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Growing Number of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Devices Affected by Insidious 'Touch Disease'
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Yea this sucks...My Iphone 6+ died last week with the graybar of death, square trade tried to fix it twice, got a cash settlement but not enough to cover a new one...Google phone is in my future, no more expensive Iphones they lost me as a customer.
You'll note that iFixit stated to bring it to an electronics repair shop that is able to repair the chips. Nowhere in the article do they suggest that EVERY repair shop has the capability to replace the ICs.
If I suggest you go to a surgeon able to perform heart replacement surgery, this is different than suggesting that EVERY doctor can perform heart replacement surgery. I said able. Do not take that out of context.
1) You can buy the chips with balls for under $2.
2) "Solder ball technology ICs" have been used for over ten years now. A $350 microscope, $750 in hot air, and $300 in soldering equipment along with $5 in screwdrivers is all required for this. In third world countries people with greater skill(and less money than myself) are doing this to great success with a magnifying glass and a paint stripper...
3) I have taught everyone from electronics engineers to assistant managers at pizzerias to do this who have went on to start successful refurbishing businesses & repair shops. It is not rocket science once you spell it out as common sense, and in this case, no actual electronics troubleshooting is required. This is as "blue collar" as it gets in electronics repair. Point to chip, tell person to replace chip, replace chip and it works...
I see a lot of comments like this criticizing those who do it, saying SMD rework is not practical in the field... people must realize this isn't 1986 anymore. My mentor was a genius but said all the new SMD stuff is "not made to be fixed" and "too small." He's 60+ now. Here we are reconnecting traces underneath screw-grommets after people damaged them putting the wrong screw into the wrong hole, where 5 traces exist within the width of one human hair. That old time mentality's just gotta go.
I don't recall having the grey bar at the top of my screen, but the touchscreen has definitely become non-responsive. But at the time I thought it was just a glitch. Hasn't happened too often
I do have AppleCare, but since Apple do not replace phones with brand new ones, I'd rather keep my current 6+ as its been pretty good so far
I do have AppleCare, but since Apple do not replace phones with brand new ones, I'd rather keep my current 6+ as its been pretty good so far
A lot of posters on here are saying they have this issue, and their iPhone does not have a bend.
I guess they could be less than honest though.
If the phone chassis flexes, solder joints will break or become intermittent. You don't have to have an actual bend to have serious problems with solder connections.
Good point, by bendgate, I thought you were referring to a bent iPhone6.
The thing is that you might not notice the bend or it bended and went back to the natural state, but the damage already happened.
Agreed, the initial bend may be visually minor but it could have put stresses on the logic board to an extent that damage is incurred
Here's the typical cycle for problems reported on Apple products:
15b. They set up a "program" to address the problem.
16. Apple gains some positive publicity
17. Apple apologists applaud Apple for doing the "right thing". (for an issue that they said from day-1 was not actually an issue)
18. First hand experience with the “program” reveals very strict guidelines and restrictions that greatly reduce the number of affected customers that can participate in the program.
Hang in there folks, looks like were somewhere between steps #8 and #9.
- A few members post reports of the problem, report it to Apple
- No response from Apple
- Increased number of people report the issue
- No response from Apple
- Apple apologists dismiss the reports as very rare, the result of trolling, or exaggeration by drama queens
- Even more reports of the problem
- No response from Apple
- News of the problem hits blogs
- Apple apologists dismiss the blogs as simply engaging in clickbait
- No response from Apple
- Those affected by the issue threaten a class-action lawsuit
- Apple apologists decry the "sue happy" nature of American consumers
- Apple acknowledges the legitimacy of the problem
- Apple apologists are silent
- Apple release an update to correct the problem
15b. They set up a "program" to address the problem.
16. Apple gains some positive publicity
17. Apple apologists applaud Apple for doing the "right thing". (for an issue that they said from day-1 was not actually an issue)
18. First hand experience with the “program” reveals very strict guidelines and restrictions that greatly reduce the number of affected customers that can participate in the program.
Hang in there folks, looks like were somewhere between steps #8 and #9.
Reminds me of how they dealt with the MBP coating peeling off years back.
This sounds about right.
I have used many Apple products for many years. Until recently, I have hardly experience any issues with them, hardware or software.
I post my issues/concerns on this forum and I get many replies saying that it is user error, I am making it up, using it wrong, saying I must have a defective HW when it was clearly a SW issue, or just generally discounting what I have to say. I was also called an Apple basher, or something similar a few time.
Then, a lot of other people start saying the same thing, and I find out I am not alone.
A good example was all the bugs on the ATV4 when it first came out, and the issues with Apple music and iTunes Match.
Your iPhone does not have to bend for this to happen. Infact, if it happens while the phone is straight, you can actually jerry rig it to work by bending it!
I had this issue. Dont think I had a bend in my phone, but I certainly dropped it a few times. Got mine replaced through my employer, not sure what happened to the phone which didnt work, but I havent heard back so I guess they never managed to fix it.
That modification plus the addition of the stronger 7000 series aluminum most likely means Apple was aware of the issue soon after the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were released. I hope they don't get cheap on some crucial component that affects its long-term viability in next year's redesigned iPhone.
Just checked the iFixit teardown of the iPhone 6: The touchscreen controller is on the opposite side of the board from the A8 SOC, lined up approximately under an edge of the SOC. I wonder if there's a thermal issue at play. The A8 may be heating up its side of the board, while the other side stays cooler. This would cause the board to bend - convex side to the A8, concave to the touchscreen controller.
Q to the folks with touch disease afflicted but unbent phones: Do you use applications that push the SOC hard?
Q to the folks with touch disease afflicted but unbent phones: Do you use applications that push the SOC hard?
well then in which case u also accept and run the risk of not abiding by what Apple says then as well....
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Yup, I've had 2 ipads fixed under applecare over the last year and in both visits - while 4 months apart mind you - the person sitting next to me had bent 6+'s. The probability of that happening would be extremely low if the whole 'bend'gate was as rare as the apologists here would like you to believe. Both had to ante up the $300+ out of warranty repair...
This whole thing reeks of the dGPU problem that our MBP 15's tend to have. In other words, just like a poster put up at the beginning of the thread, Apple will continue to deny/obfuscate until the lawyer papers start to hit their legal team. Of course the only remedy will be to replace the logic board in a 'weak' chassis that will eventually destroy the new logic board in time. Apple is not going to replace your 6 with a S. (So glad my wife and I were unhappy with the 1gb ram and upgraded our phones last year!)
If it's only a 'sticker' ... i need much more proof than that, since it would have affected everyone over time..
Just to try an isolate whats been 'changed' compared to previous models is no proof of anything..
Even though it may help or weaken, it still doesn't prove why all phones are not affected. If its a faulty chhip, then ya ok,, that is someting, but any thing other like protective-ness?
I don't by it..... Because its in all 6 models.. and only affects some customers..
Mine has been working fine the day i got it.
Just to try an isolate whats been 'changed' compared to previous models is no proof of anything..
Even though it may help or weaken, it still doesn't prove why all phones are not affected. If its a faulty chhip, then ya ok,, that is someting, but any thing other like protective-ness?
I don't by it..... Because its in all 6 models.. and only affects some customers..
Mine has been working fine the day i got it.
I can see it now. Customer goes to the genius bar with a phone experiencing Touch IC failure.
Customer : Hi, my phone doesn't have touch.
Genius: Don't worry we have extended warranty for this.
Customer: Great!!
Genius: Im sorry sir it looks like your phone has some damage on the corners (That almost every iPhone has) from what looks like extensive drops and we are not able to replace it under the extended warranty program. It will be $349.99 if you would like to get it replaced.
I also have an iPhone 6S Plus 128G and I have the same situation/solution... I thought I was crazy when noticing my screen was somewhat unresponsive to touch (not the case before Christmas though - maybe time made a difference)...
So what now? Am I like some of these 6 owners?
Thank God for MacRumors and it's loyal readers BTW.