[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah ] Amid a series of reports of display damage near the hinge on Apple’s first foldable phone, the “iPhone Duo,” South Korean foldable phone parts manufacturer Fine M-Tec Co.,Ltd.(441270)has stated that the issue is unrelated to defects in the parts it supplies.

Fine M-Tec Co.,Ltd., which manufactures internal hinges and other components for foldable phones, stated that it is unfair to pinpoint its parts as the cause of the defects without objective technical verification, and added that it is considering legal action against the dissemination of false information.

In an official statement released on the 26th, Fine M-Tec Co.,Ltd. asserted, “The quality issues recently raised are not problems caused by defects in the components we supply,” adding, “It is untrue to link these issues to our supplied components or interpret them as quality problems.”

The company explained that it conducts verification procedures to meet the technical specifications and quality standards required by its clients, from the product development stage through mass production. It noted that it enhances product stability and quality through pre-production verification, mass production quality control, and technical collaboration with clients.

Fine M-Tec Co.,Ltd. also emphasized that foldable smartphones are products that involve a complex combination of multiple core components and precise mechanical designs. The company maintains that objective and technical verification must be conducted first before any phenomenon observed in the finished product can be directly linked to a defect in a specific component.

Furthermore, the company expressed concern over actions that, based on unverified information, point to its components as the cause of defects or imply that there are issues with its quality control capabilities. The company stated that if false information spreads through online communities and social media (SNS), damaging its corporate image, quality credibility, and the interests of shareholders and investors, it will consider countermeasures, including civil and criminal legal action. It also requested that the media and market participants refrain from citing and spreading unverified, speculative information.

This controversy arose immediately after the launch of the iPhone Duo. Foreign media outlets such as MacRumors reported cases of display damage near the hinge, citing photos posted on the online community Reddit and the MacRumors forum. The photos showed a white line extending from the center of the hinge toward the screen.

Some industry insiders raised the possibility of a problem with the hinge design, pointing to the similarity in the locations of the damage. Difficulties during the development process, such as a change in hinge suppliers and production yield issues, were also mentioned. These are analyses and projections by industry insiders and do not imply that the cause of the damage has been officially confirmed.

Fine M-Tec Co.,Ltd. is a KOSDAQ-listed company that originated from FINE DNC CO.,LTD., established in 1992. It was launched in 2022 following a spin-off of the IT business division from FINE TECHNIX CO., LTD. The company manufactures precision components for displays and mobile devices, including internal hinges for foldable smartphones, and also operates an automotive parts business utilizing metal processing technology.

Based on information disclosed so far, it has been confirmed that cases of display damage near the hinge of the iPhone Duo have been posted online and reported by foreign media. It has not been confirmed whether the cause of the damage is the hinge design, a defect in individual components, or some other factor.