That didn't take long! iPhone Duo buyers report cracks, dead pixels and lines across the screen - just days after Apple's £2,000 foldable went on sale

It's only been days since Apple's £2,000 foldable iPhone Duo went on sale, but several customers are already regretting their expensive purchase.Some buyers have reported cracks, dead pixels, and lines forming across the screen of their new smartphones.Dozens of frustrated Apple fans have now flocked to social media with their complaints, calling the wave of issues 'crackgate'.Sufferers report feeling an unexpected stiffness in the foldable device followed by an audible 'pop' that leaves their screen shattered.Some have even found that their purchases last just a few hours before breaking.On social media, users have posted dozens of pictures showing iPhone Duos with nearly identical damage.A large crack runs down the central crease with a large chipped area about a third of the way up, while a bright line of dead pixels runs all the way across the right-hand screen.And with the iPhone Duo out of stock until January 2027, disappointed customers might be waiting a long time for a replacement. It's only been days since Apple's £2,000 foldable iPhone Duo went on sale, but some customers are already reporting cracking and dead spots on their new phones According to Apple, the iPhone Duo's unique hinge was designed to minimise the central crease and provide 'lasting reliability'.However, some users have found that their new foldable phones barely last a few hours after purchase.On Reddit, one user claimed that a crack had appeared on their iPhone Duo just three hours after they purchased it.The customer said they had 'opened it maybe 20 times tops' before hearing a 'pop' and finding their screen was shattered.Likewise, another Apple customer wrote: 'Had my iPhone Duo for about six hours and had probably opened it fewer than 20 times.'I was showing it to a friend, and as I opened it, I felt something around the internal hinge, underneath the screen. As I continued opening it, I heard an audible crack, and the screen broke right along the hinge.'One user complained that they 'didn’t even make it through setup' before the screen cracked after opening the phone 'four times'.Once again, they reported feeling the 'hinge got tight and then made a loud pop when I pushed past it'. One Apple customer said their iPhone 'didn't even make it through setup' before their screen cracked with an audible pop iPhone Duo: Key stats Price: £1,999 to £3,199Storage options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TBColours: Star White, Night SkyOuter display: 5.4‑inch Super Retina XDRInner display: 7.6–inch Super Retina XDR folding displayThickness: 11.3mm (folded) / 5.2mm (unfolded)Weight: 254gBattery life: 44 hours using outer display or 31 hours using inner displayRear cameras: 48MP Fusion Main and 48MP Fusion Ultra WideFront/internal camera: 12MP Center Stage camera These expensive disasters were far from isolated incidents, and many other users soon shared their reports of an extremely similar issue.In almost every case, Apple customers reported the same thing: a feeling of stiffness in the hinge, followed by a pop that produced a distinctive T-shaped crack.Apple hasn't confirmed the cause of this issue or formally acknowledged whether it is aware of the problem, but users have suggested the issue may stem from the hinge.iFixit, a website which publishes information about repairing technology, published its usual teardown of the new iPhone model to test for repairability.They discovered that the hinge on the foldable is extremely complex but suspect that some part of it isn't moving as intended.There is also a section of cable that passes over the exact spot where users have found cracks to spread from.It may be possible that these components, combined with part of the hinge failing to descend, could put pressure on the screen and generate the 'audible crack' reported by some customers.Likewise, Korean YouTuber CuriousHagi managed to recreate the cracking issue during durability testing. Apple hasn't confirmed the cause of this issue, but users have suggested the issue may stem from the iPhone Duo's hingeWhen he took the iPhone Duo apart, it was revealed that a small component in the hinge had snapped and affected the screen, causing the crack.This hinge linkage is thinner than the pieces around it, potentially suggesting a weak point that broke when the hinge mechanism became snagged.According to Apple's warranty, hinge failures caused by normal use, rather than 'accident or abuse', are covered for one year.That's fortunate since repair costs for the iPhone Duo could run up to $1,500 if the warranty runs out, more than many other brand-new smartphones on the market.However, all colour and memory options for the iPhone Duo are out of stock online and won't ship until January 22 at the earliest, potentially leading to long waits for replacements.Some iPhone users with broken models have at least been able to get full refunds from Apple.Reddit users said that they were able to skip the long wait times for online purchases by going directly to the Apple Store in person and asking for a replacement.The Daily Mail has approached Apple for comment.