5 Apple Slip-Ups That Bruised Its Reputation
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Cameragate -- Apple's admission in August that some of its iPhone 6 Plus smartphones were delivered with faulty iSight cameras -- is the latest in a long line of hiccups the company has experienced as the public gobbles up its increasingly complex gadgets.
While the problem appeared to affect a small number of iPhone 6 Plus users, the admission drew renewed attention to similar issues that have in the past bruised, if not tarnished, Apple's reputation as as a leader amongst consumer technology giants.
Cameragate follows similar monikers in recent Apple history, including Bendgate and the infamous Antennagate, as Steve Jobs referred to it, in which holding an iPhone 4 in a certain way would interfere with the phone's antenna and cause calls to drop (and Consumer Reports to not recommend the device).
There were also some marketing miscues involving entertainment icons, most notablly U2, that didn't earn "-gate" status but nonetheless struck some sour notes for the brand.
Along the way, Apple has dealt with other, more minor scandals, such as Batterygate and Scuffgate (yeah, we don't remember those brouhahas so well, either), and weathered a major storm with the disastrous rollout of Apple Maps, the company's supposed answer to Google Maps.
The mapping app was derided as inaccurate, ugly, and far below the standard Apple users had come to expect from the company. It led to a rare public apology from CEO Tim Cook and a corporate reshuffling.
From Bono and U2 to Bendgate and Batterygate -- not to mention all the minor and major scandals in between -- let's take a look at the slip-ups and missteps of one of the world's biggest and most valuable technology companies.
Crackgate Fails To Break The Internet
Perhaps the most forgettable of the "-gate" scandals in Apple's history, this one goes all the way back to the iPhone 3GS. A small minority of users claimed in 2008 that the plastic casing (remember iPhones with plastic casing?) cracked. While users posted photos showing evidence of cracked cases, no one really paid attention.
Batterygate Gets iPhone 4S Owners All Juiced Up
Following the launch of the iPhone 4S in 2011, many iPhone owners complained that their smartphones could barely get through half the day without an alarming loss of power. Apple kept quiet for a while before admitting the problem and issuing a fix, with decidedly mixed results. Some felt Apple had only issued a sugar pill of a fix though, since battery issues persisted for many.
Foxconn Suicides, Labor Conditions Haunt Apple
A rash of suicides at Foxconn's Shenzhen, China, electronics assembly plant drew media attention not only to Apple, but to other corporate giants like HP and Dell. Apple, among others, promised to look into human rights and labor abuses in the wake of child labor allegations. Bright, shiny objects soon distracted much of the world from the problems.
Scuffgate Brings Scandals To Buffer
A more or less minor scandal in Apple's history, Scuffgate emerged after some iPhone 5 owners reported scuffs or nicks -- even when unboxing their new phones -- on the edge of their phones. The damaged device shells made some people question the durability of the iPhone 5's aluminum finish.
Apple Maps Has To Stop And Ask For Directions
Apple was looking for a way to take mapping market share away from Google and its popular mapping application, but got lost in the woods from the get-go. Launched in 2012, Apple Maps failed to get users to the right destinations, leading to international derision. The trouble prompted a public apology from CEO Tim Cook and a corporate reshuffling.