iPhone Duo screens are cracking days after launch

One Australian buyer reported a failure after roughly six hours and fewer than 20 openings, with Apple issuing an immediate in-store replacement, while other owners describe a crunching sound along the hinge followed by bright lines and white patches on the inner display. Apple has confirmed the issue affects a small number of units and is routing customers to AppleCare, but hasn't disclosed a cause, a failure rate, or whether this is a design flaw versus a manufacturing defect. The out-of-warranty repair price for the inner screen is $999, against a device that starts at $1,999 in the US and £1,999 in the UK. Durability testing has already found the flexible panel scratches at Mohs hardness level 2, well below the toughened glass on a standard iPhone, the inherent trade-off of a folding screen that Apple's marketing didn't dwell on.