iPhone Duo may be in short supply due to production problems

Based on sources from Foxconn's supply chain, Jiemian News (China) said that as of mid-September, the rate of finished products meeting iPhone Duo standards on the assembly line was only 60%. Foxconn is continuously adjusting equipment, assembly processes and manufacturing specifications to operate at scale. Component suppliers are also still waiting to see whether Apple will accept to lower some quality testing standards to speed up delivery.

Not stopping at the assembly stage, the production problem also extends to the component supply chain. The folding OLED panel provided by Samsung Display and the complex hinge assembly are said to also have a low finished product rate, requiring many design corrections, leading to slow delivery. Late delivery of components gives Foxconn even less time to align the line. According to an announcement from Apple, the iPhone Duo's hinge contains more than 100 small components with a 3D printed protective cover.

MacRumors cited supply chain sources as saying that Apple's stocking target for iPhone Duo in 2026 is only 6-8 million units, much lower than the normal level of 20-30 million units in a product cycle of iPhone Pro or Pro Max. However, another source from the retail channel said that Apple's sales target still exceeded the 5 million device mark.

According to MyDrivers, an assembly processing partner asked Apple to choose between prioritizing the rate of finished products meeting standards or increasing production. If you force the line to run at full capacity to have more machines sold, the result will be a high rate of defective products and excess waste costs.

iPhone Duo was launched by Apple on September 9 with a starting price of 65 million VND in the Vietnamese market. The company will pre-order from 7:00 p.m. on October 16 and deliver to users from October 23.

Huy Duc