iPhone 5 reportedly suffers from quick scrolling issue

A so-called "glitch" with the iPhone 5's screen causes the display to pause or seemingly ignore touch input when a user rapidly swipes back and forth diagonally, possibly hinting at a hardware issue that can affect developers that rely on such touch mechanics for gaming.

The issue, first discovered by iOS app developer CMA Megacorp, occurs when a user quickly scrolls back-and-forth across the iPhone 5 screen in a diagonal motion, either from top left to bottom right, or top right to bottom left, and presents itself as an intermittent pause in processing touch input.

"Slide finger back and forth diagonally on screen, input events drop out or stop altogether." the firm said on Twitter.

It is unclear what is causing the issue, however the problem was replicated by UK product comparison website Recombu in a head-to-head comparison with the previous-generation iPhone 4S. Both iOS 6 and iOS 6.0.1 were tested, and each showed signs of the graphical glitch.

AppleInsider was able to replicate the problem in first-party Apple apps like Mail, Safari, and the App Store, as well as in a number of third-party titles.

Recombu suggests the problem is rooted in the iPhone 5's hardware, though stopped short of offering further explanation. If it is indeed a hardware-related issue, the main change between the screens of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 is the implementation of new in-cell display technology, which could point to an overflow in the on-board touch-controller's memory buffer. However, at this point any guesses are mere speculation.

While most users may not use this quick scrolling behavior, those who play games like "Fruit Ninja" or similar titles may see performance drops during especially heated gameplay. There have been no reports from gamers thus far, however it may be possible that the touch errors were missed in what is usually a flurry of on screen action.