Apple's glitchy Wednesday: Bugs, bendy phone rile users

SAN FRANCISCO — Two weeks ago, the press and public fawned over the new iPhone and Apple Watch. On Wednesday, they couldn't gripe enough.

Apple yanked a spanking-new operating system update that disabled cellular service and access to the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, touching off a minor revolt on Twitter. Then, there is the matter of some iPhone 6 Plus models that bend.

Apple says it is "actively investigating" its software woes.

Welcome to the land of hype, sky-high expectations and frenzied customers.

"Clearly, after all of the anticipation, the big event (on Sept. 9), the very favorable reviews, these revelations perhaps dampen some of the enthusiasm for and around these offerings," S&P Capital analyst Scott Kessler says. "But we don't think that will fundamentally impair the prospects or the progress of these devices."

Software bugs and a possible hardware glitch, while embarrassing, hardly tarnished Apple stock on Wednesday. Shares were down slightly, to $101.75. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones, meanwhile, continue to sell at record rates.

The backlash, which took root on Twitter and escalated, underscore the risks a high-profile company like Apple faces when it releases a new product amid pent-up demand and expectations. Facebook has encountered the same vociferous reaction whenever it rolls out a new feature.

Criticizing new Apple products has become a blood sport.

Americans' reaction to new Apple products has become a rite of cultural passage: Wait in line for hours to be the first to get the new product, complain loudly about its deficiencies — which are eventually fixed — then pine for the next version of that product.

"Apple compared to anyone else has a flawless track record in product, and that just raises the bar to catch them on something," says Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. "It has become a game with these releases: Who can find the first problem?"