iPhone Air withstands bending tests, easing Bendgate fears

Apple and independent testers have shown that the companys newly released iPhone Air, a 5.6 millimeter-thin handset, withstands substantial bending and abuse, easing worries that the ultrathin design could repeat the iPhone 6 Plus Bendgate controversy from 2014. Demonstrations at product briefings and a wave of online durability videos in the days after the phones went on sale showed the Air surviving both lab simulations and extreme consumer-style tortures without suffering lasting structural deformation in most cases.

Apple engineers showed the phone enduring roughly 130 pounds of vertical pressure at its midpoint in a controlled rig, and said the device “exceeds” the companys internal bend strength metrics. Marketing chief Greg Joswiak, speaking during a recent interview, even tossed his personal iPhone Air across a table and challenged reporters to bend it, saying “Try to bend it. It’s on me.” Hardware engineering chief John Ternus pointed to the phones materials and design as the reason for the resilience, citing a grade 5 titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 front and back protection, and an internal plateau structure that places components to maximize strength. Even the...