Apple’s iPhone Duo has been at the center of growing concern over its fragile hinge and reports of inner-screen damage. Now, a new supply-chain report claims the company may have loosened certain quality-assurance standards to get more units into stores ahead of the crucial holiday shopping period.
According to a report from Chinese outlet Jiemian News, Apple allegedly lowered some quality-inspection requirements so it could ship more iPhone Duo handsets to retailers before the end of the year. The information reportedly came from an unnamed Foxconn employee, who said the production line had already replaced “a batch of components,” while the adjusted quality-control expectations supposedly remained in place.
Image source: Vishnu_RK (Reddit)
The report also claims Apple is still focused on maximizing iPhone Duo availability during the holiday season, with a target of shipping around 7.5 million units before the year ends. Apple has not publicly confirmed the allegation about reduced inspection standards.
Apple previously acknowledged that some iPhone Duo units have experienced inner display damage, but said the issue affects only “a small number” of devices. The company has advised affected users to contact Apple for a replacement or service.
In a related development, YouTube creator CuriousHagi published a video showing what appears to be a critical failure inside the iPhone Duo’s hinge mechanism. The video suggests the problem may involve a link-type hinge component that comes into contact with the upper support plate, potentially explaining the cracking sounds reported by some users before display damage occurred.
Hinge component highlighted (source: CuriousHagi 궁금하기)
The component is located behind the middle section of the inner display and appears thinner than other parts of the hinge assembly, raising questions about whether it may be more prone to stress or failure.
Apple iPhone Duo
| 256GB 12GB RAM | € 2,299.00
|
£ 1,999.00
|
| 512GB 12GB RAM | € 2,549.00
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£ 2,199.00
|
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