Apple hasn’t said much since reports started trickling in that the iPhone 6 Plus is subject to bending if you apply enough pressure, but today the company took to the Wall Street Journal and CNBC to defend itself. According to the Cupertino company itself, the issue isn’t as bad as people have made it out to be. Indeed, it claims that only nine people have complained out of the millions that bought the device.
In a statement to Cnet, the company emphasized the iPhone are “designed, engineered, and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy,” The company also gave specifics as to design.
Source: Slim Jim
“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,” the statement read. “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.”
Although a few reports of bent iPhone 6 Plus units were floating around on Instagram and Twitter throughout last week, the news gained momentum after Lewis Hilsenteger of YouTube’s Unbox Therapy posted a video showing him bending the phone with his hands. Hilsenteger claimed he could see a slight bend in his phone before he produced the video, but it took a significant amount of force for him to bend the back panel with his thumbs. With his unit, at least, the phone seemed weakest below the volume buttons.
The Next Web also reports that Apple will replace affected phones as long as they pass a visual inspection.
“That is 100% up to the Genius that you speak with at the store. There is a test called a Visual Mechanical Inspection that the device will have to pass,” an Apple representative replied to the site.”If it is within the guidelines, they will be abel [sic] to cover it. If not, the replacement would be paid.” Apple is also said to be looking into the issue “with an insane amount of detail.”
It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out; after all, it’s a little too late for Apple to go back and redesign the shell. In the meantime, Apple’s competitors are having a field day with the issue. Cult of Mac has a good collection of the jokes that companies such as Samsung, Slim Jim, and, yes, even Coca-Cola and Heineken have come up with.
Follow this article’s writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.
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