The Internet’s most recent technology craze involves Apple’s newest product, the iPhone 6 Plus. For those who haven’t heard, a series of YouTube videos have displayed iPhone 6 Plus owners experiencing a bent iPhone after normal usage.
Although the company has successfully sold over 10 million phones after the first weekend on the market, the question arises if this is the next “Antennagate” scandal?
Back in 2010, Apple addressed the issue of iPhone 4’s receiving less cell signal when being held a certain way. Now, Apple has responded to the “Bendgate” scandal: “With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus.”
Since the outburst of Bendgate, Apple’s stock has barely moved, indicating that investors of the company don’t seem to find this an issue. Is this a matter of poor quality or customers going out of their way to purposely bend the phone?
The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, said, “We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability.”
“We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies,” said Cook.
The Internet has recently gone viral with videos of customers intentionally bending the iPhone 6 Plus, which has raised multiple theories regarding the actual problem behind the product.
Customers affected by the bent iPhone phenomenon have reported a slight warp right at the volume buttons on the side of the phone. One theory behind the madness is that the metal reinforcement inside the phone is “not well designed” as it rotates on an axis far too close to a main pressure point. This theory suggests that the bending isn’t actually caused by the thinness or aluminum build of the product.
FSC student Gabriella Gabig has attested to the fact that the iPhone 6 Plus does not bend unless extreme pressure has been applied: “My brand new iPhone 6 Plus is as straight as an arrow.”
“The size is much larger but you can tell that it’s way more durable. I don’t even have a case on my new phone and it is perfect,” Gabig said.
Gabig also mentioned that the scandal is typical with Apple’s past: “Every time Apple releases a new product, there’s always a minority of people who are going to protest it, but no matter what Apple always has the best products and that’s inarguable. I’ve been waiting for the iPhone 6 Plus for a long time as I upgraded from the iPhone 4s. I am extremely happy with the product and some people are just milking the cow,” Gabig said.
Furthermore, maybe this is just a case of being careful with technology and that people should not go out of their way to break the new iPhone 6 Plus.