Only Apple knows what it expected for yields, but manufacturers are claiming that the iPhone Duo is difficult to manufacture at scale, with its folding screen and hinge complicating production.
Assembly yields for the iPhone Duo remain low, while component delays have shortened the time available to refine production. Apple now faces a familiar foldable phone problem: producing millions of units that reliably work.
Foxconn's iPhone Duo assembly yield is just above 60%, according to supply chain sources speaking to Jiemian News. The first production batch is small, and the line still needs repeated adjustments.
One source estimated that yields could take six months to a year to mature under Apple's current standards. How this will affect shipping times remains to be seen, but we expect significant delays.
The sources said the low yield does not stem from a single unresolved technical problem. Equipment, processes, and production settings need refinement as the line moves toward larger volumes.
Samsung Display's OLED panels and hinge components made by other manufacturers have also faced insufficient yields and delayed deliveries. Each upstream delay leaves less time for Foxconn to improve assembly yields.
And, as expected, the very thing that makes the iPhone Duo a duo is responsible for many delays: the hinge.
The hinge contains more than 100 parts working together under tight tolerances. Even relatively small differences can wildly affect how the device functions.
Apple reportedly reconsidered using liquid metal in some hinge parts before mass production, but ultimately decided on a different solution. If it were to revise the process, it would require new prototypes and functional samples, verification, and supplier adjustments.
Historically, Apple has considered manufacturing yields an assembler issue. It's not clear what Apple was expecting for a percentage of devices off the line passing quality inspections.
Apple could, theoretically, relax its standards to allow for more saleable units, but that seems improbable. The supplier could also push its production line harder, though it would likely lead to more units completed, but at a higher percentage of defective units.
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo as part of its "Surprise and Shine" Apple Event on September 12; it starts at an eye-watering $1,999, before taxes. Apple set October 16 for preorders and October 23 for release, which was notably longer after the initial announcement than even the iPhone X.
