Updated Sept. 25, 2014 3:19 p.m. ET
Apple Inc. AAPL -3.81% Apple Inc. U.S.: Nasdaq $97.87 -3.88 -3.81% Sept. 25, 2014 4:00 pm Volume (Delayed 15m) : 98.95M AFTER HOURS $98.27 +0.40 +0.41% Sept. 25, 2014 7:59 pm Volume (Delayed 15m) : 1.15M P/E Ratio 15.71 Market Cap $609.27 Billion Dividend Yield 1.92% Rev. per Employee $2,214,380 09/26/14 Overheard: Apple's Latest Twis... 09/25/14 Apple Releases iOS 8.0.2 Updat... 09/25/14 U.S. Stocks Sharply Lower More quote details and news » on Thursday defended against reports that its largest iPhone bends easily in people's pockets, saying warping is "extremely rare" through normal use.
Since going on sale Friday, Apple said only nine customers have contacted the company about a bent iPhone 6 Plus—the larger and more expensive of its two new iPhones. Apple said both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus passed a series of tests meant to check the products' strength and durability through everyday use.
The company said the new iPhones are made from a custom grade of anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. Apple said the phones also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high-stress locations.
Apple is addressing reports that the new iPhone 6 Plus was bending when people sat with the phone in their pockets. Videos of people bending the jumbo-sized iPhone with their hands quickly made the rounds on social media.
The company's response differs from the apology it provided on Wednesday after yanking a software update on Wednesday, because of complaints from users that the new version of its operating system was disrupting cellular connectivity and disabling the TouchID fingerprint reader for unlocking the device.
Apple apologized for causing a "great inconvenience" to users. On Thursday, Apple released a new update of its iOS 8 software designed to fix those issues and a variety of other problems. The company said its latest update also corrects a bug that affected apps working with Apple's HealthKit repository for health and fitness data, a much-anticipated new feature of its operating system. Apple noted that less than 40,000 iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices were affected by the faulty software during the one hour that Apple had released the update.
In the past, Apple has sometimes remained defiant against customer complaints about a new product. Most famously in 2010 when it introduced the iPhone 4, then-CEO Steve Jobs struck back at complaints that the phone had a flawed antenna design, causing connection problems. He said the complaints were blown out of proportion and mocked the media frenzy as "antennagate." For the past two days, "#bendgate" has been a trending topic on Twitter.
Apple pointed to five different tests that new iPhones go through in the development process, including what is known as "pressure point cycling test" when it applies substantial force on the display and enclosure hundreds of times while the phone is held by the sides. Apple said this process bends the enclosure repeatedly to ensure that the iPhone can be bent and pressed at reasonable force throughout its life.
Another test, according to Apple, is called the "sit test." This test simulates sitting on a hard surface with the phone in the back pocket of a pair of tight jeans. Apple said it runs the phones through thousands of cycles testing the phone in different positions.
The iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch display measured diagonally is the largest iPhone that Apple has ever produced. Despite the larger surface area, the iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1 millimeters thin, compared with 7.6 millimeters for the iPhone 5S and 8.97 millimeters for the plastic-encased iPhone 5C.
The company said earlier this week that it sold more than 10 million of its latest iPhones in its first weekend of availability amid significant supply shortages and demand for scalped iPhones in Asia.
Apple said the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus set a record for first weekend iPhone sales, eclipsing last year's mark of nine million units when the iPhone 5S and 5C went on sale.
The frenzy around new iPhones is nothing new for Apple, but the company prepared for more than usual this year after it increased iPhone screen sizes to satisfy consumers who have sought bigger-screen iPhones for years.
Write to Daisuke Wakabayashi at daisuke.wakabayashi@wsj.com
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