iPhone Duo repair requests are so high, Apple apparently can't keep up

That said, Apple's statement that it cannot offer express replacement because of the high volume of repair requests raises eyebrows, as the company recently stated that only a small number of iPhone Duo units are affected.

The situation gets even worse later

The Redditor further mentioned in their post that Apple advised them to go for a replacement by returning the phone, but it could take up to January for the replacement to become available. This basically ends the benefit of express replacement. It's also not guaranteed that a replacement device would be available in the Apple Store, said Apple.

When the user pushed Apple that they want an express replacement, the company said the following:

This statement is really interesting, as initially Apple recognized the situation as a manufacturing defect, but later its representative said that the iPhone Duo owner will have to pay out of their pocket to get a replacement. Fortunately, the Redditor was able to arrange an express replacement after speaking with a manager, but even then the process wasn't very smooth.

They were reportedly being asked to pay £79 excess, though it was later waved off after the manager spoke with their senior.

The iPhone Duo didn't have the best start

With popular names like MKBHD and Carl Pei openly criticizing the iPhone Duo, and all the crackgate situation going on, it appears that the first foldable iPhone hasn't received the start Apple would have hoped for. The mixed response from Apple is what is really frustrating me as a customer. On one hand, it is saying that only a small number of units are affected, but on the other hand, it is also stating things like, "Due to the high volume of repair requests, the express replacement couldn't be processed."

Both the statements really can't go hand in hand. In fact, a highly trusted tipster, Mark Gurman believes that the small number of units suffering from different problems could easily mean thousands. If you're getting the Apple Care Plus subscription, which costs $19.99 per month, you would want to avail its benefit the moment anything wrong happens with your foldable iPhone without much cross-questioning. Unfortunately, that apparently didn't happen in the situation mentioned above.

Surely, one customer experience doesn't establish that the situation is really concerning. But I really want Apple to be more transparent about the situation, like sharing exact details about how many units have experienced hinge, display, or other sorts of problems.