Writer Julia Bluff at iFixit, a company known around the internet for its meticulous breakdowns of today’s most popular gadgets, has done some investigation with a series of iPhone repair pros to identify a common problem that’s killing the iPhone 6 Plus, and in some cases the iPhone 6. The hallmarks of the so-called “Touch Disease” are a gray, flickering bar that appears at the top of the screen, and the eventual loss of touch functionality.
It appears to be caused by similar design flaws to those that resulted in “bendgate,” the viral fiasco that occurred shortly after the iPhone 6 launch. The same thin, wide design qualities that allow the iPhone 6 Plus to bend also make it easier for the the device’s touchscreen controller chips to separate from the logic board, which eventually renders the phone unresponsive to touch input.
Unfortunately, Apple’s current Genius Bars don’t have an easy fix. It also seems to occur after long periods of use, when many devices are already out of warranty. As a result, the main solution is either buying a new device, or sending the broken phone to specialists who have experience dealing with the issue, like iPad Rehab, Microsoldering.com or STS Telecom.
The good news is that it appears many of the design tweaks Apple introduced with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to prevent bending have also stopped Touch Disease from plaguing those newer devices. Read more about the full investigation via the link below. Gizmodo has also reached out to Apple for comment, so we’ll see if Cupertino addresses it.
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