14 DAY TRIAL // Oneofthenine.com is a place where people with bent iPhones go and post photographic evidence that their iDevices have bent, suggesting Apple may have a design flaw on its hands. So far, around 350 cases have been recorded.
Following the #bendgate fiasco started by Unbox Therapy last month, the iPhone 6 Plus is now universally known as prone to bending. Even a good chunk of the Apple fanbase is convinced this is true. Which is a bit concerning, to say the least. And if oneofthenine.com is any indication, Apple may indeed have a problem on its hands, but it may not be a design flaw after all.
“One of the nine”
The site is called that way because Apple’s original response to bendgate was to acknowledge only 9 reported cases of accidental bending. Since the company hasn’t counted beyond that number, it’s kind of pointless to match the reported cases against that initial statement.
Then again, Apple doesn’t seem open for discussions anymore, while users are unaware if they are, or aren’t using their phones properly. Which conveniently brings us to our next point.
What is normal usage?
In an open letter to Tim Cook – to which the Apple boss has yet to reply – the site’s admin asks “What does Apple consider ‘normal use’ for an iPhone 6 and 6 Plus?”
The site’s owner thinks it’s a perfectly legitimate question, since most bends, he alleges, “have been reported to have occurred while the phone is in the front pocket of the customer, in a bag or while removing it from a case (including Apple’s own branded cases).” The author then asks, “Are these types of usage outside of what Apple considers ‘normal use?’”
Threats from the Apple fanbase
The site’s owner has recently revealed that he’s been receiving a lot of negative feedback from the Apple fanbase, including threats, because these people are under the impression that oneofthenine.com is a site that has been paid off by Samsung to cast a bad light on the iPhone.
The admin assures everyone he’s only trying to help highlight a potential design flaw, urging Apple to take action, or at least instate a universal replacement program across stores worldwide.
“Our aim at the moment is to get a consistent reply from Apple on what customers should expect when they visit an Apple store with a bent iphone. At the moment it is completely arbitrary depending on the store and manager you get. Many have been replaced but more have been turned away or charged massive amounts for a replacement. If that is achieved then we’d like to see a real admission from Apple about whether the problem is a design flaw.”
As it stands, affected customers can only rely on luck to find store managers willing to do a replacement free of charge.
One of the threats highlighted on the site reads, “I’m going to find out your name and where you live and hurt you and your life.”