According to the latest reports there is a major touchscreen flaw that is affecting Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices.
The problem is apparently affecting a significant number of devices. The so-called “touch disease” makes the touchscreen cease to function.
Class-action lawsuit shows gravity of situation
There are plenty of people that have reported the problem, and a class-action lawsuit from affected users. However Apple has not commented publicly on the flaw. Even now that the problem is becoming more widespread, the company has not formally acknowledged it.
If you own an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, read on to check the symptoms of touch disease. The most obvious sign that you might have a problem is a grey bar that flickers across the upper part of the phone, where the status bar is. Users have said that once the gray bar appears, it isn’t long until the whole screen of the phone becomes unresponsive.
There are many theories about the cause of touch disease. One is that the logic board of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus can be bent over the course of its lifetime. This can happen when you take it out of your pocket, slide it into a tight case, or especially if you drop it.
What can be done about touch disease?
In this way touch disease is connected to “bendgate,” which affected the iPhone 6. The devices were found to be very fragile and would bend under small amounts of pressure. When it bends on a number of occasions, chips on the logic board can become loose. This means that they can’t process or execute touchscreen commands.
While touch disease is most common on iPhone 6 Plus devices, it has also been reported on iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus handsets. If you do find that your smartphone is affected, what can you do about it?
Most people’s favorite option is likely to be a replacement phone. However this will cost you $329 if your warranty expired a fair amount of time ago.
At the same time you may find that your new phone suffers from the same problem. It is just as likely that your new handset is defective.
Apple remains silent on the issue
If your warranty only expired recently, you could get a replacement for $100. A report in Motherboard cites Apple Store technicians who say that they are more likely to award a low cost replacement given the nature of the problem.
Another option is to get your phone fixed by a third-party. At the same time this is a challenging job and there are no guarantees your phone will work as normal afterwards. Getting third-party repairs can also void your Apple warranty.
For those who back themselves as technicians, you could have a go at fixing it yourself. However this is not advised.
It’s interesting that Apple hasn’t acknowledged the problem officially. This may be because it is a bit of a dead end. Issuing replacements is not a solution due to the fact that new handsets are just as likely to have touch disease, so for now the only hope is that Apple comes up with an official solution.
