No! Bendgate is real!

[Grolubao]

I have a girl friend that normally walks with the iPhone on her back pocket. I asked her today to see the iPhone 5 and indeed it's bent.

This sucks...

[syd430]

Originally Posted by Grolubao

I have a girl friend that normally walks with the iPhone on her back pocket. I asked her today to see the iPhone 5 and indeed it's bent.

This sucks...

My girlfriend does the same thing with here ip 4. I told her not upgrade to an ip5 for this reason.

Honestly this whole thread could be put to an end if we just see this happen already:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=171

Can't one of you guys that lurk in the background on these forums, just head down to your Apple and grab one unlocked for 700 bucks and try this? Post the results of course

[JHOOPS2]

I bent mine pretty bad..even with an element Sector 5 case!!




Poor PS attempt, but I only had a few minutes to spend on it.

----------

Originally Posted by syd430

Um no, we're talking about significant damage from everyday usage, such as putting the phone in the side pocket of a pair of jeans and sitting down. There have been various posters here that claim they were doing just that, and had the phone completely bend. Not sayings these claims hold any weight, just that as an ip5 owner, I'm curious as to what extent it's true, as it renders the phone far less durable than previous models. As my post above, I'd like to see some real world testing.

Yeah, I'm talking about the razr, and making the point that it is what it is. If you don't like it, then return it or don't buy one. It's a phone, not a M1 battle tank. I bought a $4K watch and scratched the band the first week I had it. I didn't run back to the jewelry store and say, hey can you replace this because I scratched it. **** happens people. Lessons, if you don't like scratches then don't buy anything that scratches. Apple never said that it was scratch proof (Barring those that received them scratched right out of the box of course) Also, aluminum bends. So, don't do things that will bend it. I'm just tired of people not owning up to their own decisions. Take the phone to an apple store and show them that it is bent. They should be more than willing to swap it out.

[syd430]

Originally Posted by JHOOPS2

Yeah, I'm talking about the razr, and making the point that it is what it is. If you don't like it, then return it or don't buy one. It's a phone, not a M1 battle tank. I bought a $4K watch and scratched the band the first week I had it. I didn't run back to the jewelry store and say, hey can you replace this because I scratched it. **** happens people. Lessons, if you don't like scratches then don't buy anything that scratches. Apple never said that it was scratch proof (Barring those that received them scratched right out of the box of course) Also, aluminum bends. So, don't do things that will bend it. I'm just tired of people not owning up to their own decisions. Take the phone to an apple store and show them that it is bent. They should be more than willing to swap it out.

Er, so much wrong with your post.

Who said anything about an m1 tank? I'm comparing it with the last 4 generations of iPhones, which did not bend when simply placing it in a tight jean pocket.

Also, do you really think the everyday average joe is going to know or care that the iphone 5 is made out of aluminium vs the steel band of the iphone 4? To them, it just looks pretty similar to the iphone 4, and they are just going to treat it the same as they treated iphone 4. For this reason, you can't compare it with the RAZR and just say "it is what it is".

Do you really think its reasonable for the everyday joe to realise that the ip5 should be treated more delicately that the ip4? Again, to most people it's just a taller, thinner iphone 4 with a black band wrapped around it.

Edit: also I'm not talking about scratches. I couldn't care less that the ip5 gets all scratched up, that'd just cosmetic damage. I'm talking about serve bending only.

[AbSoluTc]

Originally Posted by syd430

I think most people would agree that it would be reasonable to expect a $700 phone not to bend when when simply placing it in the side pocket of tight jeans and sitting down.

Originally Posted by lke

And if you accidentally drop your iphone and it bends? What will you think?

How many times you have drop an iphone 4 or 4s and it has the same shape? People say that the iphone 5 can bend if drop.

You do realize that a MacBook Pro also bends when pressure is applied right? It's also in excess of $1000 dollars. Is it defective as well? It doesn't take much pressure to bend or flex a MacBook Pro either.

You also realize ANY phone will bend or flex when force is applied. Even a non-iPhone placed in your side pocket of tight jeans and you go and sit down. Materials flex and bend. iPhone is made out of aluminum, thin aluminum, it will bend and it will flex. It's just that simple.

I swear, people are never freaking happy. Ever. The only phone I have ever dropped was my 3GS. No issues.

The phone you want does not exist. Any material as thing as the casing is on the iPhone is going to bend/flex. It's a give/take. Do you want a light, thin phone or do you want a thick, heavy phone? Take your pick.

----------

Originally Posted by syd430

My girlfriend does the same thing with here ip 4. I told her not upgrade to an ip5 for this reason.

Honestly this whole thread could be put to an end if we just see this happen already:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...&postcount=171

Can't one of you rich f**ks that lurk in the background on these forums, just head down to your Apple and grab one unlocked for 700 bucks and try this? Post the results of course

Why do you need to see it done? Use your brain man. ALUMINUM, SOFT, THIN, LIGHT case - It will bend depending on the force. Seriously, did nobody else take science class?

You all think just because it's Apple and an iPhone it's indestructible? Jesus already. Enough.

[BFizzzle]

iphone 5 bending in your pocket only happens in america..

"fat Americans"

[syd430]

Originally Posted by AbSoluTc

You do realize that a MacBook Pro also bends when pressure is applied right? It's also in excess of $1000 dollars. Is it defective as well? It doesn't take much pressure to bend or flex a MacBook Pro either.

You also realize ANY phone will bend or flex when force is applied. Even a non-iPhone placed in your side pocket of tight jeans and you go and sit down. Materials flex and bend. iPhone is made out of aluminum, thin aluminum, it will bend and it will flex. It's just that simple.

I swear, people are never freaking happy. Ever. The only phone I have ever dropped was my 3GS. No issues.

As I said before, we're talking about bending under normal use, not doing anything stupid with it. How many phones bend by simply putting it in your pocket and sitting down? That's what we are talking about here. Not comparisons about M1 battle tanks or MacBooks or dropping an aluminium product at height or applying some heavy force on it. Just placing it in a pocket and sitting down.

Also with your macbook example, they don't just bend under normal use, like throwing it a gym bag with maybe 1 or 2 light textbooks ontop. They bend with placing a couple of bricks on top, or standing on one, or dropping it at height. None of which is normal use.

[vastoholic]

Originally Posted by syd430

As I said before, we're talking about bending under normal use, not doing anything stupid with it. How many phones bend by simply putting it in your pocket and sitting down? That's what we are talking about here. Not comparisons about M1 battle tanks or MacBooks or dropping an aluminium product at height or applying some heavy force on it. Just placing it in a pocket and sitting down.

Also with your macbook example, they don't just bend under normal use, like throwing it a gym bag with maybe 1 or 2 light textbooks ontop. They bend with placing a couple of bricks on top, or standing on one, or dropping it at height. None of which is normal use.

So far though no one has proven that it was bent under normal use. Just claims. Hard to go on people's word when we don't know what they do day to day.

So far from my "normal use" I haven't experienced any problems. I keep it in my front pocket all the time. Sitting down in class, at home. No bending. Of course my pockets are deep enough that the phone isn't subject to area of my leg that bends either. It's always flat against the side or top of my leg. So either not all iP5's are created equal or people are just lying/ignorant about their usage.

[armandxp]

Originally Posted by lelisa13p

It was a hit and run, a drive-by shooting. A waste of bandwidth.

I like that! Makes sense now!

[stoneland]

Originally Posted by vastoholic

So far though no one has proven that it was bent under normal use. Just claims. Hard to go on people's word when we don't know what they do day to day.

So far from my "normal use" I haven't experienced any problems. I keep it in my front pocket all the time. Sitting down in class, at home. No bending. Of course my pockets are deep enough that the phone isn't subject to area of my leg that bends either. It's always flat against the side or top of my leg. So either not all iP5's are created equal or people are just lying/ignorant about their usage.

I agree. I've been using my phone "normally" as well and no bending here.

[JAT]

Originally Posted by syd430

Can someone just get an iphone 5 and do some proper testing already? I'd especially like to see some real world scenarios such as placing the phone in the side pocket of a very tight pair of jeans and then repeatedly sitting down and getting up (or even squatting), say 100-200 times. No phone should break doing this, even after a couple of hundred times.

Maybe someone can link this thread to some of the major blogs, or even the youtube channels that conduct these sort of durability tests? I'm sure as hell not going to try on my iphone 5.

I've had phones where this would've been a bad idea. Some for the sake of the phone, some for my leg.

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by BFizzzle

iphone 5 bending in your pocket only happens in america..

"fat Americans"

Kudos for the stellar humor... What a great response

[jon3543]

Originally Posted by syd430

As I said before, we're talking about bending under normal use, not doing anything stupid with it. How many phones bend by simply putting it in your pocket and sitting down?

If it feels uncomfortably tight when you sit down, and it did for me even in moderately loose jeans, then you are doing something stupid by carrying it that way. Your whole premise depends on the user lacking all common sense and refusing to modify his behavior or being too stupid to recognize there's a potential problem when stress is placed on a thin piece of metal and glass.

As I posted before, carrying any phone in 8" deep pockets like my relaxed fit jeans is pretty much a no go. Thick ones that can't possibly bend are best carried on clips, and thin ones that could bend feel uncomfortable due to the tightness when sitting or otherwise flexing the hip joint, and you need to be very careful when doing those things. Things are a lot better in 12" deep pockets like I have in my loose fitting shorts, but I'm still careful the pocket doesn't slip down under my fat ass when I sit down; I make sure the phone is situated more towards the top of my leg. But then, I seem to possess some measure of common sense. Right now, it's telling me this thread isn't done plumbing the depths of stupidity and crankery.

[BFizzzle]

Originally Posted by ixodes

Kudos for the stellar humor... What a great response

[meistervu]

Let me get this straight: the claim is that one can bend an iPhone 5 by putting it in the front pocket and siting down.

I suspect putting the phone in the front pocket and sitting down is exactly what millions of people do everyday. Over the month+ since the iPhone 5 is released this happens probably a billions of times. If this happens 1/1000 of the time, there are at least 1 million bent iPhone 5 out there.

So either there are 1 million bent iPhone out there and their users don't notice, or the claim is bogus.

What do you think?

[lke]

Time will tell if this is a problem of only a few or it is the worst design ever.

If the iphone 5 is the worst design ever then Apple will have to change some things to make it better, some reports are saying that the new iphone 5S will be released in the summer of 2013 maybe they know about all this issues and they want to change some things.

[aerok]

The iPhone 5 is relatively new at this moment. I think with time, it will be known if the material used for the iPhone 5 is too bendy or not. If it is, most users should have issues within 6 months using it.

[meistervu]

I am sure Apple stressed test the design. They are not that stupid. I am sure a lot of engineering hours went into it. It must have exceeded tolerable abuses at the design stage, and then went through a lot of torture testing and passed before it can be considered for the real world.

And as I said, there must have been a billions of times when people put the phone in their front pocket and sit down since it is released. If this is a real problem, you would expect to hear it on the internet, because everything you read on the internet is true

[syd430]

Originally Posted by jon3543

If it feels uncomfortably tight when you sit down, and it did for me even in moderately loose jeans, then you are doing something stupid by carrying it that way.

Originally Posted by jon3543

I think most people have enough sense to note the tightness and avoid stressing a thin piece of metal and glass, because it will occur to them, "This thing could bend, and that would not be good for it."

Originally Posted by AbSoluTc

It will bend and flex. If your phone is bending, stop sitting on it or applying pressure. It's that simple.

Originally Posted by JHOOPS2

aluminum bends. So, don't do things that will bend it. I'm just tired of people not owning up to their own decisions.

Love it. This thread is the perfect example of lengths people will go to defend a brand. And this is coming from someone with a lot of Apple gear.

Instead of getting reasonable replies like “the iPhone is unable to bend in those situations”, there are a lot of replies along the lines of “common sense says that you shouldn’t put an iPhone 5 in the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans and sit down”.

Let me clear, I don’t wear particularly tight jeans, most of my jeans are straight fit, but I’m sure there is a lot of hipsters out there that do wear tight jeans, and from all the sources posted at the start of this thread, that’s a lot of iPhone 5’s out there that are bent, with the owners probably not even realizing it yet.

A phone should not bend in your pocket no matter how tight your jeans are. Putting a iPhone in a tight pair of jeans isn’t out of ordinary and it simply shouldn’t bend no matter how many times you sit down in them. I don’t care if it’s made out of steel, aluminum or plastic.

I love the irony on these forums, on the one hand people berate “cheap, plastic, flimsy” Samsung’s, yet on the other hand when we have bending iPhone’s in tight jean pockets the response is “well common sense dictates that you shouldn’t put an iphone 5 in the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans”. Believe me, this is not common sense for the vast majority of people, nor is it reasonable to expect people to think this is common sense. Most people don’t even know or care that the iphone 4 was made out of a steel band, whereas the iphone 5 switched over to an aluminum enclosure. They don’t care, they just want their phone not to bend when in their tight hipster jeans. They are not dropping their phones or hitting it with a sledge hammer or expecting it to be built like an M1 battle tank.

The fact of the matter is, if the iphone 6 was made out of butter, there would still be posters here saying “well maybe you should put your iphone 6 in the fridge over night so it doesn’t melt as much during the day, it’s just common sense”.

[unagimiyagi]

I can only add my facts to the case

--31 days of ownership
--chip right out of the box, now where the headphone jack is, there is a circle silver ring around where I insert my headphone jack. It's wearing off the black aluminum finish
--could have sworn, before I read this thread, that my iPhone screen looked a bit warped.

I for one think aluminum is a terrible material for a phone, and for laptops and the iphone 5 is lighter but it's not a miracle. The iphone 4/4s is indisputably better made. Anything that Apple says about the thoughtfulness of their designs and how they wouldn't do it if they did not feel it would make a better phone, is baloney. If they tested the material, they would know that aluminum is a dumb choice. But they needed the phone to look cool (for 30 days at least) and be light. The HTC One X and similar series is undisputably the best made phone right now.

I certainly, positively have no loyalty to apple. I don't like many things about the company but right now their phones are the best in day to day operation.
If other companies would pay better attention to details, they could win.

[Mikex6956]

Yes is real ! And scuff out of the box too ! They probably don't test anything and the guy who put the brand new iphone in a box is fkin blind .

[vastoholic]

Originally Posted by Mikex6956

Yes is real ! And scuff out of the box too ! They probably don't test anything and the guy who put the brand new iphone in a box is fkin blind .

Such a wonderfully thought out and executed post. Please tell us how you really feel.

[jon3543]

Originally Posted by jon3543

But then, I seem to possess some measure of common sense. Right now, it's telling me this thread isn't done plumbing the depths of stupidity and crankery.

It never lets me down.

[AbSoluTc]

Originally Posted by syd430

Love it. This thread is the perfect example of lengths people will go to defend a brand. And this is coming from someone with a lot of Apple gear.

Instead of getting reasonable replies like “the iPhone is unable to bend in those situations”, there are a lot of replies along the lines of “common sense says that you shouldn’t put an iPhone 5 in the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans and sit down”.

Let me clear, I don’t wear particularly tight jeans, most of my jeans are straight fit, but I’m sure there is a lot of hipsters out there that do wear tight jeans, and from all the sources posted at the start of this thread, that’s a lot of iPhone 5’s out there that are bent, with the owners probably not even realizing it yet.

A phone should not bend in your pocket no matter how tight your jeans are. Putting a iPhone in a tight pair of jeans isn’t out of ordinary and it simply shouldn’t bend no matter how many times you sit down in them. I don’t care if it’s made out of steel, aluminum or plastic.

I love the irony on these forums, on the one hand people berate “cheap, plastic, flimsy” Samsung’s, yet on the other hand when we have bending iPhone’s in tight jean pockets the response is “well common sense dictates that you shouldn’t put an iphone 5 in the front pocket of a tight pair of jeans”. Believe me, this is not common sense for the vast majority of people, nor is it reasonable to expect people to think this is common sense. Most people don’t even know or care that the iphone 4 was made out of a steel band, whereas the iphone 5 switched over to an aluminum enclosure. They don’t care, they just want their phone not to bend when in their tight hipster jeans. They are not dropping their phones or hitting it with a sledge hammer or expecting it to be built like an M1 battle tank.

The fact of the matter is, if the iphone 6 was made out of butter, there would still be posters here saying “well maybe you should put your iphone 6 in the fridge over night so it doesn’t melt as much during the day, it’s just common sense”.

I myself am not defending the brand. I'm not a fanboy. I do love my Apple products though. I have put my phone in my pants pocket. I have seen others do it as well. Under normal conditions, nothing would happen. However, if your pants are tight and you slide a phone in there and sit down, pressure will be exerted and the possibility for the phone to bend/flex will be greatly increased.

Is your leg flat or round? Does your phone stay vertical or does it shift horizontal? I can pretty much say without a doubt, someone with tight jeans that puts a phone in their pants horizontally, then sits down, pressure will be applied and stress on the phone will occur.

I can hold my iPhone 5 and flex it corner to corner with moderate pressure. It's not a defect. It's called aluminum. It's also called thin aluminum with no real supporting structure inside. Yes having all the bits and pieces screwed down help but in the end it's still hollow when it comes to structure.

This is not a complex idea. It's not rocket science. I'm not supporting peoples claims that their phone just randomly become bent without cause. There's always a cause. I also don't support that it's a defect. It's not.

I really wish people would stop saying it's impossible and that the phone is ******. It's not.

[AlphaDogg]

Originally Posted by AbSoluTc

I myself am not defending the brand. I'm not a fanboy. I do love my Apple products though. I have put my phone in my pants pocket. I have seen others do it as well. Under normal conditions, nothing would happen. However, if your pants are tight and you slide a phone in there and sit down, pressure will be exerted and the possibility for the phone to bend/flex will be greatly increased.

Is your leg flat or round? Does your phone stay vertical or does it shift horizontal? I can pretty much say without a doubt, someone with tight jeans that puts a phone in their pants horizontally, then sits down, pressure will be applied and stress on the phone will occur.

I can hold my iPhone 5 and flex it corner to corner with moderate pressure. It's not a defect. It's called aluminum. It's also called thin aluminum with no real supporting structure inside. Yes having all the bits and pieces screwed down help but in the end it's still hollow when it comes to structure.

This is not a complex idea. It's not rocket science. I'm not supporting peoples claims that their phone just randomly become bent without cause. There's always a cause. I also don't support that it's a defect. It's not.

I really wish people would stop saying it's impossible and that the phone is ******. It's not.

Well said. The iPhone is a fine piece of machinery. If someone wants to be able to treat their iPhone badly, that's one thing, but blaming damage that comes as a result on the manufacturer is another. It's wrong. It is unfair to Apple and it is unfair to consumerism.

People need to understand that the iPhone is not a play thing.

Also, the 4/4S was much more durable because when comparing stainless steel to aluminum of similar thickness, the stainless is far stiffer. The stainless absorbs impact and bounces back. Aluminum absorbs impact and deforms instead of bouncing back. However, the glass is much harder to damage. However the glass is more durable because this new aluminum body makes it harder for the glass to shatter since the shock is lesser if the body deforms than if it retains its shape.

It's late, so it's kind of hard to articulate what I'm trying to say. I'll try it again tomorrow.