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Does Your iPhone Suffer from So-Called 'Touch Disease'?
toptechnews.com ^ | 10/4/2016 | Kif Leswing

Posted on 10/04/2016 8:14:01 PM PDT by Elderberry

An increasing number of iPhone users are reporting an issue with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones freezing up and becoming unresponsive to touch.

The issue even has a deadly sounding name: "Touch disease."

There are a lot of iPhones out there, so a problem that affects a fraction of a percent of devices could potentially impact thousands of users. But there's some evidence that this particular issue is fairly widespread.

Apple has never officially acknowledged the problem, but independent iPhone repair vendors and Apple Store technicians have said that it is easily one of the most common issues that people need to fix. In August and September, customers in California and Canada have filed proposed class action suits over it.

Is your iPhone 6 Plus on the fritz? Here's what you need to know about "touch disease."

How can I tell if my phone has touch disease?

The most visible symptom is a flickering grey bar at the top of your screen. But the flickering screen isn't the only symptom. Frequently, users report that after the grey bar starts flickering, the screen becomes intermittently unresponsive across the entire display.

What phones are affected?

By far, the most commonly affected model is the iPhone 6 Plus that first went on sale in 2014.

One of the most common theories behind "touch disease" is that certain contacts inside the phone are bending, which leads to them breaking. The theory goes, the iPhone 6 Plus had the most complaints about bent phones, so it's the one that's having the most issues with touch disease.

The issue has been reported in the iPhone 6, iPhone 6S ,and iPhone 6S Plus as well, but at lower rates.

How much does it cost to get fixed?

If you're out of warranty, Apple will quote you a $329 replacement cost.

However, Motherboard talked to some current and former Apple Store technicians and reports that if your iPhone is only slightly out of warranty, then you might get a less expensive replacement cost -- perhaps $100 -- especially since Geniuses know it's not necessarily your fault.

You could also go to a third-party repair shop and save some money, but be careful, because it's a very difficult repair. Having a repair done independently also means that an Apple Store won't even look at your phone for repairs going forward.

Can I fix it myself?

Unlikely, unless you're a very skilled solderer. Even iFixit doesn't recommend doing the repair in your home. as this video shows.

What should I know when I bring my phone into the Apple Store?

If your phone is cracked, you may think those cracks are causing lack of responsiveness. But in fact, you could have touch disease as well.

Simply replacing the cracked screen will not fix the problem if it's a touch disease issue -- in fact, you might get a new screen that's still unresponsive to your touch.

Additionally, if Apple gives you a replacement device, it's probably a refurbished device, and it could be suffering from touch disease as well. Those refurbs only have a 90-day warranty, so understand that you need to flag touch disease problems before that warranty runs out.

What's the actual technical problem?

According to one recently filed class action lawsuit, which cites iFixit, the issue is with the phone's logic board -- the main circuit board inside the iPhone which all of Apple's various chips use to talk to each other.

On that board. there are two "IC" chips that "convert the touches on the touchscreen into actions in Apple's iPhone software."

Apparently the logic board bends during regular use, thanks to an engineering flaw on the iPhone 6 Plus, which means the connections between the two IC chips become separated from the logic board. The solder simply breaks.

So you can either replace the entire logic board, or to resolder the IC chips back onto the existing, possibly warped, logic board.

My phone's a lemon. Can I sue Apple?

Yes. Lawyers in both the United States and Canada have filed class action lawsuits over the issue. However, neither suit has been "certified" yet, which would be the first step towards a day in court. Also, class action suits like this seldom succeed, and take years to complete if they are successful.

What has Apple said about the problem?

Apple has not publicly commented on the issue at all, although former Apple employees have said that the company appears to be aware based on internal recommendations for repairs.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apple; iphone6; touchdisease
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To: Gene Eric

Yes


21 posted on 10/05/2016 12:17:10 AM PDT by ptsal
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To: Gene Eric

No it is not an awesome phone...I have the ultimate phone (Consumer cellular) GIVEN to me by them as my older “flip phone was not 4g...I pay 13$ a month for unlimited calls and like 300 texts . I also have a leather case which clips onto my belt that has a magnetic closure that i purchased for a dollar three years ago at a yard sale. So for an out of pocket yearly cost of exactly 156.00 (plus .33 cents / phone case) I get to talk on a p4g phone and text “k” or be “right there” if I get real fancy ...and I can imagine your phone cost 100’s and you pay a minimum of 40$ a month to have yell at Siri for not understanding your words....great phone?


22 posted on 10/05/2016 3:19:55 AM PDT by mythenjoseph (Separation of powers)
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To: Elderberry; Swordmaker

It happened to my iPhone 6, nine days out of warranty, on Monday. They explained it needed to be replaced, but is out of warranty. Technician spoke with his manager, and they replaced it with a brand new 6 at no charge. I was surprised, but pleased of course.


23 posted on 10/05/2016 4:05:56 AM PDT by TheRake
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To: Swordmaker

There are dendrites and CAFs (depending on which polarity they grow from) as well as other electromigrated growth, but what is shown in the images you posted is electromigration of some sort.

Typically you need a few things for this to happen: a media for material to migrate in (typically water / moisture from the environment, sweat, what have you...), Voltage being present, and temperature increase, which accelerates the phenomenon.


24 posted on 10/05/2016 5:09:46 AM PDT by jurroppi1 (The only thing you "pass to see what's in it" is a stool sample. h/t MrB)
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To: Elderberry
freezing up and becoming unresponsive to touch.

Sounds like my ex-wife......

25 posted on 10/05/2016 5:13:45 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (If only Hillary had married OJ instead......)
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To: Gene Eric

Ask Siri why “she” is so useless. Very snarky answer full of Apple arrogance.


26 posted on 10/05/2016 5:19:57 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: Elderberry

My wife’s brand new 7+ did this yesterday...


27 posted on 10/05/2016 6:03:25 AM PDT by wyowolf (Be ware when the preachers take over the Republican party...)
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To: RegulatorCountry
I’m a Mac guy and have had Apple phones for years, but intentionally stay behind the curve to keep the plan cost down.

That's my sentiment exactly. On phones(Android) and PCs, I try and stay around 2 generations behind. Mostly my phone problems have been broken screens. I had a Sony-Ericsson, that I broke the screen 4 times. I replaced the screen on my Daughter's iPhone. That was a challenge though. My vision was really challenged on that one. I changed to ruggedized phones. I left my Samsung Rugby Smart in my jeans pocket and washed it with my work clothes. I looked all over for it. And of course I found it, the last place I looked. The washer was still on the wash cycle. I felt down and felt it on the bottom of the tub. I pulled it out and hit the wake button and it came alive unscathed, except the case had some marks from the agitator.

28 posted on 10/05/2016 6:05:04 AM PDT by Elderberry
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To: Swordmaker
Lead inhibited the growth of the Zinc and Tin whiskers. They will still grow, but at a much slower rate and not until years later.

You got me looking at the Tin Whisker problem. I was under the misunderstanding that since it was a well know problem and mitigation steps were widely know, that it should have been preventable.

I found this interesting EE Times article that states that mitigation is NOT elimination.

http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1279227&page_number=4

At the outset, let me state the obvious: Mitigation is not elimination; it is merely a reduction in severity. Tin whiskers will still grow. In fact, many metals, including zinc, cadmium, indium, silver, aluminum, gold, and yes, even lead, grow whiskers. It's a fairly widespread phenomenon, but the most common and most dangerous manifestation is tin whiskers.1 If we find ourselves forced to use solders containing tin, how do we address the concern for high-reliability applications?

Here are some suggestions for reducing the risk of tin whiskers:

Do not use pure tin. That seems simple enough. Instead use a tin-lead alloy with at least 3% lead. Yes, even SnPb has been shown to grow whiskers, but they were observed to be much smaller than pure tin whiskers. Do not rely on the order paperwork. Use x-ray fluorescence (XRF) to verify finish on all critical parts. Refinish a pure tin-finished part with a hot-solder dip. Maxim offers this as an option on all of its lead-free devices. Use some type of encapsulation or conformal coating. NASA has shown that Arathane 5750 (formerly Uralane 5750) can be effective in preventing tin-whisker shorting when applied with a nominal thickness of 2 mils to 3 mils on the pure tin surface.

A conformal coating is, as the name implies, a coating with an inert material that can protect electronic circuit boards from the problems related to tin-whisker growth, such as shorts, plasma arcs, and debris. In defining the requirements for a conformal coating consider the following:

It must slow the formation of tin whiskers. We acknowledge that tin whiskers cannot be stopped until we understand how they form in the first place. It must prevent the outward escape of any tin whiskers that do nucleate. It must prevent the penetration of whiskers formed outside the conformal coat. It must protect the coated circuit board from loose whisker debris.

Many types of conformal coatings have been studied over the years by Boeing, Schlumberger, Lockheed, Raytheon, The National Physical Laboratory (UK), CALCE, and NASA, among others. A summary of the studies shows that no conformal coating meets all the criteria outlined above (see table 2).7 Ultimately, no coating is 100% effective and whiskers still grow. The Arathane coating seems promising when applied sufficiently thick, however, and the conformal coating does prevent shorts from debris. Thermal effects need to be considered if a conformal coating is used on parts which will need to dissipate heat when operating. If necessary, the device may need to be derated.

Table 2: Whiskers and different conformal coatings

The shift away from lead solder presents risks for high-reliability applications, particularly in the form of tin whiskers on tin-containing finishes. NiPdAu presents one alternative since it has also proven resistant to whisker formation, but the suitability of NiPdAu for a high-vibration environment is still under evaluation. It is a higher temperature solder and may, indeed, be less ductile than traditional SnPb solder.

When a tin-bearing finish is used, conformal coatings have been somewhat effective and may also be suitable. Although the whiskers are contained, the conformal coating adds processing steps, possible thermal issues, and cannot totally prevent whisker formation.

Either solution above adds cost. When considering finish material for electronics, the SnPb solution is still the best because industry has more experience working with the material. Unlike NiPdAu, which must be plated to the entire lead frame before die bond and encapsulation, SnPb is electroplated to the lead frame after plastic encapsulation. More important, SnPb has been shown not to have a whisker problem and to be very resilient in high-vibration environments.

Both the RoHS directive and the tin-whisker issue present challenges, but they are not insurmountable. With proper choice of solder, manufacturers of high-reliability devices can achieve RoHS compliance while still maintaining reliability, performance, and cost objectives.

29 posted on 10/05/2016 6:53:01 AM PDT by Elderberry
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To: Swordmaker

Whiskers are one reason why in many cases with old equipment just cleaning makes the difference. Countless times I have “repaired” electronics simply by taking it apart and cleaning it.


30 posted on 10/05/2016 7:22:06 AM PDT by CodeToad
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To: mythenjoseph

I’ve had many types prior to getting the iPhone, and the only reason I switched was because my wife’s iPhone 4s (at the time) worked all the time and effortlessly.

Although I’m in tech, I can’t tolerate remote controls, smart phones, and other gadgets that fail to provide the conveniences they promise in a convenient way. The iPhone is an extremely capable and convenient phone; thus, it’s awesomeness....

Yes, it’s expensive. And I still have my Samsung flip phone as backup. It’s held a charge for years.


31 posted on 10/05/2016 9:36:57 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Gene Eric

Nice the flip phone still holds the charge...try and understand me...I drive a 1971 International Harvester 1210 pick up....got it two years ago and just sticker’d it in march of this year....all manual/no computers or anything that can’t be repaired by a reasonable back yard mechanic. I have even kept points and condenser....only thing electric is the lights/fans/windshield washer fluid...beyond that just a 3/4 ton beast of American metal....I love computers for what we are doing now...in a vehicle not so much...for phones I still adhere to the K.I.S.S. rule...and i am a deplorably cheap bastard.....


32 posted on 10/06/2016 4:24:32 PM PDT by mythenjoseph (Separation of powers)
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To: mythenjoseph

I hear ya’. I skinned my knuckles most of my adult life.

You gotta cool ride there. The last time I scraped the contacts inside the rotor cap was about 20 years at a 7-11. The truck had 300 CI straight six. Huge pistons. Headers with split exhaust left/right... Offenhauser dual-plane manifold... the good ol’ days.

Yeah, technology is a PITA. But I’m pragmatic about it.


33 posted on 10/06/2016 9:28:15 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: TheRake
It happened to my iPhone 6, nine days out of warranty, on Monday. They explained it needed to be replaced, but is out of warranty. Technician spoke with his manager, and they replaced it with a brand new 6 at no charge. I was surprised, but pleased of course.

It was nice that they exchanged it. When my son took his in, they attempted to repair it. They then told my son if it wasn't fixed then he'd just have to buy a new phone. Of course, the problem was still there. He then opted to send it off to one of the phone repair outfits. We mailed it and they received it on last Friday and we got it back Monday. Works like new.

34 posted on 10/27/2016 6:42:42 PM PDT by Elderberry
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