Unimpressed iPhone Duo buyers are returning Apple's £2,000 foldable just days after buying it - as 'crackgate' sends fans into a frenzy

It's been out for less than a week – but it seems the iPhone Duo has proved a disappointment to many early buyers. Within days of purchasing the £2,000 foldable, several users experienced cracks, dead pixels, and lines across the screen. Sufferers reported feeling an unexpected stiffness in the foldable device followed by an audible 'pop' that left their screen cracked. Now, new reports on Reddit suggest that even iPhone Duo owners unaffected by 'crackgate' have decided to return their £2,000 devices. 'I couldn't even wait out the two–week return window. I returned it the next day. Maybe it's great for some people, but the Duo wasn't for me,' one user said. Another unhappy customer went so far as to say that 'going back to my iPhone 17 Pro was a relief'. They added: 'I immediately realized how easy it is to use. No hassle, no tiny screen, no hand gymnastics to find the Touch ID button, no heavy folded phone.' It's been out for less than a week – but it seems the iPhone Duo has proved a disappointment to many early buyers Within days of buying the £2,000 foldable, several users experienced cracks, dead pixels, and lines across the screen On Reddit, several people returning their iPhone Duos laid out their reasoning. @amirsadeghi explained that he enjoyed the large inner screen, but found the outer screen 'too small to be useful'. 'I use my phone for content, but more often than not, I just want to pass the time: on the toilet, in transit, or peeking at Twitter during a boring meeting,' they said.'With the Duo, all of that was a hassle. Folded, it's heavy and the outer screen is too small to be useful. 'Unfolded, the experience is great, but it feels like full immersion when all I wanted was a quick break from boredom.'The user also said the lack of Face ID 'frustrated me a lot'. They added: 'I set up my Apple Watch to unlock it, but everywhere else Touch ID meant hunting for the power button, which I kept losing track of depending on how I'd opened the phone. 'Once, it frustrated me so much that I went back to my old phone to get something done.' New reports on Reddit suggest that even unaffected iPhone Duo owners have decided to return their £2,000 devices One user explained that they'd returned the iPhone Duo and opted for the iPhone 18 Pro Max insteadiPhone Duo: Key specs 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 On another thread, @peekapoutine said they returned their iPhone Duo in less than 24 hours, agreeing that the small front screen and Touch ID were key issues. This user also flagged the rotating inner screen, the matte finish on the inner display, and the cameras. 'The matte finish is nice, but it isn't as vibrant as the regular iPhone screens we're used to,' they said. '[The cameras are] okay, but the Pro Max cameras are way better. To take a selfie with the main cameras, you have to open the phone flat, which is like holding up an iPad mini. Super inconvenient.'Meanwhile, @TechnologicalHuman said that the lack of optimised apps was particularly off–putting. They said: 'I don't wanna wait months until all apps are optimised. The unoptimised 4inch apps are simply too much to handle. Having bought a 2200 pounds device I can't look at the screen and see an app using 50% of the screen.'The latest complaints come amid so-called 'crackgate'. Dozens of Apple customers took to social media to share similar cracks that had formed hours to days after purchases One Apple customer said their iPhone 'didn't even make it through setup' before their screen cracked with an audible pop Users have posted dozens of pictures and videos showing iPhone Duos with nearly identical damage where 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.One Reddit 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 that the 'hinge got tight and then made a loud pop when I pushed past it'.Apple said it was aware of 'an issue impacting the inner display on a small number' of iPhone Duos and urged affected users to contact the company for a replacement.