The mystery behind iPhone Duo displays cracking along the hinge may be closer to an answer, with a new leak claiming that defective materials from one of Apple’s suppliers are responsible rather than a fundamental flaw in the foldable iPhone’s design.
Chinese leaker Kang said in a November 7 report cited by IT Home that the issue has largely been traced to materials provided by one of two hinge suppliers. Kang did not name the supplier or identify the material involved, and cautioned that the information should not be treated as a final conclusion. Apple has not confirmed the claim.
According to Kang, Apple is able to identify potentially affected iPhone Duo units using their serial numbers, suggesting the failures could be tied to a particular manufacturing batch. However, there is no indication that Apple plans to publish the affected serial-number ranges, launch a customer checking tool or proactively replace devices that have not developed a fault.
The claim offers a possible explanation for the display problems reported shortly after Apple’s first foldable iPhone went on sale on October 23. Some owners described unusual resistance or a popping sound near the hinge before a crack or bright line appeared across the inner display. The reports prompted questions about whether the folding mechanism itself had a design problem.
Apple acknowledged the issue on October 26, saying it affected a small number of devices and advising customers who experienced display problems to contact AppleCare for a replacement. As The Apple Post reported at the time, Apple did not disclose what caused the failures or whether a particular production batch was involved.
Independent teardown analysis had previously raised the possibility that parts of the hinge, including a central support structure, could place excessive pressure on the folding display. Those findings identified potential failure points but did not establish a definitive cause. Kang’s latest account points instead to a materials problem, and neither explanation has been conclusively demonstrated.
The supplier question is also unresolved. Several companies provide components for iPhone Duo’s folding mechanism, but Kang did not accuse any company by name. Separately, component maker Fine M-Tec denied in October that defects in parts it supplied were responsible for the reported failures. There is no verified basis for identifying Fine M-Tec or any other named supplier as the source of the alleged faulty materials.
For existing iPhone Duo owners, the latest rumor does not change Apple’s publicly stated advice. Anyone whose inner display develops a fault should contact AppleCare and arrange an assessment rather than assume their device is affected based on its serial number. Apple has not announced a recall, a broader replacement program or a public list of potentially affected units.
If a defective batch is eventually confirmed, it could help explain why only some early devices have experienced problems and make it easier for Apple to isolate the issue. Until the company provides more information, however, the claim remains an unverified supply-chain report rather than a confirmed resolution to the iPhone Duo’s hinge problems.