(Yicai) Oct. 26 -- After just 10 days on sale, Apple’s flagship iPhone Duo has already fallen below its official retail price on some Chinese e-commerce platforms. Compounding this, some early users have been reporting screen problems.

The phone is the first from the US tech giant to feature a folding screen, but users in various countries have posted on social media saying that black vertical cracks had appeared at the fold. The global media has already dubbed it “crackgate.” Apple has not yet issued a response.

After the iPhone Duo was launched on Oct. 16, scalpers were charging premiums of several thousand Chinese yuan, but now some online retail sites are offering it below list price.

On Pinduoduo, for instance, as part of its “CNY10 billion (USD1.5 billion) subsidy program,” the price starts at CNY15,799 (USD2,369), CNY200 (USD30) below the official price of CNY15,999 for the 256GB base model. The offer was available in limited quantities, and the product page showed sales of just 254 units so far.

Photographs uploaded on social media have shown cracks on the inner screen of the iPhone Duo, and multiple users said they heard a cracking sound when unfolding the screen during normal use.

Asked about the reports, a customer-service representative at Apple’s official Tmall flagship store said the iPhone Duo’s front panel uses second-generation Ceramic Shield. The phone’s resistance to drops and cracking depends on the circumstances of use and how it is dropped, the person said.

Cracked screens and other accidental damage as a result of external pressure are not covered by Apple’s standard limited warranty, they said, adding that customers who purchased AppleCare+ can seek service under the terms of their plan.

Editor: Tom Litting