Apple insists that the issue is overblown

Sep 26, 2014 14:56 GMT  ·  By

Here’s one that could turn things around a bit. If a recent analysis of a viral #bendgate video is any indication, the iPhone 6 Plus might not be so easy to bend after all.

As the #bendgate hype slowly cools down, skepticism regarding Unbox Therapy’s popular video begins to emerge. All this while Apple is keeping its cool.

Apple doesn’t buy it, and neither should you

“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,” Apple told several media outlets this week.

This after reporting 10 million iPhone 6 units sold. Just to give you an idea how big of an incident this is.

Now, according to the company, the devices are actually made with a special type of aluminum – 6000-series-something – and the chassis is reinforced on the inside with stainless steel and titanium inserts.

“We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies,” Apple added. “iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.”

#Bendgate video could be fake

According to a recent (non-scientific) analysis of the Unbox Therapy video that kicked off the bendgate fiasco, the issue could indeed be overblown. The timing of events coupled with the actual time shown on the phone’s display confirms that some clipping has been done.

However, that’s not exactly an indication that the footage has been doctored. YouTubers, much like television networks, have entire montages done to churn out a pro-level video experience. We’d be more interested in an assessment of the amount of force that was necessary to bend that phone. By the looks of things, you need to have a strong pair of hands. The blood flow visible underneath the tester’s skin as he clutches the thing is pretty indicative of that.

Every year it’s the same

Also worth noting is that Apple has had to deal with this kind of bad press every year. In 2008, there were concerns about the iPhone 3G’s case cracking. In 2010 there was antennagate, something even your grandmother should know about. 2012 actually marked the first cases of iPhone bending, but the issue was quickly muffled. Mainly because it wasn’t so widespread.

There have been concerns about the phones losing their color, getting scratched, having their screens cracked, and every time this happened, the media threw a tantrum. All while Apple kept posting record numbers. So you tell us. Who’s to believe here?