Touch Disease, a manufacturing defect of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones

The phenomenon “touch Disease", Publicized shortly after millions of calls iPhone 6 si 6 iPhone Plus came out of the warranty period has passed under silence Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), for as long as affected devices could be repaired free of charge in authorized service centers.

Manifested by the appearance of a white stripe on the upper part of the display and the failure to take over the commands applied on the touch surface, the defect can be mitigated at first by pressing hard or twisting the case slightly, returning the mobile terminal to its normal operating state. The hardware problem returns in a short time, the mobile phone becoming unusable.

Especially affecting the series 6 iPhone Plus, the "Touch Disease" defect manifests itself over time, with a higher probability of appearing only after the mobile phone has left the warranty period. The culprit seems to be a combination of factors, starting with the large case that flexes if it is pressed too hard and the inadequate protection of the electronic board, which is not as flexible and susceptible to damage through successive deformations.

The source of the problems is the microprocessor responsible for managing the touch functions, which can detach from the electronic board. Also used with series iPhone previously, the chip was protected by the much smaller and more rigid case of the respective phones, by using an additional treatment for stiffening, consisting of the application of a metal cover along the entire length of the electronic board and an additional adhesive to prevent accidental detachment.

Both modes were abandoned in the series iPhone 6, instead of the metal cover appearing only an adhesive tape with the role of shielding. As a result, repeated forcing of the phone case under normal use conditions leads over time to the appearance of micro-cracks in the contact area between the chip responsible for managing the touch functions and the electronic board.

Unfortunately, the only remedy is to replace the defective component in a service center. Quite complex, the intervention can be expensive if the mobile phone is no longer in the warranty period.