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gTool/Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET
The last we heard from Apple, only nine new iPhone users have complained about bent smartphones to the company. Those folks (and any others who haven’t lodged official complaints yet) may have a new recourse for getting the bends out of their expensive phones. The PanelPress from gTool, a maker of iPhone and iPad repair tools, is a device made to work an iPhone back into shape.
This isn’t just a matter of slapping your iPhone into the gadget equivalent of a panini press and smoothing out the lumps. There are steps that need to be taken first, most notably removing the screen so it doesn’t shatter during the process. Unless you’re handy and feel confident about doing this yourself, you will probably want to leave it up to a professional. (In fact, gTool describes the device as a “professional tool.”)
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The press features movable bars with rubber beds that screw downward to slowly press the iPhone back into its proper shape. Once achieved, re-add the screen and you’re back in business.
This solution is a purely mechanical one. It’s a matter of applying force in the opposite direction of the offending bend. It needs to be done gently, and there’s always going to be at least a minor risk of damage to your phone, though removing the screen first keeps the most delicate part of the phone out of harm’s way.
GTool is offering the device — compatible with the iPhone 5, 5S, 6 and 6 Plus — through its reseller network. One US distributor has the press listed at $300.
If the whole ” Bendgate” thing gains any more traction, then you may soon find that your local smartphone repair guru has a PanelPress in the tool kit. Depending on your risk tolerance, it may make repairs quicker and easier than going through Apple, especially for people who forgetfully leave their iPhone 6 Plus in their back pocket and then vigorously sit on it. Just be aware that Apple probably won’t want to honor your warranty if it finds out your phone has been through a press.
