Apple has finally acknowledged the existence of "touch disease" - the somewhat ominous issue affecting iPhone 6 Plus displays - by kicking off an official repair program.
Symptoms of touch disease include display flickering and intermittent issues with touch sensitivity. Both problems will get worse over time. Apple attributes these issues to iPhones being dropped on a hard surface multiple times, and then incurring further stress on the device.
Repair and tear-down site iFixit says the issue is caused by the touchscreen controllers on the iPhone 6 Plus' internal logic board. It goes on to explain that touch disease is similar to the "bendgate" phenomenon that marred the iPhone 6's launch, where some devices where susceptible to physical deformation due to their thin form-factor. This results in "mechanical flexion pressure that no other iPhone has had to deal with".
A touch disease repair will cost you $228.95 at either an Apple retail store or Apple authorised service provider, provided the screen is not cracked or broken. Apple advises iPhone 6 Plus owners taking their handsets for repair to back up their data beforehand.
iPhone 6 Plus owners who have already paid to have their touch disease afflicted device repaired will be reimbursed the difference between the price they originally paid and the $228.95 fee.
Neither the iPhone 6s Plus or iPhone 7 Plus are affected by the issue.
Apple's support page for the repair program can be found here.
Alex Choros
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