According to reports, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus touchscreens may become unusable due to a hardware defect.
iPhone 6 & 6 Plus' 'Touch Disease'
As reported by iFixit, iPad Rehab is just one of many places that had received defective iPhones 6 and iPhones 6 Plus. The issue that affects iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models has been dubbed "touch disease." The affected iPhones show unresponsive touchscreens and a flickering gray bar at the top of the screen.
According to Mashable, the issue appears to be an internal hardware glitch. On a technical level, the affected iPhones 6 and 6 Plus cannot be fixed by just replacing the touchscreen.
The internal glitch affects flawed touchscreen controller chips (Touch IC) located on the logic board. Tech experts believe that the problem could be potentially tied to a structural design defect dubbed "bendgate" that causes the iPhone 5 and 6 Plus models to bend easily.
Apple seems to not use any "underfill" for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to keep the Touch IC chips attached securely to the logic board. The company chose to go with a sticker instead of using a "metal shield" to further reinforce keeping the Touch IC chip in place.
When the Touch IC chips come loose over time, likely from impact of just daily handling, the "touch disease" starts to render iPhones 6 and 6 Plus unusable. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are not affected by the internal glitch because in their case Apple moved the Touch IC chips to the display assembly where they are better protected. The iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus also use a less bendable and stronger aluminum.
No 'Touch Disease' Official Fix From Apple
The glitch is affecting some iPhone 6 devices and a growing number of iPhone 6 Plus units. Millions of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus mobile phones could be potentially vulnerable.
According to MacWorld, even if the manufacturing defect that is making iPhone touchscreens unresponsive is Apple's mistake, the high-tech company has yet to provide an official solution for its customers. Since Apple's in-store repair techs are not able to try any repairs to the logic board, the only way to fix it is to take your iPhone to a third-party repair shop. However, doing so will nullify the warranty because third-parry repairs are not authorized by Apple.
