iPhone 13 Pink Screen Bug Has Apple On The Defensive

Apple may be known for manufacturing an assortment of different colored iPhones, but a recent issue with the iPhone 13 brings a splash of color to the least pleasing place of all: the screen. According to some users, the entire screen is turning bright pink, rendering the devices unusable. 

First noticed and reported on by MacRumors, the complaints first popped up on Apple's own discussion boards in October. The first user reporting the problem appears to have had their iPhone replaced by Apple, but more users have been experiencing the issue in the ensuing months.

Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be much rhyme or reason to the issue, or Apple's response. The users impacted appear to be completely random, with no common cause that could be to blame. Similarly, Apple's response has not been uniform, with some users getting free replacement devices, while others have been denied. The only common theme is that it appears only iPhone 13s are affected.

Jphon in Apple support community

The big question on everyone's mind is whether this is a fatal hardware issue or a software bug. With many of the impacted users in China, Apple reportedly posted a message on Weibo that it was a software issue, and that users should backup their data and update to the latest version.

Unfortunately, as MacRumors points out, this explanation doesn't make a lot of sense. After all, with the first reports dating back to October — and only impacting iPhone 13 — the bug has already survived a number of software updates.

This would seem to indicate that Apple has been unable to track down the software bug that's causing the problem, or it's not a software bug at all. Other users on Apple's forums have reported being told the issue is caused by a faulty motherboard, which would absolutely need be replaced to fix the problem.

Either way, following Apple's advice to backup and update to the latest version is the first step all users should take in their attempts to get further assistance from the company.

Of course, it's entirely possible this is just Apple putting its own — albeit very pink — spin on Windows' well-known 'blue screen of death.'