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Bent iPhone 5!

I wanted to bump this thread instead of starting a new one.

My iPhone 5 just bent at the volume buttons. Prior to noticing the bend, I did notice that my phone was getting extremely hot. I even had a friend comment on the phone's high temperature while they were holding it. A few hours later, I pulled my phone out of my front pocket (where I always keep it) and sat it on a flat table which is when I noticed the bend.

I am taking it to the Genius Bar today or tomorrow and if they will not replace it under warranty I will be very upset. In my opinion, this is a design flaw related to heat.
 
I think that what some people on this forum are missing is the principle behind the original post. It shouldn't be unreasonable for us as consumers to expect to be able to buy a product from a company as reputable as Apple touts itself to be that can stand up to day to day normal use. Putting your phone in your pocket to ride a bike is in my opinion a valid use. Putting your phone in your pocket and sitting down I would consider normal use. I don't believe anyone on this forum stated they damaged their phone by dropping it or doing some other EXTREME activity which resulted in damage and expect a free replacement. The user simply was stating his experience with a phone that clearly has a define flaw. For a 700.00 phone to bend because you sat on it or rode a bike or put it in your pocket or looked at it funny is absolutely ridiculous! I think we as consumers should start holding companies like Apple more responsible for working to please their customers rather than their shareholders. Or at the very least produce a quality product that is not so delicate that it can't leave it's box in your house if you are going to do a strenuous activity such as sitting! Lets all get real here. This is a problem that Apple rectified in this users case and should be done in every single instance. One user posted that it should cost $229 which is the kind of mindless mentality that all these companies rely on to manufacture inferior products at excessive prices. I would never pay for a repair for damage to a device stemming from an activity that falls into the scope of reasonable and normal use.
 
johnny5 said:
I wanted to bump this thread instead of starting a new one.

My iPhone 5 just bent at the volume buttons. Prior to noticing the bend, I did notice that my phone was getting extremely hot. I even had a friend comment on the phone's high temperature while they were holding it. A few hours later, I pulled my phone out of my front pocket (where I always keep it) and sat it on a flat table which is when I noticed the bend.

I am taking it to the Genius Bar today or tomorrow and if they will not replace it under warranty I will be very upset. In my opinion, this is a design flaw related to heat.
Click to expand...

Prepare to be upset:rolleyes:
 
iPhoneuser45 said:
I think that what some people on this forum are missing is the principle behind the original post. It shouldn't be unreasonable for us as consumers to expect to be able to buy a product from a company as reputable as Apple touts itself to be that can stand up to day to day normal use. Putting your phone in your pocket to ride a bike is in my opinion a valid use. Putting your phone in your pocket and sitting down I would consider normal use. I don't believe anyone on this forum stated they damaged their phone by dropping it or doing some other EXTREME activity which resulted in damage and expect a free replacement. The user simply was stating his experience with a phone that clearly has a define flaw. For a 700.00 phone to bend because you sat on it or rode a bike or put it in your pocket or looked at it funny is absolutely ridiculous! I think we as consumers should start holding companies like Apple more responsible for working to please their customers rather than their shareholders. Or at the very least produce a quality product that is not so delicate that it can't leave it's box in your house if you are going to do a strenuous activity such as sitting! Lets all get real here. This is a problem that Apple rectified in this users case and should be done in every single instance. One user posted that it should cost $229 which is the kind of mindless mentality that all these companies rely on to manufacture inferior products at excessive prices. I would never pay for a repair for damage to a device stemming from an activity that falls into the scope of reasonable and normal use.
Click to expand...

Just a heads up....Hard to read with no Paragraphs.
 
Bendable iPhones... cool. :cool:

Apple is so innovative. What will they think of next?
 
I have used several cases with my iPhone 5 since I got it, I never used it without one. Today I took my case off to clean it and I noticed it looked slightly bent near the volume buttons. I'm not kidding. It also looks like there's a possible crease or weak spot forming near the "-" button. It kind of looks like a smudge on the shiny edge of the phone (I have the White iPhone 5).

Anyway, if I lay the phone on a table, I can easily slide a piece of thick paper under it near the volume buttons, but on the ends of the phone, it pushes the phone, indicating it's flush there.

Not sure what to do, just keep an eye on it I guess. My wife has the same phone and said hers gets really hot when charging (in the back). I wonder if leaving it on the charger is doing it.

FWIW, I have never dropped the phone and I always keep it in my front pocket and it's always been in a rigid case.
 
The iPhone 5 in my opinion is the worse iPhone in terms of hardware. If not the hardware then the build quality.

Would swap for a 4/4S any day.
 
I have a hard time understanding how people are saying a person who keeps their phone in their pocket while riding a bike is at fault for it bending. That is a design flaw if there ever was one. It is expected that people keep their phones in their pockets. It is expected that some of these people will also ride bikes, or sit, or do any number of things with the phone in their pockets. We are not talking collisions. We are talking standard day to day activities. If the phone isn;t designed to withstand that, then there is something wrong with it.
 
I'm on my second iPhone 5 and neither phone was bent in any way. Its in my pocket for most of the day and encounters the type of stresses any phone would. I am also yet to meet anybody who has managed to bend their iPhone 5. Those that have, must be either extremely unlucky or putting the phone in situation for which it is not designed. If there was a fundamental flaw with the design, we'd have far more cases than have been reported.
 
I highly doubt it is possible for the phone to bend under normal usage.
 
Merkie said:
I highly doubt it is possible for the phone to bend under normal usage.
Click to expand...

Define normal. That's going to be different for everyone and the device.

Saying the iPhone 4/4S bends when a phone normally should means the 5 is below average.

Or if your an avid biker or something and have always had your phone in a certain pocket but the 5 bends under the same circumstances. That would be normal for you.

In your case maybe you work in an office or whatever and your normal is a lot less abusive.

Regardless there has been a change from previous models.
 
lordofthereef said:
I have a hard time understanding how people are saying a person who keeps their phone in their pocket while riding a bike is at fault for it bending. That is a design flaw if there ever was one. It is expected that people keep their phones in their pockets. It is expected that some of these people will also ride bikes, or sit, or do any number of things with the phone in their pockets. We are not talking collisions. We are talking standard day to day activities. If the phone isn;t designed to withstand that, then there is something wrong with it.
Click to expand...

Then again, most people aren't made to withstand super tight skinny-jeans, so I suppose phones aren't either.
 
kfergiez said:
Then again, most people aren't made to withstand super tight skinny-jeans, so I suppose phones aren't either.
Click to expand...

You've made an assumption that this is happening in, as you say it, super tight skinny jeans. I see no reason to make that assumption. In fact, some people go as far as saying this isn't the case yet people still claim it's their fault.
 
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The-Real-Deal82 said:
I'm on my second iPhone 5 and neither phone was bent in any way. Its in my pocket for most of the day and encounters the type of stresses any phone would. I am also yet to meet anybody who has managed to bend their iPhone 5. Those that have, must be either extremely unlucky or putting the phone in situation for which it is not designed. If there was a fundamental flaw with the design, we'd have far more cases than have been reported.
Click to expand...

There was another thread in which a person who claimed to have an engineering background showed some pics that showed how small variants in construction could cause weaknesses detrimental to the structural integrity of the phone. Truth be told, they could sell me anything because I am not well versed in this sort of thing. But it seemed to make sense to a laymen (myself and bunches of others in the thread). So it could be a design/manufacturing flaw. There are actually numerous people that had this issue. I don't have numbers but this is far from the first. It's obviously not expected that with a design issue everyone will have problems. For example, parts on cars are recalled all the time simply because a small percentage of users had an issue and investigation discovered there was indeed a problem with design.

Is this a design issue? I'm not sure. I can say that every bend I have seen has been in the same location, by the volume buttons, obviously the weakest point. What I am sure of is a phone shouldn't bend in your pocket. To me. That is pretty cut and dry.

----------
rsnapeuk said:
The iPhone 5 in my opinion is the worse iPhone in terms of hardware. If not the hardware then the build quality.

Would swap for a 4/4S any day.
Click to expand...

I can maybe follow you on build quality. What's wrong with the hardware? How is ignores than precious models? In all ways it's actually better, is it not?
 
lordofthereef said:
There was another thread in which a person who claimed to have an engineering background showed some pics that showed how small variants in construction could cause weaknesses detrimental to the structural integrity of the phone. Truth be told, they could sell me anything because I am not well versed in this sort of thing. But it seemed to make sense to a laymen (myself and bunches of others in the thread). So it could be a design/manufacturing flaw. There are actually numerous people that had this issue. I don't have numbers but this is far from the first. It's obviously not expected that with a design issue everyone will have problems. For example, parts on cars are recalled all the time simply because a small percentage of users had an issue and investigation discovered there was indeed a problem with design.
Click to expand...
It could well be a manufacturing flaw with the odd device sure. Every product released will have a certain amount that have passed through quality control and the customer will experience an issue. The issue with bent iPhone's has been given more than its fair share of publicity in respect to the amount of units sold in comparison to those who have reported issues. I remember back in 2006 I bought a 32" Samsung LCD TV and it failed after 6 months. It turned out there was a manufacturing fault combined with a capacitor that was weak in the design. Samsung replaced the unit for a modified one under a recall with no troubles, but this affected millions of TV's around the world. These things happen, but as I said, I am yet to actually meet anybody who has encountered a bent iPhone. This doesn't mean there are not bent iPhones out there, as I have seen the proof here and elsewhere. I just don't think the whole design ethos of the iPhone 5 can be criticised based on what is really a small number of returns in the grand scheme of things.

My iPhone will probably bend today, you watch :p
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
It could well be a manufacturing flaw with the odd device sure. Every product released will have a certain amount that have passed through quality control and the customer will experience an issue. The issue with bent iPhone's has been given more than its fair share of publicity in respect to the amount of units sold in comparison to those who have reported issues. I remember back in 2006 I bought a 32" Samsung LCD TV and it failed after 6 months. It turned out there was a manufacturing fault combined with a capacitor that was weak in the design. Samsung replaced the unit for a modified one under a recall with no troubles, but this affected millions of TV's around the world. These things happen, but as I said, I am yet to actually meet anybody who has encountered a bent iPhone. This doesn't mean there are not bent iPhones out there, as I have seen the proof here and elsewhere. I just don't think the whole design ethos of the iPhone 5 can be criticised based on what is really a small number of returns in the grand scheme of things.

My iPhone will probably bend today, you watch :p
Click to expand...

The 5 "bending" has nothing to do with quality control. It is more a design flaw in Apple giving some what the users want, a thinner phone with a larger screen. Any 5 will bend at the same point with enough pressure.
 
Lucille Carter said:
The 5 "bending" has nothing to do with quality control. It is more a design flaw in Apple giving some what the users want, a thinner phone with a larger screen. Any 5 will bend at the same point with enough pressure.
Click to expand...
If that is the case then I'll revert back to my original opinion that some owners obviously put their phones through unnecessary stresses. My phone stays in my pocket whether I wear tighter fitting jeans or workwear and I'm yet to bend mine. If it is a design flaw as you say, then I think Apple have a very good case to suggest people are not treating their iPhones correctly. The answer is, don't apply pressure to the device and don't put it in situations where it could get damaged.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
If that is the case then I'll revert back to my original opinion that some owners obviously put their phones through unnecessary stresses. My phone stays in my pocket whether I wear tighter fitting jeans or workwear and I'm yet to bend mine. If it is a design flaw as you say, then I think Apple have a very good case to suggest people are not treating their iPhones correctly. The answer is, don't apply pressure to the device and don't put it in situations where it could get damaged.
Click to expand...

Apple DOES have a "very good case" as in many situations where a user brings in their bent phone they make you pay for it!

I am not saying you phone will bend if worn in your pocket, but I am saying that it CAN BEND as many have proved it in this forum!
 
Lucille Carter said:
Apple DOES have a "very good case" as in many situations where a user brings in their bent phone they make you pay for it!

I am not saying you phone will bend if worn in your pocket, but I am saying that it CAN BEND as many have proved it in this forum!
Click to expand...
I thought I had already agreed with the point you were making as my previous posts discussed this with someone else? Again for the final time I will say I don't doubt some people have encountered a bent iPhone. However, I could walk into the end of a table with my iPhone in my pocket and smash the screen in the next 5 minutes, it wouldn't make it a design flaw because some feel the screen is weak. My point was, certain use or abuse will have an effect on most products. The iPhone isn't sold as a durable device after all.
 
The-Real-Deal82 said:
It could well be a manufacturing flaw with the odd device sure. Every product released will have a certain amount that have passed through quality control and the customer will experience an issue. The issue with bent iPhone's has been given more than its fair share of publicity in respect to the amount of units sold in comparison to those who have reported issues. I remember back in 2006 I bought a 32" Samsung LCD TV and it failed after 6 months. It turned out there was a manufacturing fault combined with a capacitor that was weak in the design. Samsung replaced the unit for a modified one under a recall with no troubles, but this affected millions of TV's around the world. These things happen, but as I said, I am yet to actually meet anybody who has encountered a bent iPhone. This doesn't mean there are not bent iPhones out there, as I have seen the proof here and elsewhere. I just don't think the whole design ethos of the iPhone 5 can be criticised based on what is really a small number of returns in the grand scheme of things.

My iPhone will probably bend today, you watch :p
Click to expand...

Valid points. Keep in mind, there are also going to be a relatively small number of people that actually put this phone through the stresses. When I mentioned vehicles recalls, those numbers are also often exceedingly small. On fact, it can be as little as one incident. The difference is that, since human safety and welfare are involved, there are thorough checks that often find said problem and it is realized that it's a manufacturing issue. But, case in point, Jeep just had a giant recall on cars dating back as far as 1995 for what I believe was steering issues (last I heard the government was urging them to do the recall but hasn't yet). So it took nearly two decades for SOMEONE to recognize manufaxturer issues.

I am. It saying this is absolutely the case with the phone. And I also haven't seen a bent phone myself (well, not entirely true, I was at the Appple store once and a guy was getting his warranty swapped, but I didn't REALLY get a look). I just find it slightly preposterous that there are people here stating that, without a doubt, this is user error and that the user is and should be at fault and that they should be responsible for replacement costs.
 
so you suggest to leave your phone away? Are you kidding? People here are signing 2 years expensive contracts to leave their phone at home? :eek:
This is for sure a design error, cause it breaks always in the same point...
What you say is the same of saying: people died on the Concorde airplane from Paris to New York because of their own fault because they decided to fly on an object that was unknown to be faulty!!!!!!!
 
I don't think I'd necessarily call this a design flaw.

Its just more prone to bending and staying bent.

Ever drink from an aluminum coffee thermos? Its thick aluminum and very durable. Knowing that I wouldn't say a cheap aluminum can has a design flaw because it bends easier.

I consider it "just not as durable as prior generations". Where an iPhone 4/4S may shatter the back glass the 5 may bend.
 
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