Several owners of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are reporting cases of being afflicted by a defect dubbed Touch Disease. The issue has apparently been brought to Apple’s attention through forum posts and store visits, but the tech giant seems to be doing little to acknowledge the problem.
According to repair guide iFixit’s blog post, Touch Disease commonly begins life as a thin grey flickering bar which can be seen along the top portion of an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. This is supposedly a symptom of the sickness. Quick fix solutions include applying pressure to the panel or gently twisting the iPhone.
However, this remedy is only temporary as Touch Disease usually comes back with a vengeance till the iPhone has become completely unusable and unresponsive. The report claims the fault doesn’t actually lie with the smartphone’s screen, but with the phone’s circuit board underneath which translates a user’s taps into action.
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As per iPad Rehab’s Jessa Jones, the epidemic’s origins can be narrowed down to Apple’s flawed touch controller chip design. The iPhone 6’s Touch IC chips connect to the logic board through solder balls, with the entire setup mimicking the vulnerability of a plate resting on marbles.
These balls eventually crack and lose contact with the board over time and extended usage. To make matters worse, Touch Disease seems to be the long-term consequence of the structural deficiencies which caused Bendgate. The problem is so widespread at this point, the report predicts that the defect could result in a class action lawsuit.
Touch Disease notably doesn’t affect the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus though, since Apple moved the exposed Touch IC chips from the logic board to the display assembly. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users affected by the ailment have no other option but to replace the phone or get it repaired from a third-party, since the company itself is apparently refusing to do that.