Some early buyers of Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo have reported a defect causing cracked inner screens, as the company enters a market currently dominated by players such as Huawei Technologies and Samsung Electronics.

Apple said the issue affected a “small number” of units and that those which do contain the defect exhibit it quickly, adding that the devices involved would be replaced.

Some users described the defect on social media, describing a crunching sound when unfolding the phone.

Cracked displays

The issue has caused a crack along the centre of the inner screen in some models, with others also displaying defects across the right-hand side of the display.

Apple chief executive John Ternus, until recently its hardware boss, had previously touted the company’s manufacturing prowess, describing Android foldables as “cheap and crappy”.

Repair platform iFixit said it believes the issue is caused by a piece of the hinge failing and cracking the screen.

It has noted previous iPhone manufacturing problems, including the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, which would bend out of shape easily, and the iPhone 4 in 2010, which notoriously lost reception when users touched an area of the casing near the antenna.

Users also reported manufacturing issues with Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold in 2019.

Nevertheless, users said they were frustrated with such problems in a device whose pricing starts at $1,999.

In mainland China, reports of such manufacturing issues and compatibility issues with some software caused scalpers to sharply reduce their premiums on the second-hand market as of Monday, the reported.

The device sold out through Apple’s official channels within minutes on Friday, sending the company’s delivery estimates for new orders into early next year.