Apple Allegedly Boycotts German Tech Site Over 'Bendgate' Video

[Shaun o]

I think if you payed over £600 for a mobile, you may expect a few flaws on the OS side that need a a tweak or up date to improve or resolve it, much like the antenna gate problem to do with your holding it wrong to then Apple providing bumpers to help eliminate the flaw in the revision of the I-Phone models that suffered it. It was a design flaw like it or not. In a sense it was the cheapest fix solution for Apple to apply.
With a phone that can Bend, and stay Bent, or flex to such an extent it would only take a few more flexes, before more damage to the device would occur.
What would Apple and there statement be this time. "Your putting it in the wrong pocket" Many people regard Apple as a top quality device well designed, and built justifying it`s price tag. How simply can it be true when your charged more for it but a phone costing less can handle something the new 6 is failing. What ever Apple do, or say they are just making fools of them self. by doing what they have done.
Instead where they should address the problem with a recall of all effected models and rework the phone. If it was any other company I would expect the same to happen, or you loose custom or faith in a product, come net cycle time you may take a big hit, people don`t forget things like this, unless you follow your nose And get convinced or brain washed by a company that pretends it creates quality products, with Cough innovations in design. And there is the point 10 million people the first day it was on sale bought it in a panicky hot sweat without question, the first day it hit retail.

 

[RonaldW40]

This is simply bull shit.
I'm a user of a Samsung Galaxy Grand, not an iPhone, but I have to call BS on the Apple pickers here. There are many phones out there that are more likely to break then the iPhone 6+. I've broken a couple of Motorolas myself, but not intentionally and learned a hard lesson. Oh, and Apple needs to be forthcoming about this? It was not until a couple of idiots started launching the 3 pointed thumb and fingers attack against their iPhones that this became an issue. I saw the video of people at the Apple Stores attempting to bend their newly purchased iPhones. I was hoping the damn things would break, the warranty claim be refused and Apple be successfully defended in court. Why on earth would someone want to deliberately test a high-end electronic device like this is beyond me. I guess that stupidity overcomes people and they reach inside their pockets and start assaulting their phones due to a Youtube video or blog posting. Talk about progrramming!!!! Give it some time and another group of idiots will be testing the iPad against their mate's head in an attempt to determine the amount of force required to shatter the panel. Why don't these ass hats sleep with an Ebola patient in order to test their immune system to see what the bending / breaking point will be? Now that is a test I'd like to see the results of. You ass clowns that put a large screen phone in your back pocket of your tight-ass pants and then flop down in a chair deserve what your phone receives. Maybe a shard or two of glass in your ass will teach you a lesson. Your new car's front bumper is rated to withstand a crash at 15mph minimum. I have a 20 ton concrete barrier at my house for you to rent for your testing? Any ass clowns need one? Sorry for being coarse but my father hounded me terribly during my youth for doing stupid things so that I would not attempt to do them later in life, like bending my iPhone and then having to purchase another to replace it.

 

[rundmcarlson]

Everyone who thinks its overblown needs to stop fanboying. Many of the competitors don't could withstand higher forces, and the note series held up to double the force. The note never even bent, it just snapped the screen at 150lbs, compared to the iphone's 60lb bend limit. People keep bragging about the "build quality" of metal devices, but plastics are just better at dealing with this type of problem, which is why ALL the iphones will bend like this. All the way back to the iphone 3, people have had a minority problem with them bending.

Also, tight jeans have nothing to do with it. I put my note in my back pocket because it won't fit in my front pocket and I expect that it will be fine there because where the hell else can I put it? The 6+ shouldn't be any different. If its that big, it should be able to withstand the force of being in the only pocket it will fit in.

 

[Shin-san]

Removing a publication's early access only shows that they see the publication as a threat.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

This German site is going to be posting a lot of articles that attack Apple I suppose from now on.

 

[house70]

People tend to insert phones head first in their pockets. Result? The fragile section of the iPhone, the button area, is exposed to the natural flex zones of the human body, since the top of the pockets are closer to the waist line and the bottom part of the pocket is closer to the flexing line (hip joint/ gluteal area).
Bottom line is, the phone was fundamentally flawed and no attention was paid to daily use patterns during design. The engineering "solution" found (internal beam) was also wrongly applied, but that only added insult to injury.

 

[anthony8989]

Lol isn't the head phone jack on the bottom of the phone? Kind of forcing any one with a head set plugged in to put their iPhone in their pocket the "wrong way " .

 

[anthony8989]

2x

 

[Neiihn]

I am not saying there isnt a issue with the iPhone but I personally have no problem with Apple banning the publication. Most of these sites get their review units with the understanding they remain respective property of the manufacture. I have seen countless review articles here on Tom's where they stated they could not test something that was later added with a update because their review sample was already sent back. So if that is the case with Apple as well, Apple had a right to be upset and ban them as they did not own the devices they bent. They still belonged to Apple and were on loan.

 

[anthony8989]

Lol I fundamentally disagree. I don't think corporations have any more rights than what is already awarded to them through law. Which is fairly lenient as a matter of fact. When you say Apple has the "right " to be upset, I'm trying to understand why.

When I was about to buy an HTC m7 I watched a few reviews comparing it to the S5. In practically every review there was a test done whereby the reviewer would attempt to contort each phone with his bare hands next to a microphone . This was to illustrate ( mostly through audio) a phone's build quality . Apple iPhone 6 and 6+ would fail that test miserably and I think for that reason reviewers have the actual right to riducle that $700+ device , and in addition we should have the opportunity as consumers to expose ourselves to that critism.

Apple is manipulating the mentioned site - and probably many more.

 

[Solandri]

I can bend any cell phone, I tried this with a couple iphone 3's i had laying around, and they bend too. I can't understand all this BS, its not a brick, it's an effin phone man.

That's why plastic phones are better than metal phones, as I've advocated for years. Most forces a phone experiences aren't constant loads which don't care about deflection (e.g. weight). They're conformation loads - where the forces are great when the phone doesn't conform to a certain shape, but the forces reduce as the phone begins to conform until it eventually reaches zero. Kind of the inverse of how a spring force works. Plastic is more amenable to these types of forces - it will deform to the shape of your pocket thus minimizing the forces on it, then when you pull the phone out, it snaps straight again because of plastic's greater elasticity (how much it can bend without permanently deforming).

A metal phone on the other hand resists bending in your pocket, increasing the forces it experiences. Eventually the forces exceed the metal's yield strength and it suffers plastic (permanent) deformation. Metal is a great material for applications where all the forces are directional and predictable (e.g. the girders of a building). But for a structure which will experience a multitude of forces from different directions, it's a poor material choice. Better to bend like a reed in the wind and snap back, than to staunchly try to resist everything and eventually fail.

I'm a structural engineer. The mistake I see people making is thinking that a material's "strength" is a single property, and that metal is stronger by this measure making it always better than plastic. There are a multitude of different ways to measure material strength. Rigidity, elasticity, yield strength, hardness, toughness, creep, etc. When picking a material, you have to gauge which of these properties are most important for the application. For a phone, I've always felt that plastic's elasticity, toughness (ability to survive repeated flexing), and malleability (affects how well it absorbs energy in a drop) were much more important than any of metal's strengths, making plastic the superior material for a phone.

And the consumer reports test is at the wrong location, and is putting the force on both sides. not considering one side being fixed, or uniform pressure being applied on a curve. It is just a "bend it in the middle" test that isn't even related to the issue... CR just took advantage to get some press

Even if they'd tested it at the right location, the forces they measured would've been deceptively high. They tested the phone as a simply supported beam - supports at both ends, force pushing down in the middle. So the 70 pounds of force they measured to bend an iPhone 6+ is actually double what's needed to bend the phone - basically the left half is providing 35 pounds resistance, the right half 35 pounds resistance (what's actually happening is a lot more complicated, but this is pretty much what it boils down to).

A more realistic test would've been testing the phone as a cantilever. Put one half of the phone in a vice grip (as if your butt were sitting on it), then push down on the dangling end (as if it were wedged against the back of a seat). If they'd done that, they would've measured just 35 pounds of force to bend the phone as I explained above. 35 pounds is easy when you're leaning back on a phone, or even if you sit down with the phone in your front pocket.

Apple made a Mistake in Design . and all people who are ignoring this will regret it after 6 months of use , you will see .

you CANT make the Phone that slim and keep the buttons the same side NEAR EACH OTHERS and made them longer buttons as well , which made the case VERY WEAK in that spot.

Apple did make a design mistake, but it's not having the buttons near each other. If you look closely at some of the bend pics, you'll notice a line in the metal where it bends. This indicates a buckling failure. Basically the metal there was designed to withstand forces in the plane of its thick side (for the sides where the bend occurs, top to bottom and front to back of the phone). The removed metal for the buttons does weaken it, but it's not a fatal flaw.

Under load, the side buckled and bent out (or in, hard to tell from the pics). Once that happens, the forces were no longer were no longer in this plane where the metal was thickest, it was partially in the plane of the thin shell (inside to outside). The thin shell couldn't withstand the force and easily permanently deformed.

If they want to keep the buttons where they are, they just need to strengthen this spot to prevent it from buckling in or out in this manner. i.e. Increase the thickness of the metal as measured from inside to outside near the button cutouts.

 

[afdozerman]

Massive damage control at its finest. Good to see at least *some* people can see through the bullshit.

 

[shahbaz200]

A saw a video comparing iPhone 6 plus and Note 3's bend test. And Note 3 didn't bended at all.

 

[TechieNewbie]

This is anecdotal at best, but everyone I know keeps their phone in a case of some kind. I really want to see what people are saying in a few months when phones have gone through actual real world wear.

I have to be honest, I hate this bendgate stuff. Intentionally applying pressure to a specific point on a product with the intention to break it isn't, in my opinion, an example of "everyday use". Now, if after a few months of people keeping it in their pockets (and especially all the girls I know that keep their phone in their back pockets) the phones turn into Escher pictures, then I would say it's proof positive of a design flaw.

 

[Davil]

Completely characteristic of Apple, they're becoming the new big evil corporation. I'm surprised no one finds it a bit disconcerting that Apple records things from your phone and puts it in a central database. I understand this isn't much different from what google does with searches, but at least you can opt out.

 

[tommyhome]

The issue at hand is not if the phone bends but who puts a phone that costs over 600€ in their pocket?

If someone where to sit on a backpack containing a laptop computer no one would be surprised if the screen got destroyed.

Is it really a criteria for a device with a touch panel to withstand that kind of force?

And, no, I don't even own one single Apple device.

If you're that careless you really should not buy a device that holds design in the highest regard, you really should buy a device that holds durability in the highest regard.

 

[ericburnby]

Everyone is missing the point. This magazine destroyed a device given to them free by Apple to review. They destroyed something that didn't belong to them. The other sites that posted bend videos either posted videos someone ELSE had done, or they bought their own iPhones and did the test with them.

Imagine if a car manufacturer loans a vehicle to Road & Track for testing, and they intentionally smashed it to see how durable it was? You want to smash products, buy your own.

Apple hasn't "banned" or taken any actions on the countless sites that have posted up bend videos. Only computer Bild. There's a reason for that.

 

[Frank Shore]

I suspect in 6 months 10-20% of I-phones will remain bent. There are many reasons for this:

1. The aluminum walls around the phone are too narrow and too thin. There is very little material above or below the elongated buttons. Imagine you created long, wide hole in the side of a 2'x4', how would that effect the strength of the beam. After that hole was made, the beam would have little strength, especially near the holes.

2. The aluminum walls will get much weaker over time for expansion and contraction from heat from the phone being charged. Heating and cooling over time makes aluminum more malleable bendable.

3. Small stresses weaken aluminum over time and make it more malleable/bendable.

4. Apple rounded the ninety-degree walls for aesthetic purposes. Nine-degree corners increase rigidity.

6. The larger the phone, the greater the leverage. The forces on iPhone 6 Plus are much greater than they would be on a smaller phone.

7. Johnathan Ives and the bean counters tried to the make the phone as light, as thin, and as cheap as possible. In doing so, they cut too close to the edge, and did not allow themselves any margin of error. The phone turned out weaker than they expected. Johnathan Ives is an industrial designer, but is he a mechanical and/or materials engineer? Cook is a bean counter. There is no one at the head of Apple able to challenge Ives.

I think Apple will face a class action lawsuit. I think they might have to recall the iPhone Plus or offer a rebate. I think in six months their stock could lose a lot of value. I think this is a huge issue that many people are underplaying because they don't realize who serious it is.

I went to an A&T store and noticed how easy the phone bent. I did not break or damage the phone. As soon as I discovered how easy it flexed, I stopped trying to flex it.

I've been waiting a long time to buy an Apple phablet. Now I am taking a wait and see attitude. This is a huge disappointment for me.

I don't think the talk about this issue will die down. I think it will get much worse with time as more and more iPhones start to bend.

I have never liked the tests performed by Consumer Reports. I think it is run by complete idiots. Amazon.com is the best place to go for product evaluation. Just read the reviews of people who give a product one star, and observe if most complaints are about the same issue, or group of issues. When this happens, you know a product has a defect, or poor quality control.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

@Frank Shore: Great description on everything, I think over time that the phones will be getting weaker and bend.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Oh and yes it bends a lot see this http://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B00NH2VLGK/ref=acr_dpxrating_hist_1?ie=UTF8&filterBy=addOneStar&showViewpoints=0 even the non-plus. There are more 1 star ratings than any.

 

[fnh]

This just reminds me how APC response in tom's finding for the flaw in their product..

compering to this..... (denials, bands,..)
they are to "cocky" to admit their mistake, if there any flaw it either the user fault or people just making it up..

Apple should learn from APC..
(this also reminds me of SB of microsoft, They seems to have same attitude)

APC builds mission-critical dependent appliances.

Apple builds vanity-critical fad appliances.

 

[natoco]

So when the 6s comes out with the side buttons moved or removed is that proof enough.
I finally walked into a phone shop to have a look at the 6 series, Both over in there little corner with no one looking at them, Both bent, both next to the lower volume button, like really? you want me to buy this when its so blatant to see the engineering team that designed those side buttons should go back to high school. Not impressed.

 

[virtualban]

Is this why some sites are favourable of apple, so much as to point who is the applefan journalist? Because of moves like this, influencing journalists?
G0D forbid M$ did the same... oh wait...

 

[rwpritchett]

Everyone is missing the point. This magazine destroyed a device given to them free by Apple to review. They destroyed something that didn't belong to them. The other sites that posted bend videos either posted videos someone ELSE had done, or they bought their own iPhones and did the test with them.

Imagine if a car manufacturer loans a vehicle to Road & Track for testing, and they intentionally smashed it to see how durable it was? You want to smash products, buy your own.

Apple hasn't "banned" or taken any actions on the countless sites that have posted up bend videos. Only computer Bild. There's a reason for that.

You might want to read the article again. Here, let me help you. From the article:

... is this really a design flaw, or is it simply something that's been blown out of proportion? Mind you, Computer Bild claims that it bought the iPhone 6 Plus that it bent – the device was not a press sample.

 

[Solandri]

4. Apple rounded the ninety-degree walls for aesthetic purposes. Nine-degree corners increase rigidity.

That's not strictly true. It depends on the buckling failure modes, which in turn are determined by the dimensions of the product. If the buckled length is not an integer multiple of the product's size along that axis, then the 90-degree corner is stronger. But if it is an integer multiple or close, then the rounded wall is stronger.

OK, that paragraph probably makes no sense unless you're a structural engineer. So here's an example. Here's a pic of a square-shaped (hollow) beam, which is typically used to strengthen the crumple zone for a car.

https://www.metabunk.org/data/MetaMirrorCache/5eaf889111aae5b09b9048769c787995.png

The original beam is on the right. Left is after it's been crushed. The square shape is chosen because the dimensions and 90-degree bends strategically weakens the metal's rigidity, making it vulnerable to buckling failure, causing the sides of the beam to buckle predictably and in the regular pattern as you see on the left. They do this because the more of the material you can bend, the more energy it's absorbing, and the less energy is transferred to the car passengers.

In this case, a cylindrical beam would actually be stronger because it would resist buckling better. Which is why it's not used for crumple zones. Because it's stronger against buckling, it does not fail as predictably, and there's a greater chance it won't absorb as much energy.

If the button cutouts on the iPhone 6 weren't there, the continuous rounded sides would resist buckling and the phone would be a lot stronger. The cutout allows the edge of the remaining metal to buckle in or out (probably out, given the curvature). And once it buckles your design strengths aren't worth a damn because you're now applying stresses against the thinnest part of the metal instead of the thickest.

Everyone is missing the point. This magazine destroyed a device given to them free by Apple to review. They destroyed something that didn't belong to them. The other sites that posted bend videos either posted videos someone ELSE had done, or they bought their own iPhones and did the test with them.

Consumer Reports buys all the products they test from retailers just like you and me. They do not accept freebies from manufacturers. That's the reason they're a subscription service (both their magazine and online). The membership dues are what lets them buy products for testing.

I've already explained in my previous post the mistake in their testing methodology. In a more realistic scenario (phone in back pocket, you sitting on one half, other half pressing against the back of a seat), the phone will bend at just half the loads they measured.

And as others have pointed out, they applied the load to the middle of the phone, instead of where the button cutouts are.