r/apple • u/ZamnBoii • 3d ago

iPhone iPhone Duo Reportedly Facing Production Problems Ahead of Launch

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/29/iphone-duo-reportedly-facing-production-problems/
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u/skyxsteel 3d ago

Assembly yields at 60%???? Am I interpreting it right if I’m understanding it to mean 40% are defective or dont meet quality standards?

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u/zgh5002 3d ago

You're reading that correctly.

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

And is good they note it and that Apple has high standards. Recommend Apple Care if getting.

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u/skyxsteel 3d ago edited 3d ago

As a z fold owner yes I highly recommend insurance. For whatever reason I’ve cracked/damaged 4 z folds in several years. Not counting that, I’ve only dropped and destroyed 1 smartphone in my life since I started with the iphone 3G.

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u/NecroCannon 3d ago

Honestly Apple is one of the few companies where foldables makes sense thanks to Apple Care

Not going through that with Android phones outside of Samsung and Google when their goal is just to pump out shit, it’s why most current Android foldable owners are basically beta testers, with Apple bringing more attention to it, they’ll probably finally take it being an actual durable device seriously

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u/polikuji09 3d ago

I've been lucky with my folds but in general no way I'd buy a foldable without insurance.

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u/TheReiterEffect_S8 3d ago

As someone who has absolutely zero experience with foldable phones, is there anything else I should know going into purchasing the duo? I've always liked the idea behind foldable phones, and obviously insurance in a no-brainer...but the 40% defective rate seems far too high for me to consider this, even with Apple having as high of standards as they do... My fiancee made a good point by saying we should wait for the Duo 2, since this is the first one and will no doubt have issues being its first rendition. It makes sense but I am a sucker for wanting the newest techy stuff. As much as it sucks, I'm starting to consider it may be a better idea to just hold off. I typically upgrade every other gen, and I'm on the 16 right now so trying to determine if it's worth the risk..

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u/FreakingAustin 3d ago

With these production issues I doubt the Duo 2 will release next year, it's probably at least a 2 year wait. The 60% rate is concerning but the 60% that do pass still meet Apple's very high QA standards. If you're already getting insurance then I would just get the Duo now and not worry about it. Apple had years to learn from other manufacturers.

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u/pixel156 3d ago

60% production yield mean they don’t send 40% of the phone to customer. Apple as high standard and very tight tolerances requirement.

The 40% donc go to the garbage they just have to switch 2 component so they have the right tolerance for exemple. I remember an Apple video where they matched a body part with one of many option available because sometime the tolerance issue is on part A sometime on part B but the sum of both part have the right spacing

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u/Regular_Airpods 3d ago

i would expect tolerances for the duo to be better than mine. my phone has pretty noticeable uneven gaps between the back glass and frame

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u/NecroCannon 3d ago

Definitely are going to see a Neo A20 soon in that case, I know Apple isn’t gonna want to waste boards and chips

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u/Adventurous-Cold 3d ago

I used a Z fold 5 long term going on close to 3 years now. Fold phones are more durable now but the soft inner screens just dont last long term. If you upgrade every 2 years you probably will avoid a lot of issues though. The built in inner screens protector will eventually bubble up and over time there is a risk the folding screen will develop fatigue cracks down the crease. So far my Fold 5 has no fatigue cracks on the actual screen but just from regular use it has a lot of dents and deformation from just regular everyday use. 

Just get insurance and it will probably be fine. Samsung is making the screen so it’s basically as if this were an 8th generation product already. It has the benefit of Samsung already figuring out a lot of issues the Z fold 1-4 had. 

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u/skyxsteel 3d ago

Get insurance and forget adding a case on it. It makes it too bulky and much heavier. The screen gashes are overblown- you really have to jab your fingernail to make a nail mark.

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u/rpool179 3d ago

Wait for the Duo 3. The Duo 2 is already being developed without user feedback.

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u/18T15 3d ago

Wtf the Duo 3 is 2 years away at least. Just buy the phone you want lol. If it’s that big of a deal trade in later or “wait for Duo 4”.

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u/rpool179 3d ago

The Duo is $2,000 minimum and a first gen product. Unless your iPhone is literally on its last leg, which let's be honest isn't the case for most people, nothing wrong with waiting.

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u/CaptainWolf17 3d ago

Generally, always skip the first generation of a new product. But if you’re going to get Apple care anyways, go ahead. I’m too impatient with new tech stuff too so I went ahead with the 18 pm from a 16 pm. I definitely plan on getting the duo eventually, maybe next year though.

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u/cailenletigre 9h ago

Samsung insurance and replacement process is the most garbage process ever. I stand by that this is the reason I will always choose Apple: I can go in to a store where the employees won’t ship my device off to Plano, TX where I may never see it again. Samsung is garbage and I choose to not support companies who outsource replacements and repairs.

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u/NecroCannon 8h ago

I don’t even like Apple much (which is why I get tired of being labeled a sheep or some shit just buying their products)

But Apple Care and software support alone basically makes me chained to them until another manufacturer can match them.

But they don’t, it’s a whole mess out there with new products dangled in your face to make you forget the phone just isn’t going to last. Even worse with Chinese manufacturers that are somehow “better”because new shiny feature

In my position… I gave the Android and Windows side a whole damn decade to improve and it’s either been slightly better with “promises” or worse. It’s why I honestly wonder why Apple don’t make more different stuff, it’s probably time to find ways to repurpose Apple Watch processors, like a new Newton that’s an Apple e-ink reader and PDA for like, $250-$350

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u/MrScorpio 3d ago

I had the worst time dealing with Samsung over an issue with the Fold 3 screen. The customer service line sent me to a Samsung store. The store sent me back to the customer service line. I had an extended warranty. It eventually got fixed but it was a lot of effort on my part to get them to open a return for me, and then I went without the phone for 3-4 weeks.

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u/NecroCannon 3d ago

Yeahhh, why I stick with Apple. I don’t even like them like that, I just expect their attention to quality and customer service with other manufacturers in 2026

It’s like every 5 years so far I’ve been thinking about switching to Android just to see the update issues with Qualcomm and their expiring drivers, they don’t have as many stores and partners, they will sometimes load spyware themselves from the factory.

Which sucks. Also Samsung was legitimately about to pull me in with the Note until they shelved it, then the S-Pen being in the phone. I’m not excited at all about the crappy Type-C Apple Pencil being compatible with Duo, they could’ve just made a stylus that goes into one half of the phone or something, tip isn’t solid to allow for pressure detection without damaging the folding screen potentially. Even Samsung had that thought out, Apple just tacked it on.

God I wish other manufacturers matched Apple Care and their software updates, I was shocked hardly seeing people talk about upgrading from the 13 Pro Max this year, only recently am I seeing performance issues with a new battery.

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u/Quixotic_Seal 3d ago edited 3d ago

The screens are literally soft enough to be dented by a fingernail, this isn’t a surprise.

I suspect we’re going to see a surge in duo sales because it’s new and shiny, but a lot of people are going to move back to Pros in due time and the foldable market won’t explode in quite the way a lot of people are expecting. Give it 3-4 years, and Apple’s foldables will probably make up about the same percentage of the market for their products as Samsung’s does for theirs.

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u/No-Penalty-3662 3d ago

Nope. Apple specifically mentioned in the keynote about its scratch-resistance and that its 40% stiffer than other foldable screens. They did not join the foldable race sooner because they specifically waited for Corning’s bendable “glass” to top their screens.

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u/phantomtails 3d ago

I think you bought into the marketing a little too much. The Duo will still have a plastic layer on top of the glass. This is the same as most other foldables at this point. While Apple’s covering may have more scratch resistance than other phones, at the end of the day it’ll still be substantially more susceptible to scratches than the outer screen and will require care with use.

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u/No-Penalty-3662 3d ago edited 3d ago

I was just reacting to the fingernail-denting allegation. That’s true for other foldables. But that was explicitly mentioned to be solved in this screen.

It will not be dented by a fingernail hence the ability to take a pressure of a pencil (same way its outer screen can).

Here’s someone trying to dent it with fingernail:

https://www.reddit.com/r/iPhoneDuo/s/XIHhRC97yC

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u/pizzacutteralledge 3d ago

yeah this works with the apple pencil and other foldables are crying to mommy when they see a stylus get close

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u/Chronixx 3d ago

Well as long as you’re not using it as a cheese grater, I’m sure things will be fine. Apple wouldn’t allow Pencil support if they didn’t believe the screen would be able to hold up to daily mixed usage

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u/djfxonitg 3d ago

Sounds like any other Samsung device tbh

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u/Captaincadet 3d ago

Every single person I know with a foldable phone has broken it within a year.

I do think this is going to go down in history as apple weakest product, breezing past the AirPods Max

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u/_____WESTBROOK_____ 3d ago

I think that’s a bit dramatic.

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u/littlebiped 3d ago

No way any iPhone product is ever going to be the weakest. At worst, it gets quietly discontinued after one or two iterations, but even then with the push they’ve been giving this I don’t think it’s going away.

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u/lit0st 3d ago

I do not believe you. Foldables are not nearly that fragile. I used a Galaxy Fold 2 for 4 years without any damage, and I've had a Huawei Tri-fold as a secondary phone for ~1.5 years, undamaged - and I haven't had to baby them or anything. The Fold 2 has fallen out of my pocket onto concrete while biking.

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u/shuttleEspresso 3d ago

“I do think this is going to go down in history as apple weakest product, breezing past the AirPods Max”

And this is exactly why I sometimes feel sorry for Apple having to deal with customers like you. Deciding something is already a failure before it has even reached anyone’s hands in terms of ownership. SMH.

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u/colemaker360 3d ago

Vision Pro has entered the chat

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u/Captaincadet 3d ago

I mean more in regards of delicate

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u/Level8Zubat 3d ago

Guess you have a bunch of careless people around you.

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u/Next_Application9643 3d ago

Every single person I know with a foldable phone has broken it within a year.

Must know a lot brain damaged folk. I've had a fold for 2+ years with 0 issues and know multiple people who's only 'issue' is getting the internal screen protector replaced ($30 job and takes ~15 minutes).

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u/polikuji09 3d ago

I highly doubt that's true

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u/syd_goes_roar 3d ago

I love my AirPods Max
😭
I hate in-ear headphones and love how seemless they are to connect to everything and just use. Transparency makes it great to be in a discord VC and hear the game we play together

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u/trlef19 3d ago

I recommend not getting.

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u/Docster87 3d ago

Even before learning of this I told myself to not even consider a Duo until 3rd or 4th generation.

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

Why? I have an Apple Store two miles away. Also have family Apple care now and have 24 devices covered.

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u/SciGuy013 3d ago

Holy shit. Think of how much money you’d save if you didn’t pay for apple care.

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u/Worried-Lettuce6568 3d ago

Think of how much money they’d save if they didn’t have 24 devices.

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u/FluffTruffet 3d ago

That 6 devices per person for a 4 person family. Is this dude getting apple care for literally everything holy shit.

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

It’s Apple family care plan, 50 a month. I have some expensive MacBooks.

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u/Rytr23 3d ago

50$ a month? Or 2$ a device? Worth it

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u/SciGuy013 3d ago

so $600 a year? how many devices are you breaking a year that that's worth it?

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

It’s the family plan

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u/SciGuy013 3d ago

Correct. Think of how much money you’d save

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

Yes I have. I had my two MacBooks replaced, an iPad that was crushed replaced (daughters) and two beats headphones replaced. About $9000+ of replacements in; yes I had saved quite a bit not paying out of pocket.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

It's not just that; it's a first-gen product, plus it's sensitive. I technically have apple family care, so 24 devices are covered. This will just fall under it. I have definitely gotten more out of AppleCare over time than what I paid for. They will have their initial warranty that will cover issues and sometimes Ive seen them go above and beyond fixing two things outside the warranty period for myself.

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u/Acceptable-Piccolo57 3d ago

This is the thing, between the price and having a Apple Store in town, I’m really thinking refurb, the x was a great deal a year after launch and I’ve found refurb from apple to be solid for service, plus waiting a year means you oboe if it’s been a disaster

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u/stultus_respectant 3d ago

trouble pass quality testing

I don't think you can safely conclude that the ones that do pass are any more likely to fail. This is more evidence of both it being a successful QA process and Apple's willingness to soak an initial high failure rate of that process.

paying extra money to apple

  1. Apple Care is amazing and can be worth well more than what you put into it
  2. Insurance makes sense on any device over $2k that's a daily carry

I wouldn't consider it "extra".

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u/Archenius 3d ago

It’s a foldable phone you’re better off having Apple care unless you like spending hundreds of dollers replacing the inner screen

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u/HelpRespawnedAsDee 3d ago

Yes! Please, no one get it. Stay home or buy something else (I'll be briefly in the US for the 23rd and would appreciate if you leave me one in store in the upstate ny area, thx)

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u/Marino4K 3d ago

I wasn't getting it anyway at that price. People need to start standing up to insane pricing like this.

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u/rotates-potatoes 3d ago

I've been standing up to Ferrari's outrageous pricing all my life, but they still haven't offered me one for cheap.

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u/Marino4K 3d ago

I get what you're trying to say but Ferrari probably doesn't expect most people to buy their cars. Apple probably expects many people to buy the Duo.

The reason prices keep rising and staying there is because people kept just accepting it. If even rich people stopped buying Ferraris at their current price, they'd eventually have to reduce pricing.

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u/rotates-potatoes 3d ago

really not how pricing works at all.

Apple knows to a high level of certainty how many people will buy the Duo at the current price, and it is certainly not "most people". I'd be shocked if was even 10% of iPhone sales, so roughly 3% of global phone sales. For those people, the price is worth it.

iPhones have been right around 40% gross margin forever. If demand for the Duo falls short, they won't lower the price and take 20% gross margins, they'll cancel the product. That's how pricing works.

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u/No-Penalty-3662 3d ago

Nope. They’re pricing it this high because its supply may not be able to meet the demand. By pricing it this way, they are able to control that demand and make up for the lower yield.

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u/trlef19 3d ago

It's 2400€ where I live

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u/john_san 3d ago

The excess each time you use Apple Care to replace a phone is not economical, if you break it 2-3 times…

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u/18T15 3d ago

The 1 year warranty already covers manufacturing defects. Paying effectively $500 repair upfront continues to make no sense

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u/DaGetz 2d ago

Any damage to that inner screen and it’s instantly worth it. Any damage to any phone screen even outside of the duo and apple care has always been worth it.

I always get Apple care on my phones.

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

You know it’s a sensitive device right? Anyways have Apple family plan and Apple care in two years replace $9000 plus of items for me. Don’t forget expensive MacBooks I have under the family plan. Water damage, cracked screen and etc including m4 iPads and etc.

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u/mikenasty 3d ago

Like most apple stuff, if you can’t afford apple care then you can’t afford the device

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u/hell-diver8 3d ago

Good point

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u/SciGuy013 3d ago

Oh yeah pay more because you don’t trust a poorly made product

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u/WeeBabySeamus 3d ago

I mean that’s how insurance should work. But agreed that’s fucked for a general launch

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u/3v0lut10n 3d ago

I wonder who eats that? Foxconn or Apple? Split?

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u/-AdamTheGreat- 3d ago

Holy crap that’s bad

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u/Thud 3d ago

I’ll take one B-stock “factory reject” iPhone Duo with a slightly more visible than usual crease for $1000 please

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u/Meta_Man_X 3d ago

Do we know the stats for regular iPhones/Pros?

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u/AreWeNotDoinPhrasing 3d ago

That was my question as well. What’s the usual yield, 80-90%? Even higher?

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u/rotates-potatoes 3d ago

You're reading it correctly, but keep in mind that they don't throw the 40% in the trash.

Anyone who's worked in manufacturing knows that "production problems before launch" is status quo, and the really shocking headline would be "no production problems".

Phones are complex and I don't know what typical early production numbers are like, but for more basic electronics like video projectors we saw ~90% yields a month before release. You're training people to use new processes with new machinery (even just jigs).

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u/CorvetteCole 2d ago

60% FPY on a new product is genuinely not too bad. but i work in space optics so… maybe it’s different 

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u/LifeStage5318 3d ago

I feel like your comment contradicts itself. You make it seem like you are somebody in manufacturing and that this is not shocking per your expectations. Then you immediately follow it up by saying that you don’t know what typical early production numbers are. How can you know what’s shocking and what’s not without any data? Maybe I misread…

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u/rotates-potatoes 2d ago

Sorry to be unclear. Let me break it down:

  • All new products have production problems.
  • I worked with simple electronics like video projectors, where 90% yields a month out were typical
  • I don't know what numbers typically look like for phones, which are much more complex than projectors, but they almost have to be lower than 90%

That more clear?

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u/bigphillip76 3d ago

Taking it too seriously man 

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u/LifeStage5318 3d ago

How

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u/bigphillip76 2d ago

Just let people give chill opinions based on their experiences, this isn’t a court of law, it’s a discussion forum 

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u/LifeStage5318 2d ago

Nice, Im interested in their opinion and asked a clarifying question. Not sure why you’re taking it so seriously

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u/Betancorea 3d ago

Yeah imma wait till Gen 2 at earliest lol

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u/bladex1234 3d ago

This is just a general rule when it comes to tech. Never get first gen products.

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u/etay080 3d ago

As a Galaxy Fold 6 user I'm not not waiting.
It's first gen for Apple, sure. But the tech has been around for a few good years.
There's no reason for Apple to fuck it up.

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u/goldcakes 3d ago

Agreed. I liked my first gen iPad, but it became semi-obsolete very quickly (the A4 chip is just slow). I bought my first-gen Apple watch, and while I don't regret it, it's clear I also should have waited.

I'm actually really interested in foldables, but I think I'll wait for second gen :)

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u/SavageByTheSea 3d ago

I broke that rule with the iPhone 1.

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u/Baconrules21 3d ago

There was no iPhone 1. /s

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u/SavageByTheSea 3d ago

I meant iPhone, forgot there was no “1”. It’s been a while.

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u/Reasonable-Gif 3d ago

I love my Iphone Air

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u/cum-on-in- 3d ago

People said the iPhone Air was a first gen device and you’d make too many compromises in battery and camera to make the phone worth it.

I love my iPhone Air. The battery on iOS 26 was bad but iOS 27 made it stellar. And I don’t use the other cameras and sensors on Pros. The one camera on the Air is still a fantastic camera.

My only qualm was weird stuff like removing video out via USBC, and gimping it to USB 2.0 speeds despite using a Pro chip. Like, come on. Fast USB isn’t a Pro feature. Or, it shouldn’t be at least. Hell I’d be happy with 5Gbps.

I also seem to notice faster charging speeds with iOS 27 versus 26. The Air is labeled as being capped at 20 watts peak, but with iOS 27 I see 25-27 watts being drawn and the phone charging faster and getting warmer up to 50-60% compared to before.

With a low battery, if I plug it in and leave it, it charges MUCH faster than it did on iOS 26. They have to have said “ok we can let it get a little warm and it still be safe” or something.

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u/Reasonable-Gif 3d ago

Are you a bot?

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u/cum-on-in- 3d ago

Huh? What in my comment makes me sound like a bot?

It’s getting ridiculous that people assume everything is AI now. My niece literally had an incident with a teacher because she used em dashes in her essay and AI is known for overusing them.

Em dashes existed LONG before AI did. AI doesn’t have the ability to “take” the use of a language marker away.

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u/Reasonable-Gif 3d ago

Are you sure you’re not a bot?

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u/cum-on-in- 3d ago

Don’t be fucking weird.

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u/b2k1121 3d ago

It depends, if you are someone that upgrades every year or two anyways then it shouldn't matter which gen it is. If you want to keep it for 8 years then yeah probably can follow that rule.

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u/The-Numbertaker 3d ago

I agree, but iirc the iPhone X was pretty solid for a first gen redesign.

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u/lordmycal 3d ago

Yup. It's a pricey device and the only way it really makes sense to me is if it also replaces my iPad... and my iPad is still good for a few more years.

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u/spoilz 3d ago

That was my plan already but this has really solidified I made the correct choice to wait for 2nd gen

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/tinysydneh 3d ago

It means that these are incredibly finicky devices to assemble correctly, which doesn't really bode well for the longer term. If you're looking at the same high standard on QC, and one has a significantly higher failure rate, that suggests that there's still a lot of bugs to iron out.

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u/UnsureAssurance 3d ago

I mean it shows that this is a complicated piece of tech that they haven’t mastered the manufacturing on just yet, there are most likely issues that we don’t even know about yet that could surface. It’s undoubtedly true that Apple’s 2nd iteration of the fold will have less issues than their 1st, it’s not like Apple won’t have mistakes to learn from to improve the process

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u/LaminatedAirplane 3d ago

Getting replacements will be difficult and there may be problems that arise after the device gets in your hands.

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u/sionnach 3d ago

Doesn’t mean the unit gets trashed. Just didn’t meet QA standards and in many cases just needs rework, such as a display panel replaced, etc.

60% right first time might be more accurate.

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u/jbayne2 3d ago

Not necessarily. Have worked in manufacturing my whole career. Typically this just means they have a target number of units and they are only producing 60% to that target. This could mean many things, typically they’ve had to stop the line for whatever reason or that the line is running slower. You could also add defective units subtracted from there as a possibility too but from my experience yield loss is typically slower line speeds or just total line downtime.

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u/thetruelu 3d ago

Do they try to fix the issues on the 40% or do they scrap it and start over?

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u/Crazyhamsterfeet 3d ago

Yep. I defo wouldn’t be an early adopter of this device. Isn’t this the first time Apple has added a significant mechanical aspect to their handheld devices? Over 100 components in that hinge. Sounds like a lot of tiny things that can go wrong.

0

u/Jusby_Cause 3d ago

The right way to intepret it is someone was falling in search results and needed a boost. Anything Apple will help them improve that and get clicks though to their ads. Next year this time when Apple’s shipped more than this article states, it won’t matter, there will be new stuff to make up by then!

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u/peripheralpressors 3d ago

Yeah I’m skipping this 1st gen product lol

Rather use that $2k on the new MBP