Sunday 26 October 2014

Video: How To "Unbend" The iPhone 6/Plus

As you all know, when Apple launched the latest iPhone 6/Plus, it really upped the ante by treading the now tried and trusted path of simply increasing the screen size, and throwing in the additional hardware upgrades. As is customary these days, reducing the thickness of the phone received a higher priority than paying attention to its ergonomics. However, while reducing its thickness, the company seems to have forgotten to incorporate ways to introduce structural reinforcements to the frame. The result is that the new iPhone is prone to bending, and that is not really its advertised feature, so it can break down or even burst into flames in worst case scenarios when the battery breaks. In fact, this has spawned new Twitter hashtags #bendgate and even #burngate. Sadly, warranty does not cover such physical damage, so you are pretty much on your own if this happens to you. If you happen to have invested in this new "bendable" handset, there is still hope, thanks to the company - gTools.


gTools is a South Africa based company, which specializes in tools to take care of such eventualities. The PanelPress tool from this company, promises to take care of the bending issue of the iPhone, that is, if you haven't yet managed to bend it past the point when it stops working.



The PanelPress looks like a vice with two at the far ends to secure the top and bottom of the iPhone with an adjustable moving support at the centre. Check out the video tutorial below to see the PanelPress in action.



It is pure ingenuity if you ask me that such a simple solution can take care of this issue, at least until the iPhone is bent again. However, before you jump the gun, I must warn you that there is a catch, or rather a couple of them. First - the device is available in only a few countries, and India is not one of them. Second - its price tag of US$ 290 (Rs 17,800) means that you might be better off spending that kind of money buying an older iPhone instead or any other smartphone.

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