iPhone Duo crackgate has me babying mine in a way the Galaxy Z Fold 8 never did

The iPhone Duo's "crackgate" issues pushed me to baby my Duo and add AppleCare+ even after Apple's CEO said that it only affected "a very small percentage" of units. This is a stark contrast to how I used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 when I was testing it, where babying it never crossed my mind.

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John Ternus says "crackgate" affects "a very small percentage" of iPhone Duos

Apple CEO John Ternus reaffirmed today (November 2) in an interview after the company's Q4 earnings call that only "a very small percentage" of iPhone Duo units were returned with display issues. These units are being replaced with new units.

Still, no exact number was given for this percentage, just as was the case when Apple gave its statement last week regarding the same issue. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the units he reported on were real damaged units that cracked during normal use.

He also said he suspected that the damage was being caused by a faulty hinge batch pressing into the phones' screens and wondered how "small" this number of affected units actually was.

This issue is exacerbated by the fact that, as per Ternus, not even Apple can predict when the Duo supply and demand issues will reach a balance. At this point, Apple Store shipping estimates are still pointing to late January.

Some iPhone Duo owners are not sold on the "very small" statement

On r/iPhoneDuo, in a post by u/SaintDimitri sharing Ternus's comment titled "Great news for worried customers," several responses offered mixed reactions.



Some who weren't convinced called out the statement as being just investor-friendly wording and recalled those famed times Apple said "you're holding it wrong" to consumers or denied claims of its phones bending. Others pointed out that in his statement Ternus called it a "display issue" and not a "hinge issue," which is the theory that is being floated by many.



On the other side of the spectrum there were those who came to Apple's defense pointing out that every electronic device has some failure rate, while others said that Apple has earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to taking care of its customers.

iPhone Duo's "crackgate" joins "Antennagate" and "Bendgate"

Here's a stroll down the Apple "-gates" memory lane:

• 2010's Antennagate: the iPhone 4 was reported to be dropping its cellular signal when held a certain way. This was followed by Steve Jobs replying to a customer on the issue advising them to "just avoid holding it in that way," which was later dubbed the famed "you're holding it wrong" phrase. This issue led to Apple giving out free bumper cases to every iPhone 4 user.
• 2014's Bendgate: reports of the iPhone 6 Plus bending inside of users' pockets took over the news cycle. Apple responded by saying that only nine customers had contacted the company in the first six days of these reports, effectively denying a wider issue. Although the company never admitted it, moving the next iPhone (6s) to have a stronger 7000 series aluminum was believed to be a result of these reports.

The difference this time with "crackgate" is that Apple acknowledged the issue within about 20 minutes of Bloomberg's Gurman posting his first story on it, and is replacing the affected Duo units whether the user has AppleCare+ or not. The thing here is that Apple has learned from its mistakes and how to respond to these "-gates" now, even if it still won't share an exact number of affected units.

How this has affected my own iPhone Duo usage

While waiting on my iPhone Duo preorder's ship date to hopefully move up, I managed to score another unit for pickup at my local Apple Store. In five days of use now, I can happily report that I have not encountered any issues with the screen or the hinge (knock on wood).



However, I did notice something strange and it has nothing to do with the state of the hardware. The issue is how following all these reports and all the scenarios in which the phone has been damaged has completely changed how I use the Duo in comparison to how I used the Galaxy Z Fold 8 when I was testing it.

First, I bought AppleCare+. As a phone reviewer, I usually never buy AppleCare since I almost never keep any device for more than the one year covered by the standard warranty. I am always very careful with my phones and considered using a case and a screen protector enough protection to get me through that year without having to pay for any type of insurance.

That hasn't been the case, though, with the iPhone Duo. It is the phone that I have paid the most amount of cash for and as a clumsy person with smaller hands, I need some guarantees that if it breaks a year from now and I'm still using it, that I will have no issues replacing it without having to pay half the price of the phone itself.

Another change I've noticed is how I treat the phone. When I was testing the Galaxy Z Fold 8, folding and unfolding it was never something I consciously thought about. I just did it with abandon and not thinking that something could go wrong.

With the iPhone Duo, I am now constantly watching how I treat the device when I'm folding and unfolding, watching out for any stiffness, popping noises or the like. Babying an iPhone Duo was not on my bingo card for 2026.

What's an iPhone Duo owner or future owner to do?

Well, if you already bought a Duo, we have already made our recommendation that you should get AppleCare+ while you still can. We have also made recommendations that you should unfold it gently, but without the need to panic as Apple is replacing the affected units.

However, if you are still deciding and you really want the phone, take some solace in that crackgate appears to be affecting only a batch of Duos, so it might be smart to wait a few weeks until these issues get ironed out. I know, I didn't follow our own advice. Also, if you are on the preorder waiting list, you might just get your Duo after that time anyway.

Personally, one thing crackgate has taught me is not to take folding phones' fragility for granted as I think any device with several moving parts is vulnerable to joining the crackgate club. I am also looking forward to the day that I can unfold the Duo without thinking twice, as I used to do with the Z Fold 8.

More on the iPhone Duo and crackgate:

• iPhone Duo cracks are real, and Apple's 'small number' may not be so small
• iPhone Duo: release date, price, specs and must-know features
• Apple iPhone Duo

• Follow me on X and Threads

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