**Early iPhone Duo Buyers Report Cracked Screens Along the Hinge Within Hours of Apple's Foldable Launch**

CUPERTINO, Calif. — A small number of early buyers of Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, have reported that the inner display cracked along the hinge within hours of the device going on sale, in some cases after fewer than 20 openings and with no visible external damage.

The reports began circulating on Reddit, social media and technology forums shortly after sales started on October 23 in markets including Australia, China and the United States. Multiple owners described similar symptoms: a crack or bright line of pixels running along the central fold of the inner screen, often forming an L-shaped pattern extending toward the right edge of the display. In several documented cases, owners said they felt resistance or an abnormality under the screen near the hinge immediately before hearing an audible crack.

One of the most detailed accounts came from an owner in Australia who posted on Reddit under the username Midnight_Slump. The user 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. There were no marks or damage on the inner screen's surface or the external hinge to suggest anything had been caught or damaged." The owner said an Apple Store replaced the device on the spot with a new unit. Forum moderators later reviewed additional photos and documentation supporting the report of damage and replacement, though they did not determine the cause.

Similar accounts have emerged from the United States. An owner in Dallas described the hinge becoming tight after roughly four folds during initial setup, followed by a loud pop when the resistance was overcome, resulting in a cracked screen. That buyer also received an immediate replacement at an Apple Store. Additional reports and photographs, some involving demonstration units in China where the phone launched earlier, have shown comparable damage along the same area of the crease. Technology sites including MacRumors, The Verge and others have compiled the images and posts, noting the consistency in the location of the failures.

Apple has not issued a public statement on the reports as of October 24. The company has, in at least........

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