The Action button on new iPhone 15 Pro models is throwing some third-party case-makers for a loop, according to a new report Friday.
Preparing to launch new cases in tandem with the new handsets’ release, some companies guessed right on the phones’ designs and some got it wrong.
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Some case-makers went awry with new products over iPhone 15 Pro models’ Action button
Ahead of an iPhone launch, many third-party case-makers end up relying on rumors in designing new cases for the handsets.
That’s because, like the rest of us, they won’t know for sure exactly how the new iPhones will look until Apple unveils them, a new report in The Verge said. Significant hardware changes are rare, so it’s usually not a big problem — until something new like the Action button comes along.
So with iPhone 15 Pro models’ new Action button in place of the ringer switch, some companies got it wrong.
The article cites Moft and Nomad as two brands that got it right, placing a metal button on the case to activate the Action button beneath it.
But others, like Bellroy and Peak Design, went with a cutout, making it much harder for users to activate the Action button.
Companies will provide new versions
Photo: Nomad
Here’s how Peak Design explained the problem on Reddit:
We actually do not have the literal 3D details from Apple and so we are reliant on industry rumors to inform the design. In the case of the new “Action Button,” there were rumors in both the switch and the button direction and we also did not have much information on how a potential button would be used. Because of these conflicting rumors, we opted for the safer route and designed a cutout that would give good access to the button feature or a switch depending on which rumor ended up being the actual truth.
Peak Design plans to revamp its new cases. In the meantime, the article said the company did this:
Peak Design created a support page that details its plans to fix the case, including providing store credit of $15 to $40 for those that already purchased cases.
And it quoted a Bellboy representative as saying the company is “working on a solution to make that an integrated button rather than a cutout for the next production run. With what we know now, we acknowledge that a raised button is more fit-for-purpose.”
New versions of the Bellroy case should ship in November. Customers will be able to exchange their case for the new design when it’s available.
And another company said its customers who bought a case will get a second, updated one free:
Case maker Caudabe says that customers who ordered one of its Sheath or Synthesis cases by September 27th will be able to get a version with a button later in October at no additional cost and keep the case they already received.
