iPhone Duo Screen Cracking: What to Do If You Bought Yours From a Carrier

What Apple has said

Apple's statement, given to CNBC, Bloomberg, 9to5Mac and MacRumors, says it is aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units, and that affected owners should contact AppleCare for a replacement. According to 9to5Mac, Apple says the defect tends to show up quickly, you don't need AppleCare+ to get the replacement, and carrier customers should go to AppleCare directly rather than their carrier.

Apple hasn't said what causes it or whether it has changed anything in production. iFixit's teardown points to a stress point just below where the display cable crosses the hinge, and iFixit's CEO said a manufacturing variance or a grain of sand could damage the panel. Apple's handling advice is to check the user guide's hinge guidance, take off third-party cases and screen protectors, and look for dust in the hinge or dents in the frame.

If your screen cracks: who to call

• Apple first, even if you bought from a carrier. Call AppleCare (1-800-APL-CARE), use the Apple Support app, or book a Genius Bar visit. The replacement is covered by the standard warranty.
• Don't file a claim on your carrier's protection plan for this. You'd pay a deductible for something Apple covers for free.
• Take photos of the crack and note the date before you hand it over.
• Your carrier financing and bill credits carry on as normal with an Apple replacement, because the line and the installment plan don't change.

If you'd rather return it

A replacement fixes your phone, but some owners want out entirely. That means returning it to whoever sold it, inside their window. The windows start on the purchase date, or the delivery date for orders that were shipped, so launch-day buyers are already a few days in.

Ask the carrier to waive the restocking fee if the screen has already failed. A phone that cracks by itself counts as defective, and a defect is a different case from changing your mind. Get the waiver noted on your account before you ship anything back.

What a return does to your deal

• Bill credits stop. The $1,000 or $1,200 off was paid as monthly credits on the phone, so returning the phone ends them.
• Trade-ins are the catch. If you already sent your old phone in, ask the carrier how its value will be handled before you return the Duo. Some promotions claw the credit back.
• Returning the phone doesn't cancel your line. If you switched carriers for the deal, decide whether to keep the plan, and if not, cancel inside the same window so you don't owe early fees.
• One exchange only at Verizon and AT&T. If you swap the Duo for another model, that swap uses it up.

Repair costs once you're past the warranty issue

The free replacement covers the defect. Drops and other accidental damage aren't covered, and the Duo is the most expensive iPhone to repair:

AppleCare+ or your carrier's plan?

All three carriers sell their own protection, billed monthly. Prices depend on the phone's tier, and the Duo sits in the top tier at each one.

For the Duo, AppleCare+ is the simpler pick. It prices the inner screen separately at $99, Apple does the repair, and it moves with you if you switch carriers. Carrier plans can work out cheaper for cracked outer glass, but their top-tier replacement deductibles are much higher than AppleCare's $149, and a claim usually gets you a replacement phone rather than a repair.

Should you still buy one?

If you've ordered one, there's no need to cancel. Apple says the failures are rare and appear early, so the first days with the phone are when to test it. Open and close it as you normally would, keep the box and everything in it, and leave any screen protector off for now. If it fails, go to Apple. If it doesn't, you're likely past the problem.

If you haven't bought yet and you're buying from a carrier, Verizon's 30-day window gives you the most time to find a problem. You could also wait a few weeks for Apple to explain the cause. The carrier deals aren't going away: the top offers are tied to plans and trade-ins, not to launch week.