The incident has raised fresh concerns about the durability of Apple's first foldable iPhone and the company's approach to customer support.

iPhone Duo display fails just three hours after unboxing

Having a brand-new smartphone develop a serious screen problem within three hours is an experience no customer would want. Yet that is reportedly what happened to a buyer of the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone.

According to a post on Reddit, a user with the account name chimchambam preordered the iPhone Duo through US mobile carrier Verizon on October 16.

However, the excitement of owning the new device lasted only about 180 minutes before a serious problem emerged.

The owner said the inner folding display failed while she was opening the phone.

Describing the moment, she wrote: "I was opening it, felt some resistance for a moment, and then heard a snap."

According to her account, the device made a sound resembling breaking glass just as the display stopped working.

She insisted that she had opened the phone normally, without applying excessive force or performing any unusual action.

The incident quickly attracted attention on Reddit, particularly because the iPhone Duo is an entirely new product featuring a foldable design that requires complex coordination between the display panel, hinge and internal mechanical components.

Apple reportedly blames a drop and refuses warranty coverage

Initially, some Reddit users expected Apple to replace the defective device or repair the damaged component promptly.

One commenter, TeekaElSayed, suggested that the customer might receive assistance at the Genius Bar, Apple's in-store technical support service.

However, the outcome was reportedly different.

According to the iPhone Duo owner, Apple declined to cover the damage under its standard warranty after inspecting the device and concluding that it showed signs of having been dropped.

Rather than offering a free repair or replacement, Apple allegedly suggested that the customer purchase a protection plan that could be applied retroactively and then submit a claim.

The Reddit account did not clarify the specific conditions of this proposed arrangement or whether the customer would actually qualify for such coverage.

A significant discrepancy remains between the customer's account and Apple's reported assessment.

The owner maintains that the display broke during normal opening, while Apple reportedly attributed the damage to a drop.

There is currently insufficient independent evidence to establish precisely what caused the failure.

The incident therefore cannot, on its own, be considered proof of a design defect in the iPhone Duo or improper handling by Apple.

Nevertheless, the reported response could leave buyers disappointed, particularly when a premium device fails after such a short period of use.

The $2,199 iPhone Duo and Apple's challenge of maintaining customer trust

The affected device was a 512GB iPhone Duo priced at $2,199.

At that price, customers would reasonably expect a premium smartphone to offer robust engineering, reliable performance and appropriate after-sales support.

The owner described the experience as a major disappointment.

Despite the failure, she acknowledged that the iPhone Duo had been exciting to use during the brief period before its screen stopped working.

Her comments reflect both the appeal of Apple's new foldable design and the frustration of having that experience cut short.

For foldable smartphones, durability remains one of the most important factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay premium prices.

The inner display must withstand repeated folding and unfolding, while the hinge and overall structure must remain stable under a variety of everyday conditions.

Any failure occurring within the first few days of ownership is therefore likely to attract attention, especially shortly after a product launch.

The latest iPhone Duo screen failure, however, is reportedly not an isolated incident.

According to technology website 9to5Mac, several iPhone Duo owners have reported that their inner folding displays cracked unexpectedly after relatively short periods of use, in some cases during the initial setup process.

Notably, the reported failures appear to share very similar characteristics.

The full extent of the problem remains unclear.

Nevertheless, early reports have identified approximately 10 separate cases, with several owners sharing comparable experiences in the iPhone Duo community on Reddit.

The accounts have added to questions about the durability of Apple's first foldable smartphone, although the precise causes of the reported failures have yet to be independently established.

Hai Phong