iOS 11.3 Is Bricking iPhone 8s With Third-Party Screen Repairs

A couple of years ago some of you guys might recall an incident with the iPhone in which following an update to the phone, handsets that underwent unofficial repairs ended up getting bricked in the infamous “error 53” debacle. You would think that Apple would have learnt something from the backlash that followed, but apparently not.

In a report from Motherboard, it seems that iPhone 8 users are reporting that their handset touchscreens have been disabled following third-party screen replacements after the iOS 11.3 update. While not exactly “bricked”, it does render the phone pretty much useless since touch is more or less the only way to interact with it.

While Apple has yet to officially comment on the issue, it has been speculated that this could be due to a custom microchip that pairs with the display. Prior to this, repair shops that have been repairing the iPhone 8s simply replaced the screen and did not upgrade the microchip, which could have led to the iOS 11.3 update essentially rejecting all touch input from the device.

It is no secret that Apple doesn’t like its customers going to third-party repair shops for repairs, but given how much it costs to repair an iPhone via official channels, it’s not surprising that many customers are turning to third-party companies.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: iOS, ios 11, iPhone, iPhone 8