Apple’s foldable went on sale around the world a week ago, and buyers have already named its first major defect: the green line of death.
In the past few days, iPhone Duo owners have flooded social media with photos and videos of green lines running across the 7.6-inch inner display. Many of those posts say the lines showed up within minutes of using the phone.
A few owners say it happened faster than that. According to their reports, the lines were visible as soon as the phone came out of the box.
Complaints are coming in from every major market
A single faulty batch in one country doesn’t explain it. Buyers in China, Japan, Australia, the US and several European countries have all reported the problem.
A post that spread widely claimed foldable iPhone Duo units are reportedly breaking in large numbers, with screens giving out along the hinge crease. That post also said some units reportedly failed while they were still sitting on store display stands.
The accounts vary in the details. One user wrote about a black line that showed up after a few days. Others say green lines appeared within minutes. A compilation of broken iPhone Duo screens is making the rounds, and Reddit threads are packed with owners sharing cracked inner displays marked with green lines.
Cracked after a handful of folds
Some complaints go beyond lines on the screen. A number of users said their inner display shattered after only a few folds.
The price makes that harder to accept. Posters note that buyers are spending $2000 on a phone that can fail almost right away, and that getting a replacement could take months.
JerryRigEverything’s durability test ended badly too
YouTuber JerryRigEverything got similar results to what owners are describing. Apple’s $2,000 iPhone Duo failed his durability test when debris got stuck in the hinge and bending damaged the inner display.
He wasn’t entirely negative. The exterior glass held up well against scratches, and he liked the matte inner screen, which made scratches much harder to see.
Shades of Bendgate
Longtime Apple watchers will recognize this. The reaction closely resembles the uproar over the iPhone 6, when people found out the phone could bend under pressure.
So far, Apple hasn't responded to the reports. If you preordered an iPhone Duo, unbox it, unfold it and check the inner screen carefully while you can still return it. Several owners said the green lines were already there the first time they powered the phone on.