When I heard the news that the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable phone, was set to launch last week, I was happy for the people who were getting it. Finally, an Apple foldable phone. While the rest of the world was getting foldable phones from Samsung, Huawei, Honor, and a few others, Apple was still mum. Until this year. Then, it came out. Then, I started seeing Crackgate on my news feeds.
Just days after launch, social media was flooded with photos and videos of broken inner screens. Early buyers are seeing their expensive new phones crack right down the middle. Do you know how painful it is to see a Php 159,990 pesos investment crack on the first few days of use? The price could be a down payment for a small car. Or tuition fee for an expensive private school. And it just didn’t happen in the US. It happened everywhere.
What is the Apple Crackgate?
So what happened? Well, according to several reports, the screen cracks right down the middle, sometimes with a bright white line of dead pixels on the right. Some buyers say their phone broke almost immediately. The hinge felt stiff from the start, and the screen actually snapped with a loud pop before they even finished setting it up.
Apple had to address the issue. “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” the company said in an official statement. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.” Apple has bypassed its standard repair protocols for this specific manufacturing defect, allowing users to get full device replacements regardless of their AppleCare+ warranty status.
That’s good news. I hope Filipino buyers get the same treatment and aren’t left holding a defective foldable phone worth a small food stand business.
What’s causing the cracks?
Apple hasn’t said anything about what’s causing the problem. But I did see a video of JerryRigEverything cracking open an iPhone Duo. From the video, it seems enough debris can get into the frame (the iPhone Duo is IP68 water- and dust-proof) and stab the screen.
The guys from iFixit also tore it apart and said the display cable near a support bar in the hinge could be the issue. The bar is supposed to move out of the way when you fold the phone, but in some units, it doesn’t. Instead, it presses hard against the glass and can break it from the inside. Some experts think this is due to a batch of poorly made hinge parts, not a design flaw in the phone itself.
Even though Apple is offering free replacements, I don’t think anyone wants to buy an expensive phone that could break that easily. And that’s a problem with first-generation foldables. It happened with Samsung, and well, it happened with Apple. While Pre-orders sold out in minutes, Apple pushed regular delivery dates to January 2027. Apple says it has a separate stash for warranty swaps, but people still worry about how long they’ll have to wait if more phones start breaking.
Experts say Apple is handling this better than Samsung did with the first Galaxy Fold back in 2019. Being open about the problem is the right move. If you’ve got an iPhone Duo, handle it gently, and if the hinge feels off, call AppleCare right away. And I hope Apple learns from its Crackgate issue and that future foldable phones won’t have the same problems.
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