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Samsung: Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket like iPhone 6

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrhCz6PnT78]

You might have thought the whole iPhone 6 Bendgate controversy had been put to bed following extensive testing and responses from Apple, but Samsung wants you to know that, unlike the new iPhones, its new Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket:

And apparently, our hips are strong – stronger than we give it credit for. Leaving things in your back pocket can lead to, well, bent things. Hence the question: what about my phone? Namely, the Galaxy Note 4…

Samsung didn’t mention the iPhone by name, but it’s a clear jab at Apple after the company has come under heat in recent weeks over the fact that its new iPhones may be less durable than previous generations. Samsung posted the video above and images below showing off its durability testing procedures “to give you, and your back pocket, peace of mind.” In addition to the usual stress tests, Samsung also points out that it performs human weight tests to simulate users sitting on the device with it in their back pocket (pictured below). For what it’s worth, Apple gave its own look into durability testing procedures for the iPhone 6 following media attention over the bending controversy.

You know what this means. We’re about to see a ton of YouTubers sitting on their new Galaxy Note 4 when the device launches stateside this month. The device officially went on sale in Korea on September 26th and is rolling out to additional countries in the coming weeks. While sitting on Note 4 might not be an issue, you will have to deal with a large, unsightly gap around the display that Samsung said is a necessary manufacturing feature.

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Comments

  1. That’s because it won’t be anywhere near my back pocket. Or any of my pockets, for that matter.

    • Carlos R. Batista - 9 years ago

      Im still wondering when “bendibility” became some sort measurement for how durable a product is. Last time I checked every time you drop a Samsung Phone the back pops and flies 5 meters away, exposing connectors and the battery to damage and dust. The iPhone 6 in fact rated incredibly well in drop/scratch tests, you know, the way that most consumers actually break their phones. But no, less have this bending thing take priority over other far more likely scenarios and lets keep overblowing a non-issue. Why not right? keep it up!

    • giskardian - 9 years ago

      Sounds like a wise strategy. Carrying a purse is much easier than putting a phone in your pocket. ; )

    • Ron Hummel - 9 years ago

      I wonder about people that put their phones in their back pockets anyway! I’m no rocket scientist, but sitting on a $800 piece of electronic equipment with glass don’t seem like a smart thing to do.

      • hijaszu - 9 years ago

        Because they want a big phone that does not fit into their side one :D

    • tallaron - 9 years ago

      By the way….I sat on my Samsung tv and now it’s worth more since it’s curved.

  2. Jeff Colvin (@jeffcolv) - 9 years ago

    This just in. Plastic is more durable than aluminium.

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 9 years ago

      It’s made of metal though.

      • Jeff Colvin (@jeffcolv) - 9 years ago

        Oh? They stepped up their build quality? I haven’t even seen one, but I thought it was just Samsung’s thing to use plastic. Do they still have the ugly faux leather on the back?

      • andreww500 - 9 years ago

        Of course they still have the awful leather. This is still Samsung. Give it another 7 years and they might make the rear metal too.

    • jrox16 - 9 years ago

      Not really, there’s many other factors at play. Aluminum is stronger and harder than typical consumer electronic plastic. If plastic was so much more durable than aluminum they would make airplanes out of it instead of aluminum.

  3. PMZanetti - 9 years ago

    How can it be put to be bed when this clickbait website continues to publish daily articles that reference it?

    • rogifan - 9 years ago

      Time to boycott this site. Just trolling for clicks now.

      • Dean Har - 9 years ago

        Could you not figure out from the title what the article was going to be about? Nobody forced you here.

        Just keep in mind everyone’s not in a big a rush as you to bury this potential problem.

  4. Joel Henson - 9 years ago

    When did trolls start writing for this site? It seems to be getting worse by the day around here

  5. dcj001 - 9 years ago

    There is no evidence to show that the iPhone 6 easily bends.

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 9 years ago

      You’re right, there have been no videos or tests to confirm that the iPhone 6 plus bends easily, none whatsoever.

      • @whatyoutalkingboutwillis, I like your sarcasm

      • varera (@real_varera) - 9 years ago

        oh, you have just redefined “easily”. congratulations, professor.

      • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 9 years ago

        Just call me X

  6. markbyrn (@markbyrn) - 9 years ago

    Why is this article being posted – are you Samsung PR? So it won’t bend eh? How about you put it in your pocket with some keys and if comes out with the any scratches, you have to write a hysterical doom and article like you do for Apple. I’ve already read of Note 4 gap problems – they’re calling it gapgate.

    • Jordan Kahn - 9 years ago

      It’s a clear shot at the iPhone 6 controversy and the Note 4 is arguably the iPhone 6’s biggest competitor right now. That’s the reason I posted. Also I mentioned the Note 4 gap problem you’re talking about (clearly you didn’t read the whole article).

      • Carlos R. Batista - 9 years ago

        Does the “gapgate” have 20 dedicated articles? How about you turn that one into a controversy and blow it up out of proportions? Oh wait…because nobody cares about flaws with Samsung products :(

        Lets get real please, this is just more clickbait and nothing else.

      • Dean Har - 9 years ago

        Jordan, please don’t waste your time responding to these crazed Apple fans. You guys have always posted related Samsung ads.

  7. Frank Little - 9 years ago

    True but no one give better tech support than Apple. I’m 71 and I need their help all the time. So if you carry in back pocket? You know what to expect

  8. Steve Hobson - 9 years ago

    Which begs the question “How much did Samesung pay for the negative Apple propaganda we’ve seen over the past week?” Nine out of more than 10,000,000 … yep, massive issue there, NOT. Only idiots will fall for the crap anyway, after all, they’ve already fallen for Android…

  9. Drew (@gettysburg11s) - 9 years ago

    I don’t get it. Why is it so important that a smartphone be able to withstand being sat upon? Its always been a bad idea to do that, and it still is. This just proves that we have a copious amount of stupid people in this country. Also, is it really a revelation that hard plastic is more rigid than aluminum? Again, only to stupid people.

  10. timcrook - 9 years ago

    I’m really sowwy guys, I promise the 6S+ will be super durable!

  11. Thomas Bechard - 9 years ago

    Omg shut up. Didn’t you read your own poll results? We. Don’t. Care.

  12. ovumcerebrum - 9 years ago

    Point taken. However, the galaxy note 4 is a piece of sh*t phone.. so it’s irrelevant whether it bends or doesn’t. Btw, the. Nokia 8210 didn’t bend in my pocket either, but I’m not likely to start using one again just for that reason. Cautionary note to non-iPhone users: in addition to the aluminum being bendable, the glass is also breakable.

  13. Is this the only way samsung know how to advertise their products… bitching!?

  14. It could me made out of adamantium, it still runs Android.

  15. steiner - 9 years ago

    Not to be picky, but Human Weight trial seems to consist of someone sitting on the phone. That’s not the same as the phone being in your pocket when you sit down. Denim, which is fairly strong, is going to add additional stress to the device.

  16. The Gnome (@gnomehole) - 9 years ago

    Time to remove 9to5mac from my daily RSS feed.

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 9 years ago

      This comment makes me cri every time I read it. :'(

  17. borntofeel - 9 years ago

    Whoever sits on his iPhone deserves it to break.

    Removing 9to5 from my favorites. Bye.

  18. Kristjan Vuk - 9 years ago

    And what they say about this… It is a feature or fail?
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/samsung-galaxy-note-4-suffering-from-gapgate/

  19. giskardian - 9 years ago

    I want to know how many Samsung engineers tried to boink the butt tester!

  20. Bálint Peretsényi - 9 years ago

    I accidentally drove through my Macbook Air the other day. OFFICIAL : Its bending…. idiots

    • whatyoutalkingboutwillis - 9 years ago

      I accidentally put my iPhone 6 plus in my front pocket the other day. OFFICIAL : It’s bending… idiots, why would someone even consider putting their mobile device in their front pocket, what an absurd crazy idea.

  21. Look at where the pressure points are on the Samsung test, and the IPhone test. Of course if we ran the IPhone’s pressure points closer to the middle of the phone it will easily beat out Samsung. Just a marketing scheme for the people that don’t know much about stress analysis.

    http://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/galaxy-note-4-bend-test_10.jpg
    http://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-26-at-9-21-21-pm.pngac

    • giskardian - 9 years ago

      Consumer Reports already made that comparison. The Samsung smartphone was over 150% more resistant to bending than the iPhone.

  22. Carlos R. Batista - 9 years ago

    Consumer reports already said that effectively the Note 4 is less bendable than the iPhone 6. Nothing new here except for more clickbait and more sucking up to Samsung in your 9to5MAC section, how about you leave this piece of “news” where it belongs- in your 9to5GOOGLE blog where all fandroids can circle jerk forever to this beautiful piece of information. Thank you.

    • Chris Sanders - 9 years ago

      Or we could ignore it and they will stop posting crappy articles like this one. I don’t care that my iPhone 6 is less durable than a Note 4. I don’t sit on my phone. My iPhone 6 doesn’t bend in my front pocket either.

  23. So… it serves as a toilet paper too?

  24. al0963 - 9 years ago

    And 2 Millions reservations in China, so the Bendgate doesnt really matter anymore, Samsung good try but too late, Apple is going to take the World like a storm!!

  25. Samsung has one of the useless marketing team in the world, they cant tell people the capabilities of their device. but bashing the good products. Who cares if your device doesnt bend.

  26. jjallen86 - 9 years ago

    No it’ll just get filled with dust and crap down the giant gaps between the body and the screen that Samscum call a “feature”.. .

  27. al0963 - 9 years ago

    If you read from this point up ^ we are all Apple fans, hurry up take down this article before the Trollers wake up!! TAKE IT DOWN!!! LOL😂😂😂

  28. Alas, ultimately the proof will be in pudding for either phone maker: units sold, units shipped. Until then, it’s all mindless poop-flinging and angering of the blood.

  29. Joe Mecca - 9 years ago

    My snickers bar melts and bends in my back pocket.

  30. Joe Mecca - 9 years ago

    I’d rather have a phone which bent if I was stupid enough to put it in my back pocket – if it’s too hard, it will crack fast which can release lithium and cause burns. Make a story on that. I’d rather be safe. http://www.ibtimes.com/samsung-galaxy-explosion-5-times-galaxy-devices-have-spontaneously-combusted-1342747 or how about all the fires the galaxy s4 has caused? https://www.google.com/search?q=Galaxy+s4+causes+burns&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=q2ctVMTCK5C3yATQ2YLgAw&ved=0CGIQsAQ&biw=2560&bih=1378

  31. Chris Sanders - 9 years ago

    You mean luxurious items are not as durable as cheap plastic items. Who knew?

  32. Coastal Guy - 9 years ago

    I didn’t buy the iPhone 6 for whether it bends or not. I bought it for what it is.

  33. Mr. Grey (@mister_grey) - 9 years ago

    I’d really like to see someone do some tests with big fat Americans putting phones in stupid skinny jeans pockets and doing squat thrusts or something, as that would be more telling that these lab tests.

    I think it would prove that the iPhone can bend in that situation, but it would also prove that you have to be a f*cking MORON to put your iPhone in a tight pocket like that and think that it won’t bend or break.

    Personally, I can’t stand even having a slip of paper in my back pocket and I think anyone who habitually keeps their iPhone in there is just a fool and deserves everything that they get. It’s as stupid to keep things in your back pocket as it would be to tape things to the bottom of your shoes IMO.

  34. hmurchison - 9 years ago

    9to5Mac. Where average writers go to pontificate on lame subjects. Step up your games guys. There’s much competition for eyeballs and advertising dollars. You’re slipping

  35. Rema Barge - 9 years ago

    Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is up for pre-order. Find sites offering best deals and lowest market price for Galaxy Note 4 and Android phones only at bestandroidphonedeals(dot)com (Just replace the (dot) with the actual . )

  36. Dan Klotz (@danferth) - 9 years ago

    Funny how the whole issue goes away with a hard case, you know the thing most everyone has on there phone….

  37. Overlord - 9 years ago

    My bended iPhone 6 Plus blends on my BLENDTEC blender! OMG!

  38. G-stylez (@gstylez) - 9 years ago

    No one cares. Let’s move on!

  39. G-stylez (@gstylez) - 9 years ago

    No one cares. Let’s move on!

  40. timl2k11 - 9 years ago

    The problem you blind Apple fanatics don’t seem to be getting (and I’m a proud iPhone 5 owner) is that it’s Apple that doesn’t seem to understand physics. The longer an object like an iPhone, thin and made with a malleable metal, the more reinforcement it needs. This has to do with torque which I gather nearly none of the people posting comments here understand. This is why it takes so little force to bend the Plus near the volume buttons.

    • timl2k11 - 9 years ago

      And for god sakes, it can bend in the front pocket, people aren’t sitting on it!!!

      • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

        No, it can’t bend in the front pocket, and I know this as FACT loser, now GET OUT.

    • hmurchison - 9 years ago

      Please post your credentials from an accredited institution of higher learning in the field of Physics or STFU

  41. Matouš Petrus - 9 years ago

    Bendgate – Jokes about the iPhone 6 Plus gallery
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIZ9_5KrOKE

  42. George Pollen - 9 years ago

    Samsung must think we’re all idiots. The 250 Newtons of force they show corresponds to 25.4 kilograms or 56 pounds. Apple’s own testing on the iPhone 6 Plus includes testing at 25 kilograms or 55 pounds–virtually the same force–and Consumer Reports found that the 6 Plus could withstand 80 pounds for 30 seconds, but not 90 pounds.
    If Samsung is flaunting the Note 4 under just 56 pounds of force, my guess is it’s not going to stand up as well as the iPhone 6 Plus to higher forces.

  43. dlaroc - 9 years ago

    I wish people would stop with the pocket bending your iPhone crap. When you put it in your pocket, its usually with the display facing you. In the videos, they’re applying pressure from the opposite direction. The screen doesn’t bend. It’s not going to bend in your pocket.

    • Dean Har - 9 years ago

      Greaat… so now there’s a specific way to put our phones in our pocket. Soon we won’t be allowed to hold our phones with our hands…

      • George Pollen - 9 years ago

        No, there’s the natural way to put a phone in the pocket that seems likely to help guard against incidents of bending.
        Furthermore, it looks like the Note 4 will bend or break more easily than the iPhone 6, because Samsung only flaunts 56 lbs. of pressure (=250 Nt.) in their ad. That’s nothing for the 6 or 6 Plus.
        The state of Android sucks so bad, its proponents will grab at anything to attain profitability.

  44. Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

    Notice how Scamshit NEVER bothers to show the actual pressure / weight gauge of the machinery being used to conduct this test even ONCE during said test? Quite convenient of them to say it’s stronger than “the competitors” if they don’t even show the machine readout, and how much pressure is actually being applied!

    Bunch of bullshit, yet again.

    BTW, how’s that new feature in the Note 4, the lint, dust, bug, and business card gap?

    • Dennis McCarty - 9 years ago

      The Note 4 has a built in card holder to store your ID!.. In between the display and frame. I guess its for easy access. lmao. Or maybe they added a new slot for the Spen somewhere in there.

  45. JP Dunn - 9 years ago

    I would think that the size of you butt and the tightness of your jeans would have an impact on bendability. If you have big butt and wear tight jeans don’t put the iPhone in your back pocket.

  46. Andrew John - 9 years ago

    Of course it won’t bend in your pocket. With all the bloatware and malware installed, its impossible.

  47. jrox16 - 9 years ago

    Guess what, the Note 4 bends too…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDIu-GcX5aM#t=316

  48. lilliansbest - 9 years ago

    This article http://www.exploretalent.com/articles/samsung-galaxy-note-4-joins-the-bendgate-controversy/ answers why your Galaxy Note 4 won’t bend in your back pocket like iPhone 6. Lewis Hilsenteger – the same guy that made iPhone 6+ bent when applied with some kind of force using his hands – also did the same test with the Galaxy Note 4. I don’t know what he was up to for showing this kind of stuff, whether he just want us get confused or make us aware of the products that we ought to buy. But remember guys, at the end of the day, it’s you who has to live with your decisions not them.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.