We’re another 24 hours into the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus’s lifecycle and it seems the absurdness surrounding ‘Bendgate’ just isn’t going to go away. Following YouTube videos showing Apple’s new smartphones being bent out of shape using not inconsiderable force, Apple has seen fit to lift the lid on its own internal testing in an attempt to try and put people’s minds at ease.
With the internet currently ablaze with comment about the possibility of iPhone 6 Pluses bending when in a trouser pocket, Apple also released a PR statement that said just nine different customers have complained to the company over bent iPhones, which is rather impressive considering the huge sales numbers Apple has been posting. Six days into sales of both the of Apple’s new phones, nine people is a small number when compared to the sheer furore that has been created online.
In an attempt to allay fears that Apple’s own stress testing may not be up to the job, the firm has also given different media publications a tour of its testing facilities, giving a rare insight into what tests Apple puts new smartphones through before they go on sale.
From information given to The Wall Street Journal, the are five separate methods of testing that are employed in giving iPhones a thorough going over, all designed to bend, twist and skew the device to within an inch of its life. Apple’s also gives phones to a healthy number of its employees in order to put them through real-world testing. Presumably, nothing untoward was found during this whole process for either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. The tests include three-ping bending, pressure-point cycling, torsion testing, real-life user studies and the all important sit tests. That last test is exactly what it sounds like, and involves someone putting a phone in their pocket and, you guessed it, sitting on it.
- The 5 steps in plain text are as follows:
- Three-point bending
- Pressure-point cycling
- Torsion testing
- Sit tests
- Real-life user studies
At this point the whole ‘Bendgate’ situation threatens to get decidedly out of hand, and the fact that Apple has commented on the issue already suggests it is trying to avoid another ‘Antennagate’ fiasco.
The only question is, is it too late?
(Source: WSJ)
You may also like to check out:
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.
