Apple has acknowledged display problems affecting a small number of its first folding smartphones and said it will replace affected devices, just days after the new product began reaching customers worldwide.
The company started shipping the iPhone Duo last week, with strong demand leaving supplies limited after initial online orders sold out within minutes. The device opens like a passport booklet, introducing a new design that analysts expect to be challenging to manufacture at scale.
Reports of possible defects emerged over the weekend, when users shared images and videos on social media showing cracks and lines on the phone’s inner display. The damage appeared around the central hinge, where the screen bends when the device is folded.
“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple said in a statement on Monday. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”
Apple did not explain what might be causing the damage or provide details about the number of affected devices.
The reports have raised questions about the durability of the folding mechanism, a key component of devices with flexible displays. Apple has not yet publicly identified a technical fault, and the cause of the reported damage remains unclear.
Repair specialist iFixit has conducted its own analysis of the possible problem, using teardown footage, patents and CT scans to build a three-dimensional simulation of the iPhone Duo’s hinge. The company compared its model with the locations of the damage shown in online reports.
According to iFixit, the reported cracks appeared to cluster just below the point where a display cable runs beneath the screen, close to a central support bar.
The company suggested that the bar might not move sufficiently out of the screen’s path when the phone folds. This could create a concentrated area of stress near the reported break locations.
Apple had not immediately commented on iFixit’s findings. The repair specialist also concluded that the iPhone Duo was the most repairable foldable smartphone it had tested, highlighting a potentially positive aspect of the device’s design despite the reported display concerns.
Francisco Jeronimo, a vice president at market research firm IDC, described Apple’s decision to offer replacements as the “right first step” in addressing the issue.
He pointed to Samsung’s experience with its original Galaxy Fold in 2019, when early problems affected the launch of the company’s first folding smartphone.
“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.
Apple’s response comes as it begins establishing a position in the foldable smartphone market, where manufacturing complexity and screen durability remain important challenges for device makers.
