Following the launch of Apple's inaugural foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, its large-scale production has encountered hurdles due to subpar yield rates. Insiders familiar with Foxconn's supply chain reveal that the current assembly yield rate for the iPhone Duo hovers just above 60%, constraining initial production quantities. The contract manufacturer has presented Apple with a dilemma: prioritize yield or output. Expanding production capacity will inevitably escalate both the quantity of acceptable and defective units, thereby inflating costs associated with losses and waste.

The low yield rate stems from Apple's maiden venture into mass-producing a foldable smartphone, necessitating iterative refinements to equipment, processes, and parameters during actual production line operations. Furthermore, OLED panels and hinge-related components sourced from Samsung Display have encountered their own set of challenges, including inadequate yield rates, delayed shipments, and design modifications.

Given Apple's stringent quality benchmarks, it is anticipated that it may require an additional six months to a year for the overall yield rate of the iPhone Duo to attain a level of maturity.