iPhone Duo hinge failure sparks Crackgate: Users report screens cracking

The likely culprit in the “crackgate” saga has become clearer: it appears to be the hinge mechanism that is causing fractures in the internal display of the iPhone Duo, a problem that has been spreading across social networks since the weekend. Numerous reports show damaged screens with the initial point of failure consistently located in the same area — on the lower portion of the central hinge. Korean YouTuber CuriousHagi demonstrates the effect in a video: the hinge holds briefly while opening, then suddenly gives way with a sharp break, and the display ends up punctured from the inside.

When CuriousHagi took the iPhone Duo apart, he found a crack on the section of the hinge that corresponds to where the columns of bright pixels start appearing, along with an impact mark on the rear of the display. That evidence points to a hinge component as the direct source of the damage.

What remains unclear is the set of circumstances that causes this hinge element to fail. CuriousHagi’s experiment is not necessarily representative of typical use, since the YouTuber intentionally forced the hinge (opening it well past 180°) to trigger the failure. At the same time, multiple user reports suggest that the screen can crack under normal usage conditions.

Update 18:29 :

Apple has acknowledged a defect but says it affects only a limited number of devices (read: Apple recognizes a defect in a limited number of iPhone Duo units).