Nicknamed “Touch Disease” by repair specialists iFixit, the problem starts with a flickering gray bar at the top of the screen and reduced touch functionality. Over time the bar spreads and eventually the whole screen stops responding to touch.
There are pages of complaints regarding the issue to be found on Apple’s support forums.
Replacing the screen doesn’t fix the problem as the flaw appears to relate to the touch screen controller chips inside the device.
The 6s and 6s Plus were strengthened, and the Touch IC chips moved from the logic board to the display assembly, which is why the problem doesn’t affect them.
So how do you fix a device afflicted with “Touch Disease”? The options appear to be replacing the phone, replacing the logic board, or replacing both Touch ICs (the cheapest option).
