The continued controversy surrounding “#bendgate,” the title given to the uproar generated by video footage revealing that the iPhone 6 Plus bends out of shape when pressure is applied to its back, has finally been addressed by Apple, who claim that only nine iPhone 6 Plus owners have complained about their new devices.
Related: iPhone 6 “#Bendgate” Leads to the Device Being Put Under a “Bend Test”
Apple spokesman Adam Howorth released a statement regarding the furor, saying: “With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.”
He continued: “Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy… [they] feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry.”
It was reported that the malleable aluminum chassis of the new smartphone was causing the device to bend in users’ pockets, though stress tests performed and recorded online show that a considerable amount of pressure needs to be put on the phone in order for it to considerably bend out of shape. However, the device’s shape does seem to slightly alter when left inside its users’ pockets, though this was also a reported issue with the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.
The iPhone 6’s launch sales were huge, with over 10 million units of the new hardware being shifted within its first weekend of release. Apple will be hoping that the negative press generated by “#bendgate” will not serve to harm its sales further down the line, as ludicrously overblown mass hysteria has already begun to settle in.
