Samsung, HTC, BlackBerry, and Others Mock 'Bendability' of Apple's iPhone 6 Plus

[coolfactor]

OTOH, this is the result of Apple's needless obsession with making everything as thin as possible. Like many others on this forum, I'd gladly accept a slightly thicker phone with longer battery life and less susceptibility to damage.

But is it just Apple's obsession? Consumers indirectly demanded a larger-screen iPhone. And could you imagine if the iPhone 6 was significantly thicker than the competition? No matter which way you slice it, Apple just can't make everyone happy.

Putting a large, thin phone in a tight pocket is a foolish move. That is not Apple's fault. But is there more that Apple could do to strengthen the skeleton of the iPhone 6 without adding much weight? Very likely, yes. That's what creative engineering is all about, and that's right up Apple's alley.

 

[69Mustang]

Yes. Actually yes. I actually expect people not to sit on a $1000 device. I expect people to take their notebook out of their backpack before they throw the backpack in the river. I expect them to wheel their 42 inch TV out the front door before they burn down their house. I expect them to take off their $5000 Rolex before they get into the ring to fight for the heavyweight boxing title. I expect people to have at least a trace of common sense.

And yes, when someone sits on a Samsung phone with an aluminum unibody and it - how surprisingly - bends as well, I will facepalm just as much.

Not enough hyperbole. Try harder.

 

[Rogifan]

Why does that matter? Competitors can only run adds poking fun at Apple only in retaliation?

No, my point is Apple hasn't run ads mocking their competition since the Mac vs PC ads last run in 2009. Plus Apple is basically non-existent on social media whereas these other companies pop out tweets and internet only ads the minute an Apple keynote starts.

 

[keysofanxiety]

No it doesn't. Otherwise, explain to me why my 6 Plus is not bent. I keep it in the front pocket of my tight jeans quite a lot. Perfectly unbent - unless of course, Apple has me so brainwashed that I can't see the bend.

Well you've had it for less than a week ... Come back to us in 6 months and we'll see if any prolonged exposure has caused it to bend.

 

[sbailey4]

People have been putting phones in their pockets since they were small enough to do so.

hmm read what you wrote then think about it a moment..........

 

[ghettochris]

What pisses me off about this the most is how it distracts from the real issues. We have a completely funked up iOS upgrade that did not even address some of the real issues in iOS 8. now everyone is focussing on phones that bend when you sit on them.

Could the fandroids please concentrate on mocking Apple for issues that actually really concern iPhone users?

a software issue that will be resolved in days is hardly as important as a design choice/flaw that will be with the phone for it's lifetime.

 

[PMehta]

I put my iPhone 6 halfway into a vise and then whacked the top with a baseball bat. It didn't hold up too well and I am FURIOUS. I am now going to buy 5 competing phones and see how they each do.

This is absolutely unacceptable! You should demand a full refund from Apple as well as stock options as compensation for this happening! It's unbelievable they didn't conduct years worth of tests on this!

 

[iBug2]

Tell people to adapt how they use their phones to adapt to Apple's design is the wrong way around.

Yes but this has been the case with all the smartphones. We have all adjusted the way we treat cellphones after they changed to this form factor. The old cellphones had really small screens, not made of glass and they could most of the time take hundreds of falls to the concrete with only scratching and never breaking.

Treat any modern smartphone like you treated your 15 year old Nokia and you'll bound to get a broken phone.

So this is not something only Apple is asking from us. All manufacturers expect us to treat these devices with a little more care than our first cellphones.

 

[gooberq]

i did not watch the full iphone 6 release, did they play a video of some one (Ive) walk thru the design of iphone 6?

Guess they knew/anticipated about this issue

 

[anonymous82]

Dude, I love my Apple devices but you seriously cannot justify the iPhone 6 plus bending, telling people to take it out of their pockets...

Reminds me on antennage ... 'You're holding it wrong'

Currious if you have an ipad mini, would you put it in your pocket? Iphone 6+ is a PHONE, but it also a BIG phone, in case you're not aware.

 

[Kiimora]

I was looking at my old fashion landline corded phone handset on my office desk… guess what? It's bent too!

Don't care about this. I'm still getting a 6+ dammit!!!!

To the rest of you handset makers… Get bent!
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Me too ....droids keep ranting! Bend is the new trend get over it

 

[rorschach]

Without a doubt, this is stupidest media-hyped non-issue since the "antenna-gate" nonsense.

Treat your $650+ device like a $650+ device and not a $20 toy, and you won't have any problems.

 

[linkgx1]

No, my point is Apple hasn't run ads mocking their competition since the Mac vs PC ads last run in 2009. Plus Apple is basically non-existent on social media whereas these other companies pop out tweets and internet only ads the minute an Apple keynote starts.

Because Apple didn't have to by then. Apple was in full attack mode before 2009 because they didn't have the iPhone.

Notice a trend of how the little guy likes to play David and Goliath. Then when they get ''big'' they are so over it. Sega does what Nintendon't.

 

[iBug2]

Well you've had it for less than a week ... Come back to us in 6 months and we'll see if any prolonged exposure has caused it to bend.

I don't think a bend will result from prolonged exposure. Using it more just increases the chances of it being bent, but not slowly.

 

[Kram1975]

What annoys people about Apple Fans...

Is that when a product that for the first time likely had zero contribution from Steve Jobs on a design front and that product has clear issues that Apple Fans just act like "Nothing to see here". Why not demand the best from Apple.

Facts:

Steve Jobs would have never let a product go to market with a camera that's not flush.

Steve Jobs would not have let a product go to market that bends

If it's no big deal than I guess Apple will not fix it for the 6S right? Duh of course they'll fix it. It was a design failure no question about it and they'll fix it. It just would have never made to customers hands under Steve Jobs.

 

[RedBear]

Don't be Apple apologists

Victim-blaming is illogical. Even if it were true that only idiots that abuse their iPhones are bending them (and it isn't true), the other manufacturers of similarly-sized devices are not having "bendgates" of their own. Therefore Apple rightly deserves to be mocked and raked over the coals for what is, at the very least in comparison to other manufacturers, a very serious engineering screw-up. Even if one could objectively say that it isn't a design flaw (and it most certainly is), they have put out a product that is weaker than their competitors products and made themselves look quite foolish in the marketplace. Apple fans should consider that to be unacceptable on the part of Apple, rather than being obnoxiously dismissive of the concerns of the market. The many thousands of bent iPhones that will soon be in the wild will each be excellent advertisements for Samsung. Is that what you want? It matters little how they became bent, only that they are bent, and they aren't being bent on purpose (except for that one idiot on YouTube). The people accidentally bending them are fellow Apple/iPhone fans, not idiots and deliberate saboteurs.

If you are truly Apple fans and want to have even more excellent iPhones in the future, which the competition cannot mock even if they try, it is only logical to join the chorus of those who are acknowledging and mocking bendgate. Let the competitors have their day (month/year) of gloating and mocking. Help Apple learn the lesson that they strayed a bit too far this time in the pursuit of thinness and lightness, without paying sufficient attention to durability for the product's intended purpose of being a personal phone that you carry with you at all times. If it is not suited for that purpose next time they should market the Plus as a smaller iPad mini that can coincidentally make phone calls, not as an iPhone.

 

[rsocal]

I'm not sure I would say it wouldn't even be an issue. Social media is a pretty strong component these days even for those not looking to be targeted. At the end of it, even Samsung would be scrutinized and likely just as harshly on this board by the same posters.



I don't people care about their success and form hate over that. Users and even other companies have some high expectations of companies and brands with the cache Apple has. That's a compliment too. At the end of the day, Apple put themselves up top, and it's up to them to not to expose themselves even over little issues. Two self inflicted strikes in one week is more than the competition has been able to inflict on them lately. Regardless of the impact, it hurts. I put a very small scratch on my new car one time and even though it wasn't much and no one noticed it, I always did.



the answer is before you as they go through it everyday. just reading this board proves that. what apple maps, bendgate, antenna gate, iOS 8.0.1 and all the other issues, that happen along the way show is Apple is just like those other guys....they handle the scrutiny every day too. They are a great brand but they aren't perfect and play in the same pool as the others.

I disagree with you, there is video already on Youtube of someone bending a Samsung phone with the Glass breaking and back popping off. It was posted on one of the threads yesterday. I've heard nothing more about this or seen this video on the news. Again the Apple scrutiny, where is the scrutiny on this video of bending?

 

[Trius]

If this is the worst thing we see with this redesign, I'd say they're doing alright.

 

[iBug2]

Facts:

Steve Jobs would have never let a product go to market with a camera that's not flush.

Steve Jobs would not have let a product go to market that bends

But he would let a device go to market that loses signal when hold in a certain way?

 

[bluespark]

Would it not make sense to change "were accidentally bending" to "purportedly were bending"? I'm not suggesting that those reporting this are less than truthful, but I also don't think we should simply assume they are telling the truth.

It's worth noting that Apple's competitors have incentive not only to tweet about this, but also to create the story or to fan the flames of a story created by an isolated incident.

 

[sbailey4]

Because nothing ever happened to them?

LOL really?!?! not sure I know ANY of my 25yr old sons friends that have an iPhone without a cracked screen. (multiple times)

 

[brianvictor7]

Shots fired.

But let's be honest, Apple fanboys have been mocking the quality of Android devices for years. Just a little time for a little revenge.

My advice: haters gonna hate and benders gonna bend.

Benders gonna bend ... clever!

Honestly though, the criticism is well deserved this time. Apple put those phones through bending tests so they knew darn well that this was a problem and they launched with it anyway.

 

[iBug2]

The many thousands of bent iPhones that will soon be in the wild will each be excellent advertisements for Samsung. Is that what you want?

Apple should be really worrying if it's indeed that many.

 

[MisakixMikasa]

ipad minis bend in pockets too, why isn't anyone complaining about that?

phablets aren't small phones and shouldn't be expected to be able to recklessly pocket them as such. I'm sure apple will make them more durable over time, but I like them as is, rather than fatter and heavier and more durable. reckless ogres is why we can't have nice things.

Phablet is still a phone and it is not large enough to call tablet. How many people put iPad mini on their pant? How many people regularly put their phone in their pocket? Just because iPad mini might bend in the pocket, does not justifying phones bend in pocket. People have different expectations on different things, certainly people aren't expecting their 900+ phone bend in their pocket.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Why are you concerned about profit margins instead of poor product quality?

1) volume sold isn't profit margin. its a testament to the desire people have for iPhones and their satisfaction with them.

2) there is no poor product quality. you're making things up -- millions and millions of people are very happy w/ the superb quality of the new iPhone. but does metal bend if stressed? of course, dur.