Apple directs iPhone Duo owners with display problems to AppleCare for replacements
Apple says a small number of its new foldable phones have inner-display problems. Customer accounts describe cracks and bright lines near the hinge.
Apple said on Monday, October 26, that a small number of its newly released iPhone Duo phones have inner-display problems and told affected owners to contact AppleCare for a replacement. The acknowledgment follows customer complaints about cracked screens and display faults on the foldable phone, which reached store shelves on Friday, October 23.
Apple told CNBC the affected devices would be replaced under its AppleCare warranty. In a statement reported by Reuters, the company said: ‘We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units.’ It directed users experiencing display issues to AppleCare. Apple has not given a number of affected phones or a failure rate.
What customers reported about the iPhone Duo screen
Reports describe cracks, bright lines and other faults on the inner display, often near the central hinge. Bloomberg News independently verified complaints from more than half a dozen customers who provided photos of damaged devices or evidence of conversations with Apple support, according to its report carried by The Straits Times. One account described a crunch while unfolding the phone, followed by a crack along the crease.
CNBC cautioned that many posts about the problem came from anonymous users on Reddit and X and that fake images were circulating. The verified customer accounts provide evidence of failures, but do not establish how many phones are affected. The Straits Times also reported that one customer received a replacement at an Apple Store in New York.
Apple’s replacement advice and the possible cause
An Apple representative told The Verge that the issue appears quickly in units with the defect and that most units are not susceptible. Apple has not identified the cause. Repair firm iFixit proposed that the hinge design could be involved, CNBC reported, but that remains a theory.
CNBC reported that Apple lists a $999 inner-screen repair for iPhone Duo phones outside warranty. Apple’s reported direction is for customers with display problems to seek a replacement through AppleCare; the statement does not spell out how cases outside the reported warranty coverage will be handled.
The display complaints have emerged within days of the phone’s arrival in stores. Earlier, Apple described iPhone Duo demand as extraordinary as delivery estimates stretched into January. That demand makes the company’s response relevant to owners already using the device and buyers waiting for delivery.
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Sources and context
- Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo units showing screen problemsCNA, carrying Reuters reporting
- Apple responds to user reports of broken iPhone Duo screens on new foldable phoneCNBC
- Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo draws early complaints of the screen crackingThe Straits Times, carrying Bloomberg News reporting
- Apple acknowledges iPhone Duo display ‘issue’ after reports of cracked screensThe Verge
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.