Bent iPhone 5!

Ryan Burgess · Jul 1, 2013

I remember reading these forums a while ago, and stumbling upon many threads saying someone's iPhone has bent itself. I thought these people were just trolls, or wanted to get a replacemt for free...until it happened to me.

I take good care of my phone. Never dropped it, never scratched it severely, and never put it in a case. But today, I had to ride my bike to a friends house cause I didnt have a car. I put my phone in a case (I only do if I'm biking or hiking) and left. Nothing happened, I didn't crash, I wore loose jeans and everything.

Once I'm back home I take my phone out of the case and voila, it's bent. I was so shocked I ran around the house showing everyone! Then my sister brought up the fact that it was probably because of the heat. It's been in the 100's this week in San Diego and I was outside for a while biking around.

Now I'm still shocked this happened because even though it's hot, I had my phone in a case! Oh well. It's bent and there's nothing I can do. I scheduled an appointment at the Genius Bar, do you guys think they'll believe me that I didn't drop it or anything? I sure hope so because this is very weird. I took some pictures (sorry they're a little outta focus) and you'll see it bent right next to the volume buttons (consistent with other cases). Do you think apple will replace it? If anyone else has had this happen did apple replace it?

Thanks

Krov7 · Jul 1, 2013

That's awful! Unlucky, I wonder what caused it. I hope they replace everything for you man... I'd be so gutted. Goodluck with the genius's, they will probably think you dropped it.

Now, get ready for what everyone else will say...

This never happens. Apple products are infallible and impossible to have defects. You must have jailbroken it and put Android on it, which caused the phone to bend. Think different.

Sent from my iPhone

/s

fedecape · Jul 1, 2013

Did you try restarting your phone?

Just kidding. Make a Genius Bar appointment and have it changed

A Hebrew · Jul 1, 2013

You were clearly holding it wrong.

springsup · Jul 1, 2013

Ryan Burgess said:
I remember reading these forums a while ago, and stumbling upon many threads saying someone's iPhone has bent itself. I thought these people were just trolls, or wanted to get a replacemt for free...until it happened to me.

I take good care of my phone. Never dropped it, never scratched it severely, and never put it in a case. But today, I had to ride my bike to a friends house cause I didnt have a car. I put my phone in a case (I only do if I'm biking or hiking) and left. Nothing happened, I didn't crash, I wore loose jeans and everything.

Once I'm back home I take my phone out of the case and voila, it's bent. I was so shocked I ran around the house showing everyone! Then my sister brought up the fact that it was probably because of the heat. It's been in the 100's this week in San Diego and I was outside for a while biking around.

Now I'm still shocked this happened because even though it's hot, I had my phone in a case! Oh well. It's bent and there's nothing I can do. I scheduled an appointment at the Genius Bar, do you guys think they'll believe me that I didn't drop it or anything? I sure hope so because this is very weird. I took some pictures (sorry they're a little outta focus) and you'll see it bent right next to the volume buttons (consistent with other cases). Do you think apple will replace it? If anyone else has had this happen did apple replace it?

Thanks

It should not deform due to heat. It's made of aluminium and glass.

Apple will definitely replace it if you take it to a store or call AppleCare. It's out of spec, so it's a defective product.

maliu · Jul 1, 2013

I hope you have Apple care +. They will claim you bent it.

HidingAmatanth · Jul 2, 2013

I just bought an iPhone 5 and it *came* bent.

It came via FedEx from AT&T (long story behind that), and while the box was damaged a bit, it was in the opposite direction of the bend.

Everyone I spoke with (and I talked to many, over 12 hours on the phone and 2 hours in Apple) claimed they never heard of such a thing happening.

They replaced mine. But there again, it was still wrapped in the original plastic and had never been turned on.

Xplicit iPhone · Jul 2, 2013

You're saying your iphone is now gay?... That's not very nice

ramm24 · Jul 2, 2013

I have seen one also. It's bent but it is still working. He never bother to claim warranty though.

Sedrick · Jul 2, 2013

They all bend in the same place too. Seems when very, very hot, that weak spot by the volume buttons just can't hold it's shape and pressure from sitting/biking (in your case) bends it easily. I wouldn't expect the 5S to address this, because it's a design flaw. This isn't the first case where someone's pulled their 5 out of a case and it's bent. Heat build up must aggravate the flaw. Being extra tall, skinny and flat doesn't help.

I wonder how the {rumored} plastic iPhones will hold up? At least they would be flexible and return to shape...

Tiger8 · Jul 2, 2013

But hey it's 20% thinner and has all metal back!

Just kidding, yea, it's definitely a design flaw. Even if you don't have Applecare, you are still in the 1 year warranty period, go replace it

anaqvi786 · Jul 2, 2013

You know, you can possibly fix the bend by using a clamp and some wood. There is a video on YouTube that shows the fix. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

Ryan Burgess · Jul 2, 2013

Sedrick said:
They all bend in the same place too. Seems when very, very hot, that weak spot by the volume buttons just can't hold it's shape and pressure from sitting/biking (in your case) bends it easily. I wouldn't expect the 5S to address this, because it's a design flaw. This isn't the first case where someone's pulled their 5 out of a case and it's bent. Heat build up must aggravate the flaw. Being extra tall, skinny and flat doesn't help.

I wonder how the {rumored} plastic iPhones will hold up? At least they would be flexible and return to shape...

Ya I think that's the only plausible explanation for this, as it literally happened within a 5 hour time period, for most of which I was outside.
The thing that I don't get is wouldn't/shouldn't the case have kept it in its original position? It seems weird that it was due to the case that it bent....would apple still replace it if they thought it was due to the case?

oneMadRssn · Jul 2, 2013

It's happened because you installed iOS7 on it.

All kidding asside, sorry... that sucks. Hope it works out. Keep us posted with what the Apple Store says or what options they give you.

Defender2010 · Jul 2, 2013

Xplicit iPhone said:
You're saying your iphone is now gay?... That's not very nice

Don't quit your dayjob.

Ryan Burgess · Jul 2, 2013

Took it in to the Genius Bar today. He said he'd never seen this before, and wanted to take a look at it. After taking it apart and seeing no internal damage (it wasn't the battery, or screen or anything) he said he would replace it under the warranty as he saw no points of impact, suggesting I didn't cause the damage.

This is why I love apple. I've always gotten a brand new device, or free service when something goes wrong. They really stand behind their products and have amazing customer service.

ross1998 · Jul 2, 2013

Man ever since reading these threads I always look at my phone and it looks like its bent but when putting on flat surface it's perfectly straight, now I got something to worry about

Tankmaze · Jul 3, 2013

Ryan Burgess said:
Took it in to the Genius Bar today. He said he'd never seen this before, and wanted to take a look at it. After taking it apart and seeing no internal damage (it wasn't the battery, or screen or anything) he said he would replace it under the warranty as he saw no points of impact, suggesting I didn't cause the damage.

This is why I love apple. I've always gotten a brand new device, or free service when something goes wrong. They really stand behind their products and have amazing customer service.

great to hear about that.

thanks to your post, i'll take care of my phone even more. don't want the hassle to exchange because of a bent phone.

maxosx · Jul 3, 2013

It's a known defect but Apple will never admit it. That's understandable because everyone would expect a new phone. Next year they're sure to be stronger.

kfergiez · Jul 3, 2013

I love how people say the phrase "my iPhone bent itself." You bent it. You just don't know how. It didn't magically bend itself just because you didn't know how it was bent.

zigzagg321 · Jul 3, 2013

kfergiez said:
I love how people say the phrase "my iPhone bent itself." You bent it. You just don't know how. It didn't magically bend itself just because you didn't know how it was bent.

Exactly this, heat will not bend an iPhone like that unless it were to get hot enough to burn through your pants and skin etc...

You bent the phone OP, you just didn't notice when it happened. Replacement should have cost you $229, but you got lucky.

AndrewR23 · Jul 3, 2013

zigzagg321 said:
Exactly this, heat will not bend an iPhone like that unless it were to get hot enough to burn through your pants and skin etc...

You bent the phone OP, you just didn't notice when it happened. Replacement should have cost you $229, but you got lucky.

how can someone bend a phone made of glass and whatever with no other damage? No damage of dropping?

cynics · Jul 3, 2013

AndrewR23 said:
how can someone bend a phone made of glass and whatever with no other damage? No damage of dropping?

The exact same way you can bend it back with no other damage. Are you suggesting it magically bent itself with no other damage? Doesn't that seem even more odd?

I'm confident people are accidentally doing it by leaning on it when its in their pocket or something. At the same time I think the phone should be more rigid and less susceptible to this.

AndrewR23 · Jul 3, 2013

cynics said:
The exact same way you can bend it back with no other damage. Are you suggesting it magically bent itself with no other damage? Doesn't that seem even more odd?

I'm confident people are accidentally doing it by leaning on it when its in their pocket or something. At the same time I think the phone should be more rigid and less susceptible to this.

Well, according to the OP, it bent "magically."

Now I keep my phone in pristine condition. I have no scratches, scuffs, dents, chips anywhere on my 5. If one day I took it out of my pocket and the phone is bent after going bike riding for a few hours, then that is not my fault.

Thats called a design flaw. Period.

cynics · Jul 3, 2013

AndrewR23 said:
Well, according to the OP, it bent "magically."

Now I keep my phone in pristine condition. I have no scratches, scuffs, dents, chips anywhere on my 5. If one day I took it out of my pocket and the phone is bent after going bike riding for a few hours, then that is not my fault.

Thats called a design flaw. Period.

And if you fall off your bike and land on it that's not your fault either? There's no difference whether you did it not.

If It was fine before you put it in you pocket and its not when you take it out. Not your fault though we need to find someone to blame?

Its a fragile device, more fragile then other phones and previous iPhones. You know this. Yet when you do some outdoor activity and it gets damaged you start pointing the blame finger? How embarrassing.

Its aluminum it bends! What are you going to say next? If you drop it and the screen cracks its defective? Aluminum bends, glass breaks.

My solution (one size does not fit all). I do a lot of back packing for weeks on end. I have a dumb phone and leave my iPhone at home. And I even have the more durable 4S. But I do that because I know I could break it. If it gets broken in my backpack I'd take responsibility for it, however I choose to avoid that situation.

I'm not defending the 5's weak design. Because it should be more durable. But its just silly that everyone knows about this yet refuses to be more delicate with device or avoid buying one in the first place.

Bent iPhone 5!

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