A Design Defect Is Breaking a Ton of iPhone 6 Pluses

[patrick3027]

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Because every single month, more and more iPhone 6 and (especially) 6 Plus devices show up at her shop, iPad Rehab, with the same problem: a gray, flickering bar at the top of the display and an unresponsive touchscreen.

[...]

If pages and pages of complaints on Apple’s support forum are any indication, Apple’s aware there’s a hardware issue with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus—but they aren’t doing anything about it.

[...]

Here’s where the plot thickens: Replacing the touchscreen doesn’t fix the problem. The gray bar eventually shows up on the new screen, too. Because, according to repair pros, the problem isn’t the screen at all. It’s the two touchscreen controller chips, or Touch IC chips, on the logic board inside the phone.
These two chips translate your finger mashing on the display into information your phone can actually use. When the Touch IC chips go bad, you can jab, tap, and poke the screen all you want—your phone can’t correctly process the information. At least, not until the bum chips are replaced with new ones.

[...]

After fixing hundreds of broken iPhone 6 and 6 Pluses, many pros have developed theories about what causes Touch Disease in these two specific models. One microsoldering pro I spoke to speculated that the U2402 Meson chip—one of the two Touch IC chips on the board—has a manufacturing defect. But the most popular theory I heard is that Touch Disease is the unanticipated, long-term consequence of a structural design flaw: Bendgate.

[...]

“But the fact remains—compared to earlier iPhone models, the iPhone 6/6+ is kind of a ‘bendy’ phone. Its slim form factor and larger surface area subject the logic board within the phone to mechanical flexion pressure that no other iPhone has had to deal with,” Jessa explains in a detailed blog post. The iPhone 6 Plus—the wider of the two phones—appears to be especially susceptible to this kind of damage.

[...]

“Since the Touch IC chip doesn’t have underfill, nor a metal backing, it seems to be the first to ‘break off’ the logic board,” Huie explains. “When I say ‘break off,’ I mean the solder joints break off from the chip, which causes the no touch.”

So, if you’re experiencing symptoms of Touch Disease and you’re still in warranty—now might be a good time to take advantage of that warranty replacement option. Though, there’s no guarantee that your replacement phone won’t suffer from the same issue somewhere down the line, too.

[...]

“[Apple doesn’t] tell customers they can get it fixed at an independent service center. They don’t offer repair of it at all. The only option that Apple offers to people who encounter this problem is ‘Would you like to buy a new iPhone?” says Louis Rossmann—a board repair expert from New York City—in a YouTube video on the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iX7TyEjJ2E
Rossmann predicts that, eventually, the Touch Disease problem will probably explode into a class action lawsuit—at which point Apple will be forced to respond with some sort of extended warranty program. But only if customers start banding together and demanding more support from Apple for this problem.

“Apple has designed phones better than this in the past. They need to design phones better than this in the future,” says Rossmann. “And they need to take accountability and responsibility for the devices that people have been paying for right now that don’t work the way they’re supposed to.”

 

http://ifixit.org/blog/8309/iphone-6-plus-gray-flicker-touch-death/

 

I strongly advise you to read the whole article yourself.

 

Let's hope for an official response from Apple.

UPDATE:

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It seems clear that Apple is aware of what's happening, though so far, doesn't seem to have done much about it. As such, lawsuit has now been filed against Cupertino. 

 

The U.S.-wide class-action suit notes of Apple's lack of a suitable fix despite knowing of the problem, which, according to the plaintiff, is caused by a design defect with both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Though many theories have been offered as to Touch Disease's origins over the past week, the lawsuit suggests that certain components lack a metal 'shield', where previous models were sufficiently reinforced/

[...]

Three plaintiffs named are Todd Cleary of California, Jun Bai of Delaware and Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania. The suit seeks unspecified damages and accuses Apple of both fraud and violation of California's consumer protection laws.

Source: http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-slapped-with-class-action-lawsuit-over-iPhone-6-Touch-Disease_id84648

 

[BrinkGG]

10 minutes ago, patrick3027 said:

http://ifixit.org/blog/8309/iphone-6-plus-gray-flicker-touch-death/

 

I strongly advise you to read the whole article yourself.

 

Let's hope for an official response from Apple.

Hopefully Apple will put out a recall on it eventually... They have recalled certain defects in the past, one of which I have dealt with. I would have a lot more respect for them if they actually took responsibility for some of the hardware issues that they have. 

[silberdrachi]

Damn that sucks. Its a real dick move if it turns out that this is an inherent flaw and they arent going to be responsible and fix/replace the phones with the problem.

 

How about now we just stop making phones thin a damn paper and make a nice thick unbendable phone that is jam packed with 3 days worth of battery?

 

Solves 2 problems at once.

 

Shove your ".00001mm thinner than last years model" where the sun dont shine.

[Tataffe]

It's a shitty situation. The iPhone 6 was the most sold smartphone of 2015, with the 6S ranking #5. Plus no company is met with higher expectations regarding build quality than Apple. They really should take care immediately ...

[Coaxialgamer]

I dub this the diephone defect #diephonegate

[themctipers]

1 hour ago, patrick3027 said:

http://ifixit.org/blog/8309/iphone-6-plus-gray-flicker-touch-death/

 

I strongly advise you to read the whole article yourself.

 

Let's hope for an official response from Apple.

Glad I'm on a 6s. 

[suicidalfranco]

Here's what will happen: deny, deny, deny -> class action -> keep denying -> lose class action -> recognise flaw but by the time the recognise the flaw people will already have moved on to the iPhone 9S PlusPlus Pro Mini

[ThinkWithPortals]

"Nope, not our problem"

 

- Apple, on this issue.

[shermantanker]

This actually happened to me and 2 other people I know. For a whole month I would slap my phone on the palm of my hand a few times to make it work, and eventually I got apple to use a loophole from an old recall related to the camera from last year to swap it out of warranty for me. Having to slap my phone on something to use it was a real pain in the ass.

[BuckGup]

Well keep your phone in your front pocket/ don't weigh 300 pounds

[Fetzie]

12 minutes ago, SamStrecker said:

Well keep your phone in your front pocket/ don't weigh 300 pounds

Yeah, I've never understood the need to use your back pockets.

[Tech_Dreamer]

3 hours ago, patrick3027 said:

They don’t offer repair of it at all. The only option that Apple offers to people who encounter this problem is ‘Would you like to buy a new iPhone?

"is Pepsi Okay? " equivalent

[Techicolors]

my parents have 6s pluses, though it seems this touch disease only affects 6 and 6 pluses? 

[BrinkGG]

21 minutes ago, Technicolors said:

my parents have 6s pluses, though it seems this touch disease only affects 6 and 6 pluses? 

I think they swapped the touch IC... So it shouldn't be an issue. 

[BuckGup]

3 hours ago, Fetzie said:

Yeah, I've never understood the need to use your back pockets.

Easy target for pick pocketing

[atrash]

4 hours ago, Fetzie said:

Yeah, I've never understood the need to use your back pockets.

 

34 minutes ago, SamStrecker said:

Easy target for pick pocketing

Girls do that all the time. when you  wear really tight jeans

[BuckGup]

19 minutes ago, atrash said:

 

Girls do that all the time. when you  wear really tight jeans

Yeah but they have front pockets. Also they probably take it out as the pockets aren't deep enough so it is uncomfortable. Or they aren't sitting on it because the pocket it so short. Or simply use the front pocket or use a bag

[atrash]

1 minute ago, SamStrecker said:

Yeah but they have front pockets. Also they probably take it out as the pockets aren't deep enough so it is uncomfortable. Or they aren't sitting on it because the pocket it so short. Or simply use the front pocket or use a bag

well not here at least. they will keep the phone inside their back pocket even if half the phone is sticking out. What a way to get people notice with their behinds and their fancy phone case. The fancier the phone case the better.

[Dabombinable]

I'll add as well, the problem also can occur if the iPhone has been dropped and had its screen replaced due to the same problem. If I remember correctly, older iPhones don't have the same design omission.

[MrDynamicMan]

"It just works." 

 

Like I've said before apple is just riding the dying wave of its previous successes. Give it a generation or three and they'll lose all their rep. 

[ThinkWithPortals]

12 hours ago, Fetzie said:

Yeah, I've never understood the need to use your back pockets.

For people with phablets (myself included) the front pockets on some styles simply aren't big enough.

[Murasaki]

tape fixes all

[xewp]

Happened to me few months back. Owned my 6+ for 1.5 years

Took it into Apple Store and and took one look at the flickering screen and said yep we'll give you a new replacement no charge.  Was pretty happy with that

[FPSwithaWacomTablet]

Damn, this is only news now?

 

Jessa from iPad Rehab has been complaining about this for months. Even posted on Apple forums about the problem, only to get it taken down by the mods claiming the issue as a hoax...

[Energycore]

This isn't a new problem

 

 

And Apple are being the biggest of dicks about it.