Apple has finally responded to claims that its new iPhone 6 Plus is prone to "bending" in users' pockets.
Known as "#bendgate" (inevitably) the claims have been part of an awful week for Apple, which also included a disastrous iOS update, despite setting new records for sales of its latest smartphones and garnering great reviews across the web.
The issue came to light after bloggers on YouTube specifically attempted to bend their new iPhones and showed that - given the phone is made of aluminium - it was indeed possible.
Some other genuine cases have since come to light, while various other tech bloggers have given traffic-friendly interviews claiming they were "spontaneously" affected by the issue. The mainstream press has lapped it up. But the actual number of people affected has always appeared to be very low, and now Apple has responded with the exact number of complaints it received.
It also issued a statement and published the above video of its iPhone 6 stress-test centre.
"Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength.
They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.
With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple."