Every iPhone generation has its own highly publicized “gate” issue and present-generation iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are no exception. Unbox Therapy’s widely circulated Bendgate video made international headlines, became a topic of late evening news and provoked an official statement from Apple PR.
While I think Bendgate was a non-issue to begin with, the general public probably disagrees so it’s reassuring that Apple is adamant to put Bendgate to rest by giving the next iPhone a strengthened body made from the Apple Watch Sport’s custom aluminum alloy.
But just how Bendgate-proof an iPhone 6s case made from this custom alloy could be? Who better to ask than Unbox Therapy’s Lewis Hilsenteger who bent an iPhone 6 Plus with his bare hands?
While we’ll have to wait until the new handsets arrive to realize how prone to bending they exactly are, the video does indicate Apple is responding to bending concerns with a reinforced iPhone 6s shell, as previous rumors suggested.
In addition to engineering a stronger backplate for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple also appears to have strengthened the inner walls and changed the casing layout in order to strengthen the weak points near the volume button.
These reinforced pressure points should help prevent bending from occurring when substantial force is applied to them. The reinforced casing should especially prevent instances of a slight curvature that some people said occurred after carrying around a 5.5-inch device in their pocket.
Apple’s Series 7000 aluminum debuted on the Apple Watch Sport.
Basically aluminum with zinc, the custom alloy is, as per Apple, 60 percent stronger than standard alloys but just as light, and one-third the density of stainless steel.
Taiwan’s Economic Daily News originally reported back in April that the chassis of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is made from the Apple Watch Sport’s 7000 Series aluminum, a rumor later corroborated by additional supply chain sources.