An Apple support representative has told TNW that iPhone 6/Plus phones that have experienced warping in normal use would qualify for replacement under warranty if they pass a test known as “a visual mechanical inspection.” It should be noted that this is simply one AppleCare rep speaking, and not an official statement by Apple.
That is 100 percent up to the Genius you speak with at the store. There is a test called a Visual Mechanical Inspection that the device will have to pass. If it is within the guidelines, they will be able to cover it. If not, the replacement would be a paid one.
Apple was not able to provide any information on what the test involves, though one commentator below suggests that it is simply comparing the phone to a set of reference photos used to distinguish phones damaged by misuse from those considered faulty. In some rather Steve-like phrasing, the representative said that support chatroom comments revealed that “we’re looking into this with an insane amount of detail.”
Photos of the iPhone 6 and, especially, 6 Plus bending whilst in pockets starting emerging a couple of days ago. Video tests, though, do seem to indicate that a substantial degree of force is required.
Our own poll suggested that around 30 percent of readers are concerned about the issue, with 11.5 percent saying that they already own an iPhone 6 and are worried about damaging it, and 18 percent stating that they are delaying purchase until the issue is resolved.
iDevice warranty specialists SquareTrade found that the iPhone 6 passed all its breakability tests, describing it as the “toughest iPhone yet” and noting that it beat all other phones in its drop tests.
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Good of them to do the right thing here.
As long as “the right thing” involves publically shaming these morons for putting a $1000 phone in their back pocket and sitting on it. Then throwing them out of the store for their sheer stupidity.
It is ridiculous that this is such a “crisis”
It’s been mentioned many times that some people had their phones bent in their front pockets. That, is unacceptable in my opinion. Apple should have something strong enough to withstand being in a front pocket without bending.
Putting it in your back pocket and sitting on it, that’s another story all together. Stupidity at its finest.
i would need something more substantiate then “some people reported” for the front pocket bending. seriously this is the internet, don’t be so naive. also it’s obvious in the video, that he used a lot of force to bend the damn thing. Give me a mechanical weight stress test video and i’ll concede.
I feel we should be publicly (note the correct spelling) these morons that continually state that it was from back pocket use. If you were able to some modicum of comprehension, you would understand that there are several reports of it bending in peoples’ front pockets. I wish we could throw people like you out for your sheer stupidity.
Um…I don’t see how that is stupid? I didn’t know that you could only put a phone in your front pocket, is that some rule stated somewhere? A phone should be durable enough to not worry about minor bends, I own the 5s and frequently place it in my front and back pocket when sitting down and have never had any issues or ever thought about a potential phone bending.
I would think that with such an expensive product and reputable brand that some testing would be done. If i buy a Lexus and pull the door handle with slightly more force than usual would I be called stupid if the door handle came off? Or should I expect a Lexus to be a little more durable than that. You sir, are a grade A moron.
Personally I’m a big apple fan but due to screen size(up until now) I’ve had a galaxy note and I’ve been sitting on it for years with out any problem. I don’t understand why so many people pass judgement on people for putting their phone in their back pocket. Having a huge phone in your front pocket is incredibly uncomfortable and awkward. The phone should be strong enough to withstand both front and back pocket use. Apple is supposed to set the standard but the note is twice as bendable as the iPhone.
so, why are people trying to bend their new phones? Am I missing something here or is it a fad like twerking that we should do it at the risk of being considered an idiot? Come on people, if you try to bend it or are careless, then chances it will bend.
Wow, do people really need to be told “Don’t sit on your iPhone, it might bend!” I feel no remorse for people carrying their phone in their back pocket. I use my front pocket, and no issues.
Do people need to be told (for the thousandth time) that they should probably read before typing? The reports are from people having them in their front pockets, not back pockets. With that now understood, how are people sitting on their phone in their front pockets?
I am confused.. I thought this issue only occurred with the 6 Plus and 6 users need not to worry..?
It isn’t an issue at all. Basically, people are stupid and sit on their phones. Thats the only accidental way a bent phone would happen. A phone does not just bend on its own. If it really is defective, Apple, as they indicated above, will replace your phone free of charge (though its very easy to tell if someone sat on the phone, vs it being defective).
I’m glad I don’t sit on my phone :) But as far as I understood, the issue happens in the front pocket as well?
Don’t believe people automatically, I find it hard to believe it’s happened in front pockets given how much force is required to bend the phones watching the videos. It’s very easy to sit on it (I see so many people stupidly carrying their phones in the back pockets) and then lie claiming it was in the front pocket to cover that mistake up.
must be nice to be omnipotent
we want thinner phones so that’s a price we will have to pay, thinner = fragile. by the way, i think a case might help solve the issue. ;)
You are correct, there’s a recent video of Square Trade trying to bend 4-5 phones and he shows it takes an huge deal of hand force to bend the 6, much more than the 6 Plus. But people should still NEVER sit on their phones, that’s a lot of weight and it’s just friggen common sense.
It’s happened to about a dozen people. It’s the same few stories going round and round. I reckon it’ll take a lot to bend the device.
The visual mechanical inspections have existed for years. Simply, they are a set of guidelines that determine what state of warranty your phone qualifies for based on the the degree of damage your phone has sustained. The guide shows specific examples of user created damage and well as damage that could be considered normal (covetable under AppleCare) wear and tear.
The bending section has been there since the iPhone 5 came out. So I’m assuming they are going to use the same guidelines as they always have in regards to bent phones.
That’s very helpful, thanks.
newuser is spot on. We had a VMI for every device, and for the 5 and 5S, as long as the display itself hadn’t started popping out of its enclosure, the bend was covered (and believe it or not, that was most of the bends). I was surprised they were that generous, but it certainly made my job easier. If I can get one of my sources to screenshot the VMI for the 6/6+ I’ll send you a tip, Ben.
Thanks, FRF
Actually…the VMI for iPhone 6 and Plus says that bent enclosure is not covered. Sorry. This may change in the future but as of now it is considered cosmetic damage. From a “source”
I’d say even less than a dozen. Couldn’t find more than three pictures on twitter.
This is madness.
This is like a bad joke continuation of the will it blend iPhone commercials for the blender company.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Samsung tried to bend the phone then paid for it go viral.
Good point, this would be Samsung’s style. For all we know all the cases of the phone bending are of Samsung employee’s (undercover) forcefully sitting on the phone and then crying foul. The videos show it takes a good deal of force to bend it.
Wow, talk about delusional paranoia. You people really need to get a life and stop living inside your phones. Samsung and Apple do their fighting in the courts and if you think that either company would do something like you are suggesting is slightly mental.
Exactly. Probably Samsung, Google, LG and HTC combined.
Don’t forget the Illuminati! You guys are borderline schizophrenic.
Es wird spannend sein zu sehen, wie hierzulande die Apple-Mitarbeiter an der Genius-Bar reagieren werden. Gerade in solchen Fällen wird die Unterscheidung zwischen unsachgemäßer Handhabung und Fertigungsfehler nämlich extrem schwierig. Interessant wäre noch die Frage, ob und wie sich der Abschluss von AppleCare+ auf die Rückabwicklung eines verbogenen iPhones auswirken würde.
Heck yeah! Whatever you said. :)
I would be devastated if one day I pull my plus out of my front pocket to look at it and there was a slight bend to it. Pissed if Apple wouldn’t fix it.
Well, that’s not going to happen so don’t worry about it.
It has happened, so maybe a bit of worry is necessary.
It would hurt your leg before or during the bending as it’s obvious from the videos just how much force needs to be applied to bend them. This whole thing is a basic common sense issue. Do not sit on your large thin phone. If in front pocket, to be safe, make sure it’s positioned to the outside thigh side (under hip) inside the pocket as far as the pocket allows before sitting, rather than towards the groin where it will be pressed up against your gut and quadriceps. In fact, I even always out of habit would slide even the tiny iPhone 5 in my front pocket all the way to the outside before sitting for basic comfort reasons.
The bend test videos show just how much force is required to bend these phones, the bender’s hands are shaking and straining from the force applied. In other words, you will not bend your iPhone if you don’t sit on it.
My wife dropped her iPhone 6 from about 3 feet onto concrete. The screen shattered. After closer inspection, the frame is slightly but noticably bent near the power button. This is a big design flaw and I am happy to see Apple doing somehting about it.
Please! If you don’t have AppleCare+ protection and you drop your iPhone you can’t go around telling that it’s Apple fault. You are the one that dropped it, not Apple! There is no design flaw. Your brains are bent here. Stop with the lies to cover up your mistakes expecting Apple to give you a new iPhone for free.
There is no way this is happening in front pockets. Look at those pictures and the videos – all are bent OUTWARDS toward the screen. This could only happen if the phone were placed in your pocket (front or back) with the screen facing outward. I’ve never seen people doing that, as the screen would shatter if you hit your leg against something, and for sure if you sat on it. This is a wholly unnatural problem – despite the physics.
Wake up media and ask a a critical question once in a while – you are falling right into the competition spin-meister trap here.
I sat on my iPad mini. I’d like a refund. I had no idea— NONE!— that aluminum bends and that’s clearly Apple’s fault!
Apple has a whole team that monitors social media, genius bars, apple site etc and working on solutions. This is also probably the reason why 40 millions phones aren’t assembled are ready to deliver on day 1. This gives them the ability to re-tool for any fixes that are required. Thus, only those that got earlier phones would be subjected to any warranty claims. They have their supply chain well oiled and greased and can cut off issues, if this is really as big as the media makes this out to be. I have doubts. But, I believe that Apple will make hardware adjustment to increase the rigidity in the phone somehow to eliminate claims to the initial release qty. I think things like this happen on every release. Could be a component issues, like bad batteries,etc but Apple quietly adjusts production and keeps the damage from spreading to all devices. If something happens to the device in the future and is part of the affected serial numbers, the genius bar replaces no questions asked. I think this is in part of what leads to those long delivery times for phones.
I’m hesitant to upgrade until the situation is clarified, mainly because being a short female, our pockets are not big enough to put a phone in – and if you sit down quickly with one of these phones in the front pocket of your pants, I wouldnt be surprised to see this particular bend style. I carry a handbag, but I prefer to keep my phone in my pocket in case something happens – even if I lose my bag somehow, i’ll still be able to call for help or whatever.
Clearly all the men are overlooking how having a phone that bends in this manner could be a genuine problem for a female. I’ll be sticking with my 5S for the time being thank you.
I can tell you that I am, in no way, associated with Samsung or any other company, and I had my 6 Plus is my front pocket. I bent over at the store to get an item from the lower shelf and felt a “pop” like feeling. I pulled out my phone and the screen is SHATTERED. I laid it on the table when I got home and it is NOT bent. This is NOT acceptable, by a long shot!
I have an iphone 6 and it bend in my front pocket . i will send it to the service from my country and hope they will change it .
I am one user who has had my iPhone 6 bend (and shatter) in my front pocket. Simply sitting in class like a normal student. 2 hours later I pull out my iPhone and BAM! It’s bent and shattered. Then after shattering the screen worked for about an hour, and then shut off. My iPhone remains on and responding, but obviously with a black screen is impossible to use (besides virtual assistant “siri”). This is completely Apples fault. I should be able to hold my phone in my front pocket and not worry that my screen will bend, therefore causing my phone major damage. I have to take it in tomorrow and demand a new phone due to apples stupidity, and use the little money I’ve saved to purchase a stronger case.