Here are the 5 tests Apple put the iPhone 6 Plus through to make sure it could stand up to skinny hipster jeans

Apple opened up their testing facilities today to show the world how they put the iPhone 6 Plus through more than its paces long before releasing it to the public. Tests during the development cycle include 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and real-life user studies. Here's what the tests involve, according to the Wall Street Journal:
- Three-point bending: Apple's tests place pressure on iPhones in varying degrees to make sure they can handle "reasonable" force in various situations.
- Pressure-point cycling: The pressure-point cycling tests place "substantial" force across an iPhone's display and encasing, while it is held along its edges, to ensure that an iPhone can be bent and pushed many times over during its lifespan.
- Torsion testing: Apple clamps down an iPhone at both ends and twists the handset about 8,000 times.
- Sit tests: A single phone is placed into simulations reflecting real-life scenarios, such as being in the back pocket of tight jeans.
- Real-life user studies: Another part of testing involves real humans, hundreds of company employees live with and use the phones in various situations to test for both durability and performance.
Apple previously showed off their antenna testing facility following charges the iPhone 4 de-tuned when a finger bridged the gap at the bottom left of the phone, dropping signal reception.
The Verge has posted images from the stress test labs as well, along with the following statements from Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, and Dan Riccio, senior vice president of hardware engineering:
"We've designed the product to be incredibly reliable throughout all your real world use," Phil Schiller told me. "And in designing that we then have to validate heavily, and see how does it live up to real world use, and what are the forces and pressures on it, and how do you measure and prove that you've delivered on a specification.""The bottom line is that if you use enough force to bend an iPhone, or any phone, it's going to deform," Riccio says.
Schiller also advised customers to call AppleCare or go to a Genius Bar if they believed a problem, any problem, had occurred with their iPhone.
It's also important to remember that any industrial design is a tradeoff. The iPhone 6 Plus is amongst the thinnest, lightest phones in its size class. That makes it easier to hold and use, especially for long periods of time. There are other phones that use different materials, like plastic, or opt for thicker, heavier designs.
All this follows an earlier statement where Apple revealed that, to date, they'd received only 9 complaints about bending with the iPhone 6 Plus since it launched almost a week ago. That's compared to the millions of units shipped and used around the world.
Still, if you have have an iPhone 6 Plus and you're at all concerned, you should make sure you don't sit on it or otherwise subject it to excessive forces. It's big, it's thin, it's aluminum, it has areas that are cutout. The rest is physics.
Does Apple's tour of their test facilities reduce your concerns about #bendgate? Was it over hyped or does Apple still have more explaining to do?
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And yet it fails in the real world. Apple can claim it all they like but reality is the iPhone 6 plus is by far less durable than other phones that are close to the same size. There is no getting around that fact. It met their limits and I would not be surprised they they do something for the next round that really beefs up the strength of the phone.
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I had a Note 3 last year and while it may be more durable due to it being plastic versus metal, I really don't have any durability issues with my 6 plus. I think if the problem was so serious there would be way more reports and mine would be bent already.
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Phone has been out a week so just wait.
2. It is not because of plastic on why the Note 3 is more durable. While the outside of the phone is plastic it is because it has a magnesium core frame. Most cell phones have the magnesium core frame. Apple is the exception and instead uses a much weaker aluminum system that is very very thin. It more the fact on how quickly the reports are coming in a relatively short time span that is a huge give away. Apple seems to be feeding the same BS that they fed on the signal problems on the pass. -
The 6 and 6 plus have titanium reinforcements inside... so not just a weak aluminum shell. Keep in mind majority of the stuff we see on "Bendgate" are people forcing these phones to bend, which is not a real life scenario. Only had my Plus for a week, but I am a rear pocket carrier and no issues thus far.
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I agree with you. Each iPhone launch some moron or morons always find something wrong in the first few weeks and post a video. Then all the anti Apple trolls go on a hate fest as they 'prove' why Apple is so evil. If you sit your fat ass down too hard on your iPhone 6 Plus, yeah it might bend. If you stress it enough attempting to bend it yeah of course. But this is Apple so lets make it disaster case. Sent from the iMore App
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Yeah, like the guy who used a power drill on an iPad 1 in a so-called durability test. A tool using a tool. Sent from the iMore App
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This. Sent from the iMore App
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Totally with you. A device ain't gonna bend from just sitting in your pocket! It's hoax Sent from the iMore App
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Actually Recode reported they used 25KG (55 lbs) of force in the bend test. It bent but flexed right back into shape. They do that repeatedly. I can say that with a fairly significant force (but less than the hands shaking strain in the famous video) I was unable to get the plus to bend permanently. If 55 pounds on the center with the two ends held tight doesn't bend it, then I no longer believe the story of the guy at the wedding who did nothing more than keeping it in his front pocket with nothing unusual. Maybe he had a 120 lb friend on his lap sometime during the reception. Or, as is clearly possible, maybe his and a few others are coming off the line with manufacturing defects. Lets say there are 1 million pluses out there and lets say the number of fails is 10 times of what apple has heard about so far. And let's say all of them are related to a defect instead of some of them being back pocket bends with big people on hard surfaces. That's a defect rate of 90/1000000 or 0.00009. Or 0.0009% Not bad Q/C at all. Either way, we have no data that shows the iPhone 6 or 6 plus has a higher damage rate in the real world use than other phones of comparable size. What we do have is some comparisons of the ability of one guy to bend the iPhone vs. some others. What that shows is that metal phones are easier to irreversibly bend than plastic and that smaller metal phones do better than big ones, again with forces that are far larger than a reasonable real world stress of anyone's front pocket. Wouldn't you notice over 55 lbs on your front pocket? The actual evidence presented of real world problems in most of the sites I've read appears to be even fewer than the 9 cases apple reports, and you keep seeing the same ones recycled over and over with thousands of comments mostly from people who've never touched one. In fact in one of the reports was a guy who decided his 6 plus was bent based on it rocking on a table - until someone noted it might be the protruding camera lens - and he checked and that's what it was. We. also know that earlier iPhones, Samsung, and other phones have turned up bent in the real world. But nothing came of it because they were probably exceptional uses or defects. Face it, there's no there, there.
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I read somewhere that the guy with the wedding story was a Samsung employee.
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You can also claim about the durability issue of the 6+ all you want, but the reality is it's not much really an issue in real world as you have to try really hard to bend the 6+. If you know you have a huge phone inside your back pocket and you sits on it, I don't know what to tell you. You'd better off with that small brick phone from the 90's.
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been using my iphone6 + for a week no bending whatsoever. This issue is way overblown.
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Same.. very overblown.. Mostly just bloggers looking for 5 minutes of click bait.. they don't care really as long as it gets clicks.
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If you weren't so dumb you would be hilarious.
Galaxies do the same thing.
Do some research.
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand basic physics.
FA/aiP-iQ= broken toy. Figure that one genius since YOU are SOOO wise. iPhone under Fat Ass with on IQ... I think you get it? Probably not. -
Troll!
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"reasonable force" is rather subjective. They can't come out and say they messed up, it would be a nightmare. What would they do say "our bad" and recall 10million phones? No way, I can see news surfacing in a few months or so about how the manufacturing process has been tweaked in vague terms.
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still love my plus and waiting another one of 128 gb. lol at hipster jeans
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Releasing PR like this should only make it more embarrassing for Apple.
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How did they lay it to rest? By stating a bunch of stuff that may or may not be true?
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By showing all the machinery and equipment they use for real scientific testing versus some guy on YouTube. Sent from the iMore App
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I have been carrying my 6 plus since release in my front jeans pocket (relaxed fit). It is in a slim fit Spigen case with a Zagg glass screen protector. I'm a big guy. ZERO Issues.
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I'm a big guy also.. A big guy waiting for my big iPhone 6 Plus... Sent from the iMore App
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Or they imitate iPhone 6 plus for this bendgate because they sold a worth of 10 million units in a weakened time only. I have no iPhone 6 yet at this time but my opinion is they distruct the image of Apple, remember that most of other phone company's feel jealous to Apple iPhones ever. Sent from the iMore App
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Again, if people are saying there phones are bending, isn't it STILL a issue?
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9 people.
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still people or are they no longer people if they don't praise apple?
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leave apple alone the iphone is a great phone hands down......
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Haha, leave apple alone! What a joke. My iPad is freak'n unusable and I'm supposed to leave Apple alone??? IPhone plus is inferior to the phablets out there, Especially the new note. I'm not going to leave apple alone until they fix IOS 8. Apps are crashing like crazy and the ones that don't lag just plane don't work well at all.
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If Apps Crash then it's the developers fault for not making their apps compatible. I have I experienced that apps crash but apple apps are not crashing. Maybe a few glitches here and there. . And I'm running this on the 4s. Sent from the iMore App
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I'm with you on that if an app is crashing its most likely the developer's fault for compatibility issues. but if ALL of his apps are crashing, you can't blame that on the developers lol. That sounds like an issue with his hardware or software. Which apple should be responsible for.
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Update is out! And you could revert previous update! Sent from the iMore App
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*freakin'
*plain -
Most brands of big phones have had some bend or break in jeans pockets. Anything big and thin will bend given enough force. The manufacturers should expect it and so should the users. The issue is what is reasonable strength and what is reasonable force. If only a very small percentage of phones bend, independent of who manufactures them, then this points towards the reasonable strength - unreasonable force situation.
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Just use a fanny pack. Problem solved. Sent from the iMore App
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+1. Sent from the iMore App
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9 out of 10,000,000? Don't think that's a big problem. If people's phones are really bending, stop complaining on reddit and call Apple! 128gb 6 Plus and zero issues! Sent from the iMore App
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The bends were the 6+ and the 6+ did NOT sell 10 million unit but nice try
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I'm a Galaxy S5 user. I've also owned the Galaxy Note 2. Even with this news i still plan on getting a 6 Plus. I'm pretty sure Apple will replace anyone's phone that encounters this problem and they'll probably rejigger their manufacturing process to avoid this problem in the future.
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Amen Prpolo And thanks to you Galaxy owners, Samsung and Android for pushing Apple to put out bigger and better products. And continuing Android users should be glad that 10's of millions of iPhone users will make their nfc chips actually usable in the next few years. Competition is good for all of us. Mindless carping and bashing competitors on slim to no evidence (talking to you again Samsung), not so much.
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Agreed. No competition would lead to no innovation. Sent from the iMore App
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Your one of the very few who will say they have owned galaxy's and is going to get a iphone (here's the twist) WITHOUT TALKIN CRAP ABOUT EITHER ONE!! I am clapping for you! Thanks bruh! Sent from the iMore App
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Almost all pictures or videos I have seen regarding "Bendgate" are people forcing the phones to bend on purpose, take any phone out there and make an effort to bend/break, or test its durability and you will see its not just an Apple issue, as if the largest tech company in the world didn't stress test the phone prior to ship...
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Is there a chance the phone might bend?
Not on your life, my Hindu friend. -
Which one? Posted via iMore App
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Lol at all the fanboys making excuses....if this was a Samsung phone it would be the end of the world, everyone would be up in arms saying how cheaply made that phone would be. I have a note 2 and an iPad i love what both have to offer....fanboys
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Isn't that what Samsung fanboys are doing right now? Bashing Apple?If you don't want apple fans to do that then don't do it yourself. And I don't think Samsung products are poorly made. Their design just doesn't appeal to me. And neither does android. But that doesn't mean that it's not a great fit for others. Sent from the iMore App
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If this was samsung it wouldnt even be news! Itvwould be a "oh is a samsung what is apple doing wrong?" Sent from the iMore App
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One could argue that Samsung phones are more cheaply made. I have an S3 that looks like it's been in a fight with a washing machine, showing severe paint chipping, and colour mismatches on replacement back-casings - and I'm super careful with my devices. My 5s, on the other hand, has lived in my pocket for over a year, with no case. It looks almost new. To balance the argument, my Galaxy S2 is older and looks better than my S3. Shit happens. But this 'bendgate' thing is blown way out of proportion. Sent from the iMore App
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Yes it is !! Sent from the iMore App
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Yea, I'm sure it would be way worse than the 50+ articles on Yahoo's home page - and thousands of articles across the innerwebs talking trash on a phone. Other manufacturers are publicly bashing Apple on their official twitter, even food/drink brands! Apple has caught it far worse than any other company would have!
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Totally over hyped! Sent from the iMore App
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Exactly Sent from the iMore App
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It's only overhyped cause u guys/girls are fans of Apple...smh
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I was expecting a Jony Ive video where he talks about the "bendability" feature of the phone, and how the phone molds itself to be a perfect fit for the user.
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Lol! Remember what he said about the plastic band for the apple watch? lol! But all if this bendgate is over hyped Sent from the iMore App
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So here you have it, iPhone 6 Plus owners just use their phones wrong. It wouldn't surprise me if most comments along that line are from Apple itself.
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What their saying is if you are deliberately trying to bend your phone your using it wrong. ... Or if you're holding it upside down while talking and wondering why you can't hear anything.... Guiltiest charge .. Sent from the iMore App
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every product on earth has issues.... nothing is perfect...
Porsches ain't perfect...
rolls royces ain't perfect...
iphones, galaxies, etc.... none of 'em....
so... i go for the ones that are best OVERALL...
apple tends to be best overall...
this is why they get put under a microscope...
of course galaxies and notes have problems... and people complain about them... but it doesn't make the national news because... yawn... no one cares... because the bar is much lower.... -
God I love jealous, bitter FAndroids.
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I'm sorry, but, isn't it kind of, well, not smart to put your phone in your back pocket in the first place? I see people running around all the time with their phones in their back pockets, I just don't get it.
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Yep. Haven't worried about it for a second. I mean, there were all kinds of issues with previous iterations of the iPhone. They all made headlines in the first few days after their "discovery" but eventually it turned out to be a non-issue. I guess every "discoverer" want his 15 minutes of fame.
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I've had my 6+ since launch day no case no screen protector....I just purchased apples leather case a day or two ago. Anyhow been using my phone like its a phone and guess what no bends. Just because the Sony z1 and Samsung s4 bends. Doesn't mean the iPhone does as well. These videos I've only seen one of bent phones are of ppl trying to bend their phones get real ppl. Sent from the iMore App
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Yet as we have the standard Apple can do not wrong going on around here. The question that comes up and dodge by Apple defenders is Why is even in those that try to bend it that it is only the 6+ that is getting bent while other phones they can not pull it off? That should tell you something. There is no getting around the fact iPhone is not as durable as it competitors. Lets also face the fact that this is not new. The iPhone historically is among the least durable phone out smart phone out there.
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How hard could it be to find a phone that bent under less pressure than the iPhone 6+? Surely that would silence the detractors, faster than a bite from a rabid rottweiler.
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The fact that they can not tells you more when you compare it to the Note and the note is coming does not suffer from this. They tried it on multiple ones and does not happen. It would of been one thing if things like the note did not suffer from it.
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Bend gate? People have a name for everything that doesn't mean much to the rest of us. Sent from the iMore App