"Cracked iPhone Duo to Be Replaced for Free"… Apple Unusually Admits to Defect

[Anchor]

As we previously reported, cracks are being continuously discovered on the screens of Apple's newly released foldable phones. In an unusual move, Apple has acknowledged the product defect and decided to offer free replacements.

Reporter Hong Yeongjae explores the background behind this decision.

[Reporter]

A video captures a baffled user whose display cracked mere hours after purchasing Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo.

As photos and videos of screen damages poured in right after the launch, spreading the so-called "crackgate" controversy worldwide, Apple finally released an official statement.

The company stated that it is "aware of an issue affecting the internal display in a small number of iPhone Duo units" and announced that it will replace defective products free of charge.

It is quite unusual for Apple to officially admit to a defect just three days after a new product launch.

This is interpreted as a judgment that the issue is serious, though the company did not disclose the exact cause of the defect.

Having entered the market belatedly compared to competitors like Samsung Electronics, which released its foldable phone 7 years ago, Apple's move appears intended to preemptively quell quality controversies early on.

[Hong Yong-taek / Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University: If early users keep talking about defects, things won't go as originally intended. So their purpose is likely a quick apology, fast product replacements, and internally strengthening quality control.]

[Kang Ji-hoon / Paju, Gyeonggi Province: (Apple's response) is pretty decent, isn't it? Since it's their first foldable, as long as they handle the service and things well, I think it's fine.]

On second-hand trading platforms, there were many listings of unopened products bought quickly upon initial release with a premium of over 500,000 won attached, but now listings priced below the regular retail price are also starting to appear one by one.

As it is currently suspected that the issue may lie with the hinge where the screen folds, some experts suggest that an increase in demand for product replacements could benefit domestic component suppliers providing LCDs and other parts.

(Photo courtesy of Seol Chi-hwan | Video by Lim Yeojin | Graphics by Byun Dayoung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.