Tech Desk: Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone Duo, their first foldable smartphone, is reportedly encountering significant production hurdles just weeks before its scheduled October 23 launch. Chinese media reports indicate that Foxconn, Apple’s primary manufacturer, is struggling with a final-assembly yield barely exceeding 60% as of mid-September. This low efficiency suggests that only about six out of every ten units are meeting Apple’s stringent quality standards during assembly.

The core of these Apple Foldable iPhone production issues appears to lie with the complex foldable OLED display and the innovative hinge mechanism. These components are proving particularly challenging to integrate smoothly, impacting the overall manufacturing process. While such figures often improve as production teams gain experience and equipment is fine-tuned, the current low yield raises concerns about initial supply.

Despite these manufacturing woes, Apple has not altered its global launch schedule for October 23. However, the slow production efficiency could mean a significantly limited initial supply for consumers eager to get their hands on the groundbreaking device. It may take several months for the production line to mature and reach optimal output levels, potentially leading to long wait times post-launch.