If you have an iPhone 15 Pro and purchased a case for it, you may have noticed that something is missing. When the iPhone 15 was released, one of the most noticeable modifications was the addition of an Action Button instead of a mute switch to the Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max variants. Case makers were caught off guard, as many iPhone 15 Pro cases from some of the leading case makers have a mute switch cutout but no button.
The difference is enormous. I’ve been testing cases for my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and I can’t take using cases without an Action Button. The silent switch cutout (which does not work exists) makes pressing the button extremely difficult.
The notch on most iPhone 15 Pro cases rises high enough to obscure the button. The button’s top is hidden beneath the case’s edge. I have to dig in with the tip of my finger or press hard. This is a dire situation.
The Action Button is a new feature available to iPhone 15 Pro customers. These shoddy cases make it more difficult to use. They’ve effectively removed the phone’s button. A case should never make a phone feature more difficult to use, and this is the first time this has happened in recent memory.
What a shock that Apple kept this a secret
It’s not difficult to imagine how this occurred. Apple does not divulge. Apple does not share information with anyone. I inquired about this with Casetify, a popular case maker, and Casetify representatives stated that “because few casemakers work directly with Apple, CASETIFY didn’t receive the final design from Apple until after the keynote.” Casetify directed us to the Wall Street Journal article mentioned in the quote.
It’s unclear which companies receive designs from Apple first. They are not permitted to boast about it. I asked Spigen, the case manufacturer, how they managed to get it right this year. Spigen’s cases have Action Buttons, which make pressing the actual button much easier. Spigen, on the other hand, never responded to my inquiries.
In the weeks leading up to the release of the iPhone 15, I received emails from phone case manufacturers. I ignored all of them. None of the case designers had any idea what the new iPhone 15 design would look like. If they had the designs, Apple would not have prohibited them from even mentioning the moniker iPhone 15 before its release. I knew they didn’t know anything about the new iPhone because they talked about it.
In the weeks leading up to the release of the iPhone 15, I received emails from phone case manufacturers. I ignored all of them. None of the case designers had any idea what the new iPhone 15 design would look like. If they had the designs, Apple would not have prohibited them from even mentioning the moniker iPhone 15 before its release. I knew they didn’t know anything about the new iPhone because they talked about it.
I spoke with Moment, a startup that creates phone accessories such as camera lenses, bicycle mounts, and cases that work with those camera lenses and bike mounts. You’ll need a Moment case to attach your phone to your bike if you have a Moment bike mount. If you’re a Moment enthusiast and purchasing the iPhone 15 Pro, you can’t live without a Moment case. What would you do with your phone?
If your case lacks a button, you must purchase a replacement case
Some case designers are returning to the drawing board. I received samples from Burga, a small case maker, that did not have an Action Button. That company decided to make the adjustment and delivered me updated samples with the button in place a few months later. It was a wise decision.
When I asked Casetify if the Pro and Pro Max cases would be updated to include an Action Button, the firm stated that its “Ultra Bounce Case currently has a covered button and other products are being considered to include as well.”
Other case makers are staying firm. Incipio, a well-known company, told me that “unfortunately Incipio won’t be making any changes to the current iPhone 15 case designs and action button covers won’t be coming until the 2024 iPhone series.
“Unfortunately, the Action Button is a significant component of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max phones. I’d never say a case without an Action Button is one of the greatest cases for this phone. If you never use the Action Button, you might not notice, but it’s risky for case designers to stay with a bad design.
I’m not sure how to remedy this, but if Apple wants to maintain a vibrant ecosystem of accessory partners, it may need to play nice and give case makers some hints that a change is on the way.
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