Bendgate: Was video showing iPhone 6 Plus bending a fake?

A YouTube video that went viral claims to showcasing how the iPhone 6 Plus was susceptible to bending, could be a fake. According to this Pocket Lint piece points out that the when the author shows the iPhone 6 Plus bending, the time is “1:59 PM around 2:45 minutes into the video.” However when the video started the time on the iPhone was 2.26 pm. Then as this Business Insider piece points out a Reddit user “akrosdabay” has written a detailed analysis of why this Bendgate video is likely a fake. According to the Reddit user,

“When he (the guy in the video) is bending it with his bare hands, the phone shows 2:26 pm. Then, talking about it that later claiming it has bent as a consequence of his actions earlier in the video, the phone shows 1:58 pm. Then later when he is summarizing, the time on the phone is 1:58 - 2:00 and has a bend in it. Then it shows 2:00 pm and the phone is straight with some possible damage near the volume button.”

Interestingly Consumer Reports, which reviews products online, has also done a bend test for a variety of devices including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus using a lot more than just simple hands to bend the device. You can watch their video below:

They point out that for their test they used a “three-point flexural test.” Essentially, “the phone is supported at two points on either end, then force is applied at a third point on the top”. Other devices in the test list were LG G3, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and HTC One (M8), and iPhone 5. According to their conclusions, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are not as bendy as it is being argued by some. They write, “The iPhone 6 Plus, the more robust of the new iPhones in our testing, started to deform when we reached 90 pounds of force, and came apart with 110 pounds of force.” The point they make is: yes the phones do bend but after using considerable force, not just simply twisting them in your hand. Apple has already responded to the Bendgate allegations and said that a total of 9 consumers have come to them with such complaints. In a statement Apple wrote, “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.” The Cupertino-based technology giant even gave the media a tour of its facility where it tests iPhones for durability. While Apple has been taken to task in social media over bendgate, as the latest reports show that the bending bit is definitely not as easy the original video had claimed.