Apple’s first foldable iPhone is reportedly proving difficult to manufacture at scale, with low assembly yields and delayed components potentially putting pressure on stock when the iPhone Duo goes on sale.
According to supply chain sources speaking to Jiemian News, Foxconn’s assembly yield for the iPhone Duo is currently just above 60%. The initial production batch is also said to be small, with manufacturing lines still undergoing repeated adjustments as Apple and its suppliers work towards higher volumes.
The problem doesn’t appear to come down to one particular fault. Equipment, manufacturing processes and production settings all reportedly need refining, while Samsung Display’s OLED panels and components from other suppliers have also experienced low yields and delivery delays. That leaves Foxconn with less time to improve its own production line.
The hinge is another major complication. It contains more than 100 individual parts, all of which need to work together within tight tolerances. Even small variations between components can affect how the finished phone functions.
Apple reportedly considered using liquid metal for some hinge components before mass production but ultimately chose another approach. Changing that decision now would mean producing new prototypes and functional samples, carrying out verification and making further adjustments with suppliers.
The manufacturing issues could take some time to resolve. One source estimates that yields could take six months to a year to mature to Apple’s standards, although it isn’t clear how that would translate into the number of phones available to customers.
Apple could theoretically lower its quality threshold to increase the number of saleable devices, while suppliers could also push production lines harder. However, the latter could result in more finished units while also increasing the proportion of defective devices.
That makes availability the big question ahead of launch. Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and Shine” event on September 12, with a starting price of $1,999 before taxes. Preorders are scheduled for October 16, followed by the October 23 release.
For now, there’s no confirmation that production problems will delay those dates. But with assembly yields reportedly hovering just above 60%, producing millions of foldable iPhones reliably could be a bigger challenge than Apple had hoped.
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