iFixit Rates iPhone Duo Repairability 5/10 Amid Screen-Crack Reports

Repair company iFixit gave Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10, according to a teardown WIRED published Sunday. The release comes as multiple Reddit users report the device's inner screen cracking, in some cases during initial setup, WIRED reported.

What repairability score did iFixit give the iPhone Duo?

iFixit's score is provisional. The company says it may revise the number once it has more information on how Apple supplies replacement parts, according to WIRED. Even at 5/10, the score is the highest iFixit has given any foldable phone to date, WIRED reported.

Why are iPhone Duo screens reportedly cracking?

WIRED says it is unclear how widespread the cracking issue is or whether it affects only a small number of units. Some reports stem from users breaking screens during normal setup. Others may involve content creators intentionally stress-testing the device, including YouTuber JerryRigEverything, WIRED noted. WIRED's own review unit had no screen issues after more than two weeks of daily use, the outlet reported. Apple did not respond to WIRED's request for comment.

WIRED frames the problem as familiar to the foldable category. A hinge creates strain on the screen and internal components and can let in dust, the outlet reported, pointing to Samsung's original Galaxy Fold in 2019, when Samsung paused sales to fix a similar issue. Foldable defect rates have generally declined as the category has matured, according to WIRED, but that has not made the phones easier to repair.

What makes the inner display hard to repair?

iFixit's teardown found several components simple to service: the battery and back panels detach easily, the outer trim comes off as one piece, and the 5.4-inch outer screen removes without much trouble, WIRED reported. Reassembly is also manageable because most parts are held with reusable screws and brackets rather than permanent adhesive, according to the teardown.

The inner display is the exception. iFixit found a thin matte, nano-texture finish layered on top of the OLED panel that can peel off if handled carelessly — something Apple explicitly warns against on a support page, per WIRED. Removing the full inner screen requires heating the adhesive with a heat gun and considerable manual effort, the teardown found. Users have already reported breaking this specific component, which iFixit identified as the most fragile and hardest to replace, WIRED reported. Apple offers an inner-screen repair service priced at $999, according to the outlet.

How does the Duo compare with other foldables, according to iFixit?

iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens called foldable engineering "the pinnacle of material engineering and materials science," adding it is "ludicrously difficult to accomplish," in remarks WIRED cited from an event held the day before Apple's September announcement of the Duo. The Duo's 5/10 provisional score outranks every other foldable iFixit has tested, the outlet reported, even though dust still collects in spots like the USB-C port, outer edges, and speaker.

What has Apple said about the cracking reports?

Apple had not responded to WIRED's request for comment as of publication. The $1,999 device remains under scrutiny as owners document cracked screens online, a pattern some are already labeling "crackgate," per WIRED's reporting.

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