Apple confirms iPhone Duo display issue after owners report screen cracks

Reports of cracks have appeared on Reddit and social media since the handset went on sale, according to The Guardian. The device starts at $1,999 in the US and £1,499 in the UK. Apple said it was aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units and advised users who experience display problems to contact AppleCare for a replacement.

One user in Australia said on Reddit that their Duo cracked within six hours of taking ownership. The user wrote that while showing the phone to a friend, they felt something around the internal hinge beneath the screen; as they continued opening it, they heard an audible crack and the screen broke along the hinge. They posted an image showing an apparent display malfunction, with a white strip of light running along one half of the screen, and said a local Apple store replaced the phone immediately. The Guardian said it could not verify the user's claim.

Another user in Australia posted that they had heard 'almost a cracking noise' on their handset, which led to a similar screen malfunction. Bloomberg reported similar issues among users in the US and India.

Apple said it believes the affected units are showing defects quickly after use and that early response from users had been 'incredibly positive.' The company described demand for the iPhone Duo as 'nothing short of extraordinary.' It called the device its most high-profile product launch under new chief executive John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September. According to Taiwan-based Economic Daily, the device has sold out and the next round of shipments is not expected until January.

Francisco Jeronimo, vice-president of data and analytics at tech research company IDC, said it was too early to tell whether the screen issue was significant. 'This is quite common when a new product comes to market,' he said, citing Samsung's problems with the original Galaxy Fold in 2019. He said what matters now is how the company responds and that Samsung showed a fast and transparent response can contain the damage to a category. Apple's advice that customers with problems should ask for a replacement was 'the right first step,' he said.

Ben Wood, chief analyst at research firm CCS, said he was taking a very cautious view of the Duo screen problem and that there was as yet no evidence of a more widespread issue with the device.