You may remember the fuss that was made last year over the iPhone 6 Plus’ supposed propensity to bend in your pocket. Well, U.S. insurance firm SquareTrade has decided to wade back into the debate with a series of lab tests that show the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is just as bendable as Apple’s flagship smartphone.The company used a brand new ‘bendbot’ robot to test phones from Apple, HTC and Samsung, measuring both the point at which each handset started to bend and the point of failure (where the phone no longer worked). 110 pounds of pressure was required to bend both the iPhone 6 Plus and the Galaxy S6.
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The iPhone 6 Plus reached its breaking point at 179 pounds, whereas the Galaxy S6 Edge could only manage 149 pounds of pressure before it wouldn’t work at all. What’s more, its glass screen began to shatter earlier than the one on Apple’s handset.
The HTC One M9 bent and broke at 120 pounds — as the power button is in the center, once it began to fold the SquareTrade testers could no longer turn the device on or off. Machines like the ones here can apply much more pressure than the average jeans pocket, but it’s worth bearing these figures in mind if you’re shopping for a device with the very best durability.
“Bendability may be good in the yoga studio, but it is not what you want in a mobile device,” commented SquareTrade’s Jessica Hoffman. “Last fall’s Bendgate caught many by surprise, but as manufacturers strive for larger screens on thinner devices, they can be more susceptible to bending or snapping. SquareTrade Labs’ tests reveal that while the iPhone 6 Plus bends, the Galaxy S6 Edge cracks under pressure.