Apple acknowledged Monday that some iPhone Duo devices have screen problems and said it would replace affected units, just days after launching its first foldable iPhone.
Apple began shipping the iPhone Duo last week, with customers worldwide lining up to buy the device after initial online orders sold out within minutes. Analysts have said Apple is likely to face supply constraints because the iPhone Duo, which unfolds like a passport booklet, is complex to manufacture.
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The announcement follows reports on social media that cracks were developing along the middle of the screen, where the crease runs.
“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple said in a statement. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”
iFixit recently published a teardown of the iPhone Duo, revealing details about its hinge design that may help explain the reported screen cracks. The do-it-yourself repair group also called the Duo the most repairable foldable device it has tested, although opening it up would still be difficult.
iFixit said its simulations found that the reported damage clustered just below the point where a display cable runs beneath the screen near a central support bar. The bar might be failing to move out of the screen’s way as the phone folds, “creating a small stress hotspot near the reported break location.”
Apple did not comment on iFixit’s findings.
Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at market research firm IDC, said Apple’s offer to replace affected devices was the “right first step” in responding to the problem.
“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,” Jeronimo said.
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Jeronimo also said that because Apple had positioned the Duo as a “premium alternative” to established foldable phones, “how it handles this first-generation issue will shape buyer confidence in the category well beyond its own sales.”
“Apple has a loyal customer base and a retail network that can swap devices on the spot, but with a further 28 markets launching on Oct. 30, it needs to clarify its warranty position quickly,” he said.