Apple Just Broke Its Silence On Bendgate

Apple Just Broke Its Silence On Bendgate

Apple just broke its silence on bent iPhones.

"With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare," Apple said in a statement to The Huffington Post. The company said that it performs "rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle," that include "3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies."

"iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use," the statement said.

It's rare for the tight-lipped company to comment so quickly on an Internet bash-fest, Business Insider points out. "In the past, Apple would've ignored this," writes BI's Jay Yarow.

The statement sent to HuffPost is atypically lengthy, perhaps indicating that the company's been feeling under pressure this week. It hasn't been a great one for Apple -- its stock was down 3 percent on Thursday, one day after Apple pulled an update to its new mobile operating system that reportedly left some iPhone customers having problems making calls or using the phone's fingerprint sensor.

Meanwhile, "bendgate" continued to ripple through the Twitterverse. News of bending iPhone garnered loads of attention this week, thanks in part to a YouTube video showing a man using his bare hands to bend an iPhone 6 Plus. That video went viral, garnering over 20 million views in under 48 hours. Another person posted on a MacRumors forum that after a day of sitting and dancing, the iPhone actually bent in his or her pocket.

The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which starts at $299 with a two-year contract, and $749 without, is Apple's first foray into the "phablet" market, called such because the device is so large it's part phone, part tablet.

Apple said it sold more than 10 million of its new iPhones in the first three days they were on sale, setting a record for the company.

Full statement from Apple:

Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus 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. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.

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.

This post has been updated with additional information as well as Apple's statement.

Before You Go

1
Third-Party Keyboards
They're finally here. You can download and use third-party keyboards with the iPhone. While Apple has clearly perfected the on-screen keyboard you'll be able to choose from a range of alternatives including Swiftkey and Swype.
2
Instant Repy
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Rather than having to open the app you've had the notification from you can simply swipe down and deal with it through the Notifications bar.
3
Multi-tasking 2.0
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The multi-tasking screen now shows a list of recent and favourite contacts at the top allowing you to perform quick actions like sending messages or making calls.
4
Apple Keyboard 2.0
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Apple has taken its already exemplary keyboard and thrown in some new features including auto-predict.
5
iCloud Drive
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Apple is taking on Dropbox with its own in-Mac cloud drive that you can drag files to on Mac, iOS and Windows.
6
Health
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This is a brand-new app that'll appear on your homescreen. It compiles all your health data from third-party apps and places it into one cohesive picture of your health. For some this will be a game-changer, for others it'll be another app to dump in a folder.
7
Siri 2.0
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Siri has been given a significant overhaul with Shazam integration as standard as well as the ability to purchase iTunes content.
8
Touch ID App Support
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Third-party apps now have access to Touch ID so you can login, authenticate purchases and access your own data using the fingerprint sensor. Of course none of these apps will have access to your fingerprint data as even Apple doesn't.
9
Metal
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You'll never seen Metal, only its effects. Metal is a new software update for developers that should massively change your iPhone's ability to power games. Your iPhone 5 and 5s will reap the most benefit with games looking much better and running much smoother.
10
HomeKit
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This is a slow burner but as you start buying smart home equipment you'll start noticing the difference. Apple has opened up iOS 8 to smart home tech including smart locks and smart garages so you can use iOS 8 to control your home.

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