It’s been a few days since Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus went on sale globally and a whopping 10 million units were swept clean off the shelves in mere three days, and now the dainty device is out with its first hardware issue. Interestingly, the new iPhone 6 bends! This is not a unique ‘bendable’ quality seen in the Samsung Galaxy Round or LG G Flex, but a defect that arises if people keep the device in their pockets for long hours.
The video below has gone viral online with close to 13.5 million views on the Internet. Now as he shows in the video, if you apply a considerable amount of force to the iPhone 6 Plus it is definitely bending.
Several reports on the web reveal that the aluminum construction bends as the larger iPhone 6 cannot withstand the pressure that arises from keeping it tucked in your pocket for hours. Some Apple users have also taken to the MacRumors forum to complain about the design flaw that affects the top-end area near the volume buttons. Besides, several others are venting out their frustration on Twitter. The social network is abuzz with images showing the design flaw and people have begun addressing the issue as bend-gate.
Take a look at the image tweeted by @nelsoncardoz showing the design flaw.
The iPhone 6 Could Bend In Your Pocket… !! haha.. love u APPLE pic.twitter.com/MJV2s5kT1a
— Nelson Cardoz (@nelsoncardoz) September 23, 2014
Here are some more tweets from users:
BendGate is coming… #iphone6 pic.twitter.com/vhS5SFobbQ — Karel Javůrek (@imatrix) September 23, 2014
.@tim_cook hi Tim, I absolutely love my new iPhone 6 Plus!! My favorite feature is the flexible display. pic.twitter.com/85GT0s88ow
— Bend-Gate-o-Rade (@bendgate) September 23, 2014
Real phones have curves #bendgate pic.twitter.com/riDJwmCPov
— WorldsBestHumor (@WorldsBestHumor) September 24, 2014
Careful to NOT put your MacBook Pro in your back pocket… #bendgate pic.twitter.com/XG8hbXbInA
— Shaun Moynihan (@moynihan) September 24, 2014
Let me get this right: you gonna spend hundreds of dollars on a phone just to purposely bend it? People are dumb as you know what #bendgate
— Morris E. White III (@morrisewhite3) September 25, 2014
Hey Apple, pretty sure you didn’t design the #iPhone6Plus to have a Bend it Like Beckham feature #bendgate #bendghazi pic.twitter.com/8oR2GdNcTI
— Storelli Sports (@Storellisports) September 25, 2014
iPhone6 Plus + 1 week #bendgate pic.twitter.com/w4dWJGQfQG
— Raphael Hunold (@rhunold) September 24, 2014
So, how to prevent your iPhone 6 from bending? Needless to say, users may need to pull out the device from their pockets before sitting or bending. If that sounds unavoidable, users may also need to quickly safeguard the devices with sturdier covers.
While the video highlights the issue in iPhone 6, some news websites are of the opinion that this issue is not specific to Apple’s new phones. Apparently, large phones from other leading brands including Samsung and LG bend too. Following the bendy iPhone 6 Plus video, another video that tests the bendability of the HTC One M8, Nokia Lumia, iPhone 5s and the newest Moto X has gone viral on the Internet. The video shows the HTC One M8 also bends a little, though not as much as the iPhone 6 Plus.
Apple has been tight lipped on the issue and hasn’t issued any official statement about the the iPhone 6 Plus’ design.
