Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Vs. iPhone 6 Plus - Durability Test, Aggressive Advertising Against iPhone

Shortly after the iPhone 6 has gone under heavy scrutiny for being vulnerable to bending and warping (in what seems to be the biggest Apple scandal in a long time), Samsung has decided to taken advantage of the criticism in an opportunity to upsell their recently released Galaxy Note 4 smartphone.

The iPhone 6 Plus bending issue has created a lot of buzz online, and despite the fact that Apple says the iPhone 6 Plus bending problem is rare (with only 9 reports thus far), social networks like Twitter have been full of by complaints and jokes about the issue behind the new hashtag #bendgate.

Samsung Releases Commercial That Subtly Makes Fun of iPhone 6 Plus Bending

Yesterday Samsung released an advertisement showing the Galaxy Note 4 being put to a series of tests. Although no direct mention is given to the iPhone 6 in the commercial, it is obvious that the ad is subtly criticizing the iPhone 6 Plus for being the first bendable smartphone.

The ad goes on to point out a list of things that usually do and should bend in your pocket, such as forks, credit cards, wallets, etc. After listing a bunch of items that you would expect to get bent in your pocket, the ad then points out that apparently your smartphone is in now danger too (presumably referring to the iPhone 6), and then goes on to illustrate that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will not bend in your pocket, regardless of how many times or how fast you sit on it.

Before the conclusion of the ad, Samsung points out that the Note 4 is big, thin and light, yet strong. Here's a YouTube video of the Samsung advertisement, entitled “Galaxy Note 4 Enduring the Gluteus Maximus Test”:

What About the Other Samsung Smartphones?

Our main question is – why didn't Samsung compare the iPhone 6 Plus with the Galaxy S5 or Galaxy Alpha smartphones, as they tested both versions of the iPhone? It would've been nice to see the durability test results for Samsung's other smartphones.

Still, it is likely that if Samsung's other smartphones were tested they would probably exhibit a lower tendency to bend and warp than the aluminum iPhones. Aluminum is well-known for being one of the most malleable and flexible lightweight metals, so it's actually not surprising that the wide-bodied iPhone 6 Plus can be bent under the right amount of pressure. But just how much pressure does it take?

Consumer Reports Follow-Up Testing

In response to Samsung's commercial, Consumer Reports conducted a “three-point flexural” testing on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, just like the test done by Samsung in the video above. Their tests found that the iPhone 6 can withstand 60 pounds of force (approximately 27kgf), while the iPhone 6 Plus can withstand 90 pounds of force (approximately 41kgf).

The same test was done on the Samsung's Galaxy Note 3, which proved to be capable of withstanding 150 pounds of force (approximately 68kgf) without bending at all - any more than 150 pounds pressure and the screen will snap, but the point is, it won't permanently bend like the iPhones, even when subjected to 60-90 more pounds of force.

Does the Note 4 Have a Flaw As Well?

It seems just as Samsung is quick to point out the bending issue in the iPhone 6 Plus, their own Galaxy Note 4 has a tiny gap between the screen and the bezel that is big enough to slide a paper business card into.

Is this a defect that only appears in some phones, or is it a standard feature in all Note 4's? According to Samsung's documentation, in which the issue is specifically addressed, the gap is a “necessary manufacturing feature,” and “some rocking or vibration of parts may occur.”

The company also says, “Over time, friction between the parts may cause the gap to expand slightly.” Samsung even told Android Central that the gap will not affect the quality or functionality of the device.

From these statements we can gather that the gap is an intentional feature, and not a result of using inferior materials or a lapse in the manufacturing process. The gap issue in the Note 4 is being actively discussed on social media behind the hashtag #gapgate.

Take a closer look at the YouTube video below, entitled “Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Gap Test – Does it Fit?! #GapGate”

Other Funny/Ironic Advertisements Related to the iPhone 6 Plus

A few other comical advertisements aimed at the iPhone 6 Plus have been spotted around the world this week. In Berlin, a massive poster on a bent billboard gave the appearance that the pictured iPhone 6 was bent. As if that isn't bad enough, the bend in the poster is coincidentally right in the area where the iPhone 6 Plus bend tests have shown vulnerability:

Also in Europe, the Dutch sign shown below has a bend in it, and once again it's exactly where the iPhone 6 Plus has bent in the famous bending tests it has been subjected to:

So how did these hilariously ironic advertisements happen?

There are a couple possibilities:

A) Apple or the companies displaying the sign and poster committed a massive blunder and coincidentally pointed out the flaw in their own product.

OR

B) The companies responsible for posting the sign and billboard poster knew what they were doing and were intentionally creating satirical joke about the iPhone 6 Plus bending issue.

We think that the latter possibility is the most likely, given the uncanny timing of all this combined with the location of the bend on both the poster and the billboard. It is hard to believe that both of these are mere coincidences. What do you think? Are these advertisements intentional jabs at the iPhone 6, or are they just ironic mistakes?