Apple acknowledged a display defect affecting some units of its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, days after the device went on general sale, and said it would replace affected units, The Guardian reported. The phone reached stores on 23 October after preorders opened on 16 October, with customers lining up and online preorders selling out within minutes.
The company said it is aware of a display issue affecting a small number of iPhone Duo units and directed users experiencing problems to contact AppleCare for a replacement. Apple said on its website that AppleCare+ is not required to obtain a replacement for an affected unit.
The company charges $999 for an out-of-warranty inner-screen repair on the iPhone Duo. Apple disclosed no unit count, no identified cause and no expected timeline for resolving the screen fault.
One Australian user described feeling something near the internal hinge as they opened the phone, then hearing a crack and seeing the screen break along the hinge. That user reported their local Apple store replaced the phone immediately. Some crack images circulating online appear to be AI-generated.
Using teardown footage, patents and CT scans to build a 3D simulation of the Duo hinge, iFixit found the damage reports were concentrated in an area just beneath where a display cable passes under the screen close to a central support bar, which iFixit suggested may not be dropping clear of the screen during folding. iFixit chief executive Kyle Wiens said on X that the hinge is made up of dozens of parts requiring very precise manufacturing, and that a manufacturing variance or a grain of sand could destroy the fragile display panel the hinge is designed to protect. iFixit technician Shahram Mokhtari said in the company's teardown video that damage reports commonly describe users hearing a crunching sound while opening or closing the phone and continuing past it, and noted that the hinge geometry at the point where damage occurs differs from elsewhere.
The device folds like a passport booklet and is complex to manufacture, which analysts said is likely to create supply constraints.
Apple's share price fell 1.1%, or $3.81, to $343.91, and then traded at $343.64 after hours. The company is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results after market close on 2 November. The iPhone Duo is Apple's debut foldable handset and was its highest-profile launch under John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive in September.
Australian owners of the iPhone Duo who experience inner-screen faults are directed to contact AppleCare to obtain a replacement device. Replacement stock is limited, meaning some owners with faulty units may face a wait. Owners whose devices fall outside warranty coverage face an inner-screen repair charge of $999.
Reporting: The Guardian, iTnews, CNBC, Yahoo Finance
Background: CNBC
Written by Pick & Scroll News from the reporting and documents linked above.
