The iPhone Duo launch has not been without its problems, and I don't mean the lengthy waits people are suffering to get hold of one. Some users are experiencing what has been dubbed "crackgate," with their internal screens breaking for seemingly no reason. Nobody is quite sure what the problem is, but one leaker claims Apple may have figured out which phones could be affected.
According to Kang on Weibo (via Ice Universe), the issue itself has been traced to "defective materials" at one of Apple's two hinge suppliers. They claim this isn't an issue with the hinge design, which presumably explains why it hasn't affected more Duo users.
Then again, it's impossible to tell how many Duo users are out there, considering how limited the initial supply seems to be. Plus, social media posts give a very distorted view of just how many screens have broken, and all we have from Apple is a claim that "only a small number of iPhone Duo units" are affected.
Kang says Apple can identify the affected iPhone Duos from their serial numbers, which should mean the company can be more proactive in how it deals with the crackgate problem. However, it's unclear what Apple's plans are and how it intends to deal with this botched batch of Duo units.
One suggested solution is to give users the ability to check their serial numbers with a tool, which will check and see if they received one of the tainted hinges. Alternatively Apple could just sit and wait for the screens to break, and organize repairs or replacements for the affected customers.
Obviously the former would be a better option, assuming Apple can't reach out to them directly, and it would put a stop to the images of broken iPhone Duos being posted on social media.
Hopefully, if Apple has identified the problematic hinges, it should mean that the problem will eventually go away by itself. Though it remains to be seen whether this will affect how long people will be waiting for their own iPhone Duo deliveries, since we have no idea how many units have been produced with the substandard hinges.
But hey, if this leak is on the money, then Apple hasn't screwed up the design of the iPhone Duo, and turned its first foldable into an inevitable time bomb. Any of you still waiting for your Duo to arrive should end up with a working unit. As for anyone who already has the Apple foldable, it's unclear what might happen.
Word on social media is that you will see a raised bump on the hinge in the run-up to the screen breaking. If you see that, or anything else out of the ordinary, be sure to get in touch with Apple. Or head to your nearest Apple Store if you can.
Apple has said that it is bypassing standard repair wait times and offering free device replacements under the standard manufacturing warranty for Duo users with cracked screens. What's more, affected users don't need to have a paid AppleCare+ plan to get a replacement for this specific problem.
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