Apple to replace faulty iPhone Duo screens

Apple is offering replacement units for iPhone Duo devices that develop problems with their inner displays, after acknowledging that a small number of its new foldable phones are exhibiting screen issues. The company said users who experience display problems on the iPhone Duo should contact AppleCare to receive a replacement, rather than working through their carrier.

The issue involves cracks and bright lines appearing on the inner screen along the central hinge, where the phone folds. Apple said the problem affects a small proportion of devices and tends to surface relatively quickly on units that are impacted, while most iPhone Duo phones are not affected.

The replacement program comes only days after Apple launched the iPhone Duo, its first folding iPhone. The device, which unfolds like a passport booklet, began shipping last week following an online release that sold out in minutes, with customers lining up amid tight inventory and analysts noting likely supply constraints because of the phone’s manufacturing complexity.

Some customers who obtained the phone during its first weekend on sale reported that the inner screen broke, showing horizontal bright lines emanating from the hinge. Others described hearing a crunch while folding or unfolding the phone, followed by visible damage along the fold line.

Apple has stated that users do not need AppleCare+ coverage to have an iPhone Duo replaced for this specific problem, and that people who purchased the device through carriers should contact AppleCare directly. For devices that are out of warranty and do not qualify for replacement, Apple lists an inner-screen repair at $999.

Users on Reddit and other online forums shared images of inner-display damage along the center of the hinge over the weekend.

Despite the noise, Apple characterizes the fault as limited to a very small number of units, with most iPhone Duo devices functioning normally. The company has not provided detailed figures on how many phones are affected or whether any specific production batches are involved.

Teardown specialists at iFixit have examined the iPhone Duo’s inner display and hinge structure and proposed a possible mechanical cause for the failures. Using teardown footage, patents, CT scans and stress test simulations, they constructed a 3D model of the hinge and compared it with the locations of reported damage.

Their simulations indicate that screen damage tends to cluster just below where a display cable runs under the screen near a central support bar in the hinge. In this scenario, the support bar may not move fully out of the way as the device folds, creating a small stress hotspot near the middle of the display that could lead to cracks.

The inner display itself is described as particularly delicate, with a thin matte nano-texture finish applied on top of the OLED panel that users are specifically warned not to remove. Removing the entire inner screen requires heating the adhesive and significant force, making it both the most fragile component and the hardest to replace, even though iFixit has assessed the iPhone Duo as highly repairable compared with other foldable phones.

The iPhone Duo is positioned as a premium foldable device, with a starting price of $1,999 in some markets and a starting price of $3,000 in Canada, where it is slated to be available in late October. The cost of the device and the $999 out-of-warranty inner-screen repair highlight the financial impact potential display failures could have for users without access to Apple’s replacement offer.