New iPhones under fire in ‘Bendgate’ row

Just days after the launch, the new iPhone is coming under fire — for being too ‘bendy’.

Multiple users have been posting photos online of their new iPhone 6 Plus which have become warped after being in their pockets for long periods of time. The whole debacle is being called #bendgate.

Unlike LG’s bendy G FLEX and numerous other bendy phones that came out this year, the iPhone 6 was not made to bend.

MacRumors, which first reported on the issue, said “a small but growing number” of iPhone 6 Plus owners had reported in their forums that their phone had been bent after carrying the device in their pockets. In one example, a new 6 Plus was bent during a day of “dancing, dining, and driving to a wedding”.

Russell Holly, a reporter for Geek.com, said he had also experienced the issue.

“Shortly after reading these reports I checked out my own iPhone 6 and discovered a similar — but significantly less noticeable — effect,” he said.

“Much like these other reports, my phone had been in my front pocket for an extended period of time while I was driving.”

iPhone 6 Plus owners are also being warned online against bending their phones back into shape due to the risk of its screen cracking.

More than 10m Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, a record for a new model, were sold in the three days after the phones went on sale. The new models are onsale in Ireland from tomorrow.

A year ago, Apple said it had sold 9m of the then-new iPhone 5C and 5S models.

Chief executive Tim Cook said demand for the phones had exceeded the company’s expectations.

Besides larger screens, the new phones offer faster performance and a wireless chip for making credit card payments.