Chinese reporters just spoke with a Chinese Zhengzhou Foxconn insider on the iPhone Duo assembly line.
I found the article but it's in Chinese so I'm just using translate tool .
https://www.jiemian.com/article/15241414.html
Apple’s first-ever foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has run into reports of display issues within just its first week on shelves.
According to current media coverage, two cases have gained wide attention: one involving a display unit at the Apple Store in Shanghai’s Lujiazui IFC Mall, and another shared by an Australian user on Reddit. A handful of other users have also voiced similar concerns across social media, sparking considerable discussion online.
While individual usage conditions and the extent of damage vary slightly, the reports share striking similarities: the devices had only been folded a handful to a few dozen times. During the final unfolding, users heard an unusual sound along the crease, quickly followed by a 3-to-5-centimeter crack appearing beneath the hinge line, alongside another crack running perpendicular to its apex on the right side of the screen. Both cracks presented as white pixel bands, accompanied by dark spots of varying sizes near their intersection.
The root cause likely points to the iPhone Duo’s hinge mechanism.
The hinge is engineered from precision components, including gears, springs, and interlocking metal joints. Multiple teardown reports indicate that Apple adopted the relatively common "waterdrop" teardrop hinge design, but incorporated curved guide rails to regulate joint movement—a mechanism designed to alleviate stress on the display panel whenever the phone is opened or closed.
In a teardown report previously released by repair authority iFixit, analysts speculated that the screen failures might stem from the central support bar failing to retract properly when the phone closes, thereby exerting excessive pressure on the display. In addition, the curved rails guiding hinge movement rise above surrounding components during folding; if they fail to shift as intended, there is a distinct possibility they could physically interfere with the screen.
A reporter from Jiemian News spoke with a Foxconn employee, who confirmed that the underlying cause of the screen issues closely mirrors this teardown analysis.
The employee further noted that amidst tight manufacturing capacity, Apple had previously eased certain quality control standards for yield rates to secure steady supply—a decision that inevitably increased the likelihood of units with defective displays reaching consumers.
Even with this slight easing of standards, however, the actual failure rate may not be as severe as initial reports suggest. Several distributors told Jiemian News that defective units have been rare in their inventory, and they have yet to see noticeable after-sales issues.
Addressing the problem, the Foxconn source noted that production lines have already carried out an emergency swap for a batch of materials. Actual manufacturing remains unaffected, and Apple has not altered its inventory targets. Industry channel sources told Jiemian News that Apple’s stocking goal for the iPhone Duo remains at roughly 7.5 million units this year.
Apple’s reluctance to tighten inspection standards likely comes down to one clear reality: it cannot afford to miss its window of opportunity in the foldable market.
Leading up to the iPhone Duo’s release, rivals such as Huawei and Xiaomi introduced their latest foldable flagships. Distributors noted a clear surge in sales for Huawei’s Pura X Max, with weekly sales climbing 27% week-over-week—though they added that promotions during the "Double 11" shopping festival also played a role.
To ensure the iPhone Duo delivers strong commercial results, Apple has mobilized extensive resources across retail, operations, marketing, branding, and its executive leadership to build momentum.
In mid-October, Tim Cook, Executive Chairman of Apple’s Board of Directors, and Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan visited China in quick succession. During a tour of Foxconn's Zhengzhou facility, Khan stressed that the iPhone Duo is scaling production in line with Apple’s traditionally high quality standards. Cook made a rare point of emphasizing that the iPhone Duo is manufactured exclusively in China, expressing high hopes for its domestic performance. Meanwhile, newly appointed CEO John Ternus took to Weibo right on schedule on pre-order day to share pre-purchase guidance for customers.
On the software front, Apple’s iOS developer relations team has been actively pushing app optimization forward. Just before the launch, Apple updated its official website with compatibility updates for a wide range of popular apps—spanning e-commerce, ride-hailing, content communities, productivity, video, and gaming—with WeChat’s adaptation drawing particular interest.
Since the device was first announced, Apple teams have hosted more than 50 developer sessions across 20 countries to encourage wider adoption of its dedicated SDKs and features.
The iPhone Duo is not just Apple’s inaugural foldable phone; it also arrives squarely in the middle of a historic leadership transition. Whether evaluated on pure product merits or as a test of market confidence in its new executive team, this is a pivotal battle Apple simply cannot afford to lose.
