Remember when phone durability tests just included dropping the device from assorted heights, scratching the screen, or even putting it in water? Those were the days, weren’t they? All of those tests propose results to something that can actually happen to your device on a daily basis. Most of us have dropped our phone, only to have the screen shatter, or device fall apart. Some of us have dropped our phone in water, quickly pulling it out to hope damage is minimal. Those who are daring enough to go screen protector-less, often get scratches on the glass.
When YouTubers, bloggers, and tech reviewers test these things, we all want to know the results because those are probable things that could happen in every day use. Unfortunately, we are in a time where the least probable thing to happen to your device happens to be the most talked about, most tested, durability test on the internet. I am talking about bending phones to test their structural rigidity.
There are a multitude of “benders” on the internet ever since Lew from Unbox Therapy brought the first ever bend test to the people. This idea didn’t come out of the blue; there were rumors flying around that the 6 Plus was bending in people’s pockets, also known as “Bendgate”. Now, that shouldn’t happen, especially from such minimal force. So, testing the strength of a phone known to bend made with everyday use made sense. That isn’t the case anymore.
Many YouTubers now get devices just to do that, bend the phone. It is the only test they will put through phone through because after, the device is obviously inoperable in most cases. People love talking about controversial topics, and that’s all “Bendgate” is. Yes some people might want to know how durable a phone is, but when is it ever going to come face to face with 90+ pounds of force?
The reason I bring this whole thing up is because most recently, the Nexus 6P has been under fire for bending rather easily, with force. That’s just it though, with force. When searching “bend test” on YouTube, it comes up with over 340,000 results. When looking up “Nexus 6P bend test”, it comes up with over 4,500 results. To my knowledge (correct me if I’m wrong), there has not been a single case of a Nexus 6P bending with everyday use. So what is the cause of trying to bend the device? Now I’m not going to try to bend my phone, but it feels pretty strong for what it’s supposed to do, be a phone.
To call a phone a “joke” because it bends and breaks when it is the intention of the user, that’s just a click bait video. Yes the phone did bend, but when will that ever, ever, ever happen in every day use? I personally am a huge fan of the design of the Nexus 6P. So far in every day use, I haven’t even noticed a slight bend whatsoever.
So, is it too much to ask for to do away with bend tests? This whole “Bendgate” claim will and should not generate a response from Google or Huawei. It isn’t probable and will never happen in every day use. This isn’t a hardware defect like “Antennagate”, this isn’t even a Bendgate. Like I stated before, the Nexus 6P hasn’t bent by itself, so it isn’t an issue and shouldn’t be.
