged · Fortune