| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to touchscreens failing in iPhone 6 Plus smartphones has happened again within the same organization, Apple. The problem, known as "touch disease," was acknowledged by Apple, and a class action lawsuit was filed against the company for concealing a manufacturing defect that causes the touchscreens to become unresponsive and fail [49528]. The issue was also linked to structural design flaws previously highlighted in the "bendgate" incident involving iPhones bending when carried in tight pockets. Apple announced a repair program for affected devices but faced criticism for not extending warranties to cover the repairs for free. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase is evident in the article. The problem with the touchscreens of iPhone 6 Plus devices, known as "touch disease," is attributed to structural design flaws in the devices. The issue is not solely caused by dropping the phones but is also linked to the design weaknesses highlighted by the "bendgate" incident where iPhones were found to bend when carried in tight pockets. The article mentions that ifixit.org claims the unresponsive touchscreens are not limited to devices that have been dropped, indicating a design-related flaw [49528].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is not explicitly mentioned in the article. The focus of the article is on the design flaw causing the touchscreen issues in iPhone 6 Plus devices, rather than on factors related to the operation or misuse of the system. Therefore, there is no specific information provided in the article regarding failure due to factors introduced by the operation or misuse of the system. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) The software failure incident related to the touchscreen issues in iPhone 6 Plus devices, known as "touch disease," is primarily attributed to within_system factors. The problem is described as being caused by structural design flaws in the devices, particularly related to the bending issue known as "bendgate" [49528]. The class action lawsuit also targets Apple for concealing a manufacturing defect that leads to unresponsive touchscreens, indicating an internal system issue [49528]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the iPhone 6 Plus touchscreens, known as "touch disease," was attributed to structural design flaws rather than actions directly caused by users. The problem was not limited to devices that had been dropped multiple times but was also linked to the design issues highlighted in the "bendgate" incident. The consumer site ifixit.org claimed that the unresponsive touchscreens were a result of these structural design flaws [49528].
(b) On the other hand, a class action lawsuit filed against Apple in October alleged that the software failure incident in the iPhone 6 Plus touchscreens was due to Apple's concealment of a material manufacturing defect. The lawsuit claimed that tens of thousands of users were affected by unresponsive touchscreens, leading to the failure of the devices for their essential purpose as smartphones. This suggests that human actions related to manufacturing and quality control processes may have contributed to the software failure incident [49528]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident in the article is related to hardware. Apple acknowledged a significant flaw in some iPhone 6 Plus smartphones that causes touchscreens to fail, particularly when devices are dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incur further stress on the device. This issue, known as "touch disease," is attributed to structural design flaws in the hardware, particularly in the iPhone 6 Plus model. The problem is not limited to devices that have been dropped, indicating that the root cause lies in the hardware design rather than software issues [49528]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iPhone 6 Plus touchscreen issue does not appear to be malicious. The problem, known as "touch disease," is attributed to structural design flaws in the device, particularly related to how the phones respond to stress and bending. The issue is not limited to devices that have been dropped, indicating that it is a result of design shortcomings rather than intentional harm introduced by humans [49528].
(b) The software failure incident is non-malicious as it is primarily caused by the structural design flaws in the iPhone 6 Plus, leading to touchscreen failures. The issue is not portrayed as a deliberate act to harm the system but rather as a consequence of the device's design and usage patterns [49528]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iPhone 6 Plus touchscreen issue can be attributed to poor decisions made in the design and manufacturing process by Apple. The problem, known as "touch disease," was initially acknowledged by Apple as being caused by dropping the devices multiple times on hard surfaces. However, ifixit.org and a class action lawsuit highlighted that the issue was not limited to physical damage but was actually due to structural design flaws in the devices. The lawsuit accuses Apple of concealing a manufacturing defect that leads to unresponsive touchscreens, ultimately rendering the iPhones unusable for their essential purposes as smartphones [49528]. This indicates that the failure was not solely accidental but rather a result of poor decisions made during the design and production of the iPhone 6 Plus. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident related to the iPhone 6 Plus touch disease can be attributed to development incompetence. The article mentions that the problem was not limited to devices that had been dropped multiple times but was actually caused by structural design flaws [49528]. Additionally, a class action lawsuit claimed that Apple concealed a material manufacturing defect that caused the touchscreens to become unresponsive and fail for their essential purpose as smartphones, indicating a failure in the development process [49528].
(b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental as the touch disease issue was not intentionally introduced but rather emerged as a result of design flaws and stress on the devices [49528]. |
| Duration |
permanent, temporary |
From the provided article [49528], the software failure incident related to the touchscreen issues in iPhone 6 Plus devices can be categorized as both temporary and permanent.
Temporary: The article mentions that the touchscreen issues can be triggered when devices are dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incur further stress on the device. This indicates that the failure can be temporary and may occur under specific circumstances such as physical damage caused by dropping the phone.
Permanent: On the other hand, the article also highlights that the touchscreen problem, dubbed "touch disease," is not limited to devices that have been dropped. It is attributed to structural design flaws in the devices, which were also flagged in the "bendgate" issue. This suggests that the underlying design flaws could lead to a permanent software failure incident that affects the functionality of the touchscreen.
Therefore, the software failure incident in iPhone 6 Plus devices can be considered both temporary (triggered by specific circumstances like dropping the phone) and permanent (due to underlying design flaws). |
| Behaviour |
value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is not specifically described as a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions [49528].
(b) omission: The software failure incident in the article does not involve the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [49528].
(c) timing: The software failure incident in the article does not involve the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [49528].
(d) value: The software failure incident in the article involves the system performing its intended functions incorrectly, specifically causing touchscreens to fail in some iPhone 6 Plus smartphones [49528].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident in the article does not involve the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [49528].
(f) other: The software failure incident in the article involves a structural design flaw in the iPhone 6 Plus that leads to touchscreens failing, which is not explicitly categorized in the options provided [49528]. |