Apple officially apologises for broken iOS 8 update as #bendgate trends onwards

Is this Tim Cook's worst week?

Even the most rabid Apple fans are having a hard time banging their drums this week, as Apple's new, exciting and largely-the-same-as-last-time iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have been beset by fairly serious flaws on both the hardware and software sides - the latter even provoking an official apology from Apple.

Referring to a bug in the iOS 8.0.1 update that caused the Touch ID fingerprint to malfunction, as well as affecting phone reception in some cases, Apple said:

"We apologise for the great inconvenience experienced by users, and are working around the clock to prepare iOS 8.0.2 with a fix for the issue, and will release it as soon as it is ready in the next few days."

Apple has also published instructions to guide users on how to roll back their iOS installation to the default 8.0.

Meanwhile, Twitter is alive with the #bendgate hashtag after it was discovered that placing either the iPhone 6 or its bigger iPhone 6 Plus brother in back pockets and sitting on them could cause the devices to bend.

While insurance companies seem to agree the phone is Apple's most robust phone model yet, the thin build and aluminium surround are leading to devices bending quite severely in some users' pockets - though apparently not at the cost of functionality.

However, bending the phones back to their original flat aspect has, apparently, been known to cause screen malfunctions.

Unlike with the more straightforward software complaints, Apple has so far chosen not to comment on the bend-gate.

For a company so long famed for its slick marketing and product launches, the iPhone 6's introduction is beginning to feel like something of a bum note for the company. From a broken video feed at the product's launch leaving both press and public aghast, to a lukewarm public reaction to the also-announced Apple Watch wearable, Apple's never felt less like a technology industry leader.

And retailing at around £600 and up, Apple's offerings are becoming less and less attractive as corporate devices.