Apple’s new $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo is developing cracked screens within days of purchase for a small portion of customers, leaving some facing a wait for replacements until January 2027 after the phone sold out during preorders.The $1,999 iPhone Duo went on sale last week, but owners have repo rted inner screens cracking along the hinge within hours of bringing them home, with affected devices requiring full replacements. One buyer told CBS News that the hinge on his phone became unusually stiff when he opened it for the first time after putting on a case. He pushed past the resistance, heard a loud pop, and found the screen cracked before he had finished setting up the device. As CBS News reported last week, the phone sold out during preorders, and Apple's initial supply was exhausted before the phone even reached stores. It's currently on back order until January 2027, reportedly leaving some customers with broken devices facing a delay for their replacements. Some customers have been more fortunate and were able to get their broken phones replaced at their local Apple Stores, while others received them via express mail, according to the the Los Angeles Times.Apple acknowledged the screen failures Monday, telling CNBC that it was aware of an issue affecting a small number of iPhone Duo units. The company advised customers experiencing display problems to contact AppleCare for replacements but has not publicly identified the cause or announced a recall.Based on this account from a Reddit user whose screen developed creases near the hinge after four days of light use, it's probably a good idea to invest in AppleCare for this device. The user shared an invoice from the company listing the replacement price without coverage as $1,499.The damage appears concentrated near the hinge's internal support mechanism, as CNBC reports. Shahram Mokhtari, lead teardown technician at electronics repair company iFixit, suggested that a support bar may not always retract far enough as the phone closes, potentially putting pressure on the delicate display. A trapped particle or manufacturing defect could also reportedly be responsible, and further investigation is needed.According to Engadget, the Duo's folding mechanism contains numerous moving parts, and iFixit found that fine particles could reach the hinge during testing despite the phone's dust- and water-resistance rating. The company has not established whether the failures stem from a design flaw, manufacturing inconsistencies, or another cause.Apple CEO John Ternus unveiled the Duo in September, making it one of the company's biggest hardware launches since he took over from Tim Cook, as SFist reported previously. The device starts at $1,999 for 256 GB of storage, with higher-capacity models costing more than $3,000.Apple has characterized the screen problem as affecting a small number of devices, but the total number of reported failures remains unclear. Previously: Apple Debuts Its First Foldable iPhone — Don't Call It a Flip Phone! ...read more read less