According to a new GigaOm report, Apple has been sued over defective power buttons on its iPhone 4 handsets. The national class action suit, filed by California resident Debra Hilton, alleges that Apple knew about the defective power button in “thousands” of iPhone 4 handsets sold to customers, but the company neglected to do anything about it.
The lawsuit notes that Apple knew about a defect in a flex cable that controls the on-off button, but chose to stay quiet about it. Hilton also points to Apple discussion forums as evidence, on which many users have complained about “wiggly” power buttons. After roughly a year’s usage, the time around which the iPhone’s warranty expires, she claims that the button eventually becomes unresponsive, failing to lock or turn off the phone when pressed.
As evidence, she points to Apple discussion forums viewed by hundreds of thousands of visitors on which users complain of “wiggly” power buttons. Hilton also points to a fix-it video on YouTube and comments by a self-described iPhone repairman who says the power button defect is prevalent on the iPhone 4 which went on sale in 2010.
The lawsuit claims that the defect typically arises shortly after one year at which point the warranty has expired, forcing consumers to pay $149 for repairs.
Have you noticed anything similar with your iPhone 4’s power button?
