A recently uncovered defect of Apple's older generation smartphone, the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, has now become the subject of various online discussions. The problem, however, is nowhere near as serious as the exploding battery issues plaguing the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Nevertheless, Apple has taken the initiative to launch a new repair program for its affected consumers.

The issue, which is now being referred to by users as the "touch disease," is apparently caused by sudden impacts that result to the device's screen becoming unresponsive. While technically not a manufacturing defect, the company is still well aware of the problem which may be partly caused by a design defect.

Apple recently published details of the repair program on its official website explaining to customers that some iPhone 6 Plus units may be more prone to experiencing issues with their multi-touch screen due to being dropped multiple times on a hard surface. Some of the symptoms that may appear includes a flickering display and the screen becoming unresponsive to touch commands.

The company further stated that those who are experiencing the problem can visit any Apple Store or any Apple authorized service provider to have their units fixed for $149. The affected device however must be in working order with the screen still intact. Broken or cracked screens may incur additional charges for repair or replacement.

Apple also assured consumers that it is prepared to reimburse those who have already paid to have the issue resolved. The company will return the difference of the price paid for the previous repair and the new $149 service price. The company will also be actively contacting consumers who have availed of repair services that are directly linked to the issue.

A report from iFixit revealed that the problem is indeed partly caused by a design defect which is further aggravated by constant hard impacts that cause problems with the phone's touchscreen controller chips found on the device's logic board.