3.29 Million Won iPhone Duo Shatters Instantly? Blowback Hits Korean Parts Supplier and Shares Plunge

Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is causing a stir as it gets embroiled in a so-called "crack gate" where internal screens break almost as soon as released.

Right after its official launch on October 23, buyers around the world, including in the United States and Australia, flooded in with reports that internal screens developed cracks or bright lines down the center after opening and closing the device only a few times.

In a durability test by a famous IT YouTuber, the screen broke when force was applied in the opposite direction of the fold, and flaws in dust-resistance performance were also exposed, such as sand or dust getting inside the hinge and preventing the device from closing completely.

As speculation arose that the cause of the screen cracking phenomenon is due to the hinge structure where the phone folds, the blowback spread even to South Korean component suppliers.

FineMtech, a domestic company cited as a major supplier of built-in hinges for the iPhone Duo, released an official statement as the fallout continued, with its stock price plunging over 15% today.

FineMtech stated, "In regards to the quality issues recently raised with some foldable smartphones, we are releasing an official statement to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings and speculations from spreading," adding, "The quality issues are unrelated to the parts supplied by FineMtech, and we comply with our client's strict quality standards and verification procedures."

It also warned that it could take civil and criminal legal action against the spread of false information and groundless criticism.

As the iPhone Duo is an ultra-expensive product priced over 3 million won, with the internal display repair cost alone reaching 1.6 million won, consumer complaints continue to grow.

While Apple has not released an official statement on the cause of the damage to date, controversies surrounding whether there is a design defect and the scope of free replacement processing are expected to continue for a while.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Kim Gi-hyeon | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.