SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 3, 2015) - As smartphones becoming increasingly thin, their latest danger lies in the propensity for them to bend and snap under pressure. To help assess this risk, SquareTrade®, the highly rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers, today introduced the BendBot -- the world's first robot designed specifically to test the bendability of today's most popular smartphones.

Developed in response to the Apple iPhone® 6 Plus Bendgate, the SquareTrade BendBot simulates the forces produced in the average person's back pocket and shows exactly what happens when up to 350 pounds of force is placed on a phone. It joins a suite of bots in the SquareTrade Labs arsenal that drop, dunk, slide and now bend smartphones and tablets to determine a device's overall Breakability Score™.

The inaugural bendability test saw the new BendBot test the strength of the recently released Samsung Galaxy S®6 edge, the HTC One® M9 and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. The BendBot applies load in 10-pound increments while a sensitive probe detects the exact moment when a phone bends. In Catastrophic Failure mode, the bot increases its applied load continuously until the phone bends, breaks and reaches its disastrous end.

Tests found that:

The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge deformed at 110 pounds and created a crack in the screen. When pushed to catastrophic failure, its breaking point was 149 pounds, at which point it ceased to function.

The HTC One M9 both deformed and broke at 120 pounds. When the phone bent, it also split apart slightly, making a popping sound, and the power button was stuck inside -- rendering the phone unusable.

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus deformation occurred at 110 pounds, but it continued to function normally. When pushed to catastrophic failure, its breaking point was an impressive 179 pounds.

Watch SquareTrade's first bendability test video here.

"Bendability may be good in the yoga studio, but it is not what you want in a mobile device," said Jessica Hoffman, vice president of global communications for SquareTrade. "Last fall's Bendgate caught many by surprise, but as manufacturers strive for larger screens on thinner devices, they can be more susceptible to bending or snapping. SquareTrade Labs' tests reveal that while the iPhone 6 Plus bends, the Galaxy S6 edge cracks under pressure. The new BendBot lets people know the potential for these devices to break -- before they buy them."

SquareTrade will release the complete Breakability Scores, which will include the bendability results, for the Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and HTC One M9 in the coming days.

For more information on protection plans for today's most popular smartphones, please visit: http://www.squaretrade.com/smartphone-warranty.

About SquareTrade

SquareTrade is a highly rated protection plan trusted by millions of happy customers for its fast and exceptional service. SquareTrade protects mobile devices, laptops and tablets, and other consumer electronics and appliances from malfunctions, accidental damage and life's frequent mishaps. Unlike old-fashioned warranties, SquareTrade is designed for today's consumer and uses innovative technology to deliver a zero hassle claims process. SquareTrade has more than 230,000 fans on Facebook, consistently wins industry awards and receives thousands of 5-star reviews for its legendary customer service. Top retailers around the world offer SquareTrade, achieving significant sales growth and happier customers. Privately held, SquareTrade's investors include Bain Capital and Bain Capital Ventures. SquareTrade is headquartered in San Francisco and London. For more information, go to www.squaretrade.com.

SquareTrade and the SquareTrade logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SquareTrade, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, who are not affiliated with SquareTrade and do not endorse its products and services.