What if Apple knew about those problems before releasing the iPhone 6? It would make their dismissals of the issues seem dishonest and disingenuous, right? A recent court filing from Judge Lucy Koh has revealed that Apple knew their new iPhones were fragile, and not only released them anyway, but dismissed customers’ complaints, charging them high prices for repairs.
Apple Knew About Fragile iPhones
Apple knew this bending lead to “touch disease.” After the release of the iPhone 6s, Apple changed the manufacturing process of the iPhone 6 to account for the slight flexibility, using underfill, or epoxy, to keep the touch-reading chip in place. Apple originally charged $349 to repair phones with the “touch disease,” and refused to acknowledge that the damage could be caused by the fragility of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. They now charge $149. It’s still substantial, considering it’s a defect.
Apple’s Response Was Deceptive
Apple responded to Bendgate, saying they tested the devices thoroughly before release, using machines designed to test durability and flexibility of the devices. Apple claimed met their strict standards. However, they didn’t specify their standards. Apple technically didn’t lie, they just omitted the fact that the iPhone 6 would have failed to stand up to the same standards set by the iPhone 5s, or that their standards did not account for everyday, long-term usage. Apple never publicly admitted that the iPhone 6 had bending issues, but these internal documents reveal that they did know it was a problem.
Lawsuit
Apple is in the midst of a lawsuit over touch disease. The plaintiffs are working on getting class action status, however, due to an insufficient model for how afflicted customers would receive retribution from Apple, Judge Koh has denied class status. Her public opinion on the case, however, revealed currently classified details of the case that don’t appear promising for Apple. Apple still denies that the iPhone 6 had a design flaw, despite using stronger materials in the iPhone 6s and changing the manufacturing process. The struggle to hold Apple accountable for their negligence is ongoing.
Can We Trust Apple?
To answer the question, no, we cannot trust Apple. We should, however, trust consumers. We often have a tendency in the tech community to assume errors are PEBKAC problems, that is, “Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Computer.” It’s a fun way to say “user error.” We assume users are the problem, that someone sat on their phone, or got Cheeto dust under their keyboard, or perhaps are holding their phone in a strange way. I’m guilty of this as well, and feel bad for the part I’ve played in refusing to examine Apple’s hollow responses. When you need an extraordinary excuse for a company, chances are the company is in the wrong.
* I hate the “–gate” naming pattern as much as everyone else. Watergate was the name of the hotel, it wasn’t a problem about water. “–gate” does not imply a scandal!
Sources:
- Juli Clover, MacRumors
- Jason Koebler, MotherBoard