Why the iPhone case bends and how it threatens. Why the iPhone case bends and how it threatens Why the iPhone 6 bends

Many iPhone 6 users complained that the smartphone bends extremely easily - the body deforms even from wearing the gadget in jeans or trousers. However, the experts did not give an unambiguous assessment, since numerous tests in real conditions did not fully confirm such statements. Apple did not officially acknowledge this problem at all, preferring to ignore angry customer reviews. It is possible that the weak point was the extremely thin body of the device, as well as not the highest quality aluminum. So what about the durability of the new iPhone 6S?

Quality metal

After the official presentation of the iPhone 6S model, it became clear that the manufacturer used higher quality 7000 series aluminum this time. This metal is 60% stronger and incredibly lightweight. The body itself has become a little thicker, due to the appearance of a new generation screen with 3D Touch function.

The design of the case itself was also changed, and the glass turned out to be even stronger than in the iPhone 6. By the way, if you are looking for where to buy an iPhone 6S, pay attention to the iGlaz online store.

If the iPhone 6 had weak points that were especially exposed to folds, now they are eliminated. With the help of small seals, it was possible to qualitatively strengthen the area near the volume control buttons, as well as the lock key, so that the smartphone now does not bend while in the pocket. But these are all dry facts and theory. But what about the rigid body in reality?

Harsh strength tests

After the release of the iPhone 6S, experts and journalists immediately began testing the smartphone to test its durability. This is not surprising, because after all the events with the deformation of the iPhone 6 case, many buyers wanted to know as much information as possible about this problem. The first testers were professionals from New Zealand. They tried to bend the iPhone 6S properly. At the same time, the video clearly shows that the guys did not manage to change the shape of the case of the new Apple product even with two hands. And only after serious efforts, the smartphone bent a little. It is obvious that the American manufacturer nevertheless conditionally acknowledged the problem that the iPhone 6 had, significantly changing the approach when creating a new device. The engineers' mistake did not repeat itself, and the gadget no longer bends like plasticine.

Moreover, the iPhone 6S underwent a tough test when the smartphone was deliberately thrown from a meter height directly onto the asphalt. The results of the experiments are surprising - the back of the smartphone was not seriously damaged. If the fall fell on the edge, then only small dents remained, as well as a slight deformation of the headphone jack. But the glass did not pass the test, since direct contact with the asphalt leads to its total destruction.

Against the background of problems two or three years ago, namely, situations where users around the world are faced with "bending" iPhone 5s and iPhone 6/6 Plus, service centers have experienced an influx of customers with deformed devices. We will not argue about the artificiality of the "bendgate" (this is what they called the problem of bending devices), but simply give a few recommendations for operating the devices that are most susceptible to deformation. We will also tell you what even minor bends and dents can entail.

The first complaints about "bendable" iPhones came from iPhone 5 owners. This particular model was the first 4-inch device to be made of aluminum (unlike the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s, whose frame and stiffeners are made of steel). Aluminum is a strong, lightweight, but soft metal that can be deformed without much effort. Due to the increased diagonal of the display, the body of the iPhone 5 has become longer, which has a negative effect on its resistance to deformation. Therefore, those who like to carry the device in the back pocket of their trousers have become frequent guests of forums for complaints and questions to Apple, as well as service centers. The situation did not change with the release of the iPhone 5s - the devices still bent under the influence of strong pressure, and the number of complaints only increased. After the release of the iPhone 6/6 Plus with even larger displays (correspondingly, increased body area), "bendgate" became a mass phenomenon and for some users it even became a reason to refuse to use the company's products.

Then Apple officially commented on the situation as follows:

“Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and durable. IPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models feature a meticulously engineered one-piece body made from 6000 series machined anodized aluminum, tempered for extra durability. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inlays to reinforce areas that are exposed to heavy loads and use the toughest glass in the smartphone industry. We have carefully selected these high quality materials and designs to ensure their strength and durability. "

And only after the release of the iPhone 6s / 6s Plus, the history of the "bending" iPhone finally ended - the engineers came to the conclusion that for the manufacture of cases it is necessary to use more durable aluminum of the 7000th series (in the iPhone 6 - 6000th series), as well as increase the number of stiffeners. This helped to get rid of the "bendgate" forever, but the residue still remained. As well as the devices of previous generations remained on the market, which are not protected from this problem in any way.

As mentioned above, you need to keep track of where you carry your device. The back pockets of the trousers (and even the front pockets of skinny jeans) are the main enemies of the iPhone on the bendable list. And if the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s are not so easy to bend (but still possible), then the iPhone 6 under the influence of such a load will definitely become "crooked". And this entails incorrect operation of the internal components of the device: the battery, individual modules on the motherboard, as well as the likelihood that the display can simply burst from the load at any time. Serious dents also affect the performance of the device - if the case is well crushed, then the smartphone may not survive the next fall.

If you have become a hostage of such a situation and are not sure whether the iPhone is working correctly or not, or you simply do not like the appearance of the crushed device, engineers will help in solving the problem: they will lead you through.

Most likely, if you stumbled upon this article, you are already completely desperate and ready to go to fix a bent iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to a service center, where they will fix the shape of the phone case for a rather large amount of money. I was in exactly the same situation, but I managed to straighten the phone on my own and I decided to tell everyone how to do it at home. But I'll start all over again ...

When the web began to fill up with photos of bent iPhone 6s, I was very skeptical about these pictures. My skepticism intensified after buying and testing the phone for a long time. I was one of those foaming-at-mouth advocates that the iPhone 6 cannot be bent under normal use. And I was right.

The weak point of the iPhone 6 case

In mine, I described in detail that I do not particularly shore my phone and I expose it to considerable stress on the break. I walk through 1-2 ladders, sleep on the phone when I can't find the strength to get up to work and calmly squat in order to pick up something from the floor or tie shoelaces even in tight jeans, while the device rests hard enough on leg ... But the trouble came from where I did not expect it.

Background ...

I was skiing one day and for the first time I put my iPhone 6 Plus not in my chest pocket, but in the front pocket of my pants. It so happened that I fell hard enough and rolled a little head over heels, which involuntarily bent my body in the pelvic area to such an extent that the phone could not stand it and was deformed.

The device is bent hard enough. Unfortunately, I did not take photos on the spot and can only convey in words that the bending angle of the body was about 15 degrees. So what to do?

On the spot, I tried to straighten the iPhone 6 with my hands, which I do not recommend. The fact is that there is a high probability that the body will bend in the other direction and in a different place. It is worth trying to correct the shape of the phone with your hands only if the display is really experiencing a strong stress on the fracture ("liquid crystal rainbow" on the screen).

My iPhone 6 Plus after trying to straighten it with my hands. The result is quite acceptable, but the phone looks terrible.

Bent iPhone - what to do?

The service centers use a special PanelPress machine. This product is very expensive, about $ 300, but there are Chinese counterparts with a price of about $ 150.

In order to straighten a bent iPhone 6 yourself at home, first you need to carefully watch the video demonstration of the PanelPress in order to understand the principle of straightening the case.

As you can see, the press simply creates a stop in the most convex part of the body. We will act in a similar way, as if imitating the operation of this machine. I assure you, it is not difficult at all.

If the body of your iPhone 6 is bent so badly that the display has fallen out of the grooves, it is recommended that you remove it before straightening. Of course, you can do without it (especially if you are afraid of losing the warranty), but it will not be easy to snap it shut, and it will be much more difficult to unbend the case, but it is possible.

We prepare the "soil". You will need adequate lighting, a flat surface (such as a table), and a small piece of thick or soft cloth. Alternatively, the fabric can be replaced with plain paper.

Preparing the workplace

I performed all actions on a white sheet of paper. We make a low narrow roller of paper or fabric and put it on a sheet of paper. Now we are looking for the bend of the case on the iPhone 6 Place the phone on the roller so that the inside of the obtuse corner of the fracture is facing you and the roller is directly below it. Gently and slowly press on the left and right sides of the phone with our palms. If the lighting is good, you can see how the shadow changes on the white sheet of paper. This will help you control the process.

Stage 1

Let's repeat this procedure several times. Most likely (if in your case the display did not fall out of the grooves of the case), you will notice with horror that now there are two bends on the case, but they are no longer as strong as the first one was originally. We turn the phone over with the display to the top and place the roller under the most convex part of the case. Usually, this place is located approximately under the volume down button. Now press on the top of the phone and place over the first break.

Stage 2

By repeating these steps one by one, you will notice how the deformation of the iPhone 6 case comes to naught. The only thing is that there may be a dent in the epicenter of the first bend, but the body of the smartphone will ultimately be flat.

Soft roller with dense paper core

If you take your time, even a strongly bent iPhone can be straightened in 30 minutes. As I said above, it will be really difficult only if the display falls out of the grooves of the case. If this has not happened, then the straightening process will not be difficult.

Result

As you can see, the display on the right does not touch the surface. The smaller the deformation angle, the more difficult it is to get rid of it, but this does not mean that you will never be able to completely straighten the iPhone. You just need to repeat the above procedure over and over again.

If you didn’t find the answer to your question or something didn’t work out for you, and there is no suitable solution in the comments below, ask your question through ours. It's fast, simple, convenient and doesn't require registration. You will find answers to your own and other questions in the section.

Independent tests assessed the strength of the case as a whole, but not the problem area

Sales of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus started recently, and rumors have already circulated on the Internet that the new product is not strong enough and is prone to bending (read ours). It all started with the fact that on September 24, photos of curved smartphones appeared on the Internet and video, on which a young man bends the iPhone 6 Plus with his bare hands. The video went viral, the Internet began to vigorously discuss user claims that the iPhone 6 is bending in a pants pocket, and even the hashtag #bendgate appeared. However, it remained unclear whether potential iPhone 6 Plus buyers really should be worried. When the video got 45 million views, Apple felt the rumor was dangerous and had to take action.

Apple first posted the following response: "In normal use, folding the iPhone is very rare, and in the first six days of sales, only nine customers approached Apple about folding the iPhone 6 Plus." Then, Apple was quick to allay fears by inviting reporters to its lab to show how the company is testing the iPhone, and showed that fears were exaggerated. According to published reports from journalists, the devices are undergoing a three-point bending test in Apple's laboratory on an Instron machine. To test the flexibility of the iPhone 6 Plus, a force of 25 kilograms was applied, and both new products withstood this load. The company also said that it tested the strength of about 30 thousand iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Experts from the independent ConsumerReports, who were the first to discover the problem of resetting calls on the iPhone 4, decided to test the iPhone 6 for strength in their laboratory. Along with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the LG G3, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, HTC One (M8) and iPhone 5 smartphones were also tested. The experts conducted their own bending test: they fixed the phone on 2 bars (see photo above) and pressed on the middle of the case with varying force.

The devices were first applied with a force of 10 pounds for 30 seconds, then released. Next, the force was increased in 10-pound increments and noted when the phones first began to deform. The test stopped when the phone screen moved away from the case.

The iPhone 6 Plus, according to the results of ConsumerReports tests, turned out to be quite durable: it began to deform when exposed to a weight of about 41 kilograms, and disintegrated when pressed with a weight of about 50 kilograms. By the way, in terms of strength, it bypassed HTC One and iPhone 6, but lost to its predecessor - iPhone 5.

IPhones rivals - LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3, have managed to take shape from every step of power. With a pressure of 59 kg, the LG G3 broke the case, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 turned out to be the most durable - it stopped working only after a pressure of about 68 kg - the screen flew!

It should be noted that the new iPhone 6 is as much as 50% less durable than its predecessor. Yes, perhaps this strength is enough, but you must admit that it is not always possible to see such a discussed novelty, which is significantly inferior to its predecessor in terms of an important parameter. Returning to concerns about the iPhone 6, according to ConsumerReports, fears that the new iPhone 6 has serious design flaws are overblown. Both iPhones are comparable in ruggedness to flagships from Samsung, LG and HTC, and they can handle stressful conditions that simulate real life quite easily.

In the whole story with the bending iPhone, there is one important point: Apple and ConsumerReports in their tests did not press on the place considered to be problematic - the area of the volume down button (pictured below), but on the middle of the smartphone.

At the same time, on all published photos and videos, be it original video about the problem, or German Computer Build test(for which Apple broke off relations with the publisher without explaining the reasons), or even a video of British teenagers bending iPhone in the store it was the lower border of the volume buttons that bent. Thus, it can be concluded that the anxiety has not yet been completely removed. It is quite possible that Apple is already quietly adjusting the design of the novelty, tk. Potential massive consumer complaints promise far more reputation problems than a couple of viral videos.

The first exclamation that breaks out from people who first saw the iPhone 6 Plus necessarily contains the word "shovel" and some beautiful (or not so) epithet. The sheer size of Apple's new phone flagship can only truly be appreciated in person. If the "regular" iPhone 6 model with a 4.7-inch display is a completely natural evolution of the device, then the 5.5-inch 6 Plus is a sudden step to the side.

Apple has started splitting its models since last year, first introducing the improved 5s and the simpler 5c with iron on from the previous version. Choosing between iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is even more fun. If the first still fits well into a number of ordinary large smartphones, then the second clearly marks the league of "phablets" (mixing the words phone and tablet) - hybrids of a phone and a tablet.

The size

I have quite large hands and the 6 Plus fits comfortably in my palm. This is also helped by the rounded edges of the device. The screen is now also not completely flat, at the edges it flows into the anodized aluminum case. In the case of the silver and gold models, it seems as if you are looking at icing sugar. The device may seem slippery to some, but due to the tangible weight of the device (172 grams), you don't feel much anxiety about letting the phone out of your hands.

To estimate the size of the gadget, try to pick up a standard 100 gram chocolate bar and imagine that it is a 6 Plus. Deviations in height, width and even thickness will be insignificant. Yes, despite the size, both the 6 and 6 Plus are the thinnest iPhones Apple has ever released. The thickness of the "six" is 6.9 mm, the "plus" - 7.1 mm.

The 6 Plus fits perfectly into most trouser pockets (as long as they are not very tight). He will not look like a stranger in handbags and clutches, however, whether a miniature lady talking on a huge smartphone will look aesthetically pleasing, I can’t judge.

The last couple of days, the Internet has been full of rumors that the iPhone 6 Plus case can be easily bent with your hands or even just from wearing skinny jeans in your pocket for a long time. There are corresponding photo and video materials. I tried to bend our model with my hands in the most dangerous zone - near the volume buttons, but I failed. This is not to say that I used all the force, but further effort would clearly go beyond normal situations - after all, nails are bent with my hands.

One-handed use

Using the 6 Plus with one hand is completely inconvenient, and it seems that it is impossible to get used to it. Apple made things a little easier for the owners of the phone by implementing a function that allows you to slide the screen halfway down by double-tapping (but not pressing) the round Home button. I quickly mastered this gesture, and after a while, it became natural to me when working with the 6 Plus. Especially often it has to be used when reading mail and websites - the "back" button is located in the upper left corner of the screen. You can reach there without the help of a software function, but this requires some and unpleasant efforts.

In addition, sometimes the screen shift function does not work as we would like. For example, if you receive a notification about a new mail or message at the top of the screen and you habitually go to slide it down to click on the message, nothing will work. Only the interface of the current application or rows of icons on the home screen will slide down, but not the notification plate.

In any case, when actively working with the phone with one hand, such acrobatics for the fingers does not pass without a trace - after 10 minutes of working with mail, the thumb starts to hurt.

If you hold the phone by the bottom edge of the screen with one hand, when performing some actions, you intuitively begin to support it with the other hand - it seems that it can slip out if you spread your fingers too wide to reach the far corner. If you hold the phone with one hand exactly in the middle, all the corners of the screen become equally accessible, but in this form, you cannot press the Home button painlessly.

To summarize: using the iPhone 6 Plus with one hand is like saying the word "phablet" in a country club: strange, unusual and somehow a little embarrassing.

Screen

IPhone 6 Plus has a stunning 5.5-inch screen. Looking at it for the first time after the 5S screen, you experience a sensation familiar to nearsighted people who decide to change glasses for lenses - the world becomes clearer and the colors brighter.

On such a screen, you really want to play games, watch videos, read long articles and hang out on Internet sites - and on desktop, and not on mobile versions, the diagonal allows.

During the initial setup, the phone offers a choice of two information display modes - standard and enlarged. The choice affects all applications built into the phone, as well as the size of the icons on the home screen. Obviously, its use in third-party programs will require updates from the developers.

In addition, now there is enough space to show the home screen in landscape mode, as all self-respecting iPads do (but the "small" iPhone 6 has not learned such a thing).

Camera

Yes, the camera protrudes slightly from the phone body now. If you put it with its "back" on the table, then the upper left edge can now be tapped off the Morse code. Apart from possible scratches on the lens, I do not see any other possible disadvantages of this feature. And the lens is protected by a sapphire crystal.

A unique feature of the 6 Plus is the presence of an optical image stabilizer (in 6 it is digital) - one of the lenses floats inside the lens in a special solution to compensate for shake when shooting handheld. Of course, this will not help if you are shooting a cat on a skateboard on the run, but ordinary static videos can now look like they were taken from a tripod.

The resolution of the camera sensor remains the same - 8 megapixels, but the sensor itself has been seriously redesigned. Now the autofocus of the camera is much faster and more susceptible to changing plans. The 6 Plus camera is capable of stitching panoramas up to 43 megapixels. This means that now it will become more interesting to look at them: when you zoom in, you can see more details.

The 6 Plus shoots FullHD video at up to 60 frames per second. The phone can shoot video in a slightly poorer quality at a frequency of up to 240 frames per second, which allows you to get eight times slow motion at the output. It is a pleasure to watch a drop of water fall into a glass or the basset hounds running in such slow motion.

Selfies with the front 1.2-megapixel camera can now be taken with machine gun fires, so that later you can choose the best. There is also a timer - for 3 or 10 seconds.

Battery

Apple traditionally does not disclose the battery capacity of its devices, but the craftsmen who managed to disassemble the phone learned that the 6 Plus was equipped with a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2915 mAh. By comparison, the iPhone 5s has a 1560mAh battery. However, this seemingly impressive difference is partially compensated by the greater gluttony of the huge screen and the increased performance of the processor.

I took the phone out of the box with about 80% charge and completely discharged it in about 8 hours. The statistics of the device itself showed that I used it for 4 hours 38 minutes, and in standby mode it spent almost 12 hours. 18% of the energy was consumed by the menu and the lock screen, 16% was spent on playing the Goat Simulator, 10% on checking the Facebook feed, 9% on downloading applications from the AppStore over the cellular network. Considering that the battery was, as they say, "not shaken" for long-term use, this is quite a good indicator. With this load, the 5S would be discharged in about 5-6 hours.

Operating system

iPhone 6 Plus comes preloaded with iOS8, which has been released for all Apple devices from iPhone 4S and iPad 2 and up. That is, most of the functions that first appeared in this system will be available not only for new, but also for old devices. iOS8 has practically not changed visually compared to its predecessor, but many pleasant changes have appeared "under the hood".

One of the main distinguishing features of the system is the presence of the Health application center, which should aggregate data from fitness bracelets, pedometers, heart rate monitors and other sensors with which you want to weigh yourself in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle. The pedometer is built into the 6 and 6 Plus models themselves, and at the moment, unfortunately, this is the only useful function available in the Health app - due to a critical error, Apple had to urgently remove all applications that work with Health from the AppStore. They should go back there with the next update.

In iOS8, Apple has given more options for customizing the internal components of the system. In particular, for the first time, a third-party virtual keyboard can be installed on an iPhone. So far, only one is available in Russian - Fleksy. After testing it for a while, I discovered several nasty bugs, could not get used to special gestures, and eventually returned to the standard keyboard.

Who is this phone for

The Apple Watch, which the company unveiled at its annual event on September 12, will likely be the perfect companion to the iPhone 6 Plus. Sales of the device will begin only in 2015, the exact date has not yet been announced, but it is already clear that the owners of the 6 Plus will want this watch a little more than all the others. The reason is simple: despite the fact that the phone is not very convenient to operate with one hand, all operational functions - notifications about mail, Instagram likes and reminders from the calendar - will want to be assigned to some other device in order to stretch your thumb less often. And here the Apple Watch will come to the rescue with its Glances concept (from the English "look"), which involves displaying information in a concentrated and concise form.

Who should you recommend the iPhone 6 Plus as your next phone? Such a person should love watching movies and playing mobile games. He should have big hands and despise tight jeans. He wants to minimize the number of devices he owns, so instead of a phone + tablet bundle, he wants to find a compromise.

Or vice versa. This man is a techno maniac. He has a tablet, a laptop, a smart watch, a fitness bracelet, and a quadcopter with a 4K camera. And he is not ready for compromises, so for the sake of a number of functions unique to the 6 Plus (optical camera stabilization, landscape mode of the screen, a more capacious battery), he is ready to take it.

The device also has serious competitors. First of all, this is the Samsung Galaxy Note, the fourth version of which will go on sale on October 10 (in Russia - October 23). It has a slightly larger screen and battery, a 16-megapixel camera, but in general, we can already say that the choice between the 6 Plus and the Note 4 will come down to which mobile operating system you prefer - Android or iOS.

But the choice between 6 and 6 Plus is that rare case when the advice to go to the store and hold them in your hands to make the choice is not a gentle wish, but a strict parting word. Even if you are a basketball player over 2 meters tall with huge palms.

IPhone 6 Plus Specifications

Length - 15.81 cm

Width - 7.78 cm

Thickness - 7.1 mm

Weight - 172 grams

5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution and 401 ppi.

Memory capacity - 16, 64 or 128 gigabytes

Camera - 8 megapixels, optical image stabilization

Support for 4th generation networks, Wi-Fi of the latest generation - up to 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Glonass

Price from an authorized dealer: RUB 37,000 (16 GB), RUB 42,000 (64 GB), RUB 47,000 (128 GB)

Processor: A8 on 64-bit architecture, M8 - co-processor responsible for tracking health indicators.

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