Apple blames owners for iPhone 6 Touch Disease, will fix the problem for $149

[midian182]

Back in August, it was reported that a growing number of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users were reporting their devices had been affected by ‘Touch Disease,’ a manufacturing issue that resulted in a flickering gray bar and, ultimately, an unresponsive screen. Now, Apple has finally acknowledged the problem and says it will repair it – for $149.

Touch Disease is a result of the devices’ bendability, which causes the controller chip’s soldering to crack and start to lose contact with the board. “As the crack deepens into a full separation of the chip-board bond, the periods of no touch function become more frequent,” said microsoldering repair specialist Jessa Jones.

Up until now, the Cupertino company hasn’t even acknowledged the existence of Touch Disease. Some owners claim that Apple told them buying a new device was the only solution if the affected iPhone was out of warranty.

Now, Apple has launched a “Multi-Touch Repair Program” to address the issue. While Touch Disease has been reported in both variants of the iPhone 6, Apple’s service only covers the iPhone 6 Plus, which, due to its larger size, is more susceptible to the problem.

Unsurprisingly, Apple isn’t claiming liability for Touch Disease; instead, it is blaming clumsy owners whose iPhones have been “dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress on the device.”

Not only is Apple blaming customers for Touch Disease, but the company is also charging $149 to fix it. While this is half the price of normal out of warranty repairs, it’s still a case of consumers paying for a design flaw. Anyone who had their device repaired or replaced for similar symptoms – which could have cost more than $149 – will have the difference reimbursed by Apple.

iFixit, which was one of the first publications to shine a light on the issue, has been critical of Apple’s repair program. CEO Kyle Wiens says he has seen Touch Disease on phones that have never been dropped. He added that an Apple Genius confirmed the company wasn’t repairing the affected iPhones but swapping them for refurbished devices. Moreover, the data from the old phones wasn’t being transferred.

Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit from owners of iPhones affected by Touch Disease. How, or if, the new repair program will affect the case is unclear.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/67102-apple-blames-owners-iphone-6-touch-disease-fix.html

 

[mcborge]

POW! Take that loyal customers...

 

[BSim500]

Problem : The device has been made too thin for normal everyday usage such as the slight bending effect of putting a thin phone in your pocket and sitting down / standing up (something a $20 Nokia dumb phone can manage without issue).

"Solution" : Blame the customers for "using it wrong", remove the headphone socket to make it even thinner then blame them for "wanting the wrong thing" when they complain...

People complain about "The Apple Bashing Bandwagon" yet this is one of "those moments" which really shows up the cult-like "despise your own followers and they'll love you for it" thing in all its 'glory'...

 

[psycros]

Just another day in the Cupertino reality distortion field. And the hard-core iSheep will happily submit to more abuse. I wonder how absurd things will have to get before we see a rebellion?

 

[RustyTech]

So literally "you're holding it wrong"?
That's apple for you - just another reason to avoid being stuck in their ecosystem.

 

[ATLVM]

POW! Take that loyal customers...

I actually said the same thing.

2 issues here. The iPhone 6 ALWAYS breaks at the top near the earpiece.. 100%.

The other is its only AFTER about 18 months of use.. maybe a little less but its consistent.

what does this mean, it MEANS that people are putting their phones in their back pocket, and it rubs against clothes over a period of time it wear down the device plus when people sit down they put the phone in the same pocket ear piece down.

I see it EVERY SINGLE DAY, so you can't argue that's not it because it *IS* the problem, users do not use a case nor do they take care of their device.. my wife does the same thing and I complain about her to.. you will BREAK the phone like that.

Apple therefore is correct its 100% user abuse.. also whenever people get a replacement the iPhone 6S doesn't have the problem well DUH because you haven't had it long enough give it another 15 to 18 months and it WILL!

 

[Capaill]

Even if the fault is caused by the device being dropped, Apple only blames the customer? So it's completely impossible that the boxes were mishandled while they were stored in Apple factories, or while they were transported in Apple vehicles, or while they were being handled by retailers. I am impressed by Apple's very precise knowledge of the source of the problem: Apple customers don't know how to hold a phone. We don't need to bash the iSheep any more - Apple is now doing it for us.

 

[ATLVM]

So literally "you're holding it wrong"?
That's apple for you - just another reason to avoid being stuck in their ecosystem.

Well people more specifically are SITTING on it.. that's the problem

I see people with their phone they take their phone out of their back pocket. The touch sensor is at the top while in the pocket, so that means the breakage is at the earpiece.. so that means the stress of sitting on the device is breaking the phone.. over a long period of time.

It's not apple trying to ditch responsibility, its a training issue.. people need to STOP putting their phone in their back pocket.. why do people do that? That's how you break your phone.. *OR* buy a case..

every time I see this the phone has ZERO protection what are cases for?!?!? Pay $150.00 to Apple.. *OR* buy a 20 dollar case.. problem solved!

 

[ATLVM]

Problem : The device has been made too thin for normal everyday usage such as the slight bending effect of putting a thin phone in your pocket and sitting down / standing up (something a $20 Nokia dumb phone can manage without issue).

"Solution" : Blame the customers for "using it wrong", remove the headphone socket to make it even thinner then blame them for "wanting the wrong thing" when they complain...

People complain about "The Apple Bashing Bandwagon" yet this is one of "those moments" which really shows up the cult-like "despise your own followers and they'll love you for it" thing in all its 'glory'...

Uh it's not too thin, I find it funny you are quick to blame Apple when I see this EXACT problem on Samsung, and HTC.. so you can't say ALL of these devices are the problem when it happens across the board.

USERS are the common denominator... Why do you defend people that throw their phones, have no respect for expensive devices or don't even bother to buy a case.. I have ZERO tolerance for people that will NOT take advice on how to take care of a $700 device.. case closed.

 

[ATLVM]

So literally "you're holding it wrong"?
That's apple for you - just another reason to avoid being stuck in their ecosystem.

Also I just traded in my Iphone 6 (not 'S') had it for 25 months.. my phone had ZERO problems, so if the phone is defective then *I* should have the same problem I do not, why is that?

Because I don't keep it in my back pocket while driving, sitting, eating, all the time.. and constantly push in take out 100 times that will wear ANY device down over time..

So therefore since I didn't have a problem with the same device people are attributing to the problem the real culprit is USERS.. I will bet a month salary I am right.

 

[amstech]

Uh it's not too thin, I find it funny you are quick to blame Apple when I see this EXACT problem on Samsung, and HTC.. so you can't say ALL of these devices are the problem when it happens across the board.

Yea its too thin.
Name another phone that has this issue.

 

[Nobina]

I don't understand why some people are still loyal to Apple...or any company for that matter? Surely someone's gonna make it like we're purposely bashing on Apple, that we're looking for something to complain about, and it amazes me how these people never see news like this.

 

[Nobina]

So literally "you're holding it wrong"?
That's apple for you - just another reason to avoid being stuck in their ecosystem.

Also I just traded in my Iphone 6 (not 'S') had it for 25 months.. my phone had ZERO problems, so if the phone is defective then *I* should have the same problem I do not, why is that?

Because I don't keep it in my back pocket while driving, sitting, eating, all the time.. and constantly push in take out 100 times that will wear ANY device down over time..

So therefore since I didn't have a problem with the same device people are attributing to the problem the real culprit is USERS.. I will bet a month salary I am right.

Do you realize that if something doesn't happen to you it still might happen to some other people? And not everyone uses the phone in the same way. You are either trolling or an absolute cretin.

 

[mcborge]

I actually said the same thing.

2 issues here. The iPhone 6 ALWAYS breaks at the top near the earpiece.. 100%.

The other is its only AFTER about 18 months of use.. maybe a little less but its consistent.

what does this mean, it MEANS that people are putting their phones in their back pocket, and it rubs against clothes over a period of time it wear down the device plus when people sit down they put the phone in the same pocket ear piece down.

I see it EVERY SINGLE DAY, so you can't argue that's not it because it *IS* the problem, users do not use a case nor do they take care of their device.. my wife does the same thing and I complain about her to.. you will BREAK the phone like that.

Apple therefore is correct its 100% user abuse.. also whenever people get a replacement the iPhone 6S doesn't have the problem well DUH because you haven't had it long enough give it another 15 to 18 months and it WILL!

I never buy apple phones myself but it strikes me that if a device is meant to be used every day its going to need to stand up to that use and be built accordingly. A lot of people (not me) put their phones in their back pockets as you say, and manufacturers know this and should build their devices to handle this use but they don't because they want to make more money and ship as many units as possible. if you have something built to last you will be less inclined to upgrade it.
In the past, companies would stake their reputation on their products build quality and reliability. now everything is built to fail after a certain time to push consumers on to the next version of a product, that's how companies guarantee profits to keep their shareholders happy. FYI I use a galaxy s5 and its still in new condition, no dinks or scratches at all. I even have an old razr v3i and that's still in perfect working condition with no dinks or scratches either. I'm expecting the next iphone to be so thin and flimsy that it will get "touch disease* because it bent in the wind.

 

[BSim500]

Uh it's not too thin, I find it funny you are quick to blame Apple when I see this EXACT problem on Samsung, and HTC.. so you can't say ALL of these devices are the problem when it happens across the board.

Yes it is too thin. Some of Samsung's problems are caused by too thin materials too. Many of us bash both and can laugh and joke at Samsung's recent misfortune, but only some Apple users are determined to maintain the absurd "Apple can do no wrong, ever" illusion as if the continued existence of their soul essence depends on believing it. Phones don't bend because they're too sturdy.

USERS are the common denominator...

^ It's precisely stuff like this that people mock as being cult-like. "Anarchism WOULD work if all humans were perfect". Well they aren't. "We wouldn't NEED to lock our doors if their were no burglars". Well there are and we do. "People should NEVER drop phones or accidentally knock them off tables". Well it happens (quite often by toddlers or pets). Now that "in a perfect world..." unrealistic ideological puritan fantasies are out of the way, what now?...

There is no "one true way" of using a phone. Some people use pockets, others purses, other a strap around the wrist / neck, etc. If an abnormally thin $800 handheld communication device cannot handle the normal everyday life its designers know about in advance, and if they're made by design to be "incompatible with jeans" whilst someone else's 1-3mm thicker $150 device has far fewer problems, then yes, it really is just a bad design and is time to reassess the tunnel vision obsession with "form over function" which past a certain point, obviously isn't benefiting many consumers at all.

 

[Tanstar]

Problem : The device has been made too thin for normal everyday usage such as the slight bending effect of putting a thin phone in your pocket and sitting down / standing up (something a $20 Nokia dumb phone can manage without issue).

"Solution" : Blame the customers for "using it wrong", remove the headphone socket to make it even thinner then blame them for "wanting the wrong thing" when they complain...

People complain about "The Apple Bashing Bandwagon" yet this is one of "those moments" which really shows up the cult-like "despise your own followers and they'll love you for it" thing in all its 'glory'...

Uh it's not too thin, I find it funny you are quick to blame Apple when I see this EXACT problem on Samsung, and HTC.. so you can't say ALL of these devices are the problem when it happens across the board.

USERS are the common denominator... Why do you defend people that throw their phones, have no respect for expensive devices or don't even bother to buy a case.. I have ZERO tolerance for people that will NOT take advice on how to take care of a $700 device.. case closed.

You say it isn't too thin, then say you need a case. In other words, the phone isn't strong enough to deal with normal, everyday use (in fact, you are charged more because it is thin), so you should buy a case to strengthen it. Personally, I keep my phone in my front pocket, in a wallet case. However, I find it completely backward that the manufacturer should "train" their consumers, rather than manufacturers designing the phone to work as the consumer wants to use it. CASE CLOSED (as you obnoxiously and wrongly stated).

 

[ATLVM]

You say it isn't too thin, then say you need a case. In other words, the phone isn't strong enough to deal with normal, everyday use (in fact, you are charged more because it is thin), so you should buy a case to strengthen it. Personally, I keep my phone in my front pocket, in a wallet case. However, I find it completely backward that the manufacturer should "train" their consumers, rather than manufacturers designing the phone to work as the consumer wants to use it. CASE CLOSED (as you obnoxiously and wrongly stated).

The whole too "thin" has been debunked MANY times you can't bend an iPhone, I say case to protect the phone, the layer on top of the phone (the screen) is where the damage occurs. I ALREADY explained the problem. The screen is what is getting damaged not the phone itself its a thin layer of glass over a circuit board.

BACK POCKET, phone faces butt of person, they sit on phone, and the phone is then wedged between butt and chair.. This causes the circuit board to become damage losing adhesion to the screen..

you say front pocket so is your phone broken or not? It is a training issue or more to the point a common sense issue, if you SIT on a device its going to have problems..

Obviously it *IS* CASED CLOSED because Apple is making customers pay $150.00 to fix it.. call me obnoxious when Apple has stipulated the problem is USER ERROR, so apparently you don't seem to understand the problem either, like so many other users.

Just because you FAIL to understand does not mean its NOT user issue because it IS.. again

CASED CLOSED

 

[ATLVM]

Yes it is too thin. Some of Samsung's problems are caused by too thin materials too. Many of us bash both and can laugh and joke at Samsung's recent misfortune, but only some Apple users are determined to maintain the absurd "Apple can do no wrong, ever" illusion as if the continued existence of their soul essence depends on believing it. Phones don't bend because they're too sturdy.



^ It's precisely stuff like this that people mock as being cult-like. "Anarchism WOULD work if all humans were perfect". Well they aren't. "We wouldn't NEED to lock our doors if their were no burglars". Well there are and we do. "People should NEVER drop phones or accidentally knock them off tables". Well it happens (quite often by toddlers or pets). Now that "in a perfect world..." unrealistic ideological puritan fantasies are out of the way, what now?...

There is no "one true way" of using a phone. Some people use pockets, others purses, other a strap around the wrist / neck, etc. If an abnormally thin $800 handheld communication device cannot handle the normal everyday life its designers know about in advance, and if they're made by design to be "incompatible with jeans" whilst someone else's 1-3mm thicker $150 device has far fewer problems, then yes, it really is just a bad design and is time to reassess the tunnel vision obsession with "form over function" which past a certain point, obviously isn't benefiting many consumers at all.

You are overstating the problem. Users possess the phone yes or no? If they have the phone and the phone breaks how is that Apple issue?

I had the SAME phone in question (for more than 2 years) mine didn't have a problem or ANY problem, therefore it's NOT a defect. Can't be any more clear than that.

Also you missed my point. it's not jeans that is the problem its 100 lbs of WEIGHT directly on the earpiece of the PHONE while sitting on it, time and time again.. for months.. THAT's what eroding the device not merely rubbing it on material.. designers don't need to fix the problem with how users use their device, what users are doing is called ABUSE, just because most people choose to carry their phone in their back pocket, doesn't mean its proper, its bad and users have been told this BEFORE, go google other devices with similar problems, Apple isn't the only one.

I refute your "one true way" of holding a phone if you use it in such a manner that it causes damage as evidence by this case alone then that means users need to be mindful of how NOT to abuse their phone!

So you own a car... I assume if you drive your car over a curb at 20 mph time and time again eventually you are going to bend the rim.. right? So by your logic that's designers need to build better rims.. except that warranty doesn't cover that type of damage.. why because that's USER wear and tear NOT a design problem, design problem would be driving NORMAL and wheels bend on their own (which simply does NOT happen) you run over chuck holes in the street or don't avoid debris in the road.. who is insurance going to blame huh? the DRIVER that's who this isn't unprecedented at all.

It's that simple.

 

[ATLVM]

I never buy apple phones myself but it strikes me that if a device is meant to be used every day its going to need to stand up to that use and be built accordingly. A lot of people (not me) put their phones in their back pockets as you say, and manufacturers know this and should build their devices to handle this use but they don't because they want to make more money and ship as many units as possible. if you have something built to last you will be less inclined to upgrade it.
In the past, companies would stake their reputation on their products build quality and reliability. now everything is built to fail after a certain time to push consumers on to the next version of a product, that's how companies guarantee profits to keep their shareholders happy. FYI I use a galaxy s5 and its still in new condition, no dinks or scratches at all. I even have an old razr v3i and that's still in perfect working condition with no dinks or scratches either. I'm expecting the next iphone to be so thin and flimsy that it will get "touch disease* because it bent in the wind.

This is CLEAR abuse.

SITTING on your phone is the problem. Take your phone out and sit on it.. would you do that? Of course not, but if you put in your back pocket and LEAVE it there while you drive, eat, sit down, watch TV...whatever and DON;T remove it.. you expect a device to handle 100 lbs of pressure?!?! LOL

OK.. whatever, I guess designers are stupid, they need to make phones thicker and more resilient to stupidity then because that's ALL this is..

Apple is going to make users pay for their ABUSE, that's clear because a phone is NOT designed to be SAT on.. that should be OBVIOUS I see that's it not.

 

[Camikazi]

I didn't think they would actually do the whole "you are using it wrong" bit but damn I was wrong.

 

[ATLVM]

Do you realize that if something doesn't happen to you it still might happen to some other people? And not everyone uses the phone in the same way. You are either trolling or an absolute cretin.

Sorry but my point is that if the phone is defective these problems SHOULD show up regardless of how you use the phone, but it's not.. if I had my phone for longer than what other people have reported then SOME problem should have manifested by then.

It did not, plus you ASSUME Apple did ZERO investigation Obvoiusly they reached the same conclusion that people that HAD "defect" used their phone in a manner inconsistent with it's design.. you don't SIT on a phone.. that's just plainly stupid.

 

[ATLVM]

I didn't think they would actually do the whole "you are using it wrong" bit but damn I was wrong.

It's not USE that is the problem is *AB*USE. How do you expect a phone to last when you SIT on it, and you say "I am not sitting on it".. really so leaving it in the back pocket while sitting DOES NOT hurt the phone? OK, I guess this is a case where people cannot see the forrest for the trees.. the PHONE isn't meant to withstand 100 lbs (or more) or weight.. its not a platform or a support beam its a PHONE! 800 dollar piece of electronics, I see people are careless with stuff, its going to be an expensive lesson to learn how to take care of it.

So no you are not using it wrong but rather your are using it in a manner that is CAUSING ABUSE.

 

[Camikazi]

It's not USE that is the problem is *AB*USE. How do you expect a phone to last when you SIT on it, and you say "I am not sitting on it".. really so leaving it in the back pocket while sitting DOES NOT hurt the phone? OK, I guess this is a case where people cannot see the forrest for the trees.. the PHONE isn't meant to withstand 100 lbs (or more) or weight.. its not a platform or a support beam its a PHONE! 800 dollar piece of electronics, I see people are careless with stuff, its going to be an expensive lesson to learn how to take care of it.

So no you are not using it wrong but rather your are using it in a manner that is CAUSING ABUSE.

So, how much is Apple paying you? Because man are you shilling for them so hard right now. Like everyone has said, manufacturers should make products for how they are actually used not how they WANT them to be used. If people put them in their back pocket, make it strong enough to support that and don't put form over all.

 

[cliffordcooley]

The whole too "thin" has been debunked MANY times you can't bend an iPhone,

If that were true this article wouldn't exist. You might want to go back and reword your statement.

 

[p51d007]

LOL...see, you WERE dropping it wrong! Told ya so!