iPhone Duo Hinge Problems: Cracks, Dust & IP68 Explained

Updated November 2026
10 min read
By Priya Nair

Short answer

Yes, the iPhone Duo has had hinge problems since it launched on 23 October. A small number of units have developed cracks on the inner screen along the hinge. Apple has acknowledged the issue and is replacing affected phones, so if yours shows lines or a crack, contact Apple first.

Separately, durability tests show dust can still reach the hinge despite the IP68 rating. IP68 is a lab rating for water and dust, and Apple itself says it isn't permanent. It doesn't protect the hinge from grit or knocks. A hinge-cover case helps with that, but no case can fix a faulty unit.

What to buy

for iPhone DuoSee all 6 →

iPhone Duo: what IP68 covers and what it doesn't, from Apple's rating, iFixit and independent durability tests

By Priya Nair · FoldifyCase foldable case design team · 4 November 2026

We design cases for foldable phones, so the hinge is the part we think about most. Since the iPhone Duo went on sale, owners, repairers and reviewers have reported several hinge-related issues. Here is what has actually been confirmed, what Apple has said, and what you can do about it. Every claim below links to Apple or to the outlet that reported it.

What's going on with the iPhone Duo hinge?

Three separate things have been reported, and it helps to keep them apart.

Inner-screen cracks ("Crackgate"). Some new units have cracked along the hinge on the inner display, usually with a line of bright or green pixels. Apple calls it an issue affecting "a small number" of units.
Dust in the hinge. In JerryRigEverything's durability test, dust got into the hinge despite the IP68 rating, and the phone would no longer stay shut. iFixit's own dust test made the hinge crunch, although little dust got further inside.
A gap between the back and the hinge ("GapGate"). A Reddit owner posted video of a visible gap between the back panel and the hinge when closed, and others reported something similar.

Date	What happened	Source
23 Oct	iPhone Duo goes on sale. The first reports of inner screens cracking along the hinge appear; one owner in Australia said his cracked after fewer than 20 opens.	MacRumors
24 Oct	JerryRigEverything: dust gets into the hinge and the magnets can no longer hold it shut. A bend test leaves a green line, then the inner screen stops responding.	MacRumors
25 Oct	iFixit teardown: the reported breaks cluster near the central hinge support. iFixit names possible causes but says it can't confirm one.	9to5Mac
26 Oct	Apple confirms an issue affecting the inner display on a small number of units and tells owners to contact AppleCare for a replacement.	MacRumors
27 Oct	Apple publishes an iPhone Duo hinge troubleshooting page.	Apple Support
30 Oct	Reports of a gap between the back and the hinge on some units.	Tech Advisor
2 Nov	Apple briefs its stores on the display issue. CEO John Ternus says "a very small percentage" of units have come back and are being replaced with new ones.	Macworld, 9to5Mac

One caution: MacRumors and 9to5Mac both found AI-generated photos of "cracked" Duos among the real reports. That makes the true scale hard to judge, so treat viral images with care.

Will Apple fix a cracked iPhone Duo screen?

Yes. Apple's statement is short: "We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement." Apple has not said what causes it or whether a fix is planned.

Reports say affected owners have been given replacement units in store, though with tight stock some have had to wait. MacRumors reports Apple's position that the problem shows up shortly after purchase, not as something that develops over months. If you are in Australia, Apple's own iPhone Duo spec footnote also reminds owners that they may have rights under consumer law.

If your inner screen shows a line or crack: stop folding it, take photos, back the phone up, and contact Apple or book at an Apple Store. Don't try to fix it yourself, and don't peel anything off the inner screen.

What to do if your iPhone Duo hinge feels wrong

Apple's iPhone Duo Troubleshooting Hinge Issues page covers a phone that won't open or close fully, unexpected noise, a loose, bent or broken hinge, and enclosure damage. Its steps, in short:

Remove any third-party case or screen protector. That's Apple's first step, and it applies to our cases too. A case should never be the reason a hinge won't close, so take it off and test the phone bare.
Inspect the hinge. Open and close it and listen for noise. Check whether it feels loose, stiff or misaligned, and whether it holds its position.
Look for dust or particles along the hinge, and for dents or scratches on the frame.
Clean the displays with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. Apple says not to use compressed air, and to keep moisture out of openings.
Contact Apple. Apple notes there are no diagnostics or software fixes for hinge issues. If the steps above don't help, the repair is a replacement of the inner display assembly.

Does IP68 mean the iPhone Duo hinge is dust-proof?

No. IP68 is real and it's a first for a book-style foldable, but it measures something narrower than most people assume. Apple's own footnote for the iPhone Duo says it was "tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP68 under IEC standard 60529 (maximum depth of 6 metres up to 30 minutes)". The same footnote adds that "splash, water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions", that resistance "might decrease as a result of normal wear", and that liquid damage is not covered under warranty.

iPhone Duo: what IP68 covers and what it does not, from Apple, iFixit and JerryRigEverything — What the rating covers, and what it leaves to you. Diagram: FoldifyCase.

So trust IP68 for what it measures: a new phone surviving water and fine dust in a lab. Don't treat it as hinge protection. A rating test doesn't recreate sand and lint worked into a moving hinge in a pocket over months, and it isn't an impact rating at all. JerryRigEverything's test is the clearest example: despite IP68, dust found several ways into the hinge and stopped the phone closing.

	IP68 helps with	IP68 doesn't help with
Water	Rain, splashes, a drop in the pool (Apple: 6 m for up to 30 minutes, lab-tested)	Charging while wet, ageing seals (Apple says resistance can decrease with wear)
Dust	Fine dust reaching the sealed electronics in a lab test	Grit and lint collecting in the moving hinge in everyday use
Knocks	Nothing: it isn't an impact rating	Drops onto the spine or corners
Inner screen	Nothing directly	Scratches (the inner screen marked at level 2 in JerryRigEverything's test), pressure and faulty parts

Can a case protect the iPhone Duo hinge?

A case can protect the hinge from the outside: grit, lint and knocks. It can't fix or prevent a manufacturing fault inside the phone. If your Duo is one of the units with a display issue, a case won't change that, and Apple's replacement is the answer.

What a hinge-cover case does is close over the spine, the one edge that is always exposed when the phone is shut. Apple's own iPhone Duo Case is a two-part design that leaves the hinge exposed, and the Folio adds a front flap but no separate hinge guard. If you carry your Duo in a pocket or bag with sand, lint or keys, a case that covers the spine is the protection IP68 doesn't give you.

These are our iPhone Duo cases with hinge protection. Each is made in a separate mould for the iPhone Duo.

Case	How it covers the hinge	Also has
Spineguard P1	Spring-loaded spine cover that slides as you fold, so the hinge stays covered open, closed or in between	MagSafe ring that doubles as a 360° kickstand; built-in 9H glass for the outer screen
Sentinel H2	Spring-loaded hinge cover that closes over the spine automatically	Rugged TPU and polycarbonate build, magnetic ring; on the Duo the centre of the hinge cover flips out as a stand
Axon M2	Rigid wrap-around hinge cover	Alloy frame, metal ring grip and kickstand; the Duo version includes a tempered-glass outer-screen protector
Sentinel H1	Hinge cover with 360° hinge protection	Shock-absorbent shell, rotating alloy ring as grip and kickstand
Kinetic P1	Full-length hinge cover	Spine slot for a slim stylus (not an Apple Pencil); the Duo version adds a camera lens guard

Prefer nothing on the hinge? The Apex M3 is a slim two-piece case that leaves the hinge free, and the clear Axon M1 protects the edges around the spine without a full cover. You can compare them all in our best iPhone Duo cases guide or the iPhone Duo case collection.

How to look after the iPhone Duo hinge

Keep it away from sand and lint. Beach bags and jacket pockets are where hinges collect grit. A case that covers the spine helps most here.
Clean it the way Apple says. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth. No compressed air, and no liquid into the openings.
Don't charge it wet. Apple's footnote says not to charge a wet iPhone.
Leave the inner screen's cover layer alone. It's factory-fitted and Apple replaces it. Our iPhone Duo screen protector guide explains why glass doesn't belong on the inner screen.
Think about AppleCare+. In the US, Apple lists an inner-display repair at US$99 with AppleCare+ and US$999 without. We found no Australian prices, so check Apple's repair estimator. In Australia, Apple's store says AppleCare can be bought from four days after your phone ships or is picked up.
If it ever crunches or won't close, take the case off and test it bare, as Apple asks.

How long will the iPhone Duo hinge last?

Apple still hasn't published a fold rating. Independent tests so far range from a robot test that reached 32,640 folds with no noticeable wear to a hand-fold livestream where lines appeared after 75,003 folds, once dust and ice had been added. We keep those results, and the crease measurements, in our iPhone Duo hinge durability guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is iPhone Duo screen cracking a common problem?

Apple says it affects a small number of units, and CEO John Ternus told Reuters that a very small percentage have been returned with display issues. The reported cracks run along the hinge on the inner screen and tend to appear soon after purchase. Some images online were AI-generated, so the true scale is hard to judge.

Will Apple replace a cracked iPhone Duo screen?

Yes. Apple says owners who see problems with the iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement, and reports say affected units are being swapped for new ones, though stock is tight. Take photos, back up the phone, stop folding it, and book with Apple or an Apple Store.

Is the iPhone Duo waterproof?

It is water resistant, not waterproof. Apple rates the iPhone Duo IP68, lab-tested to a maximum depth of 6 metres for up to 30 minutes. Apple says that resistance is not permanent, can decrease with normal wear, and that liquid damage is not covered under warranty, so avoid swimming with it.

Can dust get into the iPhone Duo hinge?

Yes. Despite the IP68 rating, JerryRigEverything's test got dust into the hinge until the magnets could no longer hold the phone shut, and iFixit's dust test made the hinge crunch. Apple's own hinge troubleshooting tells owners to check for particles or dust along the hinge.

Does a case protect the iPhone Duo hinge?

A hinge-cover case protects the spine from grit, lint and knocks, which IP68 does not cover. It cannot fix or prevent a manufacturing defect inside the phone. Apple's own iPhone Duo Case leaves the hinge exposed, so look for a case with a spine cover, such as the Spineguard P1 or Sentinel H2.

Should I take my case off if the iPhone Duo hinge makes a noise?

Yes. Apple's troubleshooting starts with removing any third-party case or screen protector, then checking the hinge for noise, looseness and dust. Test the phone bare. If the noise or stiffness stays, contact Apple, because there is no software fix for hinge issues.

Does AppleCare+ cover the iPhone Duo hinge and screen?

Defects are covered by Apple's warranty, and Apple says to contact AppleCare about the display issue. AppleCare+ adds accidental-damage cover with a service fee: in the US, an inner-display repair is US$99 with AppleCare+ against US$999 without. Australian prices weren't published when we checked.

Related guides

Sources

Apple, iPhone, MagSafe, Touch ID and Apple Pencil are trademarks of Apple Inc. FoldifyCase is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc. This article reports Apple's statements and third-party test results; it is not legal advice.