Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo handsets with screen problems

Key points

• Apple will replace iPhone Duo handsets that have developed screen problems just days after the foldable phone went on sale.
• Photos posted online show lines on the inner display and cracks along the screen's centre crease, and some owners reported a crunching noise when opening the device.
• Apple did not say how many devices were affected, and some images of faulty devices may have been created using artificial intelligence.

Apple has said it will replace iPhone Duo handsets that have developed problems with their screens, just days after the foldable smartphone went on sale. The device starts at £1,999 ($2,668) in the UK and costs up to £3,199 for the most well-equipped models.

Photos shared by social media users show lines appearing on the screens of Apple's first foldable device. Apple said it is aware of "an issue impacting the inner display on a small number" of units and urged affected users to contact the company for a replacement.

What owners reported

Some Duo owners posted photos online showing cracks along the screen's centre crease, while others reported a crunching noise when opening the device. Justin Lokos, an iPhone Duo user, posted an image of a device with lines across the right side of the display and later uploaded a picture of a new handset alongside the broken one, thanking an Apple store in New York for its help.

Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together

— John Ternus

Scale of the problem

The extent of the issue remains unclear. Apple did not say how many devices were affected, while some images showing faulty devices may have been created using artificial intelligence.

The Duo's 7.6-inch (19.3cm) inner display is held together by a central hinge. Samsung's first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, suffered an early setback in 2019 when reviewers reported broken screens on the devices.

A major launch

The Duo's launch attracted long queues at Apple stores around the world last week. It is the brand's first major iPhone redesign in almost two decades and was unveiled by new chief executive John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September.