If you’re an Apple user who’s still rocking an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus and it suddenly started refusing to turn on, don’t worry: It’s Apple’s fault, not yours.
Apple blamed the issue on a component failure in a Friday blog post announcing a new repair program for the devices:
“Apple has determined that certain iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices may not power on due to a component that may fail. This issue only affects devices within a limited serial number range that were manufactured between October 2018 to August 2019.”
The program’s page asks users to enter their phone’s serial number to check if it qualifies for a free repair. Eligible devices can be serviced at an Apple Store, an Apple Authorised Service Provider, or through a mail-in service with Apple Repair Centre.
Now to be clear, this new program isn’t a catch-all tune-up for whatever problems your phone may already have. If it’s already sporting a busted screen or other damage that “impairs the ability” of Apple’s techs to fix this start-up issue, you could still end up getting a bill for those extra repairs.
Another caveat, because of course there’s more: This offer only covers 6s and 6s Plus phones for two years after first purchase, so time’s a’ ticking. Finally, if you’ve already paid to fix the problem yourself (after all, what kind of heathen survives without a phone these days) you may be eligible for a refund via Apple support.
After launching the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in 2015, Apple quietly killed off the series last year, thus ending the last generation in the company’s numbered iPhone line to host a headphone jack. Enough users refusing to give up on that creature comfort may explain why the 6s and 6s Plus remain the oldest iPhones supported by Apple’s iOS13, according to Ars Technica. And why Apple is launching a new repair service for a four-year-old phone in the first place.