MOL
California
Owners of the new iPhone 6 Plus have been left angered as it emerged the phone can bend out of shape simply when stored in a pocket. Since the new model launched on Friday, a small but growing number of iPhone 6 Plus owners have reported the issue that significantly alters the appearance of the phone.
The problem, dubbed ‘bend gate’ by some on social media sites, is due to the phone’s thin aluminium exterior - but can be solved by ensuring the middle of the phone is not subjected to a large force. A video, uploaded to YouTube by user Lewis Hilsenteger, shows the iPhone 6 Plus bending using just his fingers. It has already been viewed more than 13.8 million times.
MacRumors detailed on Tuesday that ‘a small but growing number of iPhone 6 Plus owners have reportedly bent their phones after carrying the devices in their pockets just days after launch’. One forum user known as ‘hanzoh’ claimed his iPhone 6 plus was ‘slightly bent’ after he drove with the device in his pocket. ‘The 6 Plus was about 18 hours in my pocket while sitting mostly,’ Hanzoh said. ‘As I lay it on the coffee table and sat down on the couch to relax from the drive, I saw the reflection of the window in the iPhones slightly distorted.’
And he said when laid flat, a bend in the phones display can clearly be seen. The bendy feature of the new iPhone has also been met with wide criticism on social media. Others hashtagged ‘bendgate’ as they poked fun at the defect. One user wrote: ‘@tim_cook hi Tim, I absolutely love my new iPhone 6 Plus!! My favorite feature is the flexible display.’  However this isn’t the first time iPhone frames have warped while the issue isn’t unique to Apple, Mashable reports.
It was further mentioned the thinner design and the use of aluminum on the frame causes the phone to misshape if pressure is applied.
However, other Twitter users flagged up the fact that many handsets will bend under a similar amount of pressure.
App developer ?@drbarnard said: ‘It’s actually impressive that the 6 Plus doesn’t break. Seems like that much pressure on any device would do damage.’
Reports in 2012 claimed that the iPhone 5 had similar frame weaknesses.
Samsung devices are also vulnerable, and the Galaxy S4 in particular was found to bend under pressure, as did Sony’s Xperia Z1.
Other devices have been released recently that were specifically designed to have a curved frame, including the LG G Flex and the Samsung Round.
Both devices were said to be more comfortable to hold, and easier to place in a back pocket.
Apple announced on Monday it sold over 10 million of its ‘bigger than bigger’ model, setting a new record since it launched three days after the launch on Friday.
This beat the previous record of 9 million for last year’s iPhone 5S and 5C.
However Apple has not yet responded to MailOnline’s request for comment regarding the issues with the latest model.