OtterBox Defender Pro for iPhone 17 Pro Max: Buyer Beware

[AppleCook]

How's your first week been with your redesigned 17 Defenders, @sdfd504 & @ZebraDude ?

 

[xcrunner3200]

Does anyone know if the camera control button case issue is only for the 17 Pro & Pro Max, or is it showing up on the base 17 case version as well?

 

[AppleCook]

Does anyone know if the camera control button case issue is only for the 17 Pro & Pro Max, or is it showing up on the base 17 case version as well?

Not sure but any new cases should be fine, and any old cases should be easily replaced free.

 

[piggapug]

Received my warranty replacement case, but my original case with the fix (and glued piece) has been working without any issues. So I am going to keep using the original until it wears out.

 

[Xenomorph]

As the title says, beware of buying an OtterBox Defender Pro for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I think I can confirm they made the case using dimensions and not a real iPhone.

As soon as I received my Pro Max today, I put it in the case and noticed something was off. It feels a little bigger than the phone. On the right side, near the Camera Control button, it doesn’t make a proper click and feels loose. If I press slightly above it, the Camera Control activates even though I didn’t press the button. I can even see the orange color showing at the top corner of my phone near the Dynamic Island. Something is definitely wrong.

I wasn’t sure if it was just mine, so I went to Best Buy and bought two more. Guess what? They all had the same problem.

I emailed them about it. Let’s see what happens.

Thanks Ralph ‘n’ Randy for the insights.

Looks like the Defender is now in stock on the OtterBox site! It’s been unavailable (pre-order only) all this time until ~today. Guess they’ve figured it out.

As of October 28th, bad OtterBox Defender Pro cases are still going to customers (ordered mine October 19th).

My Camera Control button seems to work fine, but the case itself doesn't fit right. The inner plastic shell is a bit larger than it should be, which means there is simply too much empty space around the phone. You can squeeze or twist the case and feel the phone shifting around. I can push the edges of the case down and expose the phone. The case doesn't feel like it was made for the correct iPhone 17 Pro size.

Is emailing OtterBox the best way to get this addressed? Or do I just return the case and let some other poor sap end up with it?

 

[AppleCook]

Is emailing OtterBox the best way to get this addressed?

Yes, would email—did you already reach out?

 

[Xenomorph]

Yes, would email—did you already reach out?

I did, actually!

They told me to take a photo of the case with a piece of paper next to it with a handwritten date. Then attach that photo in the reply to their email along with my shipping address.

They said they'd send me out a new case. So... I'm just waiting, now.