The latest software update for the iPhone 6 renders the smartphone unusable if the new software detects repairs that were not made by Apple. The problem, highlighted by the appearance of the writing "error 53", is already known to those who use the products of the Californian giant. The British newspaper Guardian reports that "error 53" occurs when the button of the cell phone, through which the identity of the user is verified, the so-called Touch ID, is repaired by a technician not authorized by the Cupertino company. The problem in particular would be related to the latest update of the Apple operating system, iOS 9.
The newspaper cites the story of a freelance photographer, Antonio Olmos, who says the problem emerged after he updated his software. “When Olmos, who says he has spent thousands of pounds on Apple products over the years, took his phone to an Apple store in London, staff told him there was nothing they could do and that his phone was throw away,” writes the Guardian.
Many iPhone 6 customers discuss the infamous 'error 53' online. On the Apple forums a user states that “with this update I can't use the phone that I still have to pay. I replaced the screen and I understand that you consider it “tampered”, but at least let me use my iPhone with the old iOS system… I can't find the old photos or important documents I had”.
Apple told the newspaper that the iPhone's software checks whether repairs have been authorized by Apple. A spokeswoman for the Cupertino company said that “when an iPhone is repaired by an unauthorized supplier, defective screens or other invalid components that affect the Touch ID sensor can cause verification to fail if the pairing is not recognized. With a subsequent update, further security checks lead to the "error 53′".