Peak Design’s Action Button Fix Kit shows how messy iPhone case-making can be
2 min readThe Action button that replaced the mute switch on the iPhone 15 Pro has opened up a new level of functionality, allowing users to instantly access shortcuts and apps without having to navigate through their home screen. However, if you use a case from a company other than Apple, using the Action button might not be so fun.
Most, if not all, of the third-party cases that were available when the iPhone 15 Pro shipped were designed and produced without an actual iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max in hand. Companies often rely on past designs, rumors, leaks, and inside sources to create the basis of their designs, which can lead to a design that’s imprecise or even problematic.
While the Action Button had been rumored for a while, it presented companies with the challenge of designing for it without actually seeing or using it. Making a case button requires precision, which is hard to achieve when relying on unofficial information. Therefore, many companies opted to stick with the same cutout that was implemented for the mute switch, but the problem many users are finding is that thicker cases put the Action Button in a deep position, making it difficult to press.
Peak Design’s case update program
Peak Design has found this is the problem with its iPhone 15 Pro cases, but it’s not leaving customers in the lurch. The company has announced an iPhone 15 Case Action Button Issue and Update Program to address the issue with its cases that have cutouts for the Action Button. If you bought such a case from Peak Design, customer and take up one of three options:
- Get a free Button Fix Kit and a $15 Peak Design credit.
- Keep your case as-is and get a $40 Peak Design credit.
- Get a free replacement case.
For the first option, Peak Design is working on an insert that can be placed into the cutout, but the company admits that it’s “not 100% sure if this option will be feasible.” If not, customers can pick one of the two other options. The Button Fix Kit, as well as the third-option replacement case that will have a case button instead of a cutout, is estimated to be available in November.
Peak Design notes that many customers don’t have a problem with the cutout and that recalling and replacing already sold cases would create “additional costs to us and to the planet [that] are ultimately unnecessary.” However, the company did want to address customers who weren’t satisfied with the case.
iPhone 15 case issues aren’t limited to third-party companies. Apple’s own FineWoven case has generated loads of criticism for its scratch-friendly exterior and misaligned USB-C port cutout. Read our iPhone 15 roundup for everything you need to know about the new phones. Also check out our iPhone 15 Pro Max review.
