iPhone Duo screens failing early; Apple cites 'small number'
Early buyers of Apple's $2,000 iPhone Duo report inner displays that develop bright lines within hours. Apple says only a small number of units are affected.
Barely a week after launch, Apple's first foldable is facing a hardware problem. Some iPhone Duo units, which start at $2,000, are showing a damaged inner OLED display within hours or even minutes of use, and images of the defect are spreading widely online.
The damage looks nearly identical across devices: several bright lines start just below the midpoint of the screen and run to the bottom and right edges. Some units also show lines of dead pixels along the crease. This pattern typically means the display layers are damaged, leaving pixels stuck at full brightness or fully black. The only fix is a new OLED, which reportedly costs about half the price of the phone.
What may be causing it
Apple has given no technical explanation, but iFixit has torn down a unit and run CT scans. Affected owners describe unusual resistance and sometimes a clicking sound as the phone closes, after which the lines appear. iFixit found the failure starts below the point where the ribbon cable passes through the hinge, where the width of the supporting mechanism changes, suggesting a mechanical misalignment.
Its best guess is that a support bar in that narrowed section sticks and cannot drop far enough to make room for the waterdrop bend of the display when the phone closes, stressing the panel. YouTuber CuriousHagi also pointed to that area and suspects a thinner link may be snapping or sticking to the support plate. If so, an affected phone cannot be saved from eventual failure.
Apple's response
In a statement, Apple said early reaction has been very positive and that it is aware of an issue affecting the inner display on "a small number of iPhone Duo units." Customers with display problems should contact AppleCare for a replacement. Apple's Alex Kirschner reportedly said the fault shows up quickly on affected units, so buyers need not worry about hidden time bombs.
The true scale is unknown. A low failure rate can still produce many social media reports, and first-generation foldables have stumbled before: Samsung delayed the original Galaxy Fold in 2019 after dust got into its hinge and damaged screens. Some customers say store replacements have worked, though spare units may be scarce for now.
