Mikey Campbell
Adding its voice to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus "Bendgate" debate, Consumer Reports on Friday released results of a scientific test showing the handsets may not be as "bendy" as some claim.
For its assessment, Consumer Reports put the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as a few other popular devices, through a "three-point flexural test" using a precision compression testing rig. The process involves a machine that exerts measured force across the back of a device as it is propped up on two ends with static supports.
Along with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the publication tested the last-generation iPhone 5, LG G3, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One (M8) for comparison. According to the results, the iPhone 6 is actually less durable than the larger iPhone 6 Plus, an unexpected outcome considering media reports over the past few days concentrated specifically on the 5.5-inch iPhone.
Looking at the numbers, the iPhone 6 showed signs of deformation (bending) at 70 pounds of force, compared to 90 pounds for the iPhone 6 Plus. Complete screen separation occurred at 100 pounds for the iPhone 6, while the 6 Plus made it to 110 pounds before breaking.
The most resilient device tested was the plastic-backed Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, which bounced back from stepped stress tests until the screen finally shattered at 150 pounds of pressure. Following the Galaxy Note was Apple's last-generation iPhone 5, which took 130 pounds to bend and 150 pounds to break. LG's G3 shared characteristics with the Note 3, returning to an unbent state after each successive test, but succumbed to breakage at 130 pounds.
The HTC One, considered by many to be a sturdy large-screened device, faired the worst with signs of deformation at 60 pounds of force, followed by case separation a 90 pounds.
Apple highlighted an identical three-point test to reporters during a tour of its stress testing facility on Thursday, saying the latest iPhones could withstand at least 25 kilograms (about 55 pounds) of force. Consumer Reports says that amount of force is enough to break three wooden pencils.
Earlier this week, new iPhone 6 Plus owners began to complain of bending, claiming the phablet flexes to the point of bending under seemingly normal circumstances like sitting down with the device in a front pants pocket. Apple quickly responded by saying it had received only nine complaints from customers regarding the issue.
As Apple SVP of Hardware Engineering Dan Riccio said during yesterday's media tour, "The bottom line is that if you use enough force to bend an iPhone, or any phone, it's going to deform."
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
254 Comments
Take that biatches!
I slightly pity, but mostly laugh at anybody who was so naive as to fall for the completely bogus and fabricated 'bendgate' story.
What ever happened to critical thinking and common sense? Whatever happened to waiting for real evidence to emerge, and not relying on extremely anecdotal and questionable evidence, which came in the form of one anonymous forum post and one shitty youtube video? I sure wouldn't want any of the sorry suckers who fell for this story to be sitting on the jury, if I happened to be on trial.
The people who were duped by 'bendgate' would feel right at home in 1692 Massachusetts, savagely killing completely innocent people in the most barbaric fashion available during the Salem witch trials. When you take stupidity and combine it with mass hysteria and viral videos, you get 'bendgate'.
This dumb ass generation of Youtube ignoramuses and uneducated slackers will believe and fall for practically anything. Mankind is surely doomed. How many millions of hits did that piece of junk, amateurish video get again?
And the grimy dumbasses just kept piling on, emerging from under their damp and cold rocks, thinking that they're cute, posting fake photoshopped pictures of bent iPhones everywhere. And once again, we saw all sorts of despicable media outlets helping to broadcast and spread this lie, simply because Apple was involved. I wonder when they will offer their retractions? I wouldn't hold my breath for that.
We got the first confirmation that 'bendgate' was a lie from Apple itself, when they invited the media to tour their test facilities, where they showed how thousands of devices get tested in their state of the art lab. And now we finally have independent confirmation from Consumer Reports, which has also conducted tests in their own lab.
This whole 'bendgate' myth has now officially been busted!
A few morons and Apple haters like to call Apple fans sheep, but let me tell you, the real sheep are the people who were duped by 'bendgate' and those foolish individuals who actually believed it. They're like a herd of animals who would follow a stampede right off of a cliff, to their miserable and lousy deaths, simply because that's what everybody else was doing.
Consumer Reports…
Don’t care. Even a dead squirrel can point north occasionally.
Or however that goes.
The one thing with this 3-point stress test (similar to Apple's) is the fulcrum is spread along the width of the iPhone. These "bendgate" videos had to have the user's thumb offset from the middle and lined up with the volume control opening. The user then applied the large amount of pressure. Although I believe that the iPhone 6+ would bend in these circumstances, I also believe that these circumstances have to be carefully recreated and are not even close to how the phone is used in real life usage. In a couple weeks, we'll hear about "hammergate" how the iPhone actually broke when struck by a sledgehammer.....because you know....hitting your iPhone with a sledgehammer is normal usage.
You don't say... That's what I've been saying all along... I must be so god damn genius ;-).
Nah, not a genius. Just don't take my news from Youtube or buy my fresh food from the trunk of a car carrying manure.. Common sense.
Don’t care. Even a dead squirrel can point north occasionally.
Or however that goes.
So, by the same token, a Youtube video can tell you north is south and you'll believe it? Because, well why would someone who eventually got 30M+ hits out of it, and much money ... lie? Completely unthinkable. Compared to that guy, consumer report is the height of science and sophistication.