Apple on Thursday launched a new repair program to address complaints about the iPhone 6 Plus ‘touch disease,’ which can cause the device to become unresponsive to the user’s touch. The issue manifests itself as a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen, along with a display that becomes either less responsive, or completely unresponsive to touch.
Apple has 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.
If your iPhone 6 Plus is exhibiting the symptoms noted above, is in working order, and the screen is not cracked or broken, Apple will repair your device for a service price of $149.
Apple says it will contact customers who paid for a service repair related to the issue wither through Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to arrange reimbursement. Users who paid for such a repair, but are not contacted by Apple, should contact Apple. Apple will reimburse an amount that is equal to the difference paid for the original service and the $149 it will now charge.
Complaints began increasing following the publication of a video by iFixit, where the teardown site featured the issue, and dubbed it “Touch Disease.” The problem is believe to be caused by the touchscreen controller chips, which are soldered to the logic board of the device.
If your iPhone 6 Plus exhibits the issues listed here, you can visit an Apple retail store, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to see if the device qualifies for the new repair program. It will be interesting to see how iPhone 6 Plus users react to the repair program, and its $149 charge.