Apple shares drop on complaints about bendable phones, update glitch

Apple Inc. broke its silence on complaints about bending iPhones, the day after withdrawing a glitch-ridden software update as the company struggles to restore momentum to the rollout of its latest phones.

"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," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said in an email.

Apple shares closed down nearly 4 percent at $97.87 Thursday, wiping out nearly $23 billion in market value.

The new phones face criticism over their bendability. Social media and online forums have been abuzz with comments about how the new phones can bend when placed in back pockets or while wearing skinny jeans.

Apple said its iPhones feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high-stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry.

Apple was also forced to withdraw a faulty update to its latest operating system after some users of its new phones complained of call service disruptions. Apple said on its website it was working on an iOS update to fix the issue, and will release it in the next few days.

Thursday, Apple issued a step-by-step guide for users to reinstall iOS 8, launched last week, through the latest version of iTunes. The health app will not work for now and will be fixed in the next software update, the company said.