Apple Says It Knows Of iPhone Duo Faulty Screen Issues, Agrees To Replace Affected Units

Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo handsets that have developed screen faults, just days after its first foldable iPhone went on sale. The company said it knows of "an issue impacting the inner display on a small number" of devices and asked affected users to contact it for a replacement. It did not say how many handsets are affected.

What users are reporting

BBC first reported of Apple issuing replacements to affected users. Photos on social media show lines running across the foldable's inner screen. Some owners have also posted images of cracks along the central crease, while others describe a crunching sound when they open the phone.

One user, Justin Lokos, shared a photo of a Duo with lines across the right side of its display. He later posted a picture of a replacement handset beside the faulty one and thanked an Apple store in New York for its help.

Authenticity questions

The scale of the problem is not yet clear. Some of the images circulating online may have been generated using artificial intelligence, the report noted. PhoneArena also reported that many online commenters doubted a viral launch-day crack photo, with some suggesting the owner had peeled off the screen's matte nano-texture layer.

Why foldables are prone to screen faults

The Duo's 7.6-inch inner display is held together by a central hinge, a complex piece of engineering that has caused similar problems in rivals' foldables. Samsung's first foldable, the Galaxy Fold, ran into trouble in 2019 when reviewers reported broken screens.

Pricing and the stakes for Apple

The Duo starts at £1,999 ($2,668) in the UK and rises to £3,199 for the best-equipped models, making it Apple's most expensive iPhone yet. Crowds gathered at Apple stores worldwide for last week's launch as the company tries to refresh its lineup and take on foldables from Android makers, which have had years of head start.

Repair costs and support

Repair costs could be a concern for owners outside any replacement. In the US, Apple lists an inner-screen repair at $999 without AppleCare+, falling to $99 for covered accidental damage with it. Apple has also published a support document for common Duo problems. According to iDropNews, it suggests checking for cases, dust or debris and cleaning the phone, and if that fails, replacing the part.