Apple Says Touch Disease Is Real & This Is What You Can Do If You’ve Got It

Few things are more frustrating than an iPhone on the fritz. Case in point: the dreaded touch disease, which generally manifests as a flickering gray bar atop the screen and ultimately renders the device's touchscreen useless. The issue is widely reported by iPhone 6 Plus owners and often presents itself gradually, becoming worse over time until, eventually, the screen loses responsiveness altogether. Despite widespread customer complaints and a class-action lawsuit, Apple has not acknowledged the problem — until now. The company, which previously refused to help iPhone owners affected by "touch disease" unless the affected phone in question was still under warranty — a rarity for devices that are now two generations old — has launched a new repair program for the widely reported issue. According to Apple, which will now fix your infected phone for a service price of $149 through its Multi-Touch Repair Program, "touch disease" is not a design flaw, but rather a result of "being dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress."