A significant number of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices are reported to be suffering from a major touchscreen flaw. Users who suffer from this so-called "touch disease" find their devices' touchscreen to be completely unresponsive.
Despite significant evidence of the recurring problem, add to that a class-action lawsuit, no less, Apple still hasn't made any public comment about the problematic flaw in its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices. The company has not made any formal acknowledgment, even now that the issue is widespread.
Motherboard reported a couple of weeks ago that Apple has continued ignoring the issue, and lack of official response from the company is detrimental to potential consumers who are unaware of the situation. It's uncertain what Apple is planning to do to remedy the situation, but continuing to ignore a persisting problem does not paint a good image for the company. The touch disease has already accounted for 11 percent of all Apple Store repairs, according to AppleInsider, a number that trumps all other repair issues on a daily basis.
If you own an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you might want to continue reading, if only to be sure that your device does not suffer touch disease.
Touch Disease Symptoms
A most conspicuous aspect of the touch disease is a flickering gray bar that runs across the topmost part of the phone covering the status bar. Users report that soon after the presence of the problematic gray bars, the phone's entire screen will then become completely unresponsive to the touch.
According to a theory that attempts to explain the reason behind the touch disease, the logic board of the device bends at times when the device is fished out of a pocket, slid strenuously on a case or, worse, dropped. The touch disease is connected to the infamous iPhone 6 "bendgate" situation, where the devices were reported to be extremely fragile, bending under moderate pressure. When the device bends numerous times, certain chips inside the logic board are dislodged, failing to process and carry out touchscreen commands.
Touch disease is most commonly found in iPhone 6 Plus devices, but it's also found in iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices, but in less cases than the iPhone 6 Plus.
What To Do When Your iPhone 6 Plus Has Touch Disease
A phone replacement will cost you $329 if you are well past the warranty period. However, there's no assurance that the replacement won't have the same issues as the previous device. You are as equally likely to get a defective unit.
If your warranty hasn't expired that long, you might be eligible for a lower replacement cost at $100. Motherboard spoke to Apple Store technicians regarding this, noting that Geniuses know that the problem stems from the device and not the customers' fault, so they're more likely to make you eligible for the subtracted cost of replacement.
Alternatively, you can head on over to a third-party repair service and have the phone fixed. However, a couple of caveats: the repair is reported to be much more challenging than other repairs, so there's no guarantee that it will be fixed. Your phone might just get progressively worse. You also run this risk of voiding your warranty if you have your phone serviced by an unauthorized repair store.
If you're feeling a little bit adventurous, you should probably dispel the impulse since even iFixit, masters of device repairs, advises against repairing it yourself. However, if you still want to attempt fixing it, suit yourself. You'll likely find tutorials on how to accomplish this on the internet.
As of now, the issue seems like a cul-de-sac since users are required to pay for a defect they didn't choose to have, and even if their phones are replaced, there's no certainty that it's going to get better. If the defect rests entirely inside the phone because of an engineering flaw, then we're out of luck unless Apple makes an official announcement or offers a solution.
