The 6 series of the iPhone has undergone five stress tests and endured hundreds of instances of applied pressure from just about every angle, making the nine or so cases of bent iPhone 6 handsets overblown, Apple told the Wall Street Journal.
Pictures and videos of bent iPhone 6 handsets became a source of worry for many Apple fans early this week and yielded a fresh stock of laughs for rivals like LG, who seized on the opportunity to remind consumers its Gflex smartphone was born to be flexible.
The contorted iPhones were said to have bent backwards a few degrees after having been stored in the front pockets of pants for hours. Some consumers began to wonder if Apple's warranty programs would cover such incidental damage, but all an Apple spokeswoman could say to assure users was that Apple was taking a hard look at the claims and local Geniuses at Apple retail stores would determine if a bent phone would qualify for replacement.
Apple has finally opened the doors of its war room and dubbed the bent phones as being extremely rare. It says it has only fielded nine complaints about bent phones since the smartphones launched Sept. 9
Each new iPhone design goes through a "sit test" and a "pressure point cycling test," Apple said. During the sit test, the iPhones are run through thousands of cycles that emulate the pressure a handset would encounter when tucked into tight back pockets of a person sitting on a hard surface.
The iPhones' enclosures and display undergo hundreds of cycles of significant amounts of force during the pressure point cycling test.
Offering further assurance that its latest smartphones can hold up against the stresses of everyday life, Apple said the iPhone 6 is made from a custom grade of tempered aluminum. Their innards and areas vulnerable to high stress are supported by steel and titanium inserts.
Apple's claims that its latest smartphones are exceptionally sound in build are supported by SquareTrade, a provider of extended warranties.
"The new series of iPhones performed above expectations, scoring higher than both previous iPhone models and popular Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5," stated SquareTrade. "The iPhone 6's Breakability Score of 4 sets a new high mark with a slightly better performance than even Google/Motorola's Moto X and the HTC One. "
SquareTrade said the iPhone 6 Plus received a score of 5, which is a full point higher than the rating it gave the Samsung Galaxy S5. SquareTrade said the Plus' rating indicated that is "the most durable phone with a screen larger than five inches."
