The Apple iPhone 18 Pro launched on September 18, 2026, starting at $1,199. While a rapid iOS update successfully resolved Face ID freezes, users are reporting green and pink screen lines.
Face ID Authentication Failures Trigger System Freezes
Every new gadget comes with an early-adopter tax. Most years, you pay it in patience rather than dollars. Apple buyers know the routine. Apple typically releases a new iPhone in September, minor glitches appear during the initial fortnight, and a subsequent point-one update resolves the majority by October. The iPhone 18 Pro is putting that routine to the test.
The biggest complaint involved Face ID. If a facial recognition scan failed, certain iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models became unresponsive to touch input and restarted shortly afterward. 9to5Mac reproduced the bug by covering a face while opening the Passwords app. Software was blamed for the issue rather than the updated Face ID setup, which now embeds the infrared camera beneath the screen.
Apple told the outlet a fix was coming, and it arrived Sept. 28. The software update patch notes specifically detail three distinct fixes: Restarts on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max when Face ID fails to authenticate, a color artifact on some 2x photos taken in certain lighting at f/1.48, and a frozen touchscreen after opening Notification Center and Control Center together. Some owners had already swapped their phones at Apple stores, thinking the hardware was bad. For the freeze, that trip wasn’t necessary.
Hardware Display Defects Bypass Software Patches
The third problem is the one to watch. Within seven days of buying their devices, numerous users observed vertical pink and green stripes on their displays, and performing complete factory resets failed to resolve the issue. The outlet Techaeris called it a likely hardware fault affecting a subset of display panels. None of the iOS 27.0.1 fixes mention the lines, and there was no public comment from Apple on them as of Sept. 29. Don’t confuse this with the photo color artifact Apple just patched. That glitch showed up in pictures, while these lines sit on the screen itself.
Managing the Strict 14-Day Return Window
Your 14-day Apple return window is already running. You have 14 calendar days to return an item from the date you received it, and it must come back with its cords, adapters and documentation. For launch-day buyers, that window closes Oct. 2. Phones bought through a carrier or another retailer follow that seller’s return rules instead.
Install iOS 27.0.1 first through Settings, then General, then Software Update. If your phone still freezes afterward, book a visit to Apple. Processing a return refunds the complete purchase price of $1,199 for the standard model or $1,299 for the Pro Max version. Once this period expires, you must depend on the standard one-year manufacturer warranty for repairs or exchanges, resulting in an extended period without your device. Before you contact Apple Support, photograph or record the lines and note the date they first appeared.
