The Anatomy of a Bending Phone: Understanding the iPhone 6's Structural Integrity

In this article, we'll delve into the world of phone design and explore why the iPhone 6 is more prone to bending than other smartphones. Specifically, we'll examine the role of soft metals, structural integrity, and material composition in determining a phone's ability to withstand external forces.

One key factor contributing to the iPhone 6's tendency to bend is its unibody aluminum construction. This large surface area, particularly when compared to softer materials like magnesium used in many other smartphones, makes it more susceptible to deformation under pressure. When you twist or torque an iPhone 6, the aluminum body tends to flex and yield, rather than resisting the force applied to it. This is because soft metals like aluminum are designed to be flexible and pliable, making them ideal for applications where bending and folding are not a concern.

However, this flexibility comes at a cost. The iPhone 6's unibody design means that it has few natural stress points, which can make it more prone to failure under heavy use. In contrast, phones with multiple components, like the HTC One M8 or Moto X 2014, have a more complex structure that provides added strength and rigidity. These phones often feature magnesium chassis, which is a more rigid and durable material than aluminum.

To understand why some phones can withstand bending better than others, let's consider the concept of "normal forces" versus stress points. Normal forces are external pressures applied to a phone, such as twisting or dropping it. Stress points, on the other hand, refer to areas within the phone where the material is subjected to compression or tension. When a phone bends, it's often the stress points that become vulnerable, rather than the normal forces themselves.

In the case of the iPhone 6, its large surface area and soft metal construction make it particularly susceptible to bending at certain stress points. If you try to bend an iPhone 6, you may notice that it yields or flexes in certain areas, particularly around the edges and corners. This is because these areas are more prone to stress concentration, where the material becomes thinner and more susceptible to deformation.

The consequences of a phone's structural integrity can be significant, especially if it's subjected to repeated stress points or heavy use. In some cases, a bent phone may not pose an immediate safety risk, but over time, it can lead to wear and tear on the device, reducing its lifespan and performance.

While Apple has sold millions of iPhone 6s and 6 pluses worldwide, the incident surrounding "Bendgate" has sparked widespread attention and debate. The fact that a couple of phones are bending under high amounts of pressure is often sensationalized in the media, leading some to believe that this issue will result in a recall or warranty extension.

However, for the average user, the likelihood of experiencing Bendgate is relatively low. Unless you engage in extreme activities, such as carrying your phone in an oversized pocket or subjecting it to excessive stress, the risk of bending is minimal.

That being said, some users may still want to take precautions to protect their iPhone 6 from bending. One solution is to use a case or cover that provides additional structural rigidity and protection. In fact, a recent video by Tod (now known as Loose Video) demonstrates that having a case on your iPhone 6 plus can help mitigate the effects of bending.

Ultimately, while the iPhone 6's tendency to bend may be a concern for some users, it's essential to consider the broader context of phone design and material selection. A thicker iPhone 6 with improved structural integrity could have addressed this issue, but the focus on thinness and aesthetics has taken precedence in Apple's product lineup.

As we move forward in the world of smartphone design, it will be interesting to see how manufacturers balance competing demands for style, performance, and durability. By understanding the complexities of phone material science and structural integrity, we can better appreciate the trade-offs involved in creating sleek and powerful devices that also prioritize safety and reliability.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey what is up guys I'm Kim PhD here and in case you haven't already seen there are some videos floating around that suggest that the iPhone six-plus bends a lot my buddy Lou from unbox therapy uploaded a video yesterday you've probably already seen it and it's clearly demonstrating in his video that he's bending his iphone six-plus with his bare hands and thus bendgate was born so here's what you need to know about what's going on here first there were a few articles of people putting this huge iphone in their front pocket and then noticing some little bends after a while or after some activity and then some articles were published about how this may be a problem and then Lou's video was published which blew up but of course in Lou's demo he's actually trying to bend the phone he's putting a lot of force into it for a prolonged period of time much more than these phones are designed to handle on an everyday basis and basically pulls on it until it compromises the structural integrity of the body of the phone now we have a large surface like that especially a soft metal like aluminum the center of it tends to be the weakest point and that's where it's going to bend but imagine you have a piece of paper and you fold it in half a couple of times you can continue to fold it in half and bend it as much as you want but eventually you'll get to a point where the paper is so thick that you can't quite fold it in half one more time that's because at that point the paper is now thicker it's now reinforced by the other pieces of paper and now it's also much more compact the iPhone 6 is back is not compact it's not reinforced and it's not thick it's a large flat thin sheet of unibody aluminum so of course when you twist it or torque it or put a lot of pressure into it it's going to give because that's what soft metals do so why make a phone apple out of a material that's going to easily Bend when you twist it well obviously number one like we said those are not normal forces it's supposed to be taking but also number two why don't other metal phones Bend like that we have the HTC One m8 you try to bend that thing it absolutely will not Bend even a little bit and even other phones that have a bit of metal around the outside like the Moto X 2014 that didn't really Bend either when I tried as it turns out most of these other smart phones have what's called a magnesium chassis and magnesium makes up the chassis inside of these other phones the iPhone 6 does have that and unfortunately that's why it's not quite a structurally sound also it's a large flat sheet of aluminum which means it has plenty of stress points where it could easily Bend where a lot of these other phones are made of multiple parts where if you try to bend it you're not really bending a very large sheet you're bending a more compact part of the back of the phone which isn't going to bend the whole thing for the record though the iPhone 6 is not the only phone to bend the iPhone 5s the Samsung Galaxy s4 the Sony Xperia z1 the iPhone 5 the Oppo find five these are all bent phones noted to bend under high amounts of pressure but then again its high amounts of pressure just avoid high amounts of pressure but since it's a bit more of an expensive Apple product that happens to be known for its design and its build quality and material use over the years it's going to get a lot more attention because you would expect this to hold up better than others now the thing is it might seem like a big deal now bendgate who's trending worldwide on pretty much every social network out there but it's only a couple phones that are actually bending like this you may or may not recall Apple has sold 10 million iPhone 6s and 6 pluses this past weekend so a couple of phones bending will not cause a recall in fact they can just replace a couple of them at the Apple store and that's much quieter and much less expensive if you have an iPhone 6 and you're worried about bending your pocket first of all don't be worried unless you're like extreme sitting or doing some other weird things in your pants but there's a new Tod today video up and I'll leave a link to that video right below the like button I'll also leave loose video but the TLD video shows that having a case on your iPhone 6 plus may actually help with the structural rigidity again it's an already massive phone and putting a case on that already huge phone will make it even bigger but if you're that concerned about putting it in your back pocket or front pocket and bending it then that's an option you have but it all comes down to for me is and I've said this before the iPhone 6 plus is 6.9 millimeters thin it's a super thin phone but because of that you have a protruding camera you have a slightly smaller than it could be battery and you now have it bending and I think if they made a slightly thicker iPhone six-plus you would not only not have a in camera but you'd also have a little bit better structural rigidity and you'd be able to fit a bigger battery in there just a thought Apple I said this in my iPhone 6 impressions video and I said before and I'm not the only one to say it but I think a thicker phone would have been a ok with a lot of people but it seems the Internet has a thing for bending stuff so I'll let you sit back relax enjoy bent gate it's actually kind of funny if you've read the stuff I'll talk to you guys in the next video basehey what is up guys I'm Kim PhD here and in case you haven't already seen there are some videos floating around that suggest that the iPhone six-plus bends a lot my buddy Lou from unbox therapy uploaded a video yesterday you've probably already seen it and it's clearly demonstrating in his video that he's bending his iphone six-plus with his bare hands and thus bendgate was born so here's what you need to know about what's going on here first there were a few articles of people putting this huge iphone in their front pocket and then noticing some little bends after a while or after some activity and then some articles were published about how this may be a problem and then Lou's video was published which blew up but of course in Lou's demo he's actually trying to bend the phone he's putting a lot of force into it for a prolonged period of time much more than these phones are designed to handle on an everyday basis and basically pulls on it until it compromises the structural integrity of the body of the phone now we have a large surface like that especially a soft metal like aluminum the center of it tends to be the weakest point and that's where it's going to bend but imagine you have a piece of paper and you fold it in half a couple of times you can continue to fold it in half and bend it as much as you want but eventually you'll get to a point where the paper is so thick that you can't quite fold it in half one more time that's because at that point the paper is now thicker it's now reinforced by the other pieces of paper and now it's also much more compact the iPhone 6 is back is not compact it's not reinforced and it's not thick it's a large flat thin sheet of unibody aluminum so of course when you twist it or torque it or put a lot of pressure into it it's going to give because that's what soft metals do so why make a phone apple out of a material that's going to easily Bend when you twist it well obviously number one like we said those are not normal forces it's supposed to be taking but also number two why don't other metal phones Bend like that we have the HTC One m8 you try to bend that thing it absolutely will not Bend even a little bit and even other phones that have a bit of metal around the outside like the Moto X 2014 that didn't really Bend either when I tried as it turns out most of these other smart phones have what's called a magnesium chassis and magnesium makes up the chassis inside of these other phones the iPhone 6 does have that and unfortunately that's why it's not quite a structurally sound also it's a large flat sheet of aluminum which means it has plenty of stress points where it could easily Bend where a lot of these other phones are made of multiple parts where if you try to bend it you're not really bending a very large sheet you're bending a more compact part of the back of the phone which isn't going to bend the whole thing for the record though the iPhone 6 is not the only phone to bend the iPhone 5s the Samsung Galaxy s4 the Sony Xperia z1 the iPhone 5 the Oppo find five these are all bent phones noted to bend under high amounts of pressure but then again its high amounts of pressure just avoid high amounts of pressure but since it's a bit more of an expensive Apple product that happens to be known for its design and its build quality and material use over the years it's going to get a lot more attention because you would expect this to hold up better than others now the thing is it might seem like a big deal now bendgate who's trending worldwide on pretty much every social network out there but it's only a couple phones that are actually bending like this you may or may not recall Apple has sold 10 million iPhone 6s and 6 pluses this past weekend so a couple of phones bending will not cause a recall in fact they can just replace a couple of them at the Apple store and that's much quieter and much less expensive if you have an iPhone 6 and you're worried about bending your pocket first of all don't be worried unless you're like extreme sitting or doing some other weird things in your pants but there's a new Tod today video up and I'll leave a link to that video right below the like button I'll also leave loose video but the TLD video shows that having a case on your iPhone 6 plus may actually help with the structural rigidity again it's an already massive phone and putting a case on that already huge phone will make it even bigger but if you're that concerned about putting it in your back pocket or front pocket and bending it then that's an option you have but it all comes down to for me is and I've said this before the iPhone 6 plus is 6.9 millimeters thin it's a super thin phone but because of that you have a protruding camera you have a slightly smaller than it could be battery and you now have it bending and I think if they made a slightly thicker iPhone six-plus you would not only not have a in camera but you'd also have a little bit better structural rigidity and you'd be able to fit a bigger battery in there just a thought Apple I said this in my iPhone 6 impressions video and I said before and I'm not the only one to say it but I think a thicker phone would have been a ok with a lot of people but it seems the Internet has a thing for bending stuff so I'll let you sit back relax enjoy bent gate it's actually kind of funny if you've read the stuff I'll talk to you guys in the next video base\n"