iPhone 12 Quality Controversy Deepens Amid Increasing Supply Shortage

Sales Up Over 30% Compared to Previous Model... Success at the Box Office but Quality Controversies Increase Refund Requests, Supply Shortage Difficult to Resolve
iPhone 12 Pro Shortage to Continue Until the End of This Month

On the 30th, when Apple's first 5G smartphone, the iPhone 12 series, was officially released in Korea, customers were examining the products at the Apple Store on Garosugil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As iPhone 12 sales continue to soar, supply and demand imbalances persist amid ongoing display quality controversies.

According to industry sources on the 17th, sales of the iPhone 12 series have increased by more than 30% compared to last year. Buyers flocked from the pre-order stage, and including the second pre-order batch on the 13th, it is estimated that sales will exceed approximately 600,000 units.

Aside from this popularity, ongoing quality defect controversies are fueling the supply shortage. Since the launch of the iPhone 12, issues such as the 'lightning phenomenon,' where the screen flickers when watching videos in low light, and uneven brightness causing light leakage have been continuously reported, leading many buyers to request refunds.

An iPhone 12 buyer said, "I purchased the iPhone 12 Pro, but due to the lightning phenomenon, I returned it and bought a new one, yet the same issue appeared, so I am considering whether I should return it again by the end of the year."

With supply already insufficient, refund requests have put dealers and carriers in a difficult position. In particular, the supply shortage of the iPhone 12 Pro has yet to be resolved. Some consumers who placed pre-orders last month are still waiting for delivery. An industry insider said, "The supply shortage of the iPhone 12 Pro model is expected to continue until the end of this month."

Defect-related issues have also arisen with the 'iPhone 12 Mini' model, which was released overseas first. Users who purchased the iPhone 12 Mini pointed out problems such as the touch not being properly recognized when unlocking, pressing the camera while locked, or swiping up from the bottom. Additionally, some users who switched to the iPhone 12 experienced missing text messages.

Regarding the display defect controversy of the iPhone 12, Apple stated, "We are aware of a small number of reported cases and are currently investigating."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.