Apple's inaugural foldable flagship, the iPhone Duo, has garnered considerable attention since its market debut. Nevertheless, following the delivery of the initial batch of new devices, a cluster of problems surfaced, encompassing cracks at the fold of the inner screen, bright lines, black screens with liquid seepage, and various other malfunctions. Some users reported issues merely by opening and closing the phone in a normal manner, while display models in physical stores also suffered from screen failures.

The professional teardown organization iFixit discovered that these failures originated from the central support rod within the hinge not adequately pressing down on the screen, coupled with the curved guide rail contracting and catching, thereby exerting tension on the flexible circuit. Fundamentally, these issues stemmed from a discrepancy between the mechanical tolerances of the hinge and the yield rate of the flexible panel. Precision deviations in the assembly of components sourced from multiple suppliers resulted in stress concentration and subsequent screen damage.

At present, Apple's after-sales service is offering replacements for devices with damage not caused by human factors. However, the cost of replacing the inner screen outside the warranty period is prohibitively high, and the high degree of integration between the hinge and inner screen renders repairs exceedingly challenging.