Samsung puts the metal Galaxy Note 4 through its own bend test

10/2/2014

Samsung puts the metal Galaxy Note 4 through its own bend test

Samsung wants to dismiss the idea that its upcoming Galaxy Note 4 will be as "easy" to bend as Apple's iPhone 6 Plus. Looking to capitalize on the controversy that Apple and others say shouldn't really be a controversy, Samsung has released a new video meant to showcase the strength and resiliency of its latest phablet. The Note 4 features a metal band, remember, so this was always going to be a fairer fight than pitting the 6 Plus against the plastic Note 3.

But Samsung seems confident that the Galaxy Note 4 won't permanently bend out of shape like the iPhone. The tests employed here are similar to those Apple demonstrated at its Cupertino lab last week; Samsung puts the Note 4 through a three-point bend test and a human weight test, which simulates a person sitting on the smartphone "hundreds of times." The results look impressive — but you should expect as much from what's basically a Samsung ad / commercial. Samsung attributes the Note 4's apparent sturdiness to its use of a magnesium bracket and a "mutually reinforcing structure between parts."

This all looks well and good, but we'll need to wait for experts like Consumer Reports to give it an unbiased try before reaching any definitive conclusions. Apple's own tests make the iPhone 6 Plus look plenty durable, but it's obviously possible to bend the thing if you put enough force behind it. Metal can bend, and plenty of people will be eager to demonstrate that with the Note 4. Some have already tried.