iPhone 6 Plus users have been experiencing a unique, if not abnormal, feature on their new phone. Although claimed to be the “most durable smartphones ever”, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are receiving harsh complaints on its ability to bend as pressure is applied to the center of the phone. Since they are well-known for weighing relatively less than most smartphones, one would expect its design quality to have limited flaws. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. The iPhone 6 Plus is made of aluminum, a material that is naturally flexible. Not only that, it is also significantly thinner than the standard iPhone, so it’s not surprising that it is bendable.

Generally speaking, customers expect that, the newer the phone, the better quality it should have. Due to that, Apple fans have been extremely disappointed, and many tweets with the hash-tag “Bend Gate” have been posted with ironic comments about iPhone 6 Plus’ ability to bend. Every single feature of the new iPhone has been made in order to satisfy and improve customers’ satisfaction. Thus, this flaw can possibly represent a setback on the sales of iPhone 6 in the near future. The recent release of the BlackBerry Passport as a business-centric smartphone further challenges the iPhone 6. It seems that from this point on, Apple will definitely need to improve the weak metal shell featured on the iPhone 6 Plus in order to regain prestige on the market. Innovating has been Apple’s strongest marketing strategy, and once again they will need to think of “something new” to recover from this setback.

References:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2014/09/23/the-bendable-iphone-6-plus-may-be-too-thin-for-its-own-good/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/blackberry-passport-why-it-represents-the-crux-of-ceo-john-chen-s-strategy-1.2776759

Apparel companies had to face a complicated situation due to a fire that killed 400 workers in a factory in Bangladesh on April 2013. The question they faced was whether they should stay in Bangladesh and improve working conditions or simply leave and look for another low-cost manufacturer.

Having one of the lowest wages in the world, Bangladesh exports apparel to several different companies and retailers. Although after the incident, Disney pulled away. They opted-out for at least a one-year term until everything was re-established and fully running again. It is true that finding a new and cheap labor supplier is not necessarily a huge loss in terms of quality for Disney. Unless otherwise looking to change their supplier every now and then, companies not only need low-cost production, but also suppliers who are willing to produce quality apparels in quality and safe conditions.

Should companies practice ethical business? Business ethics is a way to handle problems that arise within the business environment. Companies and managers should respect both customers and employees. According to research and witnesses, the workers in Rana Plaza factory were tempted not to work on April 24th, 2013. However, the staff in charge apparently threatened to fire the workers, leaving them no choice. It seems like they were suspecting the worst. Less than an hour into work, the electricity of the building went out, and tragedy inevitably occurred. Are companies solely responsible for this? What actions should they take in order to deal with the situation? Are they expected to take blame and improve working conditions? Are they ultimately tied in to their manufacturers? Confront or retreat?

References:

http://www.scu.edu/r/ethics-center/ethicsblog/business-ethics-news/16120/DISNEY:-Should-Retailers-Cut-and-Run-from-Bangladesh?

http://www.newsweek.com/year-after-bangladeshs-deadly-factory-collapse-western-companies-slow-compensate-248506

http://www.serdef.org/archives/2900