Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit Over Failing iPhone 6 Touch Screens

It looks like the touch screen problems plaguing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may get some attention from Apple whether the company likes it or not. A group of disgruntled customers have filed a class action complaint against the iPhone maker in a California US District Court and are demanding a jury trial, alleging that Apple has committed fraud by selling the iPhones and refusing to fix out-of-warranty devices when the touch screen issues rear their ugly head.

To bring those of you who missed the news up to speed: the display issues at the center of the complaint involve a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen that renders the device's touch functionality either entirely or partially unresponsive. The problem stems from a flaw with the logic board in the iPhone 6, with the lawsuit alleging that the two touchscreen controller chips are not secured properly to the logic board and can come loose after regular use, meaning that touch inputs no longer register.

As you can probably tell, that doesn't make for an easy fix. Previous iPhones used either a logic board shield or an underfill that worked something like superglue to keep the controller chips in place, but neither of those measures are present in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Therefore, the complaint alleges, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are more susceptible to every day use, and experience problems that previous iPhones did not.

That plaintiffs are seeking warranty extensions, phone repairs, and unspecified damages in the complaint. Thus far, the folks filing the complaint say that Apple hasn't offered to fix the problem without charging a hefty fee, as the phones in question have all be out of warranty. Whether that will be forced to change as a result of this complaint is up in the air – we'll have to see if the plaintiffs are allowed to go forward with a class action lawsuit and if they ultimately get their way. Stay tuned.

SOURCE: Reuters