iPhone green lines after iOS 18 update: should Apple pay for the repairs?

What's happening

India's consumer regulator, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), has moved its case against Apple to its investigation wing for a detailed probe. The complaints say that after installing iOS 18, some iPhones started showing green, pink or white lines on the screen, and some had microphone failures and call problems. Owners say they were then asked to pay for out-of-warranty repairs, around ₹27,900 for an iPhone 15 screen according to PCQuest.

The question at the heart of it: Apple's warranty doesn't cover damage blamed on software. If an update is behind a hardware fault, who should pay?

What each side says

• The complaints: the CCPA is treating it as a matter affecting "consumers as a class." The consumer platform LocalCircles says complaints have been rising since early 2025.
• Apple's response: not offering a warranty for software issues is "standard industry practice." It says the case rests on "just 75 complaints," it has found "no systemic issues or safety concerns with iOS 18 in India," and that only about 11% of active iPhones in India were still on iOS 18 by June 2026. Apple argues that a software warranty "would effectively convert any software provider into an insurer against all technological risk."
• What could happen: if the CCPA finds against Apple, possible outcomes include fines, refunds, changes to warranty terms or free repairs. Nothing has been decided yet.

The case for "Apple should pay for repairs"

• Owners didn't damage the phone. They installed an update Apple pushed and recommended.
• Apple controls both the software and the hardware, so it's best placed to know what went wrong, and to fix it.
• Charging ₹25,000+ for a fault that appeared after an official update feels unfair, especially if the phone is only a year or two old.

The case for "Not Apple's responsibility"

• Excluding software from warranties is how the whole industry works; changing that for one company would set a sweeping precedent.
• 75 complaints out of millions of iPhones in India doesn't prove the update caused the damage. Display faults can have many causes.
• Proving cause would need technical evidence, and that's exactly what the investigation is meant to establish.

If it happened to you: keep screenshots or videos, note the date you updated, and ask Apple for a written diagnosis. You can file a complaint with the National Consumer Helpline (dial 1915 or use consumerhelpline.gov.in), or share your case on PetitionFox.

So, if an iOS update is blamed for screen damage, should Apple pay for the repair? Pick a side and tell us why.