Apple Replaces iPhone Duo Units With Faulty Inner Screens

Apple said Monday it is aware of inner-screen faults in a small number of iPhone Duo handsets and will replace affected phones under AppleCare. The $1,999-and-up foldable reached stores on Friday, CNBC reported. The phone unfolds like a passport booklet, and online orders sold out in minutes while buyers lined up at stores worldwide. Apple had said walk-in stock would be limited, and analysts say the device's complex construction will keep supplies constrained.

Owners began posting over the weekend that the folding display cracked along the hinge, with bright horizontal streaks radiating across the 7.6-inch screen. Reports appeared on Reddit and X, and 9to5Mac said some AI-generated reports were also posted; Technology Org noted some images may have been made with AI. Apple says most iPhone Duo units are not affected and the problem tends to surface quickly.

In a statement, Apple said: "We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement." The company also said the response from early users has been "incredibly positive" and developers are updating apps for the form factor. Owners do not need AppleCare+ to qualify, and buyers who purchased through a carrier should contact AppleCare directly. Apple lists an out-of-warranty inner-screen repair at $999 on its website.

iFixit followed the damage to the hinge. The firm built a 3D model of the hinge from its own teardown clips, Apple patent documents, and CT imaging, and matched it against where users reported failures. The damage clusters just below a point where a display cable passes beneath the panel, near a central support bar. iFixit thinks this bar might not move out of the screen's path when closing, and could press against it. In its teardown video, iFixit technician Shahram Mokhtari said many damage reports describe "folding or unfolding the phone, hearing a crunch, and pushing past it." CEO Kyle Wiens posted on X: "The hinge is actually dozens of parts, with ludicrous precision. A manufacturing variance or grain of sand can kill the fragile display panel it protects." The same analysis called the iPhone Duo the most repair-friendly foldable iFixit has examined. Apple had no comment on that analysis.

Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at IDC, called Apple’s quick replacement offer the "right first step." He said: "We all remember when Samsung experienced problems with the original Galaxy Fold in 2019, but it also showed that a fast and transparent response can contain the damage to a category." Samsung’s original Galaxy Fold had review units with inner screens that cracked during normal use, CNBC reported. Apple once provided free display swaps for iPhone X models that had unresponsive touch panels, and that response came months after early complaints. Here the company acted within days of launch, though it has not identified the cause.