iPhone Duo screen problems: Apple says it will replace faulty foldables

Apple says it will replace iPhone Duo handsets with inner-screen problems, days after its first folding phone went on sale. The company said it is aware of "an issue impacting the inner display on a small number" of units and asked affected owners to contact Apple for a replacement, BBC News reported.

What owners are seeing

Photos shared on social media show three kinds of fault:

• lines running across the 7.6-inch inner screen
• cracks along the centre crease where the phone folds
• a crunching noise when the phone is opened

The inner screen is held together by a central hinge, the most complex part of any folding phone. The Verge reported that Apple had acknowledged the display "issue" after the reports spread.

What it costs, and what it means in Pakistan

The Duo starts at £1,999 ($2,668) in the UK. At today's open-market rate that is roughly Rs 7.4 lakh before anything else, and a phone brought into Pakistan also has to be registered with PTA, with a tax that rises with the phone's value. Work out the exact figure with our PTA mobile tax calculator and convert prices with the currency converter.

That matters for anyone thinking of asking a relative abroad to bring one home. Apple's replacement runs through its own stores and support in the countries where it sells the phone; Apple has no official store in Pakistan, so a buyer here with a faulty unit would usually need to send it back to the country of purchase or rely on the reseller's warranty.

What to do if you have one

1. Check the inner screen for lines or marks, especially along the fold.
2. Open and close the phone slowly and listen for grinding or crunching.
3. If you see either, contact Apple support in the country where you bought it and ask for the replacement Apple has offered.
4. Keep the box and receipt: the replacement depends on proof of purchase.

Not the first folding phone to stumble

Samsung's first Galaxy Fold hit the same wall in 2019, when reviewers' units broke within days and the launch was delayed. Apple's problem has come after release, with long queues at its stores worldwide last week.