Apple acknowledges a display fault in a small number of first foldable iPhone Duo units

What Apple has acknowledged

Apple said on Monday, 26 October, that it knew of a problem affecting the inner screen on a small number of iPhone Duo units. The statement came three days after the device went on sale on 23 October, the company's first foldable iPhone. Apple has not said how many units are affected or what is causing the fault. A spokesperson told 9to5Mac that owners with display problems should contact AppleCare for a replacement.

“If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”

Where the cracks appear

Photos shared on Reddit and social media since the weekend of 24 and 25 October show cracks along the central fold near the hinge. Many images also show a line of bright or dead pixels running across the right-hand side of the inner panel. Some owners describe hearing a popping or cracking sound as they open the phone. One Australian owner said the screen broke along the hinge about six hours after purchase, and that the local Apple Store replaced the device. Bloomberg reported comparable cases among users in the United States and India. Some of the circulating images may have been generated with artificial intelligence, and the scale of the problem remains unclear.

Possible causes

Apple has not explained what causes the fault. Theories circulating online point to a hinge component that could press abnormally against the screen above it, or to users pressing a thumb directly on the central fold. The repair site iFixit suggested that dust and dirt particles could enter the hinge mechanism. Its 3D hinge model, built from teardown footage, patents and CT scans, found that in its closing simulation the centre support bar fails to drop far enough, creating a stress hotspot near the reported break location. La Razon reports that Apple engineers are examining damaged units, but the company has not said whether a specific batch or a hinge part is involved. Nothing so far points to a fault across the whole production run.

Replacements and repair costs

Owners are sent to AppleCare, and an AppleCare+ plan is not required to claim a replacement, according to La Razon and Xataka. La Razon reports that some owners have already received a new unit at an Apple Store, while others face waits because replacement stock is short. Store and support staff reportedly lack clear official instructions, and no general timeframe for resolving cases has been published. Apple's official service price list, as cited by RMF24, sets the cost of internal display damage in Poland at 4,999 zł.

Battery service1,119

External display damage2,149

Internal display damage4,999

Other damage7,499

Battery service

1119 zł

External display damage

2149 zł

Internal display damage

4999 zł

Other damage

7499 zł

Data from the article text

The same list puts external display damage at 2,149 zł, a battery service at 1,119 zł and other damage at 7,499 zł.

The device and its launch

The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable phone and its most expensive iPhone to date, with a 7.6-inch inner screen that supports the Apple Pencil. The starting price is 1,999 dollars in the United States and 1,999 pounds in the United Kingdom, while the base model costs 9,999 zł in Poland and the top configuration 15,999 zł. John Ternus, who took over as Apple's chief executive on 1 September, succeeding Tim Cook, presented the device at a September event. Samsung, Motorola and Google already sell foldable phones, and Samsung's Galaxy Fold reported display damage among specialists testing it at its 2019 launch, according to ProTV.