Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

One bending detail we all forgot about. The rigidity of the glass side.

Korican100

Korican100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 9, 2012
1,221
627
All bending tests bend with the glass side facing out.
The recent Consumer Reports test gave lbs of force per device, but all of them were facing glass side out.

There are two things I would like to point out:

  1. If the glass facing INWARDS would be weaker, then THAT should be the threshold for the phone bending, as it should be whatever is the weaker between the two.
  2. If the glass faces inwards, yet it takes MORE lbs of pressure to bend, then that indicates everyone should carry their iphone in the pocket with the glass facing inwards to minimize bending.

To summarize, there should be bend tests that show bending both ways. Glass facing inward is weaker? THAT's the minimal force it will take to bend/shatter. Glass facing inward stronger? That's the side we want facing us in our pockets.
 
The glass is so thin, I do not think it makes a difference.

What might make a difference is the shape of the case with the integrated rounded edges being part of the back of the phone.
 
Has anyone found a video where they are bending glass facing inward?
 
Newtons Apple said:
The glass is so thin, I do not think it makes a difference.
Click to expand...

It's thin, but it appears to be reinforced:

pdeN2LLSu4KFS5BC.large
 
Korican100 said:
[*]If the glass faces inwards, yet it takes MORE lbs of pressure to bend, then that indicates everyone should carry their iphone in the pocket with the glass facing inwards to minimize bending.
Click to expand...

Since bending in your pocket is not an issue unless you place about 100 lbs of force in the middle of the phone, this is a non-issue.

What is more likely is shattering the glass from bumping into a hard object. Therefore, I always place my phones with the glass facing inwards to minimize shattering.
 
I have thought about this as well. I always face my glass to the inside and I never see any test trying to bend the phone in from the screen side.

I also wanna see them actually put a 6 plus on their pocket and sit down for a bit to see if pants and a soft leg will really warp the iPhone.
 
tromboneaholic said:
Since bending in your pocket is not an issue unless you place about 100 lbs of force in the middle of the phone, this is a non-issue.

What is more likely is shattering the glass from bumping into a hard object. Therefore, I always place my phones with the glass facing inwards to minimize shattering.
Click to expand...

100 lbs of force from the non-glass side. What if it takes 60lbs to break/bend the phone from the glass side. What if it takes 130 lbs from the glass side?

Either way will dictate how we should face the phone in regards to pocket damage.
 
Korican100 said:
100 lbs of force from the non-glass side. What if it takes 60lbs to break/bend the phone from the glass side. What if it takes 130 lbs from the glass side?

Either way will dictate how we should face the phone in regards to pocket damage.
Click to expand...

The phone bends from the front or back under equal force. The structural support is generated by the side edges of the phone.

This is pretty clear as the bending occurs at the weak spot created by the volume buttons. The orientation of the phone does not affect how it absorbs the lateral force before deforming.

The only difference would be trying to bend the phone perpendicular to the plane described by the screen.

Regardless, the phone bending in a pocket under normal circumstances has been shown to be a non-issue. You should worry about breaking a bone in your leg considering the lateral force that is necessary to deform the phone.
 
tromboneaholic said:
The phone bends from the front or back under equal force. The structural support is generated by the side edges of the phone.

This is pretty clear as the bending occurs at the weak spot created by the volume buttons. The orientation of the phone does not affect how it absorbs the lateral force before deforming.

The only difference would be trying to bend the phone perpendicular to the plane described by the screen.

Regardless, the phone bending in a pocket under normal circumstances has been shown to be a non-issue. You should worry about breaking a bone in your leg considering the lateral force that is necessary to deform the phone.
Click to expand...

I disagree somewhat. If the bending occurs with the glass facing inwards, there maybe less force required to simply crack the screen, separate the glass, or any other front related damage. Due to the thin structure of the phone, we are not only looking for bending, we are looking for structural weaknesses period. Since the phone can be any orientation at any time, it makes more sense to know what side is more fragile, and what side is stronger.

Due to all tests executing the bend from the rear of the device, we are unable to see if the force needed for damage to occur is lower from the glass side. Bending from the rear dictates the structural damage by pushing everything glass out. The only pressure the glass feels is from the rear as opposed to a 'glass inward' test where all pressure would be on the glass. This changes the dynamic altogether.
 
Korican100 said:
I disagree somewhat. If the bending occurs with the glass facing inwards, there maybe less force required to simply crack the screen, separate the glass, or any other front related damage. Due to the thin structure of the phone, we are not only looking for bending, we are looking for structural weaknesses period. Since the phone can be any orientation at any time, it makes more sense to know what side is more fragile, and what side is stronger.

Due to all tests executing the bend from the rear of the device, we are unable to see if the force needed for damage to occur is lower from the glass side. Bending from the rear dictates the structural damage by pushing everything glass out. The only pressure the glass feels is from the rear as opposed to a 'glass inward' test where all pressure would be on the glass. This changes the dynamic altogether.
Click to expand...

You do have a point, but I think future tests will show that velocity of impact also plays a factor when it comes to cleaving or shattering the glass.

I do think that the bending itself is prevented by the sides. I don't think the internal cage is biased towards the front or the back.
 
Huh?

tromboneaholic said:
You do have a point, but I think future tests will show that velocity of impact also plays a factor when it comes to cleaving or shattering the glass.

I do think that the bending itself is prevented by the sides. I don't think the internal cage is biased towards the front or the back.
Click to expand...

I'm confused. Doesn't everyone already know "bendgate" was just a stupid rumor? Now if the guy from America's Got Talent - the one who bends 10 license plates at once and leaps through 6 foot thick panels of ice - got his hands on an iPhone 6 plus... ummm... he might USE it?
 
Weird People

tromboneaholic said:
You do have a point, but I think future tests will show that velocity of impact also plays a factor when it comes to cleaving or shattering the glass.

I do think that the bending itself is prevented by the sides. I don't think the internal cage is biased towards the front or the back.
Click to expand...

WHO are these people that get their hands on iPhone 6 pluses... and choose to try their best to Bend them? Gee... I wonder... Who would want to do That - a Real consumer who is thrilled he or she has a brand new iPhone? Silly people. Falling for it.
 
Korican100 said:
All bending tests bend with the glass side facing out.
The recent Consumer Reports test gave lbs of force per device, but all of them were facing glass side out.

There are two things I would like to point out:

  1. If the glass facing INWARDS would be weaker, then THAT should be the threshold for the phone bending, as it should be whatever is the weaker between the two.
  2. If the glass faces inwards, yet it takes MORE lbs of pressure to bend, then that indicates everyone should carry their iphone in the pocket with the glass facing inwards to minimize bending.

To summarize, there should be bend tests that show bending both ways. Glass facing inward is weaker? THAT's the minimal force it will take to bend/shatter. Glass facing inward stronger? That's the side we want facing us in our pockets.
Click to expand...

I have been saying this all along. I was doing this since the iPhone 5.. Glass in.. Also less chance to damage the glass if something slams into your leg.
 
^Does the glass provide more reinforcement, or does the aluminum side. That is the question.
 
Korican100 said:
100 lbs of force from the non-glass side. What if it takes 60lbs to break/bend the phone from the glass side. What if it takes 130 lbs from the glass side?

Either way will dictate how we should face the phone in regards to pocket damage.
Click to expand...

Neither way dictates that. You shouldn't stick a phablet in your pocket, regardless of how it's facing.
 
Newtons Apple said:
The aluminum back with the "curled" sides would offer the most structural intergrity. The glass would offer little as it is so thin.
Click to expand...

That's what I am alluding to. If this were true, then that would indicate its not the bending from the rear we should worry about, its any damage that would come from bending from glass facing inwards we should worry about.

This would render the bend test by consumer reports useless. Because the real damage would come from bending the glass side instead.
 
Korican100 said:
That's what I am alluding to. If this were true, then that would indicate its not the bending from the rear we should worry about, its any damage that would come from bending from glass facing inwards we should worry about.

This would render the bend test by consumer reports useless. Because the real damage would come from bending the glass side instead.
Click to expand...

The case would offer resistance no matter which direction it was bend. One direction could be better than the other just due to the shape of the part.

The glass is insignificant when considering it's resistance to bending in the situation!
 
Newtons Apple said:
The case would offer resistance no matter which direction it was bend. One direction could be better than the other just due to the shape of the part.

The glass is insignificant when considering it's resistance to bending in the situation!
Click to expand...

True, the case would offer resistance no matter the direction that would be bent. But which direction would offer less/more support is key in knowing what would be the best way to handle the device.

As aforementioned, we are no longer looking to see what is the minimal lbs of force needed to bend the device, we are looking to see what is the minimal lbs of force needed to do any damage related to the weaker structural integrity to the device altogether. That would include the screen separating, the glass cracking/shattering etc.

Then it no longer becomes a story of how the weak structure would allow the phone to bend, but how the weak structure would allow the phone to take any damage. That's why its necessary to perform the bend test on both sides of the device!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back