The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was subjected to a bend test this week, and the results show the Korean smartphone maker could be eating its own pride when it leered and jeered at Apple over Bendgate last year.
Gadget warranty firm SquareTrade put three high-end smartphones to the test, the Galaxy S6 Edge, the HTC One M9, and the iPhone 6 Plus, which became the subject of criticism by disappointed Apple fans complaining that their Apple phablets were bending in their pockets and ridicule by pretty much everyone else, including Samsung.
But a video of SquareTrade's bend test shows the Galaxy S6 Edge bends just as easily as the iPhone 6 Plus. In fact, the Samsung handset's screen actually shatters at a point where the iPhone 6 Plus only bent. The One M9, on the other hand, is slightly better at withstanding pressure, but once bent, the handset could no longer be turned on.
Each smartphone is put to the test by placing an increasing weight in the middle of the phone. The SquareTrade test shows both the Galaxy S6 Edge and the iPhone 6 Plus started to bend at 110 pounds, while the One M9 fared slightly better at 120 pounds. However, HTC decided to place the power button of the One M9 in the middle, so when the phone bent, the power button popped out and the phone essentially became a brick, albeit a bent brick.
Both the Galaxy S6 Edge and the iPhone 6 Plus remained usable event when bent,s so SquareTrade went on to bend both the Galaxy S6 Edge and the iPhone 6 Plus even after they were deformed to see at which point they would meet their catastrophic ends. The Galaxy S6 Edge broke at 149 pounds while the iPhone 6 Plus went on until 179 pounds.
It is important to note that bend tests like this are not exactly reliable replications of what happens in real life. It rarely happens that regular consumers would subject the middle of their phones to a lot of pressure. It should, however, teach Samsung a bit about humility and refraining from rejoicing in the embarrassment of others. Samsung was one of the many companies that tried to cash in on Apple's Bendgate scandal.
GALAXY Alpha + Skinny Jeans = No Problem pic.twitter.com/2MfvoBn7ge
— Samsung Mobile UK (@SamsungMobileUK) September 25, 2014
It is possible that the Galaxy S6 could have fared better than the Galaxy S6 Edge, since the latter had more metal taken out to make way for the glass to be used on its curved screen. Glass is brittle and will break faster, while the aluminum used for the Galaxy S6 is more malleable.
However, we have yet to hear reports from users of the Galaxy S6 Edge seeing their premium-priced handsets bending in their pockets. Until then, that old joke about Apple being the original and Samsung the copycat will, in this case, stay true.
