Users launch class action lawsuit over iPhone 6 “Touch Disease” units

Apple’s “Touch Disease” issue on some of its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets has just become a class action case.

The company has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones’ touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable.

Per the complaint, Apple has long been aware of the defect, which often surfaces after a flickering gray bar appears atop the touchscreens, but has refused to fix it.

The plaintiffs linked the problem to Apple’s decision not to use a metal “shield” or “underfill” to protect the relevant parts, as it did on versions of the iPhone 5.

“The iPhones are not fit for the purpose of use as smartphones because of the touchscreen defect,” according to the complaint filed in federal court in San Jose, California.

The case includes Todd Cleary of California, Jun Bai of Delaware and Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania are the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which accuses Apple of fraud and violating California consumer protection laws. They seek unspecified damages.

The issue surfaced to media attention last week when repair outfit iFixit wrote about the problem and labeled the issue “Touch Disease.”

The case is Davidson et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 16-04942.

Via Reuters