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Apple Replaces Defective iPhone Duos After Screen Issues
Confirmed
In Short: Some customers have reported success taking their defective phones to Apple stores for replacement, but spares may be in short supply.
Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, last week, priced at $2,000, marking a significant shift in hardware strategy.
Some customers have reported success taking their defective phones to Apple stores for replacement, but spares may be in short supply.
Photos posted on social media show lines that appeared on the screens of the technology giant's first ever foldable device.
The issue in that case was a design with openings that allowed particulates to infiltrate the hinge, where they damaged the screen from underneath.
The iPhone Duo has a wide cable with “accordion-like pleats,” but this doesn’t quite match the accounts of the damage.
Apple says the problem is affecting a small number of iPhone Duo units, specifically their inner displays.
The company said it was aware of “an issue impacting the inner display on a small number” of devices and advised affected customers to contact Apple for a replacement.
Reports of the problem surfaced on Reddit and other forums over the weekend.
Apple's new boss starts with a big gamble on the £1,999 first folding iPhone.
The iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch inner display connected by a central hinge, a complex component that has also presented challenges for other manufacturers of foldable smartphones.
Apple has acknowledged some of its iPhone Duo handsets have developed problems with their screens, just days after the highly-anticipated smartphone went on sale.
The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor.
What this adds
The scale of the issue is impossible to know—Apple says only a “small number” of units are breaking in this way.
The Internet is currently overflowing with images of busted iPhone Duos, all sporting almost identical damage.
Others reported lines appearing across parts of the screen, dead pixels, and other display problems.
Samsung encountered similar difficulties in 2019 when its first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, suffered screen failures reported by reviewers shortly after its launch.
Background
Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, priced starting at $1,999, marking a significant shift in hardware strategy.
Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, priced starting at $1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone ever.
What's confirmed
- One user said Apple had helped him to replace his faulty iPhone Duo Apple has acknowledged some of its iPhone Duo handsets have developed problems with their screens, just days after the highly-anticipated smartphone went on sale.
- The Duo's 7.6-inch (19.3cm) inner display is held together by a central hinge - a complex piece of engineering that has resulted in similar flaws in folding devices made by some of Apple's competitors.
- "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 30 October, it needs to clarify its warranty position quickly," he said.
- "If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement." Apple says on its website that an inner-screen repair will be $999 for iPhone Duos that are out of warranty.
- "The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor," an Apple representative said in a statement.
- The company said it was aware of “an issue impacting the inner display on a small number” of devices and advised affected customers to contact Apple for a replacement.
What's still developing
- The Internet is currently overflowing with images of busted iPhone Duos, all sporting almost identical damage.
- The scale is impossible to know—Apple says only a “small number” of units are breaking in this way.
- Samsung's first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, suffered an early setback in 2019 when reviewers reported broken screens on the devices.
- But some customers who were lucky enough to get the $1,999-and-up phone on its first weekend have been reporting a pretty big problem: The inner screen of the phone can break, showing horizontal bright lines emanating from the phone's hinge.
- With a starting price of £1,999 in the UK and top-end models costing as much as £3,199, the Duo is Apple’s most expensive iPhone to date.
- At its unveiling, Mr Ternus said the device would “redefine the experience of using a foldable phone”, as Apple seeks to challenge established competitors in the growing market.
- Its analysis found that some of the reported damage appears close to an area where a display cable passes beneath the screen near a central support bar. iFixit suggested that this could potentially create additional stress around the area when the phone is folded, although Apple hasn’t confirmed that this is responsible for the failures.
- Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: Introduced in 2007 by Steve Jobs, iPhone is Appl… Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations.
- The folks at iFixit have pointed to a few potential causes of the problems, with certain components potentially putting excessive pressure on the display.
- You do not need AppleCare+ to have your iPhone Duo replaced for this problem.
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- "A manufacturing variance or grain of sand can kill the fragile display panel it protects." Breaking screens have been an issue with foldable phones going back to 2019, and have been seen as one of the major roadblocks to the technology's widespread adoption.