Could Apple’s iPhone develop “screen-deadness” over time?
Nomura International analyst Richard Windsor in a note to clients says that the property rights for the iPhone touchscreen’s chemical makeup were purchased from a bankrupt Finnish firm that could not solve degradation and loss of sensitivity that developed over time; typically within three to six months.
“While Apple should have been aware and fixed the problem, the broker said, only time will confirm that all is well with that touch screen,” Aude Lagorce reports for MarketWatch.
Full article here.
Charlie Sorrel blogs for Wired, “Reports are surfacing about dead spots on the iPhone touch screen, usually a strip about a half inch from the top. Restoring and resetting the phone don’t seem to help, so it looks like a hardware problem.”
Sorrel reports, “Apple employees are familiar with the problem and recommend sending the iPhone in for a three day repair, although if you want a phone in the meantime it’ll cost you $29…”
Full article here.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt blogs for Business 2.0, “Apple (AAPL) has responded swiftly to scattered reports of ‘dead spots’ on iPhone touchscreens — and received high marks from users for the speed and efficiency with which defective devices were replaced.”
“Customers who returned their iPhones with 14 days of purchase have been given a new one on the spot. Others have been issued loaner iPhones — sometimes for free — while their units were sent out for repair,” Elmer-DeWitt reports.
“So far the number of iPhones affected seems to be small… Although Apple has not yet responded to press inquiries, its support staff has been unusually pro-active, even monitoring online complaints and stepping in unbidden,” Elmer-DeWitt reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Vague Nomenclature” for the heads up.]
Apple investors: If you haven’t already, brace.
Apple has too much riding on this not to have understood the issue and have fixed the problem described by Richard Windsor. Likewise, Apple has too much riding on this not to diligently, appropriately, and rapidly fix any (isolated or widespread) problems that iPhones develop over time – touchscreen or otherwise.
Ruh Roh!
Well, whittle my thumbs. That could be a touchy problem.
I stepped in unbidden once.
All your thumbs are belong to us!
…degradation and loss of sensitivity that developed over time; typically within three to six months.
Well I’ve had my iPhone for SIX YEARS and nothing has happened so far.
I feel it rise to the occassion deep in my pocket whenever I visit the college girls swiming pool.
So there!
iPhone AppleCare anyone?
This can’t be good for the fit and Finnish.
Could that mean that refurbs are on the way at decent discounts?
give me a break
Nomura posts this like it is a big discovery….it is not
It is just another example of trying to move the stock (which is really easy).
Apple knew all about this and purchased the IP to prevent any possible patent lawsuit.
Apple tested the hell out of this device for durability (hence the aluminum back and glass screen). The touchscreen is far more durable than a blackberry’s tiny mechanical buttons.
MDN: where is the bottom? I need to know whether to panic, jump out a window.
Also, when will we see this again: “APPL closes at new high, again.”
Answer: maybe never.
Too much hype from his Steveness, loss of quality such as this iPhone problem, and enormous disaster in iMovie remake.
I was under the impression that the touch screen worked through electrical conductivity, not heat. Could this be all BS??? No!! Analysts would never spout BS to try and drive down stock price… Never!
D.
Apple: Nomura Securities Analyst Could Develop “Brain-deadness” Over Time
I haven’t had much problem with the screen except when I apply pressure on the home screen button too long during jailbreak on iFuntastic. Sometimes it causes the bottom center of the screen, where the border is, to be brighter than other part of the LCD. It tends to recover after a few minutes and not really noticable during use.
This research note is almost comical. Do the numb nuts at Nomura really think Apple hardware engineers would purchase and use an obviously flawed component ? Equity analysts should stick to studying balance sheets and not comment on technology.
Clearly just a matter of purchasing rights to anything that relates to “prior art” for patent protection purposes.
News flash: stocks go up and down! Teenagers on the Internet SHOCKED!
Why do people post obviously ridiculous bull like “I’m Braced”? What do you hope to gain? I doubt that you believe the stuff that you write, so why bother?
What motivates a serial liar? That is the question that applies to a good 20-30% of the posters here. What motivates you to lie unconditionally, reflexively, and continually?
Is MDN simply an online asylum?
Great take, wannabe. You nailed it!
To the idiots on MDN……
This is an “equities analyst” speculating that this hardware problem COULD happen in the future. Based on a really stupid connection to purchased intellectual property rights. Don’t go all in a tizzy like it is a Xbox flaw….that’s real, this is a joke. (unless you are short the stock).
There’s no way Apple would let this slip thru if they are going to be using this multi-touch technology in all future iPhones and iPods. There’s just too much revenue on the line. Now, MS? That’s another story (i.e. ring of death Xbox 360s).
It doesn’t matter if it’s for real or not. The point is that the stock market reacts to this insanity.
I wonder if this was behind the last minute switch to the glass screen instead of plastic. Maybe the coating has better durabilityon glass.
Analyst: Living could develop ‘deadness,’ over time.
@Davey G.
You are correct. It is NOT Heat – that article is miss informed…but that doesn’t make any difference when it comes to Wall Street. You could say that 2 puppies were killed for every iPhone made, and the stock would drop. There are a few people that are reporting this problem though already. Nobody knows yet if it is widespread. My guess is around 1-2% which is a perfectly acceptable defect rate.
wow….the analysts really miss the executive stock option issue for rumors
but this is really stretching
this is now one of the favorite stocks to trade on wall street….so easy to move up and down
“Is MDN simply an online asylum?”
We’re all quite mad here.