Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, faces fresh durability concerns after users reported that its hinge jammed before returning to normal on its own.
One iPhone Duo owner felt unusual resistance in the hinge after dropping the device on a hard floor, according to phone-related news outlet PhoneArenaon Wednesday. When the owner tried to unfold the phone about an hour later, the hinge made a loud noise. However, the phone unfolded normally after the noise.
The user also checked the screen crease for bulge, which has been cited as a possible warning sign of display damage, but found no visible problem.
“Their iPhone Duo had gone back to normal all by itself,” the outlet reported.
Other iPhone Duo users have reported similar cases of the phone hinge resistance followed by a loud noise and a return to normal operation, PhoneArena said. The outlet suggested that a hinge component may have moved out of position and later shifted back into place, but the exact cause has not been confirmed.
Display damage may occur if users keep forcing the device open after feeling resistance. Some users experienced the internal screen cracking loudly after they ignored the resistance and continued to unfold the phone.
Users should close the device and visit an Apple Store if the hinge does not move normally, PhoneArena advised.
Despite Apple claiming only a small number of devices have experienced the problem, reports of damaged devices have continued to appear online.
“One customer wasn’t even able to get their Duo repaired because requests for repairs and replacements are apparently too high for Apple to keep up with,” PhoneArena said.
The verdict was not in favor of the phone maker.
“I would never buy a phone that starts at $2,000 and can decide to just break whenever it feels like it,” PhoneArena said. “And, frankly speaking, I wouldn’t have the patience to keep babying it all day long for years.”
