iPhone Duo hinge supplier FineMTEC denies blame for cracked screens
Key points
- Some owners of the newly released iPhone Duo have reported screens breaking after repeated folding and unfolding.
- Apple has admitted that a small number of units are affected.
- A recent teardown found a hinge mechanism issue that may be behind the cracked screens.
- FineMTEC, a South Korean component maker and Apple supplier, issued a statement titled "Official Position Regarding Customer's New Product Quality Issue".
- FineMTEC says the reported quality problems were not caused by its components.
The story has moved from the damage to the question of who is responsible. Reports of broken screens came first, and industry observers then linked them to the hinge. A teardown followed, which Notebookcheck says points to a flaw in the hinge mechanism and puts the fault on Apple. FineMTEC then published its statement denying responsibility.
The coverage conflicts on cause. Notebookcheck says the problem could be much larger than the small number of units Apple has admitted to, but the coverage given does not say how many devices are affected. Android Headlines reports that Apple is accused of lowering its quality standards. The coverage supplied does not say who made that accusation or what it is based on.
Apple’s own admission is limited to a small number of affected units. Nothing in the coverage shows Apple confirming a hinge fault or a supplier role.
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