Apple Launches Repair Program for Multi-Touch Issues on iPhone 6 Plus →

Apple has announced a Repair Program for iPhone 6 Plus models that exhibit screen flickering or Multi-Touch failures:

Apple has determined that some iPhone 6 Plus devices may exhibit display flickering or Multi-Touch issues after being dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress on the device.

If your iPhone 6 Plus is exhibiting the symptoms noted above, is in working order, and the screen is not cracked or broken, Apple will repair your device for a service price of $149.

Apple will contact customers who may have paid for a service repair related to this issue either through Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to arrange reimbursement. If you have not been contacted but paid for a repair that you believe was related to this issue, please contact Apple.

The reimbursement amount will equal the difference between the price you paid for the original service to your iPhone 6 Plus and the $149 service price.

In short, if your 6 Plus exhibits this problem, Apple will service the device for a discounted rate. If you’ve already paid for the repair, Apple will reimburse you the difference. Simple enough.

However, this is very different from past Repair Programs in which Apple has fixed or replaced defective devices free of charge.

iFixit published a video about the issue back in August. The group believed that a drop can damage the screen controller, and Apple’s statement seems to back that up.

Clearly Apple believes this issues only surfaces after some amount of accidental damage that’s severe enough to damage this weaker connection in the phone, but not so bad that it breaks the display. That’s unusual, and I’d bet that there are going to be people who claim to have never dropped their devices, despite the failure being present.