A little over two years after Apple's first attempt at a large non-Pro device, the iPhone 14 Plus, was released, it has been discovered that devices manufactured during half of that time period have camera problems.

According to Apple, a “small percentage” of devices manufactured between April 10, 2023 and April 28 of this year have a problem where a preview of what you are looking at is not displayed when using the rear camera, a fairly significant issue for avid photographers.

It has been a long time since Apple has issued a service program for its devices, the last one being issued in 2021 for speaker issues with some iPhone 12's. Prior to that, Apple offered free repairs for iPhone 11 screen issues, iPhone 8 freezing issues, iPhone 7 “No Service” errors, and iPhone 6s not turning on.

You can see if you have this particular camera issue, but to make sure your phone is covered, Apple has built a serial number checker. Just pop your iPhone 14 Plus serial number in there, and the site will tell you if you're eligible. You can find the serial number by opening the Settings app, tapping “General” and then “About.”

If your device is indeed eligible, you can bring it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, schedule an appointment at an Apple Retail Store, or contact Apple directly to mail it to an Apple repair center.

Apple clarifies that the program does not extend the phone's standard warranty, but the company does state that you can contact them for a refund if you paid previously to fix the camera preview bug. The program will run “for three years from the first retail sale of the unit.”

While this free repair will be welcomed by fans of the large-screen device, the long-term future of the line seems uncertain. Originally introduced by Apple as a successor to the poorly selling iPhone mini,

early reports suggested that the Plus device was not performing well.

While it has outlived the third generation and the mini, it may be the last of the line. iPhone 17 may not get a 'Plus' version, reports indicate that Apple is mulling an iPhone 17 Slim to replace it. As the name suggests, it is said to be on the slender side with a slightly smaller 6.6-inch display, but worryingly the MSRP will be significantly larger.