Bendgate Is Back: Galaxy S6 Edge More Fragile Than iPhone 6 Plus

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Remember the Bendgate? In September last year, Apple came under attack from all corners after reports that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus was bending easily in users’ pockets. Samsung was one of the first to pile on Apple. The Korean company took advantage of the situation by promoting its curved display Galaxy Note Edge. In a tweet promoting the Note Edge, Samsung said “Curved. Not Bent.”

Galaxy S6 loses to the iPhone 6 Plus

Now Samsung is in the same embarrassing situation. According to tests performed by SquareTrade, a third-party warranty firm, the Galaxy S6 Edge bends under the same force as the iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus both deformed at 110 pounds (49.8 kilograms). But when put to “catastrophic failure,” the S6 Edge shattered at 149 pounds. By comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus had a cracked screen at 179 pounds, proving to be sturdier than the S6 Edge.

The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are set to hit the store shelves this Friday. Samsung may find itself in an unwanted spotlight due to the Bendgate controversy. It may create worries among Samsung fans eagerly awaiting the phone’s launch. The Korean company seems to have learned little from the iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate controversy. However, Samsung has come out defending its smartphone.

SquareTrade’s test lacks credibility, says Samsung

The Korean company said that SquareTrade’s claims were “seriously misleading,” reports The Korea Herald. Samsung said it doesn’t happen in an everyday situation that 50 kilograms of pressure is applied on a smartphone. The electronics giant’s own test results showed that the S6 and S6 Edge could withstand 36 kilograms of pressure, enough to break five pencils.

Further, Samsung said SquareTrade should have tested both sides of the Galaxy S6 Edge. SquareTrade tested only the front side of its device, so the “test lacked credibility and failed to reflect the overall environment,” added Samsung. Notably, SquareTrade tested all the three devices, including the iPhone 6 Plus and HTC One M9 (which bent at 120 pounds), in the same manner.

Samsung’s PR team will have to do some smart work to counter the Bendgate stories and the criticism of the Galaxy S6 Edge’s build quality.

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