Apple may have relaxed quality control requirements for the foldable iPhone Duo to boost shipments ahead of the holiday season. It is claimed that, amid high demand, the company aims to speed up the launch of smartphones despite reliability issues with the inner display and the hinge mechanism.

Insiders claim that the production line has already replaced a batch of components, but official plans for production and shipments remain unchanged: Apple expects to ship 7.5 million iPhone Duo units by the end of 2026.

Additional concerns have been raised by experts regarding the hinge design: in a teardown of the device and video materials, researchers suggested that individual elements of the mechanism might come into contact with the inner panel and damage it. This could explain the appearance of cracks and other screen defects, although the official cause of the failures has not yet been determined.

At the same time, the information about the relaxation of quality control remains controversial for now. Another source familiar with the supply chain refuted the claim about a revision of the company's standards. Apple itself has not publicly confirmed that it has relaxed its device testing requirements.