Tests imply it’s hard to get hair caught in the seams

Oct 7, 2014 07:58 GMT  ·  By

The iPhone 6 hype is slowly losing its steam, and the media knows it. That’s why the Hairgate thing was born. But it seems this one was a roadblock.

A few days ago, some iPhone users took to Twitter to complain about an alleged design flaw in the iPhone 6 that causes people to catch their hair in the phone. There’s no reason to believe that the reports weren’t real.

Tests show it’s hard to do it

Now a video uploaded to YouTube attempts to debunk Hairgate. Neither of the protagonists could catch a single hair using the smartphone. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not a thing.

As commenter Jonathan Harchick notes, “This is like saying ‘I went to Africa and didn't get Ebola, so Ebola isn't a thing.’ Just because it's not a problem with your phone doesn't mean it's not a problem for anyone.”

However, when we use the expression “a thing,” we typically refer to a common occurrence, a trend even. Hairgate indeed isn’t a thing. By contrast, Bendgate is.

Bendgate to go down Hairgate’s path

So while Hairgate is clearly blown out of proportion, what about Bendgate? Is Apple free of all the scrutiny involving the bendability of its new smartphone? Chances are the media still has a couple more bullets to fire before the wave crashes into the shore. But even Bendgate could soon be busted as more and more people are getting their hands on the devices.

At the Geekwire Summit, T-Mobile CEO John Legere said Bendgate was (you guessed it) not a thing. Using his typical colorful language, he tarnished the rumor and everyone supporting it in just a few sentences. He even sat on his iPhone 6 Plus and showed that it doesn’t bend. His advice? Get jeans that fit you.

“You know what, those 9 people that sat on their phones, first of all they need jeans that fit them a little better, cause if your jeans are cutting your phone,” he said. “Give me a break. [...] What the [expletive] are you putting it in your pants and sitting on it for?”

Typical post-launch press

Apple is used to getting this kind of attention. And they’re probably not even upset about it. When everyone realizes Bendgate was overblown, Apple is left with tons of free publicity and millions of units sold. The popularity of your products is proportional to the hater base. If your product isn’t worth tarnishing, it’s worthless.