iPhone 16 Pro — Motherboard failure. Casual use only. Goodwill repair denied. Is this acceptable?

I'm writing this hoping to find others in a similar situation, and perhaps get some visibility on what feels like a deeply unfair outcome.

My iPhone 16 Pro suffered a complete motherboard failure at just 16 months old — only 4 months outside the standard one-year warranty. It was diagnosed by an Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP), with no signs of accidental damage, liquid damage, or any misuse whatsoever.

My usage couldn't be more casual: calls, messages, and occasional photos. No gaming, no heavy apps, no drops. This phone was treated with care from day one.

The timing also concerns me. The device started showing symptoms — sluggishness, unresponsive screen, display staying black for 5–10 seconds — roughly two weeks after I updated to iOS 26. I'm not pointing fingers, but the correlation is hard to ignore. Shortly after, it died completely.

I contacted Apple Support multiple times requesting a one-time goodwill repair, explaining the circumstances clearly. I was denied. The quoted repair cost is €640 for a new motherboard, with only a 90-day warranty on the repair — which, frankly, offers very little confidence for that price.

I find it difficult to accept that a €1,100+ device has an expected lifespan of just over a year. I'm not asking for anything unreasonable. A goodwill exception in a case like this is exactly what that policy exists for.

[Edited by Moderator]