Apple's Official Statement on Bendgate Issue : Only 9 Customers Have Reported Bending Their iPhone 6 Plus

If you've been closely following the story of Apple's newest smartphones - from the unverified rumors about their design and specs that started to spread online way back in Q4 2013 to their actual release earlier this month - then I'm sure you've heard about 'Bendgate'.

Apparently, a number of Apple fans who've purchased the thin, aluminum-clad iPhone 6 Plus have bended their latest investment simply by putting the phablet inside their jeans' front pocket and sitting down. Or at least, that's what some of them have claimed on Twitter and on Facebook.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate

Perhaps inspired by supposed #Bendgate horries stories in social networking sites, peeps at Youtube Vlogsite Unbox Therapy have gone out of their way to try bending not just their brand new Apple iPhone 6 Plus but also the iPhone 6 and several other flagship smartphones. For what, exactly? Supposedly, to prove how easy it is to bend the Cupertino company's 5.5-inch smartphone compared to some high-end devices that are out in the market.

I don't recall seeing more than 10 unique photos of bent iPhone 6 Plus units online but this video along with the first one has been viewed on Youtube more than a million times.

Earlier today, as a follow-up to this interesting plot, The Next Web published screengrabs of their staff's online conversation with an Apple Support employee suggesting that the Cupertino company is aware of the issue and is carefully studying the details of each complaint.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate Problem

We also learned that - contrary what some Apple haters have claimed and proclaimed using their social media accounts - the company is willing to fix if not altogether replace 'Bendgate casualties' via Apple Care if the devices don't show signs of 'intentional flexing'. I don't know exactly how that's supposed to look versus one that's 'accidentally bent' but I guess they have ways to find out.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate Problem

Just a few minutes ago, the Cupertino company finally broke its silence about this whole fiasco and brouhaha surrounding their much-anticipated flagship phablet. Here's the official statement about the iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate Issue that Apple shared with The Huffington Post.

Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength.

They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability.

We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.

With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.

So only 9 people out of the millions who got their iPhone 6 Plus within the first week of release actually reported the problem to Apple? Well, clearly, they're trying to make this issue sound like an isolated case that has been blown out of proportion. Personally, having seen the videos, I certainly think the company needs to take a closer look at this from a design and engineering standpoint and hopefully, they could apply what they learn from the findings in crafting a 'stronger' update to this phablet next year.