The iPhone 6 plus bends, when carrying it in your front pocket! Permanent bend and OFFICAL iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test (Update from 25.09.2014)

[Builder]

That would be sweet but costly.

I completely agree about plastic I just don't like it on a high end phone.

They did buy the liquimetal people...though if SIM card removal tools are the most effective use of it it seems like quite a waste of a few million bucks.

 

The 5c doesn't feel cheap to me. They could make the strongest phone ever by using an internal steel frame for the antennae as an endoskeleton and then mount something like fiberglass reinforced Makrolon polycarbonate or carbon fiber reinforced ABS (like in Thinkpads) over it. 

[Ashley]

I've maintained that I will give Apple crap when they deserve it, 100%. 

 

The 100 degree MBP? Yea. Fuck that. That was 100% unacceptable. The 17" Pros had unacceptable cooling that seriously harmed component life, especially if you used the MBP like it was meant to be: creating content. 

 

I'm lucky mine lasted 4 years with no issue, but the TIM had gone to hell, the fans were overworked and not powerful enough, and my average temps were a little stupid under idle cause of it. Not anything ANYONE needs to deal with. 

 

But this? WE HAVE NO SCIENTIFIC DATA! We have zilch. We have a bunch of undocumented "tests" and first person claims and no real data. We have no "This happens to 1 in X devices" number. Nothing. WE don't even have force data to see just how weak/strong these are. 

 

We have just as many people saying "This isn't new, this isn't exclusive to Apple, or this is BS" as well. Who is right and wrong? I have no idea. No one does. Anyone saying otherwise is full of shit. I like having data. Raw, workable data to make a point. We don't have that. We have "for the sake of science" nonsense tests. 

 

Its like thinking critically is too much to ask from 99% of this forum. They'd rather blindly hate and stick to stereotypes and be closed minded. Why? Instant gratification. Now most of these guys will whack off to the idea that Linus will talk about how poorly built the iPhone is on the next WAN Show because this is now a popular thread. There, thats the motivation these days to post anything; get attention and not give a shit about WHAT is being discussed; just as long as something gets discussed. 

I was just about to leave the thread before I saw @ShadowCaptain quote you, so I found your post.

 

I whole heartedly agree that we need some actual scientific tests. The first thing that comes to mind for me is the HTC One M8.

 

Also this hate on Apple bandwagon is getting OLD. Like you said if Apple deserves hate on something then that's fine, I had a MBP once and it felt a lot warmer than my higher speced Windows laptop I got a few years later. The Apple haters say they are brainwashed and don't think, but I would encourage those commenters to pause a moment and reflect on themselves and their bee-lined conclusion.

[Zeke]

The 5c doesn't feel cheap to me. They could make the strongest phone ever by using an internal steel frame for the antennae as an endoskeleton and then mount something like fiberglass reinforced Makrolon polycarbonate or carbon fiber reinforced ABS (like in Thinkpads) over it. 

If it had thickness and design of 5C with a size of 6 - that'd be awesome, and you could probably fit in a larger battery.

[Legion]

They did buy the liquimetal people...though if SIM card removal tools are the most effective use of it it seems like quite a waste of a few million bucks.

 

The 5c doesn't feel cheap to me. They could make the strongest phone ever by using an internal steel frame for the antennae as an endoskeleton and then mount something like fiberglass reinforced Makrolon polycarbonate or carbon fiber reinforced ABS (like in Thinkpads) over it. 

 

I've used my sisters and I can't say I like it all though I hold my hands up and say I've started to get a bias against plastic phones which might have originally distorted my view.

Although I will admit the 5c certainly felt more durable than a s4 but that could be because its a unibody design something again I've become more in love with as time goes on.

[ZombieMan762]

Im an iPhone fan but I think their obsession with the ever thinner device is at the point of heavily diminishing returns. Not only is the camera now sticking out, but at least the 6 Plus seems to be fairly fragile. I have a regular 6, and it lives in my front pockets just like all my other phones have. 

 

 

Also, just pointing out to be fair, people were bending the 5/5S phones as well. Some people can't help but to sit on their phones which puts quite a bit of pressure on them. This guy that posted the first few pictures of his bent 6 Plus said it was in his front pocket but that he was at a wedding dancing for hours, and with a large phone like that I could see his pants putting pressure on it quite a bit, and repeatedly. Not really an excuse, but just an explanation for one of Apple's weaker designs getting bent under those circumstances. I won't be dancing around for hours with my phone in my pocket nor sitting on it. 

[Builder]

If it had thickness and design of 5C with a size of 6 - that'd be awesome, and you could probably fit in a larger battery.

I know.

 

I personally think the 5c surpasses the 4/s in terms of design. That thing is rock solid. It doesn't even feel like plastic, more like ceramic. It's so clever, too. Make a steel frame that you can use as the antenna as well, then put a polycarbonate unibody over that. Smooth as butter and strong as steel. Maybe with the iPhone 7.

 

This is surely a problem that will be fixed with the 6s and I wouldn't be surprised if we get a statement or even a recall from Apple over it. This is like the hardware version of the Maps "disaster." (quotation marks because like this it was largely overblown)

[SuperfastJellyfish]

The iPhones have had nearly identical front profiles for seven years now: straight edges, rounded corners.

They gave up on four inches being the sweetspot because the world moved on. There are still many Apple users who prefer the smaller screen, and the 6 (non-plus) is a very similar size to the 5s which can also still be purchased. The Mac Pro is a total Apple product, integrate your system and use that advantage to do something that hadn't been seen before.

It's completely preposterous that a (2-cell?) phone battery would explode from bending. It simply doesn't work like that!

Also I'm not sure what you mean by an obvious weak point. Legitimately not sure.

Look at the side of the device. The material that runs along the edge of the phone provides lateral stiffness. At the point where there is a hole in the shell for the volume rocker, there is less material, we go less strength. Videos and photos show the phone bending at this very spot.

If a car's chassis has a weak point that bends a little more every time the car goes over a speed bump, it's and engineering failure. Don't be willingly ignorant. Stop defending a flawed device so blindly, you're just pandering to the Apple fan boy stereotype.

[Builder]

Stop defending a flawed device so blindly, you're just pandering to the Apple fan boy stereotype.

1. It's not clear that this is any more flawed than any other phone, as we have no scientific data on how it occurs nor on how often or among what other manufacturers it's common.

 

2. I'm not blindly defending it, I've said it's disappointing and have mentioned ways they could and SHOULD fix it.

[SuperfastJellyfish]

1. It's not clear that this is any more flawed than any other phone, as we have no scientific data on how it occurs nor on how often or among what other manufacturers it's common.

2. I'm not blindly defending it, I've said it's disappointing and have mentioned ways they could and SHOULD fix it.

See edit where I explain it.

[Builder]

See edit where I explain it.

I know what you mean. However it still shouldn't be that bad simply because of that because the other side is solid, isn't it?

Oh wait, does the volume rocker line up with the base of power button? If it does, that's truly shameful.

[ZombieMan762]

I know what you mean. However it still shouldn't be that bad simply because of that because the other side is solid, isn't it?

Oh wait, does the volume rocker line up with the base of power button? If it does, that's truly shameful.

 

 

The volume buttons have a recessed cutout. The power button does not. On my 6 the power button lines up most closely with the volume up button not the volume down button.

 

In any case any cutout in the frame is going to be weaker than the surrounding material which is solid. 

 

Looking at one of the bent phones I don't see how thats possible in a pocket. Its bent around 1 1/2 inches from the top of the phone, and at a pretty severe angle. Unless it was in a pocket, and the guy fell on the edge of a steel bench, that isn't going to happen with anywhere near normal use. 

 

The couple other ones, which have a more slight bend, I could see someone sitting on them. I doubt very many electronic devices that are 7MM thick can take the pressure of a grown adult putting their weight down on them for that long. Some may be better than others, but I would never deliberately sit on a phone. Thinner, and quite a bit larger, means they are going to be more prone to bending. Debatable if thats a good design decision or not. Theres going to be a majority of people that use them for a long time and never manage to bend them.

 

With the way Apple works, and this being a new design, they will probably incorporate fixes into the design process. There were already articles before the phone launched that they have a group of people to identify issue, and they engineer in fixes in later production runs. Maybe they did test, and found the failure rate acceptable. But this being the internet age, a handful of bent phones suddenly becomes a PR nightmare for them, and people will run with the theme of them being weak devices without a shred of scientific testing.

[Builder]

With the way Apple works, and this being a new design, they will probably incorporate fixes into the design process. There were already articles before the phone launched that they have a group of people to identify issue, and they engineer in fixes in later production runs. Maybe they did test, and found the failure rate acceptable. But this being the internet age, a handful of bent phones suddenly becomes a PR nightmare for them, and people will run with the theme of them being weak devices without a shred of scientific testing.

You certainly bring a breath of fresh reason to this debate. For that, I thank you. 

 

However this does seem slightly deplorable given their nearly flawless previous track record with build quality. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.

[scaryjam823]

 

Oh,also this :

Fucking....Awesome.... B)

[lttiscancer]

Even as an apple fan their solution would be so easy and make people so much happier. Keep the thickness the same and give people the larger battery they wanted with better structural integrity. I've held the new iPhone and without a case it is a nightmare with how uncomfortably small it is. And this coming from someone with typical girl hands

You certainly bring a breath of fresh reason to this debate. For that, I thank you.

However this does seem slightly deplorable given their nearly flawless previous track record with build quality. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.

[79wjd]

Even as an apple fan their solution would be so easy and make people so much happier. Keep the thickness the same and give people the larger battery they wanted with better structural integrity. I've held the new iPhone and without a case it is a nightmare with how uncomfortably small it is. And this coming from someone with typical girl hands

ive actually heard it to be the other way around from quite a few people---the iPhone 6 is actually more comfortable than its competition because it's extra thinness makes it more comfortable to hold.

[ZombieMan762]

You certainly bring a breath of fresh reason to this debate. For that, I thank you.

However this does seem slightly deplorable given their nearly flawless previous track record with build quality. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.

The same thing happened with the 5 and 5S. And some before that. Bendgate isn't a new term.

And I think there's a good chance the 6 and 6 Plus are likely easier to bend. They are thinner, and taller which all else being equal means they are easier to bend. That is a scientific fact with a lever. The longer the lever the more force can be applied at the fulcrum.

The debatable part is if Apple made these strong enough to survive daily use or if these are just edge cases of people not being careful enough. I've personally never considered iPhones or other flagships as the epitome of durability. There's other ruggedized devices if people want to sit on their phone or generally treat their stuff like crap. I've rarely used even a case, and the most I've ever damaged an iPhone from the 3G to the 6 is a couple nicks on the edge.

[Builder]

The debatable part is if Apple made these strong enough to survive daily use or if these are just edge cases of people not being careful enough. I've personally never considered iPhones or other flagships as the epitome of durability. There's other ruggedized devices if people want to sit on their phone or generally treat their stuff like crap. I've rarely used even a case, and the most I've ever damaged an iPhone from the 3G to the 6 is a couple nicks on the edge.

Well in my opinion durability is the one place where "good enough" is actually good enough.

 

Especially given that I horribly abuse my 5s and it's not bent at all...I drop it at least five times a week on to a hard surface.

 

Jobs must have sent a guardian angel to watch over my phone and break its fall...I don't remember paying for AppleCare though. Quite a service if that's actually what's happening to me.

[rashdanml]

The debatable part is if Apple made these strong enough to survive daily use or if these are just edge cases of people not being careful enough. I've personally never considered iPhones or other flagships as the epitome of durability. There's other ruggedized devices if people want to sit on their phone or generally treat their stuff like crap. I've rarely used even a case, and the most I've ever damaged an iPhone from the 3G to the 6 is a couple nicks on the edge.

Material choice has a lot to do with it too. Aluminum is thin and light, but very easy to bend, even if it goes through plastic deformation to strengthen it, which it probably does in the process of machining the unibody. 

Plastic, on the other hand, is more resistant to bending, but a lot closer to shattering depending on the force applied. 

[LAwLz]

I have to say I am disappointed in Apple if it turns out to be a widespread issue. Jony seems to have mailed this one in while he was working on the Watch. Bad Jony, bad Jony!

 

Only one of those involved a cup holder, most of them were front pocket deformities just like these.

 

I do however think it's time for Apple to get off their aluminum kick at least with smartphones and switch to something more suited to smaller devices, with higher torsional rigidity. Maybe magnesium? Liquidmetal? Plastic just seems cheap to me, at least in most of the ways it's done.

 

I'd love to see them switch to the 5c design with an internal steel frame and polycarbonate outer layer. Bend that, bitches!

If you can find one, check out the Motorola Razr. Aluminum frame and Kevlar back. I think it feels very premium.

Would magnesium be better than aluminum though? I mean, the Surface already has magnesium chassis so it's obviously possible to mass manufacturer it, but is it stronger than aluminum without any major drawbacks?

 

 

On a side note, Samsung has been making the internal support structure in their phones out of magnesium for quite some time now (ever since the Galaxy S 1 I believe).

[bob345]

 

samsung note 3 is apparently stronger

[LAwLz]

<video>

 

samsung note 3 is apparently stronger

Not stronger, but less malleable.

[sof006]

Looks as if more people are discovering that their iPhones are bending. http://m.uk.ign.com/articles/2014/09/23/report-keeping-an-iphone-6-in-pocket-may-cause-warping

[Accursed Entity]

Not stronger, but less malleable.

 

Stronger or less malleable... whatever, the thing does better than the iPhone and that was his point.

[Victorious Secret]

Looks as if more people are discovering that their iPhones are bending. http://m.uk.ign.com/articles/2014/09/23/report-keeping-an-iphone-6-in-pocket-may-cause-warping

 

And this is why the internet mob mentality can be a very bad thing. 

 

WE HAVE NO CONCRETE PROOF! 

We have reports. Combined with logical deductions like @LAwLz mentioned with respect to how aluminium responds to stress forces. What we don't have is solid numbers or reproducible events in controlled settings to actually say one way or the other. 

 

And now everyone keeps spreading the FUD as if its been categorized as a fact and so the cycle continues. 

 

And shit, if my 6+ is supposed to bend when in my pocket, it certainly missed that memo since its still as straight as the day it came out of the box. 

[IdortMasterRace]

How embarrassing.

 

Apple shills will defend this.