00:00 Screen Breakdowns Right After Launch: Why Is This Happening?
01:26 The Key is the 'Hinge'?
02:49 What's Wrong with the iPhone?
04:49 Apple Backs Down, Admits "Product Defect" and Offers Free Exchanges. Why?
06:22 Is the 'Defect Controversy' Bad News Only for Apple?

1. Screen Breakdowns Right After Launch: Why Is This Happening?
Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, with a starting price of 3.29 million won, has been swept up in a screen breakage controversy right after its launch. Photos and videos have been continuously uploaded to social media, ranging from consumers whose screens cracked before they even made it home with their new purchases, to cases where the display broke after being folded and unfolded fewer than 20 times. There is a particular point to note: the locations and shapes of the screen cracks are largely similar. Cracks began mostly right in the middle of the screen, precisely at the folding part. As the controversy surrounding the so-called "crack gate" grew, Apple ultimately decided to acknowledge the defects in some products and offer free replacements just three days after launch. This is a quite unusual response for Apple, which has long emphasized flawless craftsmanship. However, it raises a question. Samsung Electronics first launched a foldable phone back in 2019. Apple released its first foldable phone seven years later than that, so why are such problems occurring right upon launch? First, we need to examine the structure of foldable phones. Foldable phones have a structure where the display itself folds and unfolds. Moreover, the screen must operate normally even after being folded and unfolded not just once or twice, but hundreds of thousands of times. That is why foldable phone manufacturers even conduct durability tests of folding and unfolding over 500,000 times.

2. The Key is the 'Hinge'?
It is not simply about making the display bend well. What matters here is the 'hinge'. It is a type of joint that allows the phone to be folded and unfolded, connecting the two parts of the screen while delicately controlling the folding movement of the display. In particular, various components, such as a metal plate supporting the screen, are placed directly beneath the display. These components must move precisely along with the display. But this leads to another problem: a crease remains right in the middle of the screen. Those who have used foldable phones will know this. It is a phenomenon where the folded part in the middle looks like a wrinkle when the screen is unfolded. Eliminating or minimizing this has been a long-standing technological challenge for foldable phone manufacturers. Apple was no exception. Experts explain that, especially because it released its first foldable phone late, Apple put considerable effort into minimizing screen creases. The problem is having to simultaneously solve the tasks of making the screen look flat and ensuring it folds safely for a long time. Changing the structure of the folded part requires joint consideration of the components supporting the display, the movement of the hinge, and the gaps between components. Because multiple connected components must mesh together intricately, the design and manufacturing process becomes that much trickier.

3. What's Wrong with the iPhone?
Then what kind of problems actually occurred in this iPhone Duo? First is a defect in the components themselves, second is a problem during the component assembly process, and lastly, the possibility of a flaw in Apple's own design.

[Kim Hyun-jae / Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University : Since Apple designed the overall phone design and component assembly, I think there is a possibility that some sort of mistake occurred when Apple designed it.]

Here, a design issue means there is also a possibility that problems arose in the structure of the components supporting the display, the hinge structure, or the way the components mesh together. The display panel of this iPhone Duo is known to be supplied by Samsung Display. Even when using panels from the same display manufacturer, the finished phone's structure and hinge design differ from one phone manufacturer to another. This is why a broken screen does not necessarily mean the display panel itself is defective. There is another possibility as well: that a problem occurred during the assembly process. In foldable phones, the hinge and the parts supporting the screen must be assembled in exact positions. If the positions of the components are slightly misaligned or exceed the permitted margin of error, unexpected force may be applied to certain areas during the process of folding and unfolding the product.

[Hong Yong-taek / Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University : That could be the case. But if it were a design issue, a lot more cases should appear, though I am not sure. Since I haven't checked it myself, judging from what has been reported in articles or announced, there are only a few cases rather than many, so it might be that quality control during actual manufacturing failed, allowing defective units to slip through.]

If it is a problem with some products generated during the assembly process, there is room to respond by improving the production process and quality control. On the other hand, if it is a design issue itself, the structure or design of the components might need to be re-examined. Of course, it cannot be concluded which one is the cause at this point.

4. Apple Backs Down, Admits "Product Defect" and Offers Free Exchanges. Why?
Another interesting aspect of this controversy is Apple's response. Apple acknowledged the issue in some products and decided on free replacements not long after the defect controversy flared up. Why did they rush so much? It is also necessary to consider the market situation for foldable phones that Apple faces here. Apple has entered the foldable phone market for the first time. In a situation where it has to catch up with competitors already established in the market, a quality controversy has erupted right from its very first product. There were already consumer complaints about having to wait a long time to receive products due to initial supply shortages, and if distrust in product durability grows even further, consumers might hesitate to purchase or cancel their orders.

[Hong Yong-taek / Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University : As Apple entered the foldable market somewhat late, they probably wanted to secure a significant share of it. If early users who tried it out keep talking about defects while reports suggest it is taking some time for products to reach consumers after ordering, things won't go as originally intended. So I think their goal is likely a quick apology, prompt product exchanges, and internally strengthening product quality control.]

Indeed, as the iPhone Duo suffered from a supply shortage right after its launch, listings featuring premiums of over 500,000 won appeared on second-hand trading platforms. Following the screen breakage controversy, listings priced lower than the official retail price are also appearing one by one.

5. Is the 'Defect Controversy' Bad News Only for Apple?
Then is this controversy bad news only for Apple? The foldable displays equipped in the iPhone Duo are supplied by Samsung Display. Industry perspectives suggest that if Apple's foldable phone sales increase, Samsung Display's panel supply could also grow, and if new display orders increase due to a rise in free replacements, that in itself is not a bad thing. Conversely, if this quality controversy is prolonged and consumer distrust toward foldable phones as a whole deepens, it could become a stumbling block to market expansion. Apple founder Steve Jobs once said that a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers would not use cheap plywood for the unseen back. He emphasized a product philosophy that even unseen parts must be flawless. Foldable phones rely heavily on the intricate movements of numerous components and hinges hidden beneath the screen. Attention is focused on how Apple will overcome this quality controversy encountered right from its very first product.

(Reported by Hong Yeongjae, Produced by Shin Hee-suk, Video Reported by Choi Dae-woong, Video Edited by Seo Byeong-wook, Design by Lee Jeong-ju, Source: X 'I Hate Apple', YouTube 'CuriousHagi', Produced by SBS Digital News)