With the rampant reports about bricked iPhones, Apple Inc. has confirmed that the 'Error 53' is real. However, the Cupertino-based company added that this is not the primary cause why the smartphones were bricked.
According to Gizmodo Australia, a lot of iPhone 6 users stated that they have been left holding almost worthless handsets after installing the latest update for iOS 9. This is because the iOS 9 will permanently disable the device if it was detected to have undergone unauthorized repairs.
In line with this, Apple Inc. has released a statement saying: "We take customer security very seriously and Error 53 is the result of security checks designed to protect our customers. iOS checks that the Touch ID sensor in your iPhone or iPad correctly matches your device's other components. If iOS finds a mismatch, the check fails and Touch ID, including for Apple Pay use, is disabled. This security measure is necessary to protect your device and prevent a fraudulent Touch ID sensor from being used. If a customer encounters Error 53, we encourage them to contact Apple Support."
The bottom line is, if users have an iPhone with Touch ID fingerprint recognition and they have it repaired at an unauthorized repairer using non-standard techniques or components, the iOS 9 can detect it and it will automatically lock down everything as a security measure. This way, no one can access the device and potentially private data, including the cards that the owner has linked to Apple Pay.
Apple added that when an iPhone is checked by an unauthorized repair provider, faulty screens or other voided components that affect the touch ID sensor might cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be authenticated. With a successive update or restore, additional security checks will result in an 'Error 53' being displayed.
The Guardian reported that a freelance photographer and self-confessed Apple addict named Antonio Olmos says he encountered the 'Error 53' after he upgraded his software. His handset was repaired while on an assignment for the Guardian in Macedonia. He was reportedly in the Balkans covering the refugee crisis in September when he accidentally dropped his phone. Because he is so desperate and he needed it for work he got it fixed at a local shop, as there are no Apple stores in Macedonia. The shop has repaired the screen and home button, and it worked perfectly.
Since the phone worked flawlessly, he thought no more about it, until he was sent the standard notification by Apple inviting him to install the latest software update. He accepted the upgrade, but within seconds his iPhone was displaying "error 53" and was, in effect, bricked. He then took it to an Apple store in London, but unluckily the staff told him there was nothing they could do, and that his phone was now junk. With this, he had to pay £270 for a replacement.
Additionally, The Indian Express stated that this issue will give problem to a lot of iPhone 6 users encountering 'Error 53' after their warranty period has expired. This is because Apple won't replace a device, where the warranty has expired. Except if they are one of those people who enrolled their handsets with the AppleCare and have an extended warranty.
It is greatly advised that when users encounter the 'Error 53' on their iPhon, they should not try to fix it on their own or on repair shops. The only thing they can do is to bring their device on an Apple Store and hope for a replacement.
