In addition to releasing a statement in response to reports about the iPhone 6 Plus reportedly bending in users’ pockets, Apple also invited reporters from CNBC and The Verge to its testing facility for a demonstration of the machines used to test the durability of its handsets.
The lab contains an array of different testing equipment, with Apple’s head of engineering Dan Riccio telling CNBC the iPhone 6 was “the most tested product we have ever done” and that Apple had not tested another phone as exhaustively.
Apple says 15,000 separate tests were conducted on both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. “The bottom line is that if you use enough force to bend an iPhone, or any phone, it’s going to deform,” said Riccio.
Apple’s head of marketing, Phil Schiller called reports of bending “extremely rare occurrences” repeating Apple’s earlier statement that out of millions of iPhones sold, Apple had so far received only nine complaints.
Apple also outlined some of the various durability tests the iPhone 6 Plus was subjected to, explaining that the device is subjected to three-point bend tests which ensures the device can handle reasonable amounts of force. The iPhone is also run through torsion testing where the device is twisted and torqued. “Sit tests” were also ran to simulate sitting on a hard surface with the phone in the back pocket of a pair of tight jeans. Apple said it runs the phones through thousands of cycles testing the device in different positions.
Apple also distributed hundreds of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets to employees for real world testing.
Apple has instructed their support staff to replace bent phones under warranty following a visual inspection. “In this case, as in many things, we tell customers that if you think something’s occurred that shouldn’t have with your device, go to AppleCare, go to The Genius Bar, and let them take a look at it,” Schiller told The Verge. “And we’ll see if your product is having an experience it shouldn’t have and is covered under warranty.”
