With the biggest smartphone launch just behind us, one would expect Apple (AAPL, Financial) to be riding a wave of success. But reality, unfortunately, did not turn out to be so rosy, as we all know. Within a few days of the historic sale, reports began to crop up about the iPhone’s latest attribute – its flexibility, a feature that Apple had no intention of including.
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, I’m talking about ‘bendgate’, the hardware malfunction scandal that went viral. In a nutshell, users claimed the durability of the iPhone 6 Plus was questionable at best, and some phones just bent in the rear pocket of customers. In true Apple style, the company tried to hush up the rumors, but the social media is a beautiful thing, especially when it comes to throwing dirt on someone or something. And the results left Apple foaming at the mouth.
The viral fever
In the past month, the issue of bendgate has gone global with everyone, from individuals to companies, jumping on the bandwagon. Some adventurers even decided to test it out live. Famously, German tech media Computer Bild, posted a video, proving that the phone can in fact be bent by hand, despite Apple’s reports claiming otherwise. In response, Apple allegedly revoked Computer Bild’s credentials and refused to allow the magazine to cover Apple events.
Apple has maintained the party line of only nine people registering this complaint, despite the multitude of videos and memes online. Tim Cook expressly claimed the phone has passed all possible pressure tests. It seems the new CEO at least seems to follow Jobs in this aspect; he refuses to acknowledge there is a problem.
Then again, acknowledging the problem (that the anodized aluminum, is in fact bendable because of aluminum being a soft metal) would result in losses worth millions of dollars due to retraction. It’s a lose-lose situation for Apple.
Further woes
Problems did not end there, though. To work with its latest phone, Apple launched the new iOS 8 which sports cutting edge technology. Customable keyboards, HealthKit Apps, Homekit Apps, Console-like gaming, the Apple Pay – these are some of the features iOS 8 can deliver. Essentially, it’s the phone people have been waiting for since 2012. Except of course, for the bugs.
Numerous complaints regarding the first update to iOS 8 caused the 8.01 to have to be withdrawn. The second update, though somewhat stable, is still buggy causing numerous users to wonder when the tech giant will finally get it right. According to the comments in the Apple Support Forums, Bluetooth connectivity is disastrous. Wifi problems too cropped up with iPhone 5S, iPad Air and iPad minis.
Although Apple hasn’t commented on this issue yet, apparently it was deemed severe enough for Apple to seed 8.1 to developers.
The worst problem of the lot, at least in our opinion, though seems to be the major security breach stemming from iCloud that resulted in hundreds of intimate photographs of Hollywood actresses being leaked online. Although CEO Tim Cook assured users that all necessary action would be taken, one thing is for sure, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Apple, especially since some analysts suggest an even bigger security threat looming on the horizon.
The competition factor
To add fuel to the fire, Google (GOOG, Financial) and Microsoft (MSFT, Financial) are all set to take advantage of the fiasco. The much awaited Android L is rumored to launch between mid-October and mid-November. Although most details of the new OS are still yet to be released, several leaks suggest interesting specs engineered specifically to rival Apple’s. Meanwhile, Microsoft has shown its hand with Windows 10 which will connect all Phones, PCs, Tablets.
Parthing thoughts
The last month has caught Apple with its pants down and the problems just keep flooding in. This, of course, does not mean the Tech Giant is ready to fall down and surrender, but in our opinion, the company needs to do some damage control, and fast. China’s green light in business operations, and the new Metal API may be the only solution. We can only hope the company grasps the straw before it is too late.
