The recent release of Apple’s new smartphone, the iPhone 7, has overshadowed the class action lawsuits that the company currently faces from both American and Canadian law firms. Complaints have risen from iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users as the displays of their smartphones have become unresponsive, and has been labelled as the “touch disease” by the technology repair firm, iFixit.
In spite of iPhone owners approaching Apple with these concerns, the smartphone giant brushed aside their comments and continuously replied with unsatisfactory advice by offering to completely replace the phone for the high price of $300. iFixit explains that over time, the displays will become completely unresponsive to touch, making a phone that was released only two years ago virtually inoperative. This issue affects a large amount of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users, as research shows that roughly 11% of Apple’s in-store repairs are from the “touch disease.” Infuriated customers are seeking compensation in the form of a nationwide repair, replacement, or recall at no cost. The lawsuit claims that Apple supplied products whose defects were “knowingly and intentionally concealed.” (Merchant Law Group, 2016) iFixit suspects that the problem stems from the thin iPhones being warped with use, which may move or damage the chips that allow the screen to interact with touch inputs. Although Apple has not formally responded to this issue, plaintiffs are looking for a jury trial to make a case decision.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users claim to have displays that are unresponsive to touch. image source: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2016/08/30/apple-sued-in-class-action-lawsuit-over-iphone-6-touch-disease/
The controversy surrounding the lawsuits is particularly alarming because it affects Apple’s brand image. Specifically, this affects the value proposition of the entire company as it claims to produce and supply technology that is innovative and reliable. If the quality of one of Apple’s signature products is in question, this significantly alters the public’s perception of all Apple merchandise; customers can lose trust in the quality of all Apple products, which would compel them to switch to other alternatives such as Samsung. The consequences of this complication could even influence future sales of Apple products, especially the iPhone 7, since its press event fell on the same day as the launch of the lawsuits. Future sources of revenue are vulnerable because customers are deterred from purchasing the heavily anticipated phone for fear of the “touch disease” being a problem for iPhone 7’s. Therefore, complaints of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users pose a serious threat towards Apple’s reputation and character.
Overall, a simple act of negligence from iPhone engineers could be harmful to the future of Apple as customers have begun to question the integrity of the company. Not only is Apple’s relationship with their customers in jeopardy from this glitch, but the overall reputation of the tech giant is at stake.
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