Some new iPhone Duo screens are cracking at the hinge, and Apple reportedly eased quality checks
Key points
- Some brand-new iPhone Duo foldables, including pre-order units, are showing green lines and cracks on the inner screen.
- The damage appears in the same spot on every affected phone, which points to a manufacturing defect.
- A teardown by Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything points to a specific hinge part as the cause.
- Apple has reportedly relaxed its quality inspections to speed up production before the holidays, according to TrustedReviews and Wccftech.
- Wccftech says Apple is aiming for 7.5 million iPhone Duo units this year.
- Wccftech says the problem affects only a small share of buyers.
Some owners of Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, are finding cracks and green lines on the inner screen soon after getting it. This includes people whose pre-ordered phones just arrived. SamMobile says the screen breaks the same way on every affected unit, which suggests a manufacturing defect and not rough handling.
A teardown now backs that up. Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything opened an iPhone Duo in a new video. iPhone in Canada reports that it points to a specific hinge part as the reason the damage shows up in the same spot on the inner display.
Apple may share the blame. TrustedReviews and Wccftech report that Apple relaxed its quality inspection standards for the iPhone Duo to raise production ahead of the holiday season. Wccftech says Apple lowered how often units are inspected to improve yields, meaning more phones passing off the line, and that it is aiming for 7.5 million units this year. It describes this as one of Apple’s most serious quality control lapses in recent years, even though Apple spent heavily to refine the hinge. Wccftech also says the problem affects a small subset of buyers.
Apple has not publicly responded to the reports.
Sources
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