
Bent iPhone claims put Apple under pressure to respond - HarveyKandola
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-29331349
======
jrochkind1
> "Even the most recent smartphones are not designed to be put in pockets
> where they are going to be under the most chassis strain. And this just
> illustrates the fact that the public's desire for manufacturers to strive
> for ever thinner and lighter devices means that we are getting ever more
> fragile devices.

> "Just casually sticking a £700 smartphone in your pocket is an increasingly
> reckless thing to do."

Wait, this guy really thinks that users should be expected to know that it's
reckless to keep their _phone_ in their pocket, and that they weren't designed
for this?

That seems not right. I am confident that most people, unless educated
otherwise, will assume that phones are designed to go in pockets. If
manufacturers really aren't designing phones to go in pockets, they are going
to have to educate users on this. The pocket has been the place non-purse-
carrying people have kept their phone since the first mobile phone that was
small enough to fit in a pocket.

~~~
Igglyboo
They mean back pockets, which while still ridiculous, is much more
understandable than just saying pockets. If your phone is bending in your
front pockets then there is a much more serious problem.

~~~
NDizzle
The phones have been bending while in peoples front pockets. Imagine the
posture you have while driving a car and the phone in your pocket.

Now, I can't recall the last time I drove with any phone in my pocket (that is
what the cup holder is for - phones) so I'm not too worried about it, but it's
still interesting.

Has there been any news about the Samsung Note 1/2/3 bending?!

~~~
Pxtl
I have a lot of bones to pick with Samsung, but one thing they excel at is
rugged devices. They use hardy materials and thick glass.

I have a 3-year-old device that's incredibly slippery and have dropped it
hundreds of times without a scratch on the glass. For comparison, I shattered
a Moto G inside of a month.

------
adriand
I love Apple (I've got an iPhone 5, an iPad 3, a Macbook and an iMac) but it
always dismays me how Apple fans often respond to any issue with an Apple
product with "it's your fault".

A guy on MacRumors posted up about his experience with a bent phone and
received some supportive comments, but also gems like, "It's aluminum, it's a
noticeably longer device and as such it is likely to be bent more easily than
previous iPhones. You should expect that it would be easier to bend and act
accordingly."

How is this reasonable? We should know better than to put the phone in our
pockets?

I sincerely hope Apple does the right thing here and takes responsibility if
in fact this turns out to be a legitimate and widespread problem.

~~~
martiuk
People like to defend their purchases, especially their $700 ones.

------
jader201
I've owned every generation of iPhone since the 3GS, and definitely think this
is being blown out of proportion. I have a 6 (4.7"), and don't have (and doint
think I ever will have) any issues with this.

However, I will say that the Galaxy Note bend video [1] in (response to the
iPhone 6 Plus bend test [2]) was impressive, and shows that while metal
material is more stylish, plastic seems to be much more durable. Of course, I
know these are far from scientific tests, but it still seems to show some
sense of durability between the two.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwM4ypi3at0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwM4ypi3at0)

[2]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znK652H6yQM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znK652H6yQM)

~~~
smackfu
It's not really plastic vs. metal, it's plastic vs. aluminum. Steel would be a
much better choice for strength, it's just heavy.

~~~
jader201
Absolutely right. I guess it's more like this:

    
    
      - Stylish
      - Durable
      - Lightweight
    

Pick two.

~~~
m_mueller
Well - Titanium. But then we get into issues with mass availability.

~~~
jpgvm
There are a number of magnesium alloys which while not as tanky as titanium
would be I think would be viable contenders to construct the chassis out of.
You could still use an aluminium skin as it's much more attractive usually.

~~~
m_mueller
I've never seen an aluminium skin on a magnesium alloy. Does that work?

------
cpwright
So at least for me, if I can't stick a phone in my pocket it is useless. If I
can't carry my phone with me everywhere, I might as well not have it. I can
understand not sitting on it, but not putting it in my front pocket seems
incredibly limiting, because that is pretty much the only place I would have
to put it when out and about.

I expect most people will have a case for the phone. I personally have a 5
right now and have it in a BookBook wallet/case, which is not really very
rigid. I'll want something similar when it comes time to upgrade to a 6, but
if I can't actually stick it in my pocket I'll need to find an alternative. Or
maybe pay for a battery replacement on the 5.

~~~
ZanyProgrammer
5s? That's what I'm leaning towards upgrading from the 5.

~~~
cpwright
I think the bigger screen of a 6 and the promise of Apple Pay provides enough
additional value over the 5. I don't find the 5s as compelling an upgrade, and
would rather spend $90 on a battery instead of hundreds on a 5S (the battery
is really only complaint I have about my 5).

------
rayiner
They said the same thing about the iPhone 5
([http://www.cultofmac.com/248603/iphone-5ses-are-bending-
in-p...](http://www.cultofmac.com/248603/iphone-5ses-are-bending-in-peoples-
pockets\);) Xperia Z1 ([http://www.phonearena.com/news/Xperia-Z1-frame-
bending-for-n...](http://www.phonearena.com/news/Xperia-Z1-frame-bending-for-
no-reason-claim-users_id51383\);) Nexus 5
([http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-
nexus-5/387390-nexus...](http://forums.androidcentral.com/google-
nexus-5/387390-nexus-5-wobbly-bent.html)), and I'm sure many others.

~~~
smackfu
The iPhone 6+ is thinner and longer than the iPhone 5, so it makes a lot of
sense it would be more prone to bending due to physics.

~~~
rayiner
The point is that these articles come out every time there is a new thin
phone, but then you never hear about it again because it doesn't happen to any
substantial portion of buyers.

------
Tyrannosaurs
We need to know the proportion of people this is happening to to understand
whether this is a thing or not.

Apple supposedly sold 10 million phones on the weekend of release, more since.
Apparently more of those are 6s than 6 Pluses but we don't know the exact
numbers or breakdown right now. Similarly we know a few people have had
problems but it doesn't seem clear whether it's a few, a few tens, a few
hundred or many thousands.

Ultimately this may be bad design ignoring real world valid use cases, it may
be dumbness on the part of a small number of vocal users, but without knowing
what sort of numbers are seeing the problem and what that is as a proportion
of sales it's almost impossible to say.

Right now all we can really say is some iPhone 6s and 6 Pluses have bent and
based on that it's no wonder Apple haven't said anything.

Not a great story but probably all that we really know right now.

~~~
higherpurpose
Even if it happens to "only 2 percent" of iPhone 6 Plus owners, that seems
like a pretty big number to me for such an issue to even exist.

~~~
hyperpape
I would consider 2 percent a huge number, yes. I'd also expect Apple to do
refunds for those 2 percent, both in the sense that I'd demand it if it were
my phone, and that historically they've done things like that.

But we still need to know the number. Has anything so far suggested it might
be as high as 2 percent?

------
TheIronYuppie
I wonder to what extent this (and the antenna issue before it) are a result of
Apple being so secretive. Because they don't take prototypes out for real
world testing, or encase them in bulky facades if they do, they don't
understand how real people are going to use it.

Still think it's stupid - just because this behavior didn't result in a bent
iPhone before doesn't mean it was good.

------
blisterpeanuts
A few ideas about this problem:

1\. Consumer behavior factors

\- Get a case. These devices will break if dropped, and when you are carrying
it in your hand many times a day, it is highly likely to be dropped. It's a
matter of "when", not "if".

\- Don't carry the device in pants pockets. Carry it in a shirt pocket, or in
a bag or satchel or hang it on your belt. Solved.

2\. Manufacturing and marketing factors

\- Distribute 5,000 beta devices and really field test them. Manufacturers,
especially Apple, hate to do this because it reveals the secret design in
advance of the dramatic release event. But field testing the devices makes
more sense given their complexity and unknown uses and conditions to which
they will be subjected.

\- Make the devices thicker and sturdier. Many of us would not complain about
an extra millimeter or two of thickness, especially if it means a bigger
battery and some nice-to-haves such as a memory card slot. Thinness is costly,
too. Make it an indestructible brick, charge less, and millions will continue
to buy the devices.

\- An alternative view: yield to bendiness! Make the displays bendy, make the
cases flexible, and accept that customers want to abuse their phones by
sitting on them in tight jeans.

~~~
kumarm
>>Get a case. If getting case is a Must, why even worry about slim and
beautiful devices? So much for good Industrial Design.

~~~
blisterpeanuts
True... but every phone out there has a plethora of cases available for it.
Customers have accepted that a case is a necessary accessory and indeed it's a
way to personalize their devices. That's why someone can make a living selling
cases in a kiosk at the mall.

~~~
seanflyon
I have not accepted that a case is a necessary accessory.

------
joezydeco
I _really_ want Apple to issue a statement along the lines of "You asked for a
thinner lighter phone, you got it. Now stop being an idiot and sitting on it
and we'll all be fine."

This is all just incredibly stupid. The fact it bends and _continues to
function_ should be newsworthy, not the other way around.

~~~
personZ
Who asked for a thinner, lighter phone? This is a serious question, because I
keep seeing this being held as a response to customer demand, when actually
few asked for a thinner, lighter phone.

They wanted a larger phone, for sure, but I think one would reasonably assume
structural stability for a $1000 consumer device (often bought under a pay-as-
you-go loan courtesy of carrier subsidization) under fairly normal conditions.

Further this isn't "sitting on it" \-- the issues seem to be coming via
seemingly innocuous, but longer term, flexing in front pockets. Aluminum is
not all or nothing, and will quite happily give slowly and gradually over
hours.

Maybe it's all overblown -- these things tend to be on new Apple releases --
but I don't see how some can so quickly resort to blame the customer antics.

~~~
hyperpape
How many high-selling phones do you see that have the thickness of an iPhone
4? The trend is towards thinner and lighter. Maybe the phone manufacturers are
wrong, but in general we expect our technology to get thinner and lighter.

That said, it has reached the point where I'd be ok to have slightly more
weight and thickness for sturdiness and battery life. I just think thin and
light are things people want.

~~~
personZ
_The trend is towards thinner and lighter._

The trend is towards a comfortable size, beyond which thinness stopped being a
big selling point. The Galaxy S5, for example, is thicker than the Galaxy S4.
The Note 4 is thicker than the Note 3.

Contrary to common notions, Apple occasionally chases specs, and the thin and
light thing seems to be one of them (just as unobtanium type materials often
make a big presence in Apple devices -- material specs -- regardless of
suitability for purpose).

Apple makes fantastic devices, but just as some other manufacturers chase
irrelevant things like octal core processors and truly absurd pixel densities,
Apple does the same "not for your benefit, but for our bragging" pursuits.

~~~
hyperpape
Huh--I think I've been sniped by the larger screens and curves of my
coworkers' Android phones. They look thinner than my 5S, but they're about the
same thickness--sometimes even more. My assumption was that Apple had been
playing a game of leapfrogging vs Android phones on thinness.

------
paromi
I have one of the slimmest android devices huawei p6 (6.2 mm vs 7.1 mm for
iphone 6 plus) for a year and a half and im not having any issues with it
bending or giving the feeling that its fragile.

[http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_p6-5467.php](http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_ascend_p6-5467.php)

~~~
smackfu
Is the back plate on that metal or plastic? It's the metal back that is
bending and then staying bent, while plastic will bend and then return back.

------
51Cards
I suspect this could also be related to iPhone users having had a fairly small
phone to date. Slipping the iPhone into a pocket till now has been an easy
practice, so I assume the same is being done out of habit with the new larger
models. The new form factor (larger AND thinner) can't stand up to the
stresses.

~~~
Naga
Somehow, my Galaxy Note 2 has survived the rigors of my front pocket for close
to two years without bending or cracking. Phablets really aren't that big.

------
jojofanboy
There is a lot of fanboys out there still defending Apple with ridiculous
arguments. Being a consumer, for me, this is unacceptable. Paying 800 to 900€
for a phone that has the quality of a sub 100€ phone is simply taunting the
actual Apple costumers.

Mark my words. This will be the major flop remembered in the future for the
start of the downfall of this brand.

This will make history.

The excessively low production costs with these devices made in China with low
quality standards and low QA at an excessively price range for the end
consumer. The profit margin in this phone has to be huge and will serve as an
example in the future in how a major international manufacturing fiasco is
made of. This is truly amazing.

------
IgorPartola
So I thought that
[http://imgur.com/gallery/FSXJp](http://imgur.com/gallery/FSXJp) was a joke.
Turns out, nope, it's a real problem. I wonder if Apple did have to fix it,
how they'd go about it. I assume reenforcing the body of the phone externally
is not really feasible, but manufacturing better bodies and swapping them out
en masse would be very expensive and take a long time, no?

------
joshdance
We have seen this before.
[https://discussions.apple.com/thread/260526?tstart=0](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/260526?tstart=0)
Put a think computer in your pocket, bend, and it will bend. Get a case or
protect it. I have had an iPhone since the 3, never used a case, only broken
one iPhone by being extra careful.

------
steanne
apple has specifically advertised the iphone as fitting in a pocket.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxtyxCAxGNE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxtyxCAxGNE)

------
27182818284
I played with the 6+ for the first time last night, and it surprises me people
even sit down with it. It seems like like it would be immediately awkward from
its size.

------
squid_ca
Has this been a problem with other, non-Apple phones of a similar form factor?
If so, this is a design issue. If not, this is an Apple design issue.

~~~
nilkn
It's a problem with the phone's aluminum construction. A phone like the Note
3, made with less premium-feeling plastic, responds better to stress like
this. It can be bent, but it just bends right back with no permanent bend
left.

~~~
pmahoney
The aluminum phone yields, undergoing plastic deformation, while the plastic
phone deforms elastically.

------
zzenon
perfect opportunity for Apple to introduce iPants.

Joke aside, this is something that Apple needs to quickly address without
putting customers at fault. You cannot just tell the customers not to put
their phones in their pocket.

~~~
_pmf_
> Joke aside, this is something that Apple needs to quickly address without
> putting customers at fault. You cannot just tell the customers not to put
> their phones in their pocket.

They cannot address the issues for existing devices and all devices that are
in the pipeline. Users on backorder could cancel their orders, but most won't
do that, so why should they bother? In a year people will be joking about not
buying first generation Apple devices and that's it.

------
serve_yay
Oh brother.

~~~
blisterpeanuts
...wherefore art thou?

