Apple has responded to the claims that its latest iPhone 6 Plus smartphones are prone to bending under pressure in users pockets, claiming that the instances are ‘extremely rare’.
The statement calls in to question whether the problem- dubbed ‘bendgate’- has been blown out of proportion by social media, with huge amount of buzz generated on Twitter and Facebook (or that most cases are not being reported directly to Apple).
An Apple spokesperson revealed that only nine customers have complained about a bent iPhone 6 Plus.
‘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,’ Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said in an email.
Apple shares closed down nearly 4 per cent at $97.87 Thursday, wiping out nearly $23billion in market value.
Apple said its new batch of iPhones feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high-stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry.
“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use,” the statement went on.
“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. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.”
Watch thsi BBC video looking into the bendgate probelm here:
Apple was also forced to withdraw a glitch-ridden update to its latest operating system after some users of its new phones complained of call service disruptions.
‘We’apologize for the great inconvenience experienced by users,’ Muller said.
Apple said on its website it was working on an iOS update to fix the issue, and will release it in the next few days.
The official Twitter accounts of LG, HTC and Samsung have all posted messages alluding to the controversy, with LG going so far as to use the hashtag “bendgate”, which other members of the public had used to refer to the claims.
Apple had previously announced that it had sold more than 10 million units of the iPhone 6 and its larger sibling the iPhone 6 Plus.
“While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible,” its chief executive Tim Cook said in a press release on Monday.