Apple said it will replace iPhone Duo handsets affected by screen defects that emerged days after the foldable device's launch last week.
Photos posted on social media show lines appearing across the screens of Apple's first foldable phone, which starts at £1,999 ($2,668) in the UK. Some users also reported cracks along the screen's central crease and crunching noises when opening the device.
Apple acknowledged "an issue impacting the inner display on a small number" of phones and instructed affected users to contact the company for replacements. The company did not specify how many devices were affected. Justin Lokos, one Duo owner, posted images of a faulty device and later shared a photo of a replacement handset provided by an Apple store in New York.
The Duo's 7.6-inch inner display connects via a central hinge, a complex engineering component that has produced similar problems in foldable phones from competitors. Samsung's Galaxy Fold experienced broken-screen issues when reviewers tested early units in 2019.
The Duo marks Apple's first major iPhone redesign in nearly two decades. When closed, it resembles a wider iPhone; when opened, it functions as a small tablet computer. The device costs up to £3,199 for fully equipped models, making it Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.
Chief Executive John Ternus, who replaced Tim Cook in September, unveiled the Duo last month at Apple's California headquarters. Ternus told an audience that the Duo would "redefine the experience of using a foldable phone," contrasting it with competitors' devices that he characterized as "two phones awkwardly stuck together."
The launch drew crowds at Apple stores worldwide. Android users already have access to a range of foldable phones. Apple spent years developing its foldable technology before releasing the Duo. Some images showing faulty devices posted online may have been created using artificial intelligence, according to the BBC.