Boycotting certain blogs from attending and receiving their equipment for testing is a common sight in the world of journalism, many blogs try to keep a positive face when they review certain devices in order to keep their sponsors happy , but the most hardest company to please is probably Apple , who has now gone to a extent of banning a German blog from posting the "Bendgate" issue on Youtube. The German Website - Computer Bild .de made a test showing a presenter bending a new iPhone 6 Plus against a Galaxy Note 3 , the iPhone was bent at its weakest point mainly because of Aluminum's natural malleable properties and the lack of a sturdy frame , the presenter later went on to bend it back to its original position without doing any significant damage to the phone . A samsung Galaxy Note 3 was also bent in the test , but as other demonstrations showed , the device was almost resistant to the process and didn't show much deformation . The Editor in Chief of Computer Bild replied to the CEO of Apple in a Open letter after he was notified that his website will no longer be able to cover Apple related events and will not be allowed to receive any Apple devices for review purposes . Other websites have also felt the pressure over the years . Gizmodo , a website that sparked controversy after a reviewer recieved a alleged iPhone 4 prototype was also banned in such a manner .
Source - UberGizmo
Dear Mr. Tim Cook!
Just like anyone else who is obsessed with digital technology we have eagerly awaited the new iPhone. We felt relief when the head of our telecom department one day shouted “Here we go!”, presenting an invitation to the great event. And certainly we took a flight, went all the way to California, just to tell our readers every detail about the device that you and your company have worked on so hard for such a long time.
When the iPhone 6 Plus finally hit the market we noticed a few reports on a possible problem. According to them the case seemed to be weak, “bendable”, to drop the evil word. Being popular for our tests with utmost scrutiny, we could not leave the subject without comment. Of course that required further tests since testing new products without any prejudice is our obligation to our readers.
And so we bought an iPhone 6 Plus, just to find out whether it was a singular problem or some kind of hoax. The test was quite simple, so we could easily record it on video. Just to prove that what happens is nothing but the truth.
To be honest: We were shocked about how easy it was to bend the device. And so were around 200.000 viewers who watched the video up until now. We can imagine that you and your colleagues must have been shocked, too. This might have been the reason why we got a call from one of your german colleagues the next morning. He was upset, and it was a rather short conversation. “From now on”, he said, “you won’t get any devices for testing purposes and you will not be invited to Apple events in the future.”
Dear Mr. Cook: Is this really how your company wants to deal with media that provide your customers with profound tests of your products? Do you really think that a withdrawal of Apple’s love and affection could have an intimidating effect on us? Luckily we do not have to rely on devices that Apple provides us with. Luckily, a lot of readers are willing to pay money for our magazine to keep us independent. So we are able to buy devices to do our tests anyway. Even devices of manufacturers that seem to fear COMPUTER BILD’s independent judgement.
Even if we are quite dismayed about Apple’s reaction, we won’t give up our principles: We will continue our incorruptible tests that have the same high reputation in the german media-landscape as Apple has for its products. So far. We congratulate you to your fine new generation of iPhones, even if one of them has a minor weakness with its casing. But we are deeply disappointed about the lack of respect of your company.
Best regards,
Axel Telzerow
Editor in Chief COMPUTER BILD-Group
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