SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is recognizing that “Touch Disease” is a thing.
The tech company is rolling out a repair program to fix iPhone 6 Plus devices with unresponsive touchscreen features.
The term “Touch Disease” refers to the touchscreen issues that surface after the phone undergoes stress, like being dropped on the floor several times. In many cases, iPhone users have complained the touchscreen will entirely stop working for several months.
In August, repair site iFixit discovered that the issue stemmed from faulty chips inside the devices. When the phone is dropped or bent, the chips become loose. At the time, iFixit called the issue “Touch Disease” — and it was quickly adopted by the internet.
Now, the company is willing to repair affected devices for $149 — as long as your screen isn’t cracked and the phone is in working order.
Apple said on its website it “determined that some iPhone 6 Plus devices may exhibit display flickering or multi-touch issues after being dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress on the device.”
Although some iPhone 6 users have also reported the issue, Apple’s fix only applies to the larger-sized iPhone 6 Plus.
The company added it will reimburse people if they already fixed devices through Apple service providers for more than $149.
Following widespread reports of the problem, “Touch Disease” — on both sizes of the iPhone 6 — has accounted for up to 22% of repairs at Apple Stores, according to tech site Apple Insider.
Apple is facing class action lawsuits in California, Utah, and Canada over “Touch Disease.” The complaints allege Apple knew about the faulty touchscreens and didn’t do anything about it.
These cases are not yet resolved.
