Apple is being sued for allegedly selling defective iPhone 6 units with screens that soon stopped responding to touch. Hardware repair firm, iFixit, refers to the problem as the "touch screen disease," explaining that the touch screen functionality of the iPhone wears out over time.
Three iPhone users namely Todd Cleary of California, Thomas Davidson of Pennsylvania, and Jun Bai of Delaware, filed a class action lawsuit against Apple accusing the company of selling iPhones with defective touch screens. They also alleged that the company refused to repair the units without charge.
The lawsuit states that Apple violated the California consumer fraud statutes, made unjust enrichment, negligent misrepresentations, and breached its implied warranty. Furthermore, the lawsuit accuses the Cupertino-based company of violating the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.
According to the civil complaint, the damage to the touchscreen is due to the fact that Apple did not use a metal shield to protect the chips that control the touchscreen, unlike their earlier models. The lack of protection is said to be the reason why the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus units are less durable.
Many Apple forum websites are displaying complaints from iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus users, stating that they are or have been experiencing the "touch screen disease." Fortune reported that if the plaintiffs had known about the issue, or if the company addressed it properly, Apple would have been spared from the lawsuit.
According to Rappler, Apple refused to address the problem, and those who brought their affected units to Apple Care were told that they needed to pay more than $300 to get an iPhone replacement.
The lawsuit states that Apple should repair or replace the affected iPhone 6 units and extend the warranties for a reasonable period. Apple is yet to comment on the issue.
It is ironic that the lawsuit came on the same day that Apple announced its big event on Sept. 7 where the company will finally unveil its new line of iPhone models. The lawsuit was filed before the company was slapped with a $14.5 billion tax bill by the European Union.