'Hairgate': iPhone hit by new social media storm

By Eric Auchard

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - First there was bendgate... now brace yourself for hairgate.

Fresh from the online uproar over whether the shiny new iPhone 6 bends when carried around in pockets, Apple has been hit by a new complaint - that the handset traps users' hair or beards when they make calls.

It is difficult to gauge whether there is any real issue, but Twitter users have made #hairgate a rising social media trend, leading major news outlets to pounce on the story.

"The seam on my iPhone 6 where the aluminum meets the glass is definitely catching my hair and pulling it out," one user tweeted.

Bearded iPhone users have jumped on the bandwagon complaining that their facial hair gets yanked during calls, leading to spats over whether to treat #beardgate as a separate trend, or simply as a subset of #hairgate.

Apple was not immediately available to comment.

Jokers are having a field day, with the Twitter account of the Atlanta International Fashion Week speculating that it may be an elaborate plot against hipsters for whom facial hair has become de rigeur. Another user tweeted: "Congrats, Apple, for finally getting hipsters to shave."

For some it is a heaven-sent marketing opportunity; Gillette Co. [PGGIL.UL] was quick to tweet: "Your phone may be smarter than ever, but leave the shaving to the experts."

However, many iPhone 6 users were left to wonder what all the fuss was about.

"I have iPhone 6. Doesn't bend and doesn't snag hair. Who thinks up these things? Apple haters? Competitors?" tweeted Dr. John Wooten, a Virginia-based technical consultant.

(Editing by Pravin Char)