Potential reason for the bending issues of the iPhone 6 Plus

[ZeroBreaker]

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-iphone-6-plus-bends-2014-9

 

'It’s just that under a particular type of flexing, the phone is prone to bend mainly because a metal insert meant to reinforce instead spins in an axis too close to the critical point. If they were further apart allowing better support to counter the flexing and not spinning, it would make it more resistant.'

 

Potentially, this is may be a reason why the iPhone 6 Plus has been bending, simply an issue of internal design and not inherent aluminium / thickness weakness (although they undoubtedly contribute).

 

Some images here:

 

 

 

What do you guys think? Anyone well-versed in this area got any thoughts?
 

EDIT: From Gizmodo (i know, i'm killing myself as this is typed):

 

'Update: We asked industrial designer Don Lehman to take a look at the explanation and respond. "It makes total sense," he says. "If you look where the creasing happens in the aluminum, it makes sense because it's directly next to a very rigid bolt." He also points out that this has only happened to a minuscule fraction of users, and it's unlikely that the design will change. "If we opened up a 6 Plus a few months from now, would it be the same? My guess is yes." '

 

 

Personal opinion, for what it's worth:

 

This makes way too much sense not to be relevant. May be down to bad scaling by apple, or simply may have been overlooked.

 

Apple have still not given a reason for the bending, only told us how many cases they are aware of and how they test. The fact they aren't telling us what is causing the issues (unlike antennaegate where the cause was well publicised and acknowledged) says to me that a structural design issue is to blame.

 

also first 'news post' and maybe even my first topic so criticism is much appreciated

[othertomperson]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

[Nomelas]

To make the phone thin, they omitted a strong and sturdy chassis. If they included one, the phone would be much less susceptible to bending. The aluminum uni-body just means it wont bend back

[TheMcSame]

TL;DR

 

It's because the phone doesn't have a magnesium alloy chassis like (basically) every other smartphone.

[Nomelas]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

that's only 9 as reported by apple, on the first day after sales... There's expected to be much much more. Wait a few months and see how many more....

[ZeroBreaker]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

 

As mentioned in first post, we need to determine cause and if it is a structural issue, then that means that number is going to get much bigger soon. It's not quite that simple.

[Jobbe03]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

Does nobody remember that the phone has only been out for a week? 

 

It's also reported by Apple, the most biased company in this entire scenario.

 

Statistics are great, but phones have whats called wear and tear, Give it 2-3 months.

[helping]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

Do you seriously think that number is accurate?

 

The irony of crying statistics.

[jaggysnake57]

in b4 builder starts ranting about how this is bullshit and iphone has no problems

 

on a side note my brother in laws 6 has an issue where turning the phone on its side doesn't trigger photos and videos to go into landscape....anyone else?

[Damikiller37]

As ridiculous as this whole situation is I would imagine that other companies will now make sure that their phones are built better so that they won't get as much publicity as the whole #bendgate fiasco with the new iPhones.

[othertomperson]

Do you seriously think that number is accurate?

 

It's accurate until we have any evidence to the contrary. At the moment it's the only statistic we have.

 

Does nobody remember that the phone has only been out for a week? 

 

It's also reported by Apple, the most biased company in this entire scenario.

 

Statistics are great, but phones have whats called wear and tear, Give it 2-3 months.

 

Statistics aren't "great", they're how we measure fact. Until the statistics agree with your claim, it is false.

 

 

As mentioned in first post, we need to determine cause and if it is a structural issue, then that means that number is going to get much bigger soon. It's not quite that simple.

 

No, before we determine a "cause" we need to have an effect first. How can we decide why phones are bending if we have no evidence that they are bending?

 

that's only 9 as reported by apple, on the first day after sales... There's expected to be much much more. Wait a few months and see how many more....

 

It doesn't matter how long it takes to reach a 0.0005625% fail rate, it's not significant. You say "many more". How do you decide "many more" with numbers that small? Twice as many? A hundred times? A thousand?

 

For context, ASUS motherboards have an average fail rate of 2.49%¹. That means an ASUS motherboard is 4427 times as likely (on average) to get to you DOA than your iPhone 6 is to bend. I haven't seen the statistics for iPhones just flat out not working when you get them, but it's going to absolutely DWARF this number.

 

Maybe new evidence will come to light and will adjust this. Until that happens you're being a knitting circle talking about shit you know nothing about.

 

1: http://www.guru3d.com/news-story/list-of-hardware-failure-rates.html

[ZeroBreaker]

 

No, before we determine a "cause" we need to have an effect first. How can we decide why phones are bending if we have no evidence that they are bending?

 

 

...

Unbox Therapy videos show bending (one in street in one take)

Apple confirms bending themselves by saying 9 cases (low enough to be ignorable, high enough to be plausible)

 

In the current housing markets, i guess rocks must be an option for some, but I would advise against it, you tend to be kept out of the loop if you know what i'm sayin

[Misanthrope]

For context, ASUS motherboards have an average fail rate of 2.49%¹. That means an ASUS motherboard is 4427 times as likely (on average) to get to you DOA than your iPhone 6 is to bend. I haven't seen the statistics for iPhones just flat out not working when you get them, but it's going to absolutely DWARF this number.

 

So you're taking historical data from Asus and comparing it to data from Apple that is in the fucking future since the thing just barely launched and this happened days ago? Bravo.

[Umair]

It's the skinny jeans, I tell you. Just wear some proper clothing and you won't have to worry about it.

And, typically speaking, how many iPhone users wear skinny jeans or similarly tight clothing?  The answer would easily be a worryingly high amount.

 

If skinny jeans can bend phones, imagine what they would do to a man's... manliness...

[Guest]

And, typically speaking, how many iPhone users wear skinny jeans or similarly tight clothing?  The answer would easily be a worryingly high amount.

 

If skinny jeans can bend phones, imagine what they would do to a man's... manliness...

 

It was a joke, I was getting at the "typical" iPhone user being a hipster in skinny jeans. Oh well.... That said, easily bendable phone + tight jeans = bent phone. Easily bendable phone + normal clothing = reduced chance of bending your phone. Makes sense, doesn't it?

[Matsy]

How is it remotely possible out of the millions of iphone6s that unbox therapy got of one of the 9 in millions that bends

 

 

You can't trust that figure.

[Nomelas]

For context, ASUS motherboards have an average fail rate of 2.49%¹. That means an ASUS motherboard is 4427 times as likely (on average) to get to you DOA than your iPhone 6 is to bend. I haven't seen the statistics for iPhones just flat out not working when you get them, but it's going to absolutely DWARF this number.

DOA has a different statistical merit than instability. You can't factor it the same way since it's something that will happen over time versus instantaneously after purchase. but if you want to talk statistics, if 9 bend in the first week (or less? not sure how long between launch and those 9 reports, it thought it was only 24 hours) then you can only assume that another 9 would bend in the next week, and each week after that. But that would be crazy to assume that no? You wont be able to build accurate statistical values until months later... maybe even a year. Your comparison is horrible and invalid.

[othertomperson]

So you're taking historical data from Asus and comparing it to data from Apple that is in the fucking future since the thing just barely launched and this happened days ago? Bravo.

 

I didn't compare, I gave context for how small the numbers we're talking about are.

 

And actually the iPhone statistics are, for the moment, more reliable than the ASUS ones. Because the ASUS came from a sample of "at least 500" which is pretty small really, whereas the iPhone statistics come from 9 RMA claims when 16 000 000 units had been sold.

[Nomelas]

How is it remotely possible out of the millions of iphone6s that unbox therapy got of one of the 9 in millions that bends

You can't trust that figure.

2* he bent 2 of them.

I didn't compare, I gave context for how small the numbers we're talking about are.

And actually the iPhone statistics are, for the moment, more reliable than the ASUS ones. Because the ASUS came from a sample of "at least 500" which is pretty small really, whereas the iPhone statistics come from 9 RMA claims when 16 000 000 units had been sold.

that's 9 RMA claims in the first week strictly for one specific thing, vs the many possible reasons for DOA ASUS boards. again, not an accurate comparison.

[helping]

It's accurate until we have any evidence to the contrary. At the moment it's the only statistic we have.

that's not how it works.

 

I might as well release a statement that OP has 47 hairs on his scrotum, and we can say that's accurate until we ahve evidence to the contrary, at the moment it's the only statistic we have.

 

that's 9 RMA claims in the first week strictly for one specific thing, vs the many possible reasons for DOA ASUS boards. again, not an accurate comparison.

that also relies on the people who have a bent phone actually realizing it, reporting it, and then having that documented.

 

Holding the figure of 9 bent claims to be accurate is frankly damn near comical to the point I can't even entertain and elaborate how moronic that is.

[DigitalHermit]

It's going to take more than 9 occurrences out of how many million sold to convince me that the iPhone 6 has a bending problem. Does nobody Statistics anymore?

 

Umm yeah... A design flaw in a product that sold 50 million units and counting with each unit undergoing a unique set of operational environents would most likely yield to a sizeable number of affected units...

 

The first 9 (as reported by Apple... There are likely unreported incidences too...) are just the first casualties of the problem...

[ZeroBreaker]

that's not how it works.

 

I might as well release a statement that OP has 47 hairs on his scrotum, and we can say that's accurate until we ahve evidence to the contrary, at the moment it's the only statistic we have.

 

who are you and how did you get this information

[othertomperson]

 

that's not how it works.

 

I might as well release a statement that OP has 47 hairs on his scrotum, and we can say that's accurate until we ahve evidence to the contrary, at the moment it's the only statistic we have.

 

Except Apple are actually in a position to release data at all, and you are not.

 

And I think what you guys are doing is worse.

 

"There's a rumour going round that [thing]. Company disputed it, said data is [this]. I don't like them though so I'm going to make it up and claim that it's an epidemic when we don't have any statistics that point to that right now."

 

that's 9 RMA claims in the first week strictly for one specific thing, vs the many possible reasons for DOA ASUS boards. again, not an accurate comparison.

 

I didn't compare, I gave context for how small the numbers we're talking about are.

 

Not going to bother retyping answers to things I've already covered. Life's too short.

 

People clearly have trouble conceptualising small numbers, so I thought by showing that 2% was about 4500 times bigger than this would help. Apparently not.

 

 

Umm yeah... A design flaw in a product that sold 50 million units and counting with each unit undergoing a unique set of operational environents would most likely yield to a sizeable number of affected units...

 

The first 9 (as reported by Apple... There are likely unreported incidences too...) are just the first casualties of the problem...

 

Oh, sorry I didn't realise you were a fortune teller. The rest of us can only judge by what evidence there is right now.

[Misanthrope]

I didn't compare, I gave context for how small the numbers we're talking about are.

 

And actually the iPhone statistics are, for the moment, more reliable than the ASUS ones. Because the ASUS came from a sample of "at least 500" which is pretty small really, whereas the iPhone statistics come from 9 RMA claims when 16 000 000 units had been sold.

 

Historical sample, not a new product with barely any time for it to fail. You are the only one failing with that analogy.

 

Don't get me wrong I do think this is being blown out of proportion by Apple's competitors, but it's way too early to tell if there's a serious design flaw or not.

[othertomperson]

Historical sample, not a new product with barely any time for it to fail. You are the only one failing with that analogy.

 

Don't get me wrong I do think this is being blown out of proportion by Apple's competitors, but it's way too early to tell if there's a serious design flaw or not.

 

Not going to answer the first point again, see the post immediately before your last.

 

And like I said before, right now we don't have enough evidence to say that there is a problem. I'll change my position if evidence suggesting that there is comes to light. Why are we arguing about this?

 

Like some people in this thread are saying "well there's only 9 now but there's GOING to be more." You can't make that assumption. You can't assume that if there are more there's going to be at an increased rate. All you can say is that out of 16 000 000 units sold, we know that 9 have bent. Maybe you're right. Maybe there will be more. But there is no evidence to say that it will. And until there is it's purely speculation.