Apple Sells Millions Despite 'Bendgate' Controversy

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October 16, 2014 1:20 PM

Despite all the criticism faced by Apple over its 'bending' iPhone, millions of people have purchased the device in the past few weeks after its launch.

Last month, millions of people saw the video of a man bending the iPhone 6 Plus with his bare hands. This in turn led to the "Bendgate" episode that rocked the internet for weeks.

However, this seeming 'defect' did not prevent several millions of people from buying Apple's big (and expensive) new iPhone.

A report shared by a Chicago-based market research firm, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), shows that 13 percent of all iPhones sold in the U.S. in the quarter that ended last month were iPhone 6 Pluses.

The data from the report which were provided exclusively to The Huffington Post revealed that the percentage of iPhone 6 Pluses sold is especially high given that the phone, along with its smaller sibling, the iPhone 6, was on sale for fewer than two weeks of the quarter, which ran from late June through late September. The phones went on sale in the U.S. on Sept. 19.

In an interview, Mike Levin, a partner at CIRP told The Huffington Post, "The phone bending, I think, was a non-issue. Bending iPhones was a nuisance and a distraction that detracted from what was otherwise a very successful product introduction. And the data shows it."

He also added that the numbers for the 6 Plus are even more impressive given that Apple faced supply constraints. The phone was backordered hours after it became available for preorder, and it was sold out in some Apple stores the weekend of the launch.

The iPhone 6, which has a 4.7-inch screen, fared even better than the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, comprising 33 percent of all iPhones sold in the most recent quarter. In all, the new iPhones accounted for nearly half of all iPhones sold last quarter.

CIRP's study surveyed 500 Apple customers in the U.S. who had bought an iPhone, iPad or Mac between July and September. Levin said that the survey results represent Apple's most recent fiscal quarter, which ran through Sept. 27.

Apple will announce the results of its fiscal quarter next week.

The Cupertino-based technology giant said it sold a record 10 million iPhones in the first three days that the new models were on sale, though the company didn't break down how many of those were the bigger and more expensive iPhone 6 Plus. Apple said on Monday that the new iPhones will go on sale in 36 more countries and territories by the end of October.

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