Comments on: Analyst: Apple iPhone screen problems may get worse – the dreaded “dead strip”

By: Brady Hopkins

Brady Hopkins — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:34:34 +0000

I have had my iPhone for less than 2 months and it has started to get the dead strip! What does apple do when you take it in? Will they replace my iPhone? By the way, it’s a iPhone 3gs 32gig. Help!

By: Ney dantas

Ney dantas — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:30:18 +0000

My ifone has a dead stri since i bought it. It is over the letter after O. As you can notice i can’t use it. Some times it works, but it is rare

By: Brandon

Brandon — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:50:57 +0000

AUUUGHHH! i think i might have the dead strip problem. i finally got the invisible shield on my iphone, life was great. then about 1 min after using it, the bottom of the touch screen ceased to respond to my touch! i am ultra pissed. my iphone is out of service and i only use it as an itouch, i am an atat customer but i question whether or not apple will replace it. any advice? ANYONE W/ ADVICE PLEASE EMAIL ME AT Brandon@hbol.com ASAP! ALSO A PRICE RANGE FOR WAT I CUD SELL IT FOR WUD BE NICE

By: Suzi

Suzi — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:13:52 +0000

It happened to my 8gb 3gs phone within the first month but I am a heavy user of apps/games. Initially it was the left had side but now it’s gone on to include the entire screen (phone mode only!?). I just received my replacement phone via Purolator and am supposed to send back my the defective one. There’s a warning letter inside advising me that should they find misuse caused the problem I will be charged $550. It got me wondering did I get it wet while watering flowers, did I drop it? Thank goodness I found this site it’s definitely stopped me from second guessing myself. I am frustrated though. Is it because I use the touchscreen a lot? Does anyone know what causes this?

By: Alvaro

Alvaro — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:57:30 +0000

Same problem with my iPhone 16GB bought in January 2008. Never been hit or dropped and today the lower third of my screen is not working so I can’t even unlock the phone or pick up any calls!!! LAWSUIT!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Gaurav

Gaurav — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:10:17 +0000

Same problem with me.
Have a 8GB, 1G iphone, and a strip in middle suddenly stopped working. I am unable to use apple store (cant press ok after entering the password), and a lot of other things.
any solutions any body?? except going to apple store?

By: Mike 77

Mike 77 — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:32:48 +0000

What’dya know it’s less than 6 months and my phone’s screen suddenly locked up. I was looking on yahoo, the screen went black. I the main button to bring it up again, and poof $300 piece of high tech crap suddenly quit working.
I held the power button down nothing. I can’t slide it to restart the phone, can’t answer calls, nothing.

I’ve been very cautious with my phone!!! Never dropped, never got wet, never tossed it onto my couch, NOTHING!

I hope someone starts a class-action lawsuit!

By: Lois and Josh

Lois and Josh — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 21:55:01 +0000

We bought my son an i phone in October of 2007. The touchscreen began failing in June of 2009. The failure began at the bottom of the phone and eventually rendered the entire screen completely unresponsive.

We went to the Apple store at Southpoint Mall in Durham North Carolina for our “genius” appointment. We were told that we had three options: try to sync the phone and upload all new software to see if this would fix the problem; pay 200.00 dollars to have the touchscreen repaired; or buy a NEW i phone for 199.99.

After 3.5 hours at the Apple store, after synching the phone did not work, we met with the manager who, even though he was a nice guy, looked at us with a blank expression when we asked how many i phones are they seeing with the same problem.

We ended up buy a new phone for 199.99 which, by the way, required a new 2 year contract with AT & T to get the phone at the low price.

I will not buy anything with an apple on it ever again. I forsee a “class action” lawsuit against both Apple and AT & T in the future. When hundreds of thousands of people buy a 400.00 phone only to have the touchscreen fail and render the phone useless and then told that they have to buy a new phone AND renew their conract with AT & T to get the new phone at the discounted rate, is going to catch up with Apple and AT & T eventually.

By: jstall

jstall — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:16:14 +0000

lost the top part of my iphone had it almost 2 yrs nothing helped got a new 3G s.

By: Greenie

Greenie — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:43:18 +0000

Dam – just bought the new iPhone 3Gs and guess what – still has that screen strip problem. Top row of the keyboard and menu selections don’t work. Have an appointment with our business rep on Monday to sort out. I’ll let y’all (sic) know how it goes. G

By: Tac

Tac — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:36:25 +0000

give me a break! all this article does is scare people and not provide any remedy to the issue.

no lawsuits- since this is a problem with ALL touch screen devices- I’ve had an issue with the DS and now the cowon D2

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:32:13 +0000

I just got the dead-strip after over a year of using my iPhone! Of course it’s out of warranty now, but the $399 first generation iPhone should have lasted a bit longer than a year and four months. I mean, c’mon! That’s ridiculous.

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:32:54 +0000

Ive had my iphone 2 weeks and i have a ‘dead’ strip. I cant use half my keys so i cant text message anymore. I have a loss and damage warranty but shes telling me i need to install the new update..im pretty sure its stopped working cos its dodgy and not because it wants to be updated (but i may be wrong..we will see tonight) anyone know anything?

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 25 May 2009 11:49:49 +0000

Hi,

I purchased my iPhone two weeks ago via Carphone Warehouse on the O2UK network. Yesterday I got the dead strip on the bottom third of the screen. Today I popped over to my local Apple Shop and have an appointment to see the Genius team tomorrow. I left under the impression that they are going to replace this for me without any hassle. I’ll update tomorrow.

By: jack may

jack may — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:41:23 +0000

i have had three of the 3G 8 GIG phones the screen keeps cracking . the last one is only 3 weeks old . and of course the glass is not covered by any warranty. so it costs me 217.00 every time i take to them for repair. there is some thing going wrong . i have a very rugged case to protect it and it still breaks. i will be at the apple store today to see if they replace the three week old phone or not.if not i will no lomger have an i phone and will switch to another company. i can’t keep paying for a new phone every time.if any one else has this problem contact me at jwmay49@aol.com.

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:04:36 +0000

I have only had my iPhone for a few weeks. Over the past few days, I have started having issues with the very top section of the phone’s touch sensitive screen. This is problem however is intermittent. I spoke to Apple and the first thing they say is you have to do a complete restore of the phone to original factory settings, not a backup to the old phone settings.
I have done this, and it is still an issue.
I have got an appointment in store to try and resolve this. I am pretty annoyed to be honest. If I get a replacement, how long will it be until that one goes wrong as well?

By: John

John — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:54:28 +0000

I have a 1st generation iphone (4gb) with a dead band on the bottom of the touch screen. Basically all the buttons on the bottom (phone, safari, ipod, mail) won’t work. Apple is claiming that article TS1827 people is only for a specific serial # range and my phone is not within that range. The article itself doesn’t specify a serial # range. Even so, why should my phone be refused service based on the serial # range when this is a documented problem with the hardware? Apple has clearly set a precedent by replacing other defective units and no explanation is give as to why my phone is not eligible

Now here is where the issue is compounded, the first person I talked to said that Apple would waive the fee and replace the phone but he had to pass me off to technical support to process the replacement. When they passed me off to tech support said he won’t do it even though customer service said they would. After a 20 minute discussion he hung up on me. How can Apple agree to waive the fee and then go back on that promise?

I called back today and spoke with a different person with similar results. He said if the original conversation was documented he would honor the request but since it didn’t list this under my case notes, he won’t. After a bit of arguing (although I was polite and didn’t raise my voice) he said that “maybe the iphone isn’t for me”. He went on to asked me if I had a “job” and that I should develop a “hobby” since he implied I didn’t. In this economic crisis Apple has the nerve to make a comment like that?

By: Oystein

Oystein — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:30:28 +0000

Bought my I-phone in N.Y.C Apple Store dec. 07 and didnt start using mine until fall 08. After a couple of months of careful use, the lower portion of my touch screen stopped responding. This is NOT the result of heavy use, or abuse. Reading the messages above, gives a clear indication that this is a reoccuring problem with these phones. I don´t reside in the U.S. and the Apple Store in this country claims no responibility for foreign bough phones. The only sell 3G phones. Am I really screwed here?

Although mine is passed my warranry, Apple clearly has a responsibility since this is not a result of maluse. The is clearly a malfunction of the display design.

By: muaddib420

muaddib420 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:15:33 +0000

update to my previous post (two above this comment). took out of warranty phone to genius bar, was told i could get it repaired for about the same cost as buying a new 3G iphone. so i sucked it up and bought the new phone. afaik, Apple is NOT replacing these phones unless you have apple care.

By: sunny

sunny — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:29:27 +0000

Same problem, Was working fine last night. Now the top row is unresposive to touch. I am out of warranty. Any options other than trashing my phone?