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Mrbobb

macrumors 603
Aug 27, 2012
5,009
209
This reminds me of the guy who asks if it's OK to sleep with his iPhone, or the guy who asks if it's OK to walk in torrential rain with the phone in his pants. People who have no common sense no wonder wacky things happens to them. Can't figure out if that's the necessarily dose of daily laughs or a waste of planetary resources.
 

Niteace

macrumors member
Jun 26, 2008
72
0
Ive googled this, searched the forum, but can't find an answer.
Maybe I'm just being stupid, but where does the gate term come from?
like AntennaGATE, bendGATE etc?
What does it mean? Gate?
 

skottichan

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,093
1,272
Columbus, OH
Ive googled this, searched the forum, but can't find an answer.
Maybe I'm just being stupid, but where does the gate term come from?
like AntennaGATE, bendGATE etc?
What does it mean? Gate?

It's a riff on the Watergate Hotel's name. Watergate because a defining controversy in the 70's, and now whenever anyone screws up someone in the press dubs it "<insert problem>gate".
 

skottichan

macrumors 65816
Oct 23, 2007
1,093
1,272
Columbus, OH
Thank you! Finally I know! :)

And knowing is half the battle. (The other half being red lasers and blue lasers)



Also, to the subject at hand. Mine's not bent in the least, and I generally carry mine in my back pocket, even wearing unforgiving leather pants. And no, I don't have a case, just a skinit.
 

macness

macrumors 6502a
Dec 4, 2011
567
23
Vancouver Canada
iPhone 5 is prone to bending. It was a buy, now a no-buy :(

Instead of using Aluminum 6061-T6 (tempered), Apples uses regular Aluminum 6061, which is so soft any stress will bend it. So you can't sit on it, and it
will bend by itself if, internally, there is enough stress from screws and glue.
It will bend at the weakest point, usually the volume buttons because that is
where the big holes are on the outer metal that is holding the integrity of the iPhone 5.

I am hoping they can change to 6061-T6 aluminum. "HOPING" because using it may interfere with the precision of the cuts, which may make it impossible. It may add weight to the device though.

Also, SCUFFGATE is real. Instead of using type III anodizing (hard anodizing), Apple uses instead type II anodizing. Which is why all over the internet your iPhone 5 has these dents and specks.

It is a no sale until Apple uses 6061-T6 Aluminum or 7075 Aluminum, and uses type III anodizing for the outer coat of the aluminum. Or go back to using
stainless steel. I am surprised they didn't catch these problems during prototyping and designing stages.

I think they will only fix it if enough people want them to use the new type of aluminum or anodizing process. I don't think this is a minor problem.

Update:
I've added some links and youtube videos that I found. Hope they are useful.


http://www.tekcore.co.uk/2012/10/10/iphone-5-bend-gate/

From this site:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1496543/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1465403/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1494118/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1459792/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1452478/



YouTube: video
YouTube: video
YouTube: video

That iphone holder looks soo cool. Where can i purchase one of those?
 

tensiondeadache

macrumors regular
Sep 18, 2012
158
3
Southern California
It appears "bend gate" may be real as the band around the actual phone (which I do not think is bent) appears to be bent backwards. The fulcrum is right where the bottom volume button is. I hope I'm just seeing things, I"ll take a pic with my iPad and upload it when I get home. I put my 4S in my back pocket every day for 13 months and it looked pretty much pristine when I sold it.!

----------

I may sell this and get a Lumia 920
 
S

syd430

Guest
This just in: "millions of iPhone users notice bends in their phones!!!"

Wait. No. I count... 4. 4 people. Out of millions. 4...

Good sample size, now excuse me while I go back to enjoying my unbent phone. It's just like the other 99% out there: problem free.

Sorry you had an extremely rare issue. Contact Apple and replace it.

See? Problem solved. And next time, don't sit on it (or drop it, or whatever you actually did...).

Yes, only 4 people of several million have the issue. I think that's an exaggeration though, the real number might be 2 or 3 phones, 4 seems a tad high.

----------

Yes. If you freakin sit on it, it may well bend. If you put sharp metal to it, it may well scratch. Holy freaking crap.its no SCANDAL. It's common sense. Shove any freaking Android phone in your back pocket and sit your fat freakin a** on it and the plastic will likely crack. Put your keys or penknife to it and guess what?
Stop with all the drama. You expect too damn much. Shut up and enjoy your phone or else buy a phone you can enjoy without having to complain every 5 minutes...

Nice tirade. It was quite impressive. I guess you didn't bother to read the last few pages that is focused on bending under normal usage such as putting it in your front pocket and sitting down/walking stairs/riding a motorcycle (normal usage, not sitting on your phone)

Of course sitting on with your phone in you back pocket is stupid. Nobody is talking about that though.
 
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S

syd430

Guest
Sorry you had an extremely rare issue. Contact Apple and replace it.

Your post seems to imply that some users are experiencing the issue because their particular units have defective aluminum.

I'd argue that it's either a design issue or not. I can't realistically see how the structural integrity of the phone can be weaker from one unit to another.

This thread also doesn't account for:

1) The fact that this is the type of problem that can develop slowly over time. I.e the bending develops over some months , and so far we are only 2 months in from release.

2) many people have simply not noticed that their phones are slowly developing a bend, as its not the sort of thing that crosses people's mind.

3) there are probably far more people that had the issue then you think, but did not come to macrumors to post about it.

4) some people are rougher on their phone than others simply as a result of different lifestyles. Note that I am not talking about extreme situations like sitting on your phone etc, but people that ride motorcycles, wear tight jeans and keep the phone in a front pocket, those that regularly run up stairs with the phone in their front pocket etc. these people may only be the minority, but still a very significant number of people nevertheless.

My prediction is that given that this is the type of issue that is likely to develop over time and not 1 day of use, we are going to see much higher rate of people complaining as we get further and further from the launch date.
 
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vastoholic

macrumors 68000
Jan 28, 2009
1,957
1
Tulsa, OK
4) some people are rougher on their phone than others simply as a result of different lifestyles. Note that I am not talking about extreme situations like sitting on your phone etc, but people that ride motorcycles, wear tight jeans and keep the phone in a front pocket, those that regularly run up stairs with the phone in their front pocket etc. these people may only be the minority, but still a very significant number of people nevertheless.

I'm in this group though and still don't have any problems. I put my phone in my front pocket. I ride a motorcycle. I do them both at the same time. I walk up stairs for school every other day. I've treated my iP5 the same as I have treated my other phones, except this time I'm actually going caseless, unlike my iP4 and 4s, where I always had a case because I was afraid of the back glass shattering. That's what makes me think, it's an isolated issue to people who have done something and not realized it or are not telling us about it.

It may be a weaker metal, but I don't think it's as fragile as everyone is making it out to be.
 
S

syd430

Guest
I'm in this group though and still don't have any problems. I put my phone in my front pocket. I ride a motorcycle. I do them both at the same time. I walk up stairs for school every other day. I've treated my iP5 the same as I have treated my other phones, except this time I'm actually going caseless, unlike my iP4 and 4s, where I always had a case because I was afraid of the back glass shattering. That's what makes me think, it's an isolated issue to people who have done something and not realized it or are not telling us about it.

It may be a weaker metal, but I don't think it's as fragile as everyone is making it out to be.

Interesting. I wonder if the differentiating factor between your situation and the other couple of guys a few posts back is the addition of a third-party case that's providing that extra little bit of leverage and pushing it over the line?

Could also explain why Apple doesn't stock any cases for the ip5, third-party or otherwise at the Apple store (at least here in Australia anyway)

You also bring up a good point about people perhaps doing something they didn't realize, and as a result claim that the phone bent in normal use. I doubt that many people are outright lying but the former may be true to an extent.
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
I'm in this group though and still don't have any problems. I put my phone in my front pocket. I ride a motorcycle. I do them both at the same time. I walk up stairs for school every other day. I've treated my iP5 the same as I have treated my other phones, except this time I'm actually going caseless, unlike my iP4 and 4s, where I always had a case because I was afraid of the back glass shattering. That's what makes me think, it's an isolated issue to people who have done something and not realized it or are not telling us about it.

It may be a weaker metal, but I don't think it's as fragile as everyone is making it out to be.

Don't worry you will get a bend over time, aluminum weakens more and more with each flex. Aluminum has a short fatigue life unlike plastics or steel.
 

vastoholic

macrumors 68000
Jan 28, 2009
1,957
1
Tulsa, OK
Don't worry you will get a bend over time, aluminum weakens more and more with each flex. Aluminum has a short fatigue life unlike plastics or steel.

Who says it's flexing?I'm not wearing skinny jeans or leather chaps over here. I'm wearing loose fit comfortable jeans and the pockets are deep to where it rests securely against the meatier part of my thigh and not at the bend of my hip.

But if I do develop a bend later on, I will come back in here and prove myself wrong.
 

SomeDudeAsking

macrumors 65816
Nov 23, 2010
1,250
2
Who says it's flexing?I'm not wearing skinny jeans or leather chaps over here. I'm wearing loose fit comfortable jeans and the pockets are deep to where it rests securely against the meatier part of my thigh and not at the bend of my hip.

But if I do develop a bend later on, I will come back in here and prove myself wrong.

All things flex whether you see it with your eyes or not. The problem with using thin aluminum is that it had a short fatigue life.
 

BFizzzle

macrumors 68020
May 31, 2010
2,443
0
Austin TX
Who says it's flexing?I'm not wearing skinny jeans or leather chaps over here. I'm wearing loose fit comfortable jeans and the pockets are deep to where it rests securely against the meatier part of my thigh and not at the bend of my hip.

But if I do develop a bend later on, I will come back in here and prove myself wrong.

we'd rather not hear about you developing a bend in your pants ;)

----------

I love this thread :D

anigif_enhanced-buzz-25783-1354297328-4.gif


this about sums up the thread
 

sinsin07

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2009
3,607
2,662
iPhone 5 is prone to bending. It was a buy, now a no-buy :(

Instead of using Aluminum 6061-T6 (tempered), Apples uses regular Aluminum 6061, which is so soft any stress will bend it. So you can't sit on it, and it
will bend by itself if, internally, there is enough stress from screws and glue.
It will bend at the weakest point, usually the volume buttons because that is
where the big holes are on the outer metal that is holding the integrity of the iPhone 5.

Also, SCUFFGATE is real. Instead of using type III anodizing (hard anodizing), Apple uses instead type II anodizing. Which is why all over the internet your iPhone 5 has these dents and specks.

It is a no sale until Apple uses 6061-T6 Aluminum or 7075 Aluminum, and uses type III anodizing for the outer coat of the aluminum. Or go back to using
stainless steel. I am surprised they didn't catch these problems during prototyping and designing stages.

I think they will only fix it if enough people want them to use the new type of aluminum or anodizing process. I don't think this is a minor problem. ...snip

My iPhone 5 didn't come with a gate. It has a home button though. Should I take it back and get one with a gate?
 

Ashin

macrumors 6502a
Jun 19, 2010
959
201
Love how some Apple fanboys even suggest it's intended to be bent :rolleyes:
 

EngineeringProf

macrumors newbie
Dec 1, 2012
1
0
Had to comment

I am an engineering professor, and I've really enjoyed this thread because it confirms what I have observed for the past few years: there are many opinionated and ignorant people on the web who confuse being vocal with being right. The laws of physics are real and well-understood and not subject to the whims of opinion.

Fortunately there are a few here with engineering knowledge who are trying to set you straight. But on message boards, ignorant opinions seem to prevail. To put it in language you will understand, this thread is up to your ears in stupid.

An understanding of the basic physics of stress and strain, elastic and plastic deformation, and metal oxide coatings is beyond most of you. The esteemed hypothesizers don't know the difference between weight, force, and stress. My advice is to retake freshman physics (if you made it that far).

On the internet, stupid always wins. Enjoy your so-called proofs and hypotheses - ignorance is bliss.
 

BFizzzle

macrumors 68020
May 31, 2010
2,443
0
Austin TX
I am an engineering professor, and I've really enjoyed this thread because it confirms what I have observed for the past few years: there are many opinionated and ignorant people on the web who confuse being vocal with being right. The laws of physics are real and well-understood and not subject to the whims of opinion.

Fortunately there are a few here with engineering knowledge who are trying to set you straight. But on message boards, ignorant opinions seem to prevail. To put it in language you will understand, this thread is up to your ears in stupid.

An understanding of the basic physics of stress and strain, elastic and plastic deformation, and metal oxide coatings is beyond most of you. The esteemed hypothesizers don't know the difference between weight, force, and stress. My advice is to retake freshman physics (if you made it that far).

On the internet, stupid always wins. Enjoy your so-called proofs and hypotheses - ignorance is bliss.

also.. being a dick on the net wins!!

maybe try explaining to the people that are stupid/ignorant?
instead of just coming of as pompous and just as opinionated .
 

sinsin07

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2009
3,607
2,662
Had to comment

I am an engineering professor, and I've really enjoyed this thread because it confirms what I have observed for the past few years: there are many opinionated and ignorant people on the web who confuse being vocal with being right. The laws of physics are real and well-understood and not subject to the whims of opinion.

Fortunately there are a few here with engineering knowledge who are trying to set you straight. But on message boards, ignorant opinions seem to prevail. To put it in language you will understand, this thread is up to your ears in stupid.

An understanding of the basic physics of stress and strain, elastic and plastic deformation, and metal oxide coatings is beyond most of you. The esteemed hypothesizers don't know the difference between weight, force, and stress. My advice is to retake freshman physics (if you made it that far).

On the internet, stupid always wins. Enjoy your so-called proofs and hypotheses - ignorance is bliss.

Go back and grade some papers, probably more useful than your comment.
 
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