Just a few days after Apple launched the highly anticipated iPhone 6, the company already received customer complaints that the handsets bent after being placed in their pockets. As a way to properly identify the issue, some people have concocted the term "Bendgate" to refer to the warping of the iPhone 6 inside pockets.
In social media, one dissatisfied owner of the new iPhone 6 Plus talked about how his large handset unexpectedly bends when he places the device in his pocket. Dubbed as #bendgate on Twitter, the iPhone bending case was brought up by iPhone 6 users who reported that their devices have formed a slight bend in the middle or at the top. Despite the deformity, the handset remained operational. Some of the complaints mentioned that the bends formed when the handset was placed under pressure. One example is when the user sits down for a certain length of time while he keeps his device inside his pocket.
While most of the cases seem isolated and the standard iPhone 6 is unlikely to have this flaw in design, the larger iPhone 6 Plus with the 5.5-inch screen coupled with its thin aluminum frame seems to bear the bending dilemma.
It should be noted that the iPhone 6 is wrapped in a deceptively thin metal shell, which can be permanently deformed as long as there is too much force applied. In other words, the iPhone 6 can be bent.
Other Apple devices such as the iPhone 5 and 5s also bend. These handsets, together with the latest iPhone 6, are made out of precisely manufactured aluminum. In general, metals such as aluminum possess a certain level of ductility; they are pliable instead of brittle.
Representatives from Apple's support desk said that they can replace the bent iPhones after they had passed a visual inspection. Employees from the Genius Bar will have to place the handset through the "Visual Mechanical Inspection" test before they can decide that the issue can be covered by the warranty. In the case of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus warranty coverage, they reiterated that the handsets must pass the visual inspection.
"There is a test called a Visual Mechanical Inspection that the device will have to pass. If it is within the guidelines, they will be able to cover it. If not, the replacement would be a paid one," the support desk representatives said.
If damage to the handset happened after it was placed in the user's back pocket, he may be given a replacement. Of course, tampering the smartphone on purpose will not earn any eligibility.
