Doing This Will Brick Your Apple iPhone 6

If you want to avoid turning your iPhone into the most expensive paperweight in history, you need to read this article.

Scores of iPhone users have run into issues with third-party repairs and subsequent bricking of their Apple iPhone 6.

For an explanation of the problem, look to the Christian Science Monitor:

“Though most cases seem to be stemming from users who have had their home buttons repaired, some who have had screens replaced are seeing it as well. Either way, if the work was done via a third-party, and then the owner tries to update their phone to iOS 9, it’s likely they’ll run into this error.

“Apple says this is caused by a security feature put into place to protect users from thieves snagging their phones and using illicit Touch ID scanners. But customers are asking why this feature doesn’t actually ‘protect’ anything until an update is performed. Theoretically a thief could replace the ID scanner and use the phone continuously without updating, giving them ample time to collect all your sensitive data.”

The moral of the story is simple, according to Apple: don’t use third party vendors for your iPhone repairs. But it is not that simple, according to MacRumors. The website notes that Apple is actually facing a large class action lawsuit over the issue, and that could mean you and I are part of the case.

They key to this lawsuit, believe it or not, is in the terms of use agreements that we all pass over when installing new software or purchasing a new phone. We all know people just hit “Agree” and then move on instead of reading the hundreds of pages of legal jargon that no one can understand.

But attorney Darrell Cochran told MacRumors Apple is breaking its own contract by bricking so many iPhone 6 models.

“No materials we’ve seen from Apple ever show a disclosure that your phone would self-destruct if you download new software onto a phone,” Cochran was quoted as saying. “If Apple wants to kill your phone under any set of circumstances and for any reason, it has to make it crystal clear to its customers before the damage is done.”

So how exactly does this attorney want to fix the problem for all of us Apple users, assuming third party repairs have been completed? (I have never done a third party repair, instead opting for the Apple Store.)

“PCVA is aiming to get affected iPhone customers new, working devices to ‘provide immediate relief’ to consumers. It is also seeking upwards of $5 million in damages and an update to eliminate the repair restrictions. PCVA is asking customers who have been impacted by Error 53 to get in touch.”

All of this controversy could not come at a worse time for Apple, which is reportedly preparing for a new product launch in March. The items expected to be announced include the iPad Air 3, a version of the iPhone 7, and a second generation Apple Watch.

In anticipation of the new product launches, many expect price reductions are aimed at thinning supply and making way for the new products. The most recent price reduction happened in India, where the Financial Express said the cost of an Apple iPhone 6 has been reduced thanks to a trade-in offer for old devices. The maximum trade value, the Express reported, is Rs 9,000.

While Apple is simply trying to get through this crisis and prepare for its March product launch, it is being beat to the game by Samsung, which is expected to launch the new Samsung Galaxy S7 February 21, with pre-orders available that day and shipping expected around the time of the Apple product launch.

[Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]