When iOS 7 came out last year, there were major and sometimes controversial changes. The new user interface looked fine for most, but turned off some, particularly if they had vision problems of one sort or another and couldn’t cope with the parallax view and all that zooming. Apple provided a limited set of Accessibility options to adjust some of the interface excesses, but it wasn’t enough. Worse, there were the usual reports of poor battery life and perhaps some Wi-Fi connectivity issues.

This is all-so-predictable with the initial release of a major OS update. But the fixes came relatively fast.

Within days, a 7.0.1 update addressed issues with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s. There were ongoing fixes to improve reliability and the curious symptom of Touch ID losing sensitivity over time. For owners of the oldest supported handset, the iPhone 4, they rightly felt disappointed and some sought ways to downgrade to iOS 6. Performance had taken a major hit.

Now it’s also true that it takes a real powerful Android smartphone to get anything close to a fluid user experience under most conditions. It’s true that flagship models may sport specs, on the surface, which ought to reflect twice the speed of the iPhone, but it doesn’t work that way in the real world. The iPhone 5s, and the new iPhone 6 models are as fast or faster than almost any Android handset. So size doesn’t always matter when it comes to actual performance.

In any case, Apple released more updates to iOS 7, the last being 7.1.2. By the end of the day, the performance hit on the iPhone 4 was reduced to manageable levels for most users. Turn off the zooming effect — as I did with my wife’s third generation iPad — and it all seemed pretty snappy.

Although not all that different visually, iOS 8 has a huge number of changes, and the original release had some irritating bugs. Imagine, for example, users who selected an alternate keyboard finding that keyboard was unselected after entering a passcode. There have also been the usual complaints about poor battery life and Wi-Fi.

None of the iPhones I tried under iOS 8 had battery problems, although I wasn’t crazy about Wi-Fi performance on an iPhone 6 that I briefly tested. But the most irritating problem was the short-lived 8.0.1 update. If you had a spanking new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you’d lose the carrier connection and support for Touch ID.

Despite a report from Consumer Reports — which I hope they’ve since corrected — that Apple took several hours to withdraw the flawed update, it really happened in a little over an hour. Apple also provided instructions on how to restore the estimated 40,000 handsets impacted by the problem. 8.0.2 came out the very next day, but some suggest the problems weren’t fixed.

I’m talking through my hat here, because I didn’t have any of these problems, but I think restoring the phone, or following Apple’s instructions to return to 8.0, would probably get the affected units fully functional. The 8.0.2 update seems safe enough, despite the reports of some remaining issues.

Although the stats vary, at least 40-50% of iOS users have upgraded to iOS 8. If you have an iPhone 6 or the 6 Plus you have no choice, but nothing forces you to upgrade an earlier model if you still feel it might be too shaky for you.

You might even think twice about an iPhone 4s, since there is a measurable performance hit. One estimate, from Ars Technica, listed app launch times from a quarter of a second to a full second slower. That’s not such a huge deal, but it may mean the difference between snappy and not-so-snappy for some of you. So maybe you want to see if Apple can up the performance a bit going forward. You know for sure that iOS 9 will not support that handset.

For the rest of you, if you haven’t upgraded already, I suppose you can wait for an 8.0.3 or an 8.1 — whichever arrives in the near future — before taking the plunge. The first 8.1 beta has reached developers, and it’s a sure thing there will be an update when the next generation iPads arrive, which is expected some time in mid or late October. There might be other fixes before then.

Regardless of your decision, don’t pay much attention to the fact that the iOS 8 adoption rate is noticeably lower than iOS 7. Aside from losing support for older hardware, doing an in-device update may be difficult for some of you. That’s because the estimated 1.1GB file requires several times that much space for expanding the installation file and performing update chores. If you have a 16GB handset, that requirement may be a bit too much, and it was surely off-putting for some. It’s recommended you use iTunes instead. Regardless, the adoption rate isn’t expected to match iOS 7’s 91%. Well, perhaps if sales of the iPhone 6 are higher than expected, which will compensate.

Besides, if you don’t see any advantage to iOS 8, don’t bother with it. At least you have a choice, unlike most Android customers who seldom get access to any OS update, even if it contains a critical performance and security fix.

The puns are aplenty in the wake of claims that the design of the iPhone 6, Apple’s first foray into the world of phablets, might be fatally flawed. Is it really true, as a certain YouTube video depicts, that anyone with normal strength can bend it to the point where the unit becomes unusable?

Questions, questions! But sometimes truth is not stranger than fiction. Sometimes the truth is so mundane as to consign a sensational story to irrelevance. That is surely true with the iPhone 6 Plus, despite the claims of it being unusually susceptible to damage.

There’s also a matter of having realistic expectations. Apple says that the anodized aluminum case, tempered for extra strength, is shored up with stainless steel and titanium inserts at “high stress” locations. So you expect that it should withstand normal use, but the real question is what’s normal, and what’s unrealistic? And just how are certain media outlets taking advantage of the situation?

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I am old enough to remember a very tired joke. I bend my arm and say, “doctor, it hurts when I do this.” The doctor says, “Don’t do that!” As I said tired. It actually dates back to the early 20th century, part of a famous sketch from the Smith and Dale comedy duo that was later “borrowed” by other comedians.

But I thought of that joke when the social networks became polluted with a video from someone who deliberately broke their new iPhone 6 Plus by bending it. This isn’t the first time a smartphone has been damaged by abuse of this sort. But since this product is built by Apple, it was treated as a huge mess, a significant quality control problem. Some called it BendGate (I admit to using that term).

And that’s before anyone bothered to see how many actual people were impacted by this alleged defect. Regardless, the video went viral, with millions of views. Since the person who did this deed actually benefits from targeted ads, potential income may be fairly high.

In any case, once the news had spread to the mainstream media, it didn’t take long for Apple to respond, and the response was designed to stop this story dead in its tracks.

So, according to Apple, incidents of an iPhone 6 or an iPhone 6 Plus bending are “extremely rare,” and that only nine complaints have been received so far. That’s in comparison to over 10 million sales as of last weekend, and perhaps a few million more by the time this column is being written.

Here’s the full Apple statement on the matter:

Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.

With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.

According to published reports, Apple will actually replace a bent unit if it can be shown it wasn’t abused based on the inspection criteria of your local Apple Genius. It’s quite clear that, if you actually physically abuse the device by deliberately bending it in sensitive places, or dropping it to see test the strength of the glass, you won’t get a free replacement.

I suppose it is still possible a raft of bent iPhone complaints will suddenly turn up, and that Apple will have to reconsider the initial dismissal of the problem. But I wouldn’t assume anything. Right now, it appears that the problem is just being overblown, but that doesn’t give you license to abuse your delicate electronics gear. I’m sure you can also bend your Samsung, HTC, LG or Motorola smartphone under the right conditions, but the videos won’t go viral, so it’s probably not worth the bother.

So the competition will be jumping all over this alleged problem, nonexistent or otherwise. Between BendGate and the iOS 8.0.1 debacle (an iOS 8.0.2 update is now available), Apple’s stock price crashed this week. Once it’s shown the sky didn’t fall, things will no doubt straighten themselves out. At least that’s my expectation, assuming iPhone sales aren’t being hurt.

If the original report of a bent iPhone 6 Plus is bogus, or the attempt was specially calculated to inflict damage by extraordinary means, with a little visual trickery, you have to wonder why it happened. Is it just Apple being in the spotlight, or did an Apple competitor deliberately fund this experiment in order to generate bad publicity?

After all, it’s not that previous iPhones haven’t been vulnerable to damage if you don’t take care of them. Regardless of the tensile strength of an iPhone 6 Plus, storing it for hours on end in a tight rear pocket, and sitting on it is apt to cause damage eventually. Apple cannot violate the laws of physics after all. Even a tight side pocket may stretch the boundaries. If you want to keep one of these expensive gadgets in tip-top condition, you’ll want to treat them with respect. You may also want to consider buying a hard case if you’re the type to abuse your electronics gear.

Of course, I cannot prove that another company financed an attempt to discredit Apple, beyond the usual competitive ads. It is possible, but I don’t know much about Lewis Hilsenteger, the person who posted a video of the original bent iPhone 6 Plus. He’s evidently creator of a review show called Unbox Therapy. The channel clearly earns its keep from targeted ads, as one popped up when I checked out the infamous video.

Sure, maybe it was only done to attract hits and Google AdSense dollars, although I am not accusing Hilsenteger of playing fast and loose with facts. He may have simply taken advantage of the situation.

Still, if the incidents of bent iPhones is as rare as Apple claims, you have to wonder just what’s going on here.

Every year or so, Apple gets embroiled in some sort of scandal over a new product or service. In 2010, the iPhone 4 arrived with high sales. But some people reported reception problems if you held it in a way that covered the external antenna joints at the bottom edges of the device. The symptom was most obvious when you were in a marginal reception area, and it made the difference between getting a decent connection or dropping the call.

Once this phenomenon was captured in a video that was uploaded to YouTube, it was fairly easy to duplicate. It was made worse by Apple’s claim of having improved the antenna system for the iPhone 4. It didn’t matter that mobile handsets, in general, might suffer similar symptoms if you covered the antenna with your hands. Some even had warning labels affixed to the device, or a more detailed warning in what passed for a user manual. Regardless, it was always about Apple.

Steve Jobs didn’t help Apple’s cause by dismissing the problem with a sarcastic remark that you should just hold it differently, and was ultimately forced to hold a press conference to explain everything. Apple also offered to send out free bumper cases that not only protected your iPhone 4, but kept the reception problem from occurring. They also posted videos, for a brief time, showing how other mobile handsets exhibited the same problem more or less.

In 2012, Apple decided to remove support for Google’s mapping system in the Maps app and rolled out their own version. It was buggy in a way easily represented in screen shots depicting melted statues and bridges, and turn-by-turn directions were sometimes wrong. Tim Cook had to apologize and even suggest you use someone else’s app, including the new Google Apps for iOS, till things got better. It did get better over time, but this scandal reportedly cost Apple executive Scott Forstall his job.

The 2014 introduction of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus were said to be the most product releases ever for Apple. With skepticism over the alleged lack of significant new products and slower growth in revenue and profits, Apple’s stock price had taken a nosedive. With the promise of great new gear, not to mention a seven-to-one stock split, the price had mostly recovered from previous highs.

True to form, a reported 10 million new iPhones were sold the first weekend, and I presume that includes the preordered units that had been delivered to customers. Tim Cook announced that they could have sold more if they had more stock to sell. The iPhone 6 Plus phablet was said to be in particularly short supply, and new orders may take several weeks to be filled.

In passing, I know of one case where shipment of an iPhone 6 was promised the first week of October, yet the unit is already on its way to the customer.

So with stellar reviews, is there any possible downside to iPhone 6 joy? It appears so.

Scattered reports have appeared this week that an iPhone 6 Plus, fabricated of a thin aluminum, might become bent if you physically try, or leave it in your back pocket for a time. This appears to be a matter of physics and not poor construction quality. The device seems solid enough, but you can’t abuse them. Any of these larger mobile handsets can be bent or broken if you apply enough pressure, but some people want to make it all about Apple and nobody else.

While waiting, go ahead and bend your plastic-clad Samsung Galaxy and tell me how much pressure it takes to bend or break. And while you ‘re at it, don’t send me the bill for damage, because I assume you have enough common sense not to try such a stupid thing. The point is that you can bend any of these handsets of you try.

Could there be a production defect involving the new iPhones? I doubt it, because you’d hear an avalanche of such problems under normal use and service. After all, there were 10 million in the hands of customers as of Monday, and perhaps a million or two more when this column was written. With that many handsets around, assuming 15% or so are Plusses, manufacturing bugs or design shortcomings will be front and center.

Already, in fact, there’s an iOS 8.0.1 update that fixes a number of irritating bugs. Unfortunately, this update might disable Touch ID or kill your wireless phone service, so you get a “No Service” prompt. That did not happen with my iPhone 5s, nor with Mrs. Steinberg’s iPhone 5c. Published reports suggest the problem only afflicts the new models, and that it can be fixed by using iTunes to restore the device. At the time of this writing, Apple has pulled the update for further fixes.

iOS 8.0.2 is due shortly. But if your iPhone worked without incident after installing the original 8.0.1 update, there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about.

As far as the alleged “BendGate” is concerned, as always, I am not going to stick any of my iPhones in my back pocket. And, of course, don’t drop it!