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Even BlackBerry is making fun of the bendable iPhone 6

BlackBerry CEO John Chen challenges people to apply some torque to the new Passport smartphone.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng

BlackBerry CEO John Chen wants you to know that his newly unveiled Passport smartphone won't fold under pressure.

bentiphone6.jpg
The bent aluminium body of the iPhone 6. Screenshot by Claire Reilly/CNET

"I challenge you to bend the Passport," Chen said at the company's launch event for the device.

Chen was quick to bring up the issue, without actually mentioning the iPhone by name, only referring to it as that "other phone." It isn't the first time he has slammed his competitor, previously criticizing its weaker battery life and inferior security.

It's the latest barb fired off at Apple since the emergence of "bendgate," or reports that the thinner aluminum bodies of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are prone to bending. Photos have popped up online of warped iPhones stressed from simply being in a pocket.

Apple couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Chen's remark. The company previously declined to comment on the bending controversy.

For BlackBerry's part, Chen is hoping to get as much attention as possible for the Passport , which is the company's latest attempt to revive its smartphone business.