iPhone Duo screen cracks linked to a hinge defect

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said some iPhone Duo screens crack during normal use: while the phone is being opened, a hinge component can become trapped beneath the display and puncture it. Gurman said Apple described the number of affected users as small, but the exact number of devices is unknown; he suggested it could be tens of thousands. After asking owners to send evidence, he received photos, videos, receipts and correspondence with support. Apple responded 18 minutes after he published his report.

Gurman also described difficulties getting replacement devices because stores lacked inventory. Separately, he said an acquaintance had a nonworking camera and a diagnostic message indicating it had been replaced with a non-genuine part, although the acquaintance had not replaced it. Gurman said Apple was working through the problems, but characterized the process of resolving them from the outset as a “dumpster fire.” He said his own phone had not developed cracks and hoped the issue would be resolved.