Bendgate just won't go away. A week after reports of iPhone 6 Plus devices being a little too flexible went viral, the durability of Apple's biggest smartphone is still a growing topic of conversation.
For its part, Apple says that it's very rare for an iPhone 6 Plus to warp or bend, and the company even went so far as to open up its testing lab to some members of the press. Consumer Reports' own lab tests also refuted Bendgate — at least when pressure is applied in the center of the phone and not focused exclusively on the seam near the buttons.
Still, as we've said before, with enough pressure and effort, anything that is metal can bend. As a result, we're now seeing a disturbing phenomenon of individuals going into Apple or carrier stores with the express purpose of bending an iPhone 6 Plus.
Business Insider even republished a first-person account of one man's decision to purposefully break a store model iPhone 6 Plus.
To me, this is where Bendgate stops being a humorous aside and turns into pure vandalism.
Going into a store and purposely bending a phone doesn't show that there is a problem with the design, it just shows that you are an assh*le.Going into a store and purposely bending a phone doesn't show that there is a problem with the design, it just shows that you are an assh*le.
If the first-person account wasn't enough, now it's time for first-person video accounts of Apple Store bend tests. On Monday, two teenagers in London published a YouTube video of their own adventure at an Apple Store, gleefully breaking a phone for the laughs. After the video (above) gained about 80,000 YouTube views and the possible attention of the police, one of the teenagers posted his own YouTube response, vowing not to break any more phones.
Let's be clear, these videos and accounts — just like the first viral video — are hardly indicative of a design problem. Again, we're talking about people purposely trying to break or bend a device.
It would be like me going to Kate Spade and intentionally trying to rip the seams on a dress, just to prove that the stitching wasn't that strong.
To be clear, if more reports surface of phones bending under normal wear and tear, then perhaps that is a reason to revisit the design decision, especially in the area with the button cut-outs. But this is just going too far.
Stop intentionally breaking phones for YouTube views.
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