Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, went on sale on October 23 and drew reports of three separate issues in less than two days: a fingerprint unlock bypass demonstration on iOS 27.1, a Reddit claim that the inner screen cracked after fewer than 20 folds, and a sharp drop in handset purchase quotes from resellers in Hong Kong.
The report said Apple has priced the iPhone Duo in Taiwan from NT$74,900 to NT$118,900. Apple had not publicly responded to the screen crack case at the time of publication.
Influencer demonstrates fingerprint unlock bypass on iOS 27.1
Chinese tech influencer @勝利文縐縐 said the iPhone Duo’s fingerprint recognition responded slowly. In a video, he showed that by continuously pressing on the fingerprint sensor and then lightly tapping the screen, he could enter the phone after the system failed to respond in time. During the demonstration, the lock icon on the lock screen still appeared closed, making it difficult to tell from the display that the device could in fact be opened.
The phone in the video was running iOS 27.1. IT Home said the latest version had not fixed the issue so far, and the influencer advised users to rely less on fingerprint unlocking until a patch arrives. The report also said the iPhone Duo does not include Face ID, which IT Home described as one of the most common complaints among first-batch users.
Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman had previously said Apple’s second-generation prototype integrates the Face ID sensor under the outer display.
Separately, security firm Calif.io posted a video on X on launch day showing a jailbreak demonstration on an iPhone Duo running iOS 27.1.
Reddit user says inner display cracked after fewer than 20 folds
A Reddit user in the U.S. said the inner display cracked along the hinge after fewer than 20 folds, about six hours after receiving the iPhone Duo. The user wrote that he heard a "click" when unfolding the device and then found the crack along the hinge area of the inner screen. He said there were no obvious scratches on the display surface or hinge, and no visible debris appeared to be trapped inside.
According to the post, Apple replaced the device after receiving the complaint.
Moderators of the iPhone Duo discussion forum on Reddit labeled the post "Verified Claim," saying the user had provided photos of the damage and Apple service documents. Even so, the report described it as a single-user case. Other users in the forum questioned whether improper handling could have been involved, such as pressing on the inner display or removing the protective layer. Liberty Times said there had also been scattered reports of inner display damage on Reddit, though the authenticity and cause remained unclear.
At launch, Apple had stressed the durability of the foldable display design. The company said the stiffness of its scratch-resistant coating and nano-texture layer was 40% higher than commonly used materials in the industry, making deformation less likely under the same force. Apple also said the panel was reinforced with high-strength glass on both sides and supported by a titanium plate underneath.
Hong Kong reseller quotes fell within two days
The iPhone Duo also went on sale in Hong Kong on October 23. One day earlier, on October 22, some merchants were quoting HK$22,500 for the 256GB version. Using an October 24 exchange rate of about 4.15, the report said that was roughly NT$93,000, or HK$5,001 above the official price of HK$17,499.
By launch day, a quote sheet shared by users on Threads showed the 256GB Starlight White version at HK$18,500, leaving a premium of just HK$1,001, or about NT$4,200.
Hong Kong tech outlet unwire.hk said a reporter saw quotes at Mong Kok’s Sim City on the morning of October 23 at HK$20,000 for the white model and HK$20,500 for the black model. Later in the day, user-shared quotes showed the 512GB Starlight White version at HK$19,500, only HK$201 above its official HK$19,299 price. Unwire.hk said these were asking prices from different times and sources, not confirmed transaction prices.
Mainland China eSIM limits cited as one reason
Unwire.hk said one reason for the drop in Hong Kong purchase quotes may be that the Hong Kong version cannot use eSIM services from mainland Chinese telecom operators. The iPhone Duo has removed the physical SIM card slot. Apple’s mainland China website says only model A3721 can activate eSIM with China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, while the Hong Kong version is model A3720.
That means buyers in mainland China who obtain the Hong Kong version cannot directly use a local number, which may have weakened resale demand.