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Reality Bending or Media Background "Bendgate"

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You don't have to be a technology fan or an Apple supporter to be literally overwhelmed with news related to this Californian company in the month of September. It all started on September 9 with a very charged keynote, which was generally evaluated in a positive spirit by the media. Apple introduced new hardware in the form of two new iPhones, revealed the previously "mythical" Apple Watch and was not idle in the further expansion of services in the form of Apple Pay.

For the rest of the month, the first-mentioned iPhones 6 and 6 Plus, which are already available on the market in contrast to the Apple Watch and Apple Pay, took care of the media attention. Yes, there was another "gate" affair, after all, like every year. The eighth generation of iPhones released in 2014 will forever be associated with the "Bendgate" affair.

We are already talking about the iPhone 6 Plus bending "problem" while this pseudo-affair is going on informed. But now we look at the so-called "Bendgate" with regard to the media background, the PR reaction and the tremendous dynamics of social networks. If it weren't for the massive involvement of the media and social media users, out of the millions of iPhones sold, only a few would probably be really bent. However, the mediated image among the non-expert public with exaggeration bends the new iPhone slowly already in the box. Let's see how it can be constructed in the media a camel from a mosquito.

History of iAfér

If we look back, we find that "Bendgate" is just a follow-up to previous scandals that regularly hit shortly after the release of new iPhones and were always linked to a different problem. Among the first, massively discussed case is the problem with signal loss when holding a certain phone (this grip was popularly called the "death grip") of the phone - it was "Antennagate". Apple introduced an innovative but problematic implementation of an antenna into the frame of the iPhone 4. Responding to "Antennagate," Steve Jobs said during a special press presentation, "We're not perfect, and neither are phones."

In short videos, he then demonstrated the same effect with the attenuation of the antenna when holding phones of competing brands in a certain position. It was a problem, but it wasn't limited to the iPhone 4, even if it didn't seem that way according to the media image. Nevertheless, Apple, led by Steve Jobs, openly faced the problem and offered iPhone 4 owners free bumpers that "solved" the problem. That year, the phrase s. appeared in the media for the first time gate (a reference to one of the biggest political scandals in the USA, Watergate).

[do action=”quote”]Apple evokes emotions.[/do]

Another major hardware revision was brought by the iPhone 5, associated for a change with the "Scuffgate" case. Shortly after the first reviews of the phone, complaints about the scratched aluminum body began to appear in the media. This problem most often affected the dark version of the phone, especially in the areas of polished edges. The real number of affected users was not known.

I personally own a dark version of the iPhone 5 bought soon after the release and have not come across any scratches. However, I remember very well the feeling when the case of scratched phones almost dissuaded me from buying.

Two years later, with social media booming, a new scandal - "Bendgate" - is gaining much more momentum. It all started with a video that managed to bend the larger iPhone 6 Plus (the number of views is close to 7 million as of 10/53). Shortly after its release, the video's "message" began spreading across tech blogs around the world. And since this is Apple, it was only a matter of time before mainstream media spread the word.

Media spotlight #Bendgate

In the past two weeks, the average Internet visitor may have encountered various manifestations related to bent iPhones. The most obvious was the massive flood of jokes about the iPhone 6 Plus from the very bloggers and pranksters who mastered Photoshop. Highly visited websites such as BuzzFeed, Mashable and 9Gag published one joke after another and thus caused the initial wave of virality. They literally overwhelmed their readers both on their own pages and on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

From this amount, the mainstream media was even able to create an overview of the "best", which was enough to publish a separate article, which again had hundreds of reactions. The Cupertino company is a magnet for readers, and the publication of headlines in which "Apple", "iPhone" or "iPad" simply attracts readers. And more traffic, readership and online "engagement" simply sells. Apple is therefore under the scrutiny of the media far more than its competitors, or even other brands and companies. Why is that so?

[do action=”citation”]The case of bent iPhones had all the prerequisites for a viral spread.[/do]

This condition is caused by two main factors that are interconnected. Apple is one of the most valuable companies and brands in the world, and every year since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007, it has become a stronger and more dominant player in the technology arena. This fact in itself is related to the great interest of the media with the slightest possibility of publishing about everything connected with Apple. The second and no less powerful reason is the fact that Apple evokes emotions. Let's leave aside the camp of die-hard Apple fans who, through their strong loyalty, defend the company's actions on the one hand, and on the other, the opponents and critics of everything that Apple says at the keynote.

Apple is a brand that few people have an unqualified opinion about. This is the dream of every marketer or owner when building a "brand". Emotions cause reactions, and in the case of Apple, these reactions mean more media space, more public awareness and more customers. A beautiful example of Apple's virality is the previously mentioned keynote on September 9, during which Twitter exploded with a flood of tweets compared to the introduction of new products from Sony or Samsung.

The "Bendgate" affair gained much more momentum compared to previous scandals, mainly thanks to the massive contribution of social networks. The case of bent iPhones had all the makings of a viral spread. Topical topic, emotional actor and funny treatment. #Bendgate has become a hit. But what is much more interesting is that for the first time a completely new element has appeared within social media – the official involvement of other companies.

Brands such as Samsung, HTC, LG or Nokia (Microsoft) could dig into the competition and get under the spotlight at least for a while. #Bendgate became a trending topic on Twitter, and this was a great opportunity for self-exposure. A condition that the aforementioned does not get as often as it does with Apple.

Daniel Dilger from the server Apple Insider pledge the view that the whole affair actually helped Apple massively promote the fact that a new generation of phones was on the market. According to him, every company can only dream of such media uproar. When Apple's PR department managed to react quickly enough with the claim about the number of affected phones and a sample of theirs "torture" rooms, another iAféra slowly began to lose its controversy. But the awareness of new, larger and especially thin iPhones remains. A beautiful example confirming this reality is a current example from among competitors. It will be none other than Samsung and its newly launched Galaxy Note 4. A few days after the launch, several new owners noticed a visible gap between the edge of the display and the frame of the phone. However, the gap is more than visible and, according to users, a credit card can easily be inserted into it.

However, according to Samsung's official statement, this problem is a "feature" to protect against vibrations between the display and the phone's frame (?!). It thus affects all phones and is said to increase in size over time. This is certainly not pleasant for the user, because it can be assumed that the gap will be clogged with dirt and dust. I'm really wondering how many of you have heard of this problem? On how many Czech and international professional or non-professional servers have you read about this "property"? I came across it more by accident on a server writing about Android. Even on Twitter, the media did not catch it, images with a business card in the space next to the display were shared mainly by those who are more interested in technological news. Controversy over phone issues aside, there hasn't been much written about the Note 4 going on sale on September 26 either. And evaluating the media space of companies like HTC or LG is perhaps completely unnecessary.

What "gate" comes next?

While I didn't want to evaluate the bending susceptibility of the new iPhones itself, it is worth mentioning the mitigating reactions that started to appear after the first real experiences with the phone. Even less than a week after the sensational headlines about "Bendgate," reviewers admit that Both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus feel solid enough. I've personally held both of the new phones in my hand and I can't imagine bending them. On the other hand, it should be mentioned that I don't sit on the phones. It is important to realize that the vast majority of information related to this affair was mediated. They were not based on real experience, but on other reports. It is thus a constructed media reality in itself.

It doesn't matter if it's an antenna, scratches, or a bent body. It is about the context to which these "problems" are attached. And the context is Apple. The connection between the gap between the display and the Samsung is not interesting enough to click, read and share. The attention that Apple has had in recent years is very strong, and it is very likely that future generations of iPhones will receive more media attention. Whether it will be queues in front of the Apple Story, record sales or another "XYGate".

Author Martin Navratil

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