Apple reportedly lowered iPhone Duo QA to meet 7.5M target

Apple reportedly lowered its quality inspection standards for the iPhone Duo as it pursues a goal of shipping 7.5 million units before the end of the year, according to Chinese outlet Jiemian News.

The report cites an unnamed Foxconn employee who said the iPhone Duo production line has replaced "a batch of components" but added that the quality control standards have "reportedly not been altered." Jiemian said the change was intended to push more units to retailers ahead of the holiday period.

Apple has acknowledged inner-display damage affecting "a small number of iPhone Duo units" and advises affected users to contact Apple for a replacement.

Hinge mechanism findings

A YouTube teardown by creator CuriousHagi shows a critical failure of the Duo's internal hinge mechanism, which the video identifies as the likely culprit of the display damage reports. The channel demonstrates a "cracking sound" other users have reported, and links that sound to a link-type hinge element making contact with the upper support plate.

The element in question is located behind the midsection of the inner display and, in the video, appears physically thinner than the other parts of the hinge. Image sources cited in coverage include Vishnu_RK on Reddit and CuriousHagi (궁금하기) on YouTube.