A new report from Chinese publication Jiemian News has revealed both bad news and good news about iPhone Duo production.
According to the article, Apple has not completed the expected mass production ramp for the company’s first foldable phone. Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturing partner, only managed a 60% yield, even with a small production run.
The yield percentage refers to the number of viable devices created during a manufacturing run. At 60%, this means that 40% of the devices produced have a defect that prevents Apple from selling them.
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Even before the announcement earlier this month, there were rumors that Apple was having production issues and that it would only be available in “extremely limited stock.” Largely, this is based on the complicated manufacturing process for the foldable phone.
Exact standards
Look up
Here is the saved good news: per Jiemian, the low yield is thanks to Apple’s quality standards, which the company refuses to relax.
“The supply chain is now waiting for Apple to make a decision on whether to relax quality requirements,” an unnamed source allegedly close to Foxconn’s supply chain told the outlet (machine translated). “If the quality requirements are relaxed, it will be possible to go to mass production more quickly.”
The source reported that the production line is still debugging the process and repeatedly adjusting things during actual production to optimize equipment and processes.
Reports, delays in receiving Samsung Display’s OLED panels and some hinge components also contributed to delays and lower yields.
The manufacture does not expect to reach maturity for at least six months.
Apple is expected to produce only about 6 to 8 million iPhone Duo units for its global inventory, a third of what the company will do for the more mature iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which should receive between 20 and 30 million.
Expectations and price
If Apple is able to sell an initial inventory of 8 million Duos, that would be a huge win for the company.
We’re two weeks away from the October 16 launch date, and you can pre-order now if you’re interested.
With a starting price of $1,999, Apple’s take on the foldable is more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it’s nice to know that Apple’s high standards mean you’re getting a quality functional device when you buy one.
Apple is causing quite a stir with the duo but it will be interesting to see if customers respond. As we found in a recent reader survey, most of you are more interested in the Z Fold 8 which has seen a surge in popularity since Apple’s announcement.
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