Apple issues iPhone 11 recall in UAE due to screen problem

Users can have their device fixed for free - if eligible

The iPhone 11 was one of the most Googled things in the world in 2019. Pawan Singh / The National

Apple has issued a recall for iPhone 11 devices in the UAE due to a touchscreen problem.

The company has started a "Display Module Replacement Program" and invited smartphone users across the emirates to see if their device is eligible via the Apple website.

"Apple has determined that a small percentage of iPhone 11 displays may stop responding to touch due to an issue with the display module. Affected devices were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020," it wrote in a support message on its site.

Users can input their device's serial number to check if it is part of the recall.

Apple noted that only the iPhone 11 is part of the replacement scheme.

It added that any damage "which impairs the ability to complete the repair, such as a cracked screen, that issue will need to be resolved prior to the service".

Users who have already paid for a repair for the touch issue can request a refund, Apple said.

iPhone biggest selling smartphone

Apple crossed 1.65 billion active devices globally during the first quarter. iPhones accounted for over 1 billion of those devices.

The iPhone 11 was the biggest selling smartphone during the first three quarters of 2020, data from industry watchers Omdia, Canalys and IDC showed.

The tech giant is working on an iPhone with a foldable screen, similar to Samsung's Fold, according to reports.

_____________

The rarest Apple collection in the Middle East

Jimmy Grewal sits in front of the incredibly rare Apple I, the first personal computer sold by Apple in 1976. Cody Combs / The National

Apple's first attempt at a laptop, the Macintosh Portable, from 1989. It weighed 7 kilograms, but its battery lasted from 6 to 12 hours. Cody Combs / The National

Left to right: Apple I, Apple II, Apple Lisa, Macintosh 512k. Cody Combs / The National

A closeup of one of the first Macintosh models. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple II (serial #92) has no vents on the casing, making it very rare, unlike the Apple II on the left. Grewal says only approximately a dozen of these ventless Apple IIs remain in existence. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple II was purchased by the American School of Dubai in 1978. Cody Combs / The National

This sticker, complete with typo, shows just how old this Apple II is. Cody Combs / The National

The original 128k Macintosh sits on the top left of this portion of Grewal's Apple Collection. Also pictured just below is the 20th Anniversary Macintosh. Cody Combs / The National

Grewal's collection is still growing, prompting him to move computers to different locatins to make room. Cody Combs / The National

Some of Apple's first attempts at "tower" Macintosh computers, like the Macintohs Quadra, are also in Grewal's collection. Cody Combs / The National

No detail was too small for Grewal in presenting his the Apple products. These cabinets were colour matched to correspond with the original rainbow Apple logo. Cody Combs / The National

Grewal's collection of Apple laptops, ranging from the Apple Duo to the Apple PowerBooks continues to grow. Cody Combs / The National

This unusually large Apple product is a rare Apple Network Server. These ran a Unix-based operating system. Cody Combs / The National

The first Apple LaserWriter, manufactured in 1985, is one of several Apple printers in Grewal's collection. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple Scribe printer utilized special thermal paper. The quality was poor and the printing was slow, but the thermal paper was an innovative idea at the time. Cody Combs / The National

Also in Grewal's collection is an Apple Interactive Television Box from 1994. It was never released. Cody Combs / The National

It's not technically an Apple product, but this NeXT Cube was the computer created by Steve Jobs' company, "Next", after he was fired from Apple in 1985. It's shaped almost perfectly like a cube, was very powerful, but sold poorly. Cody Combs / The National

In Grewal's other office, Apple product cases are used to prop up a coffee table, and various Apple artefacts and photos are displayed on the wall. Cody Combs / The National

This is a rarely used early rendition of the Apple logo. It's signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and the often forgotten co-founder Ron Wayne. Cody Combs / The National

Inside this original Macintosh 128k, you can see the molded signatures from the original Macintosh team, including the signature of Steve Jobs. Cody Combs / The National

An Apple Dot Matrix Printer, first introduced in 1982. Cody Combs / The National

This rare Apple I was the first product shipped by Apple in 1976. This particular Apple I in Grewal's Dubai collection still works. Cody Combs / The National

This is an original Apple Lisa in Grewal's Dubai collection. It was the first Apple computer to have a graphical user interface. Grewal says approximately 20 of the original Lisa computers remain in the world. Cody Combs / The National