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What just happened? The best of #bendgate

fake ads bendgate best of 2
The “scandal” plaguing the launch of the highly-anticipated iPhone 6 launch set the Twittersphere abuzz within seconds of its initial debut. Regardless of where you chose to spend your time on the Web, the Internet became a virtual treasure trove of warped iPhone images exhibiting the hit phenomenon known as — wait for it, wait for it — #BENDGATE.

It reportedly began with a single man who discovered his brand-new iPhone 6 was bent upon taking it out of his front pocket, but after explaining the incident on MacRumors‘ forum page, everyone from Samsung to Conan O’Brien decided it was time to address the issue with banner ads and prime-time television.

Furthermore, other Apple users quickly responded with their own pictures and tales of bent iPhone 6 models, likely encompassing more than the mere nine people who have reportedly contact Apple directly to complain about the issue. Hell, some design-inclined individuals even took it upon themselves to make some unofficial Apple advertisements and product placement images flaunting the new “feature.” Below are 10 of our favorites, from re-envisioned shots of the Matrix to the forthcoming iPhone 6 Dali edition. Thanks to the Retina HD display, post-modern surrealism has never looked so good.

BendGate bend over feature

The iPhone 6’s “Bend over” feature is proof some so-called problems can reproduce on their own. Notice the ample space afforded with the additional six degrees of freedom.

iPhone 6 homepage w/ BendGate

Why buy it now when you could just as easily bend it now? After all, CES 2014 proved curved OLED displays are all the rage…

Telephone booth BendGate joke

How exactly did Shanna May manage to land the British-exclusive version of the iPhone 6? We’re not entirely sure, but we do know that miniature axe probably hurt like no other when she sat down on the Tube.

Bendgate Banana Phone

Suddenly the iPhone 6 is far more ap-peeling. Seriously though, getting your daily dose of potassium rarely comes as easy.

There is no iPhone

Remember that scene in The Matrix when Keanu Reeves — aka the One-and-only Neo — briefly discuses what defines reality with the little boy? Well, the boy was right, there is no spoon. However, there was an iPhone 6.

Bending Reality Bendgate ad

Everyone wants to create an electronic device that provides the ultimate viewing angle regardless of your position in the room. Thankfully, the company’s new Sapphire-Flex displays allow you to adjust the viewing angle however you see fit, whether you’re watching a video from 2 or 20 inches away from your device.

Salvador Dali Bendgate

The work of iconic painter Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marqués de Dalí de Pubol — yes, that’s his full name —  has inspired generations of artists and individuals. Given Apple paid a heartfelt tribute to everyone’s favorite rock group from Dublin with a limited-edition iPod in ’04, it’s not surprising the company looked to take its iPhone lineup in a new direction with the release of the iPhone 6 Dali. Now, if only the Louvre was so lucky.

KitKat Bendgate Ad

Rules are meant to be broken, much like KitKat bars. That said, maybe Apple is simply ahead of the curve with BendGate.

Bendgate it like Beckham

Bend it like Beckham isn’t just the harrowing story of 18-year-old Punjabi Sikhs and her rise to the top of her London-based soccer league (on the contrary). Apparently, it’s also the slogan behind David Beckham’s latest celebrity endorsement for the iPhone 6, one with which not even “got milk” can compete.

iPhone 6 Razr ad

Call it a throwback or simply a tribute to Motorola’s most iconic cell phone, but Apple looked to capitalize on the mid-2000 appeal of flip phones with iPhone 6 Razr.

Digital Trends’ editorial assistant Joe Donovan contributed to this article.

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Brandon Widder
Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…
Motorola’s folding phone just had a durability test — and it’s painful to watch
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra broken cover screen.

Motorola’s latest clamshell foldable, the Motorola Razr Plus, has won well-deserved praise for its design and the functionally rewarding cover screen that occupies almost one-half of the rear panel. In my brief time with the phone, I felt that Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a hard time beating this one.
Praise aside, it looks like the Razr Plus' top selling point could also be its undoing. Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything put the phone through his customarily brutal stress and bend test, and the Razr Plus failed at an unexpected point.
This has NEVER happened before...
While applying pressure on the rear side of the phone to check the hinge strength, the lower edge of the cover display breaks rather awkwardly. First, the screen shatters, and then, the glass assembly can be seen caving inside.
“Never have we ever been able to break a screen with a single finger,” says Nelson. However, it appears that the cover screen’s fragility has more to do with the gap underneath than the structural integrity of the glass itself.
It seems the area right above the hinge is hollow, which means putting pressure on the cover display could damage the screen, as there is no solid support underneath. Simply put, don’t put the phone in the back pocket of your denim jeans, and take care about putting heavy objects over the phone.
What’s really surprising is that unlike the Google Pixel Fold’s fragile frame and hinge mechanism, the Motorola Razr Plus didn’t show any such signs of damage. There was no permanent damage recorded due to the phone bending in the reverse direction, and the flexible OLED screen also remained intact.

It’s quite paradoxical that the cover display — which Motorola markets as the Razr Plus's standout feature — is also the part that is uncannily fragile. But the rest of the package seems solid.
Motorola told Digital Trends in an emailed interview that the Razr Plus ships “with an optimized inner structure stacking and stronger housing design” and that it also features “the industry’s first dual-axis tracking in the teardrop hinge.”
Compared to the previous-generation Razr foldable phones, this one can survive 400,000 folding cycles, twice that of its predecessors. It’s a great phone, and if you want to see how it stands out, Digital Trends Prakhar Khanna had some fun with its cover screen to see everything that it can accomplish. And it's great! So long as you don't accidentally shatter it like this.

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These are the only 2 reasons I’m excited for the iPhone 15 Pro
The App Library on the iPhone 14 Pro.

It’s peak summer right now, though fall is just around the corner with back-to-school season on the horizon. With that also comes Apple’s annual iPhone event.

This year, we are definitely expecting the iPhone 15 lineup, as well as Apple Watch Series 9, and maybe a new Apple Watch Ultra. The rumors for the iPhone 15 series have been going strong for months, though there has also been a lot of back-and-forth too, mostly relating to the iPhone 15 Pro models.

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The Apple logo on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Hoping to get your hands on an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max when the new phones come out in the fall? Well, you may be in for a wait.

Apple is experiencing production issues caused by a new manufacturing process designed to significantly reduce the size of the bezel around the display, according to a report from The Information on Thursday.

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