The companies that make smartphone cases take a big risk whenever a new device is about to be released. Relying on public leaks and supply-chain information, they design and start manufacturing their products months early so they are available when the new handsets start shipping.
Usually, their intelligence is on the money and the cases match the actual devices - but not always. Such was the case (pun intended) with Smartish, the Austin-based case manufacturer I profiled back in February.
One of their most popular offerings - the Kung Fu Grip - didn't fit quite right on the iPhone 12 models Apple released in October and November. As a result, the buttons on the case were very stiff, making them annoying to use. I know, because I bought the clear version of this case ahead of receiving my iPhone 12 Pro Max.
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Fortunately, I'd also bought a Spigen Liquid Crystal case and so I was able to switch and keep my phone protected. But what was I to do with the unusable Smartish case? I love the Kung Fu Grip line, with its contoured edges and its pleasantly rough texture. With a phone as big as the 12 Pro Max, I want to make doubly sure it doesn't slip from my fingers.
Then, I learned from the Wirecutter's case-review guide Nick Guy that Smartish had launched a replacement program almost immediately after discovering the issue.
Customers who'd bought the case directly from Smartish got an email notifying them that a free replacement was available. But I'd bought mine through Amazon, so I had to learn about it through other means.
Smartish set up a web form that lets affected customers enter contact info, indicate which iPhone model was involved and submit a receipt to show they'd actually purchased it. I did a screenshot of my order record on Amazon, which was acceptable. Within a few weeks, I had a Kung Fu Grip case that fit perfectly, and a card with an apology, a thank you and a web address for goofy videos involving misbehaving smartphone cases.
The company, which has a reputation for great customer service, recovered nicely from what could have been a PR disaster. After the redesign of the Kung Fu Grip cases were available, The New York Times’ Wirecutter once again recommended the case as the best iPhone 12 case for most people, a distinction Smartish has held since 2016.
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I spoke last week with Matt Altschul, the president and "CEO-ish" of Smartish, who told me that, so far, an estimated 500 people have taken advantage of the return program. The company moved quickly to get replacements designed and the manufacturing process going. The program was launched 48 hours after the company discovered the error.
It happened quickly, but it was not a trivial endeavor.
“It was real expensive, and it was a real pain, a monumental effort, to reverse that supply chain,” Altschul said. “It was all-hands-on-deck for two days, we were in the war room. We needed to figure out how to quickly get the new product to (buyers), and we had to do it in hours rather than weeks.”
The problem, it turns out, was a series of design issues that Altschul called“a trifecta of tiny intolerances.” The placement of the iPhone 12 line’s buttons was slightly different than what Smartish’s design team expected. In addition, the phones were slightly thicker than anticipated. And, finally, a weird one: Altschul said there was a tiny variance of the buttons from phone to phone, in the same model, and that was enough to create a misalignment when combined with the other two issues.
“We had five or six iPhone 12s here, and the buttons would fit on three of them, not the other two,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Part of this had to do with the fact that the iPhone 12 is a redesign, the first since the debut of the iPhone 6 design in 2014. In the past, Smartish could count on predictable design aspects. That went out the window with the newest iPhone.
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Interestingly, many customers - and even product reviewers - didn’t notice the problem. Altschul said he sent out the early versions of the cases to reviewers, and “a lot of them didn’t notice or didn’t care.” He made sure to get the replacements to the Wirecutter, which is a huge driver of Smartish’s sales, and was relieved when it got the top recommendation for the fourth year in a row.
“I was so excited and relieved, I went across the street (to Whole Foods) and bought a bunch of champagne,” he said. “I ran through the halls pouring glasses for people.”
Now, Smartish is in the middle of another design cycle. The company also makes cases for Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones, and the next version - the S21 - is expected to be unveiled next month. That’s a little easier, Altschul said, because Samsung isn’t quite as secretive about its designs as Apple. Still those cases are also a product built well in advance around a device that no one has yet seen.
“We’ve been working those for months now,” he said.
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