#BendGate
iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test Screenshot (Unbox Theory) by Apple Insider
Just four days after the smartphone’s North American release, the “iPhone 6 Plus Bend Test” video was uploaded to YouTube, marking the start of the huge Internet-wide phenomenon:
#BendGate
Videos, pictures, and posts deriding the “design flaw” and bendable nature of the iPhone 6 Plus were shared through various social media platforms. The original bend test video currently has more than 47.5 million views, with the #BendGate hashtag trending worldwide.
In reality, however, there were only 9 reports of users whose phones had bent while in their front pockets, and Apple was quick to release their statement assuring that such cases were rare. Consumer Reports also recently published the results of their own high-precision bend test, which found that the iPhone 6 plus was able to endure more weight than the iPhone 6, as well as the HTC One, and would not bend with typical use.
Yet, the viral #BendGate sensation only continued to grow. As former Apple consultant Ken Segall states in his blog post, “the real story is that all these people were so quick to believe that Apple had screwed up in such a monumental way — and then joyfully helped blast this “news” into the public consciousness.”
Such are the dangers of such a popular, sought-after brand in the mass markets. Good publicity is big, but bad publicity is huge. Whether it is supporters of the other brand who seek to pull Apple from its top position, those who simply hate the sight of the big player in the mainstream, or the average social media user who has finally found an excuse for relevant, shareable humour—any flaw on Apple’s part will translate into an opportunity for others.
And while this does not seem to have affected Apple as the company’s stock begins to rise again, it definitely highlights the extremes that the company has to face and take into consideration for its future marketing efforts: the loyal fan base and the defiant boycotters, the lovers and the haters, and social media as a whole, with its inherent tendency to make light of dark situations and blow things horribly out of proportion.
Speaking of… good one, Internet— good one.
Bendgate Beckham Photo by Tech Aeris
Sources:
“Consumer Reports test results find iPhone 6 and 6 Plus not as bendy as believed.” Consumer Reports. n.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web.
Jones, Chuck. “How Much Could Bendgate Cost Apple?” Forbes. n.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web.
Morris, Ian. “iPhone 6 Launch, First Weekend Sales And BendGate Statistics From Twitter Revealed.” Forbes. n.p., 26 Sept. 2014. Web.
Su, Reissa. “Apple Inc (AAPL) Stock Rises Again Despite Bendgate, iOS 8 Bugs; Samsung Stock At Two-Year Low.” International Business Times. n.p., 29 Sept. 2014. Web.