• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Apple Is Being Sued Over the iPhone ‘Touch Disease’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 30, 2016, 12:33 PM ET

Apple might have its hands full with Ireland and taxes, but another lawsuit has cropped up that it’ll now need to face.

Three iPhone owners have filed a lawsuit against Apple in the U.S. District Court for Northern California, alleging that Apple had kept a defect with its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models a secret and subsequently declined to fix it. The problem relates to the recently revealed “Touch Disease,” a term coined by hardware-repair firm iFixit to describe the bug plaguing both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Last week, the company said in a blog post that it only appears to affect the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but not Apple’s newer iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. According to the company, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have chips that sit inside the device that allow the screen to interact with touch inputs. However, those “Touch IC chips” connect to the device’s main board with small soldered balls that, over time, can crack and start to lose contact between the display and the board.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

The issue is caused by regular use and eventually, iFixit explained, the iPhone 6 line’s touchscreen functionality will be lost, leaving users with a device that’s practically unusable.

While it’s impossible to know for sure how widespread the problem is, many Apple forum sites are displaying comments from iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who say they’re experiencing the problem. The folks over at iFixit say they, too, have come across the problem on several occasions.

For its part, Apple (AAPL) has largely remained silent about the possible problem, leading to the lawsuit filed in the California court on Monday.

According to the plaintiffs, who all own iPhone 6 models, they are hoping to turn the so-called Touch Disease in the iPhone 6 into a nationwide class-action lawsuit against Apple. They added that after seeking repairs from Apple, the company would only offer to replace their phones for a cost of more than $300 rather than fix the issue.

The plaintiffs said Apple was engaging in “unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices,” according to MacRumors, which obtained a copy of the entire lawsuit. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages from Apple and want the company to either repair, recall, or replace the iPhone at no cost to customers. They’re seeking a jury trial to decide the case.

For its part, Apple hasn’t responded to Fortune’s request for comment on the lawsuit.

For more about iPhone, watch:

Ironically, the lawsuit on the iPhone 6 line, which launched in 2014, came on the same day Apple announced a special press event for September 7, when the company is expected to unveil a new iPhone, likely known as the iPhone 7. It also came just before Apple was slapped with a $14.5 billion tax bill by the European Union.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

NewslettersFortune Tech
The humbling of Big Tech’s ‘Magnificent Seven’
By Alexei OreskovicMarch 30, 2026
30 minutes ago
AIDell Technologies
Dell’s CFO is using AI agents to run his finance team—and has helped the AI business go from $0 to $25 billion
By Sheryl EstradaMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Meet the ex-Google CMO who quit with a seven-figure package by 28—he says getting promoted was easy because he just ‘disregarded all the rules’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang
AIIntelligence
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says ‘We’ve achieved AGI.’ But no one can agree on what that means. Why the most important term in tech remains hotly debated.
By Jeremy KahnMarch 30, 2026
3 hours ago
InvestingHealth
Private equity is eying Asia’s health care funding gap as countries get wealthier and older
By Angelica AngMarch 29, 2026
13 hours ago
AIRobots
Amazon buys Fauna Robotics, maker of the Sprout humanoid robot that can dance, pick up toys, and go on a stroll
By The Associated PressMarch 29, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Europe
413,793 KitKat bars stolen: 'Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago
Energy
Saudi pipeline to bypass Hormuz hits 7 million barrel goal
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
1 day ago
Energy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. could soon be producing more chips than we can turn on. And China doesn’t have the same issue
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
20 hours ago
Energy
Russia was expecting a windfall from soaring oil prices, but relentless Ukrainian drone attacks are devastating nearly half its export capacity
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
17 hours ago
Success
She left a Silicon Valley VC to solve a problem left untouched for 88 years. Now her bra brand is the fastest-growing at Nordstrom
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
24 hours ago
Economy
U.S. debt suddenly draws weaker demand as $10 trillion must be rolled over this year amid Iran war. 'The bond market remains undefeated'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.