Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo handsets that have developed screen problems, just days after the company's first foldable phone went on sale with a starting price of £1,999 ($2,668) in the UK.
Photos shared on social media show lines across the device's screen. Some owners posted images of cracks along the central crease, while others reported a crunching noise when opening the phone. One user, Justin Lokos, posted a picture of a Duo with lines on the right side of its display, then later shared a photo of a replacement handset and thanked an Apple store in New York.
The scale of the problem is unclear. Apple did not say how many devices were affected, and according to sources some images of faulty phones may have been generated with artificial intelligence.
The Duo's 7.6-inch inner display is held together by a central hinge, a complex piece of engineering that has caused similar flaws in rivals' folding phones. Samsung's first foldable, the Galaxy Fold, suffered an early setback in 2019 when reviewers reported broken screens.
The Duo is Apple's most expensive iPhone ever, costing up to £3,199 for top models. It is the first major iPhone redesign in almost two decades and was unveiled by new chief executive John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook in September. "Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together," Ternus said last month, promising the Duo would redefine the foldable experience. Sales began last week to crowds at Apple stores worldwide.