“Bloggers who invent and inflate ‘controversies’ and ‘scandals’ for Apple are increasingly achieving the opposite of what they are setting out to do,” Daniel Eran Dilger writes for AppleInsider. “A pattern is emerging where YouTube videos that try to attack Apple’s latest iPhone really just direct more attention to it, reminding people outside of the world of tech blogs that there’s a new iPhone on sale.”
“The man in the infamous video has large hands that make the expansive iPhone 6 Plus look both reasonably sized and remarkably thin. As he flexes the device from both ends with enough pressure to drive the blood out of his thumbs and inflame his fingertips, his pre-bent iPhone bends even more. Who would have guessed that were possible?” Dilger writes. “Observers on Reddit were quick to call attention to the editing of the video, which supposedly portrays the phone as being bent in one sitting but actually shows the clock jumping back and forth, resulting in a contrived timeline that raises more questions than simply ‘can one destroy expensive gear?'”
“BendGate is specifically directing the attention of millions of people (36 million views so far on YouTube, paired with mentions in every newspaper and on every local TV newscast) on the exact feature Apple wants to promote about its latest iPhone models: their larger screen size and thinner body that makes them still quite easy to use with one hand. That’s a level of incessant, mainstream promotion that would be difficult to orchestrate and bankroll, even for Apple,” Dilger writes. “We are now at the eighth annual launch of a new iPhone. Each one has been targeted by a similar campaign of fear mongering launched by Apple critics, promoted by competitors and advanced by a media publicists working to create unfavorable buzz. There is a clear pattern of failure in their efforts.”
A full litany of anti-Aple FUD failures in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: When looking for the sources of these FUD attempts against Apple, just ask yourself, “If Apple’s product is successful, who stands to lose the most?” It works like a charm.
In this case, look no further than those who’ve shackled their fortunes to a product whose name — not coincidentally, if you believe in karma — rhymes with devoid, tabloid, schizoid, and destroyed.
Related articles:
Consumer Reports stress test: Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus not very bendable at all – September 26, 2014
Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6 is blowing away rivals in Japan – September 26, 2014
There’s something very wrong in Android land – September 26, 2014
Large crowds for iPhone 6/Plus as Apple expands into over 20 new countries – September 26, 2014
iPhone 6 Plus ‘Bendgate’ video faked? Curious timing issues raise questions – September 26, 2014
Apple’s gauntlet of five durability tests that iPhone 6 Plus passed with flying colors – September 25, 2014
Apple: Only nine customers have complained about bent iPhone 6 Plus units – September 25, 2014
iPhone 6/Plus frenzy prompts Samsung to slash Galaxy Note 4 price, rush launch – September 24, 2014
DxOMark reviews iPhone 6/Plus: ‘Apple sets gold standard for smartphone image quality’ – September 23, 2014
Ars Technica reviews Apple iPhone 6/Plus: There’s a lot more going on here than just big displays – September 23, 2014
Camera test: Apple’s iPhone 6 still won’t beat a DSLR (but it’s close) – September 22, 2014
iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus tested at Disneyland: ‘So badass’ – September 17, 2014
Re/code reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6 Plus: ‘A statement phone,’ not a ‘plastic toy’ – September 17, 2014
Megapixels mean nothing: Apple iPhone 6 trounces Samsung Galaxy S5 in camera shootout – September 17, 2014
The Telegraph reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6 Plus: ‘It’s peerless’ – September 17, 2014
TechCrunch reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6: ‘The best smartphone available’ – September 17, 2014
USA Today’s Baig reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6/Plus: ‘Smartphone stars’ – September 17, 2014
Walt Mossberg reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6: ‘The best smartphone on the market’ – September 16, 2014
The Wall Street Journal reviews Apple’s 64-bit iPhone 6: ‘The best smartphone you can buy’ – September 16, 2014
Macworld reviews 64-bit iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: Bigger is better (in the right hands) – September 16, 2014
Speak in evil, speak in good but speak in.
Apple wins anyway
Marketing 101.
Never name your competition. It is quite conceivable that your target shopper does not know who your competitor is and by providing a name, either delay a purchase as the shopper takes time to compare products, or lose the sale as the shopper settles for price from the competitor you named over quality you claimed.
When you point a finger at an error, it behooves you to be aware that three other fingers are pointing back at you!
Finally, A stitch in time sav…….. oops! wrong adage!!! 🙂
It’s the reason McDonalds still to this day has a very positive public view.
(Disregard the food aspect)
Back 20+ years ago, McDonalds never bashed any of their competitors, yet every one of the competitors bashed McDonalds by name… Really only 2 of the old competitors are left. (Burger King and Wendy’s)
The first bearded bendy video led to the second bearded bendy video. You know, the one where he goes on about being fair, let’s try others, yatta, yatta, yatta. I knew it was all hooey, so I watched just for the heck of it. Ahhh but for those more alert who picked up on the jumpy time line. Great job.
Now that we know for sure it is hooey. That even a formerly FUD-ish reviewer Consumer Reports has unequivocally confirmed the hooey-ness of it all. Now go back and watch the second video with all this knowledge. Beardy-man has no Samsung product to bend and has this eureka moment with the Moto device… Golly gee willickers this Moto thingy sure is strong. Yatta, yatta, yatta.
Hmmmm… As Peter Gabriel sang: “turn up the signal, wipe out the noise.”
yeah, watch his 3rd video.. the time it takes to “bend an iPhone 6 Plus” dramatically increased to about 1 second…
then he whips out the Moto X!!!
Do not buy Samsung products; they are dishonorable dog eaters.
I can take the dog. But doggone it I detest copiers.
Samsung isn’t the only Korean company known for this as witnessed by Kia. It is a Korean tradition.
Yeh, copying is such a Korean thing, or maybe Asian. If only they could be honorable and original like Microsoft and Google.
Microsoft and Google, LOL.
USA: recall all troops and personnel, and pay no more US tax revenues …to support Korea. They no longer need US support. And they certainly do not deserve it.
That was Expected! APPLE is like a catalyst filtering the out of date tech from the industry. More capable CEOs etc would have used all their energy in formulating SMARTER BUSINESS and PRODUCT strategies but not these FOOLS. They still believe that we are living in Industrial Revolution World where the MANTRA was Produce More and More and Tech Refinement was an afterthought.
AppleInsider’s original headline: After Apple Inc. dodged the iPhone 6 Plus BendGate bullet, detractors wounded by ricochet
MDN’s rewrite is bland by comparison, and misses the nifty hook-in with the growing genre of ‘destruct’ videos on YouTube, in which neo-Luddites exuberantly demolish electronics, especially iPhones. My personal fave is the 50 calibre tests, altho the C4 are also a blast
Succinct, concise & explosive comment hannahjs!!!
If I wasn’t lovin’ you like this, I would have said that I’m lovin’ your comment like that!
Sounds like you might find interest in my version of the gun and doll show, coming soon to an internet flea market near…uh, everyone
Oh to be entertained by you personally! Alas! I do not buy or sell fleas!!! 🙂
But that explains the gentle breeze behind my ears that turns into the wind beneath my wings!
Your sensual poetry will lift the spirits of visitors to our ethereal realm! When they’re not being picked off by sharpshooters!
When one says ” This person shit smells” ; The next obvious question is ” What about yours?” And hence third person learns that SameShit’s Shit Smells worst.
Well, I am Happy, these benders of iPhone take the trouble to buy the iPhone and then produce videos Bend it and Promote it. WIN WIN situation for APPLE. These guys contribute funds and also help promote iPhone. got to love m……
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken!
Also rhymes with hemorrhoid.
Oh I had to load java and java script to answer this one. It’s a great article of course Apple Insider doesn’t have the reputation it deserves but hey, any Apple user should know that the FUDsters and mass media work together so well to embellish any idea so outlandish enough if repeated enough becomes truth enough to the point that someone can go to the United Nations and convince others of a hallucination thanks to FUD marketing. At least once for the smart ones and in the case of the very gullible, as often as you’ve got the media savvy.
MDN’s Take is spot on. “When looking for the sources of these FUD attempts against Apple, just ask yourself, “If Apple’s product is successful, who stands to lose the most?” It works like a charm.
Now perhaps not for this particular case but the ultimate masters of FUD at one time at least was Microsoft and no doubt they (MS or allies) are going to milk it for all it’s worth. Hmmm this presents an investigative challenge. What do to do, go to Google, sift through Wikipedia, no wait, I can simply turn on java script and java and stay right here.
Yes folks the Pro-Apple website end up promoting the very anti-Apple products they seek to defame.
Someone should write a very long article on that someday, it would be worth a read.
But I digress…let’s see ah yes the add right there on top near centered, the most prominent add there, the big enchilada that seems to dwarf the article.
– Microsoft Dynamics CRM
microsoft.com/dynamics/crm
Increase Sales Productivity. Test Drive Microsoft Dynamics CRM Now!
Yes yes YES, the Master FUDster is there behind the curtain with an add, selling their advertising to MDN like selling sugar coated heroine to kids. I love the way they put “Now!” and capital letters for every word in a sentence. It certainly bends the English language, but not enough to be attached to the FUDsters.
But it’s got to be around here somewhere, “yank man speak with forked tongue” as they say and if their is one thing that free worlders know is that yanks may talk the talk but they don’t walk the walk. It’s got to be here somewhere, or so many adds so irrelevant to computers but so many relevant to my geographical location. Oh I must be getting tracked by coming here…
Wait…hold on there it is…. one of the trusted Microsoft Windows addicts… Hewlett Packithard. Right there in the add.
“- Work easy. Play Hard. Windows.
Meet our Rule Benders.
Vote for your favourite and you could win a HP Pavillion x360”
The rule benders, TADA the FUD incorporating it into the add and placing it right in full view on a pro-Apple website. Oh that’s gotta hurt.
Speaking of pain, I have to stop now, all those adds with java and java script turned on are pretty annoying and probably mind numbing over the long run.
Gosh the net used to be so great before it went all commercial.
Oh I better put the /shjtt tag on this although I’m sure many will be wondering just who the joke is on. That’s sometimes part of the fun.
Everyone should contact that iPhone bending idiot that we still don’t believe him. We should demand a 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th test, keep going until he goes broke buying iPhones.
Awesome article – I laughed several times, especially at the “horseshit” comment. Truly, Apple’s competitors are their own worst enemies.
Even Daniel’s blatant Apple fanboyism doesn’t diminish the power of his recriminative listing of competitors’ nerve-dead blunders. When they can’t properly capitalise on a sudden treasure trove of scandals, and are oblivious to their own naked hypocrisy, they do nothing but further cheapen their public image and market position. But you said the same things, only better.
Huh-huh, she said, “naked”
Ah, you noticed that. Of course I planted that just for you 😉
Youns appel fans is so dum. Facts is so proofed over andover but no you won’t omit you loose. You hate samsung coz there defanatly a head. You fans waist money just through it a way and doesn’t care weather you even by anything good. Just think of looking in the fashion. All fulls.
It is quite impossible to have penned this misspelled drivel and have correctly spelled “bald” and “headed”. So this must be a troll. But to what end? The spelling is so tragically, uniformly perhaps deliberately wrong that the comment is unreadable. It’s really hard to parse “Facts is so proofed over andover but no you won’t omit you loose”, for example. What do you gain from posting this? Are you paid to write against Apple but secretly like and value their products so you write badly so as to get paid but not really detract from Apple? I sincerely believe that it’s too hard to write that badly without purpose, and it’s difficult beyond the reach of mere unfamiliarity with English. So what’s the subtle purpose that I’m not discerning?
I went to the AI article and went through about 15 comments there, and they made me laugh so I spoofed them. Have a couple prunes and call me in the morning.
Dan is my brother by another mother. 😉
Unlike him, you typographically empathise your salient points which makes you eminently more readable, and enjoyable. Especially as he tends to go on and on, and you quit before the eye-rolling starts.
You are so kind to me dear goddess. Checking out the new avatar! Circa when?
Circa another attempt to visually distract the reader from realising I have essentially nothing to say
You have nothing to say?! Therapy session at 11 AM Friday!
I soooo wish we could sit and talk. I have no impression that you have nothing to say. This character driven communication system is not adequate for the purpose of getting to know people. I’m confronted with the fear of misunderstanding you. But I’m not afraid of admiring you. I enjoy thinking of you as a friend. Sorry to be so public about it.
Making fun of myself there, I was 🙂 But, you know, I often take a boring observation or an empty cliché and try to puff some new life into it. It’s fun to try
Well we are friends & I know your life is eventful enuf to require all your time & then some, but you still make time to drop by MDN and express your trademark incredulity @ wtf is going on, which always raises a smile
Should probably have been ’emphasise’
It would be interesting to see if YouTube (Google) promoted this FUD video in their system to make it more visible and increase its “viral” impact. They certainly have motive. Anyone know if this could be easily investigated?