Apple said that it will be replacing faulty iPhone 6 Plus units that have bent while in the pockets of customers amid #bendgate complaints.
The hashtag #bendgate exploded on Twitter after owners of the larger version of Apple's iPhone 6 complained on social media about the way that the device bends when placed under pressure, such as when sitting down for a long period of time with the device in the user's jeans pocket.
The users said that the device remains operational. However, a slight bend is formed right in the middle or near the top of the iPhone 6 Plus.
The large size of the iPhone 6 Plus due to its 5.5-inch screen, along with its thin aluminum frame, are said to contribute to the bending problem. The relatively smaller iPhone 6, however, looks to be unaffected by the defect.
According to The Next Web, in an online chat with a support desk representative of Apple, a bent iPhone 6 Plus can be replaced for free if the device passes the visual inspection that it will undergo when taken to an Apple store. Genius Bar employees will put the device through what Apple calls a Visual Mechanical Inspection to decide if the warranty of the iPhone 6 Plus covers the issue.
This inspection would check if the bending that happened on a user's iPhone 6 Plus was accidental, such as when it was simply placed in a user's pocket. However, if it is determined that the user bent the device on purpose, that would classify as tampering and the warranty of the device would not be honored.
The support desk representative also said that Apple is looking into the issue "with an insane amount of detail," which points to the fact that Apple is taking #bendgate seriously and trying to come up with a solution to the defect.
Apple is focusing on the problem as it has severe marketing implications to the device, with rival companies and other brands already releasing advertisements and pictures that make fun of the iPhone 6 Plus defect.
"With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus," said Apple in a statement, showing that the issue may not be that widespread at all, once you take out all the users that are trying to bend their devices on purpose.
