Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has been swept up in durability controversies as reports of screen damage immediately follow its market release. Meanwhile, Fine M-Tech, a domestic hinge parts supplier, has stepped forward to clarify that it has nothing to do with the alleged component defects.
According to U.S. IT media outlets like MacRumors and The Verge on the 26th, users have consecutively raised claims that the internal displays of iPhone Duo units released on the 23rd developed cracks or showed white lines along the folding creases.
An Australian user claimed that their screen was damaged just about six hours after receiving the product. They explained that without folding the device even 20 times, they felt something catch near the inner hinge area, followed by a cracking sound and a broken screen.
This user stated there were no external impact marks and that they visited an Apple Store to exchange the device for a new one.
On the U.S. online community Reddit, claims also surfaced that the hinge became stiff and the screen broke after folding and unfolding the device about four times. Some users reported that cracks appeared on the screen even before finishing the initial setup.
In these damage cases, similar phenomena were observed, such as cracks forming along the folding area of the inner display and bright lines appearing on the right side of the screen. Some users have dubbed this phenomenon ‘Crackgate’.
Consequently, possibilities of structural defects in both the hinge and display have been raised.
Electronics repair specialist iFixit released product teardown results suggesting that the central support structure of the hinge and the pressure applied to the display may have influenced the screen breakage.
The Verge reported that a YouTuber who dismantled the product discovered damage to the hinge connection parts and signs of contact with the support plate. However, additional verification is needed to determine whether this phenomenon is the actual cause of the screen damage experienced by users.
As the controversy spread, Kosdaq-listed Fine M-Tech, known as a hinge parts supplier for the iPhone Duo, was also impacted.
Fine M-Tech closed down 15.70% from the previous trading day at 9,400 won.
In an official statement posted on its website, Fine M-Tech stated, ‘The quality issues recently raised are not problems caused by defects in the parts supplied by our company, and are unrelated to our quality reliability.’
The company emphasized, ‘Objective and technical verification must precede directly linking individual phenomena occurring in finished products to the defects of a specific part.’
It also stated that it would review legal responses against acts of pointing to its parts as the cause of defects without objective grounds or spreading unverified information.
The iPhone Duo is a high-priced product with a domestic release price reaching 3.29 million won based on the 256GB model. The internal main display repair cost is also set at 1,649,000 won, raising concerns over future consumer burdens.
However, the exact causes and scale of damage for the screen breakage cases reported so far have not been confirmed. Apple has also not released an official stance regarding the related issue.
