What is the iPhone Duo?
The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone, a phone with a screen that opens up like a book. It went on sale on Friday, October 23, 2026. Some early units have reported screen damage near the hinge.
Why it's in the news
Apple's foldable iPhone went on sale on October 23, 2026, and a small number of early units already show screen damage near the hinge. Owners have posted photos, and CNET has started long-term hinge and screen testing on a unit it bought.
- iPhone Duo Screen Crack — Early iPhone Duo units show screen damage near the hinge
Background
Apple's first foldable iPhone is called the iPhone Duo. A foldable phone has a display that bends at a hinge, so the device can close to a smaller size and open to a larger screen. Samsung has sold foldable phones since 2019, when its first Galaxy Fold reached the US market, so Apple is entering a category that other companies have already built.
The iPhone Duo officially went on sale on October 23, 2026. Shortly after launch, owners began posting pictures of screens with damage. In the reported cases, the problem appears in a similar spot: the inner display along the hinge, with a bright line or lines running across the right side of the screen. One owner in Australia said the phone had been opened fewer than 20 times in about six hours when a crack formed along the hinge. Apple replaced that phone on the spot. Other buyers have shared photos and a short video showing similar damage. The cause has not been confirmed, and it is not clear how common the problem is.
CNET bought an iPhone Duo in Louisville, Kentucky, and placed it in a testing machine that repeatedly opens and closes foldable phones. The machine measures the hinge and both screens over time. Apple has not publicly shared a figure for how long the iPhone Duo's hinge is expected to last. Most current foldable phones are rated for between 200,000 and 500,000 folds.
What people are asking
When did the iPhone Duo go on sale?
The iPhone Duo officially went on sale on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Why is the iPhone Duo in the news?
A small number of early units already have screen damage near the hinge. Owners have shared photos and a video online, and the cause is not yet confirmed.
Is the iPhone Duo's screen breaking?
Some early units have reported damage to the inner display along the hinge, with a bright line across part of the screen. It is not clear how common this is, and the cause has not been confirmed.
How is the iPhone Duo being tested?
CNET bought a unit in Louisville, Kentucky, and put it in a machine that repeatedly opens and closes it to measure the hinge and both screens.