Case Design Guidelines
for Apple Devices
Release R3
Contents
General Case Design Guidelines 4
Mechanical Considerations 4
Device Layouts and Dimensions 4
Access to Controls 6
Access to the Audio Jack and 30-pin or Lightning Connector 7
Acoustical Considerations 6
Speaker and Microphone Openings 6
Speaker to Microphone Coupling 6
Call Quality 6
Sensor Considerations 7
Ambient Light and Proximity Sensor Interference 7
Magnetic Interference 7
Camera Considerations 7
Lens and Flash Occlusion 7
Image Degradation 8
Reliability Testing 10
Device Insertion and Removal 10
Colorfastness 10
Environmental Substance Restrictions 10
RF Absorbing Materials 11
Touchscreen Overlays 11
Document Revision History 12
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2
Figures
General Case Design Guidelines 4
Figure 1-1 iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) sensors, controls, and connectors 5
Figure 1-2 iPad (3rd generation) sensors, controls, and connectors 5
Figure 1-3 Image degradation by color shifting 8
Figure 1-4 Image degradation by decrease of contrast 9
Figure 1-5 Image degradation by blocking 9
Figure 1-6 Image degradation by flash interference 9
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3
General Case Design Guidelines
The guidelines in this chapter apply to all Apple devices.
Mechanical Considerations
A well-designed case will securely house an Apple device while not interfering with the device’s operation.
Significant factors in mechanical design include access to the device’s sensors, controls, and connectors.
Device Layouts and Dimensions
Cases should be designed to accommodate the full range of Apple device sizes within each product’s dimensional
variation. Dimensional drawings with tolerances can be downloaded from developer.apple.com/resources/cases/.
The locations of the sensors, controls, and connectors for the iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) are
shown in Figure 1-1 (page 5), and for the iPad (3rd generation) in Figure 1-2 (page 5).
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
4
General Case Design Guidelines
Mechanical Considerations
Figure 1-1 iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) sensors, controls, and connectors
Sleep/wake control
Front Camera
Ambient light Rear camera
sensor
Ringer switch
Proximity sensor Rear microphone
Volume buttons Rear flash
Front microphone
Earpiece
See engineering drawings
for “keep out” and “do not
obstruct” areas
Home button
Audio jack Speaker
Bottom microphone Lightning connector
iPod touch iPod touch
Audio jack Speaker Loop
connector
Lightning connector
Figure 1-2 iPad (3rd generation) sensors, controls, and connectors
Microphone
Headphone jack Sleep/wake control
Back camera
Proximity sensor/
ambient light Side switch
sensor
Volume up/down
control
Front camera
Home button
Speaker
30-pin connector
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
5
General Case Design Guidelines
Acoustical Considerations
Access to Controls
The case should readily permit the user to access and manipulate the device’s mechanical controls, including
volume and ring/silent controls, sleep/wake control, and the home button.
Access to the Audio Jack and 30-pin or Lightning Connector
The case should provide ready access to the audio jack. The case should be tested with a range of headphones,
including studio monitor types that have large plugs.
The case should also provide unobstructed access to either the 30-pin connector or the Lightning connector.
Some accessories, such as factory-installed automotive sound systems, have cables with large connector
housings.
In addition, the audio jack and 30-pin or Lightning connector openings should be designed with enough
margin to compensate for shifting or dimensional changes of the case material.
Acoustical Considerations
The case should not impair or degrade the acoustical performance of an Apple device.
Speaker and Microphone Openings
When Apple devices have speakers or microphones, their locations may vary from model to model. Refer to
the dimensional drawings for various Apple devices cited in "Device Layouts and Dimensions" (page 4). The
case should not obstruct the speaker or microphone ports.
Speaker to Microphone Coupling
The case should not facilitate the conduction of sound from the speaker to any microphone. Such sound
conduction can cause echoing in phone calls.
Call Quality
The case should not impair or degrade the user’s experience making and receiving both audio calls over a
cellular network or video calls using Apple’s FaceTime software. User testing should be conducted in handset,
speakerphone, and headset modes of operation, to confirm that the case does not change the loudness or
frequency response of the speakers or microphones. In addition, the user should not be able to detect any
sound distortion resulting from enclosing the Apple device in the case.
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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General Case Design Guidelines
Sensor Considerations
Sensor Considerations
Various Apple devices contain several environmental sensors, including an ambient light sensor, a magnetic
compass, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, and a three-axis gyroscope. Cases should be designed so they
do not interfere with the operation of these sensors.
Ambient Light and Proximity Sensor Interference
The ambient light and proximity sensor locations for various Apple devices are shown in the dimensional
drawings cited in "Device Layouts and Dimensions" (page 4). Some of the dimensional drawings specify a
recommended keepout area around these sensors. No material should be allowed to cover either these sensors
or their keepout areas.
Magnetic Interference
Case designs for Apple devices should avoid the use of magnets (for example, as closure devices) and magnetic
materials. Cases with parts made of any metal should be tested to verify that they do not affect an Apple
device’s built-in magnetic compass, if any.
Besides their effect on a built-in magnetic compass, magnets in cases can affect other sensors and electronic
components. Cases should not include magnets unless there is no other practical design solution and only if
they do not affect the operation of the Apple device in any way.
Camera Considerations
Pictures taken by the device’s built-in camera when the device is in the case should appear identical to those
taken without the case. This applies also to pictures taken using a built-in LED flash, if one is present. This
section describes some common picture differences that may occur. The camera test image used here can be
downloaded from developer.apple.com/resources/cases/.
Lens and Flash Occlusion
Various Apple devices have camera lenses on the back and/or the front. Some of the dimensional drawings
cited in "Device Layouts and Dimensions" (page 4) specify a recommended keepout area around these lenses.
No material should be allowed to cover any lenses or their keepout areas. The case openings for lenses should
also be large enough to eliminate any of the image degradation problems described below.
Some devices feature an LED flash to illuminate picture taking. The case should not cover or obstruct the flash
with any material.
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
7
General Case Design Guidelines
Camera Considerations
Image Degradation
A case that encroaches too closely on the perimeter of any camera lens may produce image degradation, even
without obstructing the lens. The case should not cause contrast decrease, color shift, image blocking, or flash
interference through any camera lens.
Color Shift
If the material of a colored case encroaches too closely on a camera lens or LED flash, it may impart a color
shift to the picture. This effect for various colors is illustrated in Figure 1-4.
Figure 1-3 Image degradation by color shifting
Reference
Degraded (red) Degraded (green) Degraded (blue)
Note A matte black ring around the interior of the lens opening of a case can reduce the incidence
and/or severity of color shift.
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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General Case Design Guidelines
Camera Considerations
Contrast Decrease
If the case opening is too close to a camera lens, it may decrease the contrast of pictures taken through that
lens, as illustrated in Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-4 Image degradation by decrease of contrast
Reference Degraded
Image Blocking
If a camera opening in a case is too close to a lens, it may block part of the image, as illustrated in Figure 1-5.
Figure 1-5 Image degradation by blocking
Reference Degraded
Flash Interference
The case should not reflect any light from the LED flash into its camera lens. Doing so produces the effect
illustrated in Figure 1-6.
Figure 1-6 Image degradation by flash interference
Reference Degraded
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
9
General Case Design Guidelines
Reliability Testing
Reliability Testing
Cases for Apple devices should be tested to verify that they will withstand long-term use under typical use
conditions, and that they do not impair or degrade the functionality of the device, damage it or its immediate
surroundings, or adversely affect the user.
Device Insertion and Removal
The case should hold the Apple device securely while permitting its easy insertion and removal. The case and
the enclosed device should not be damaged by the repeated insertion and removal of the device from the
case under conditions representative of long-term use in a variety of environments.
Colorfastness
Any dyes, inks, or coatings in or on the case should not bleed color onto either the device or its user, particularly
while the case is in contact with common substances such as water or sunscreen.
Environmental Substance Restrictions
Cases for Apple devices should comply with applicable environmental regulations in the regions in which such
cases are to be sold, and any applicable substance or material restrictions, including applicable restrictions on
the following substances:
Lead (Pb)
Cadmium (Cd)
Mercury (Hg)
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI))
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr(VI)) in leather
Nickel (Ni) plating on user-accessible surfaces
Azo-based dyes that release the aromatic amines specified in European Directive 2002/61/EC
Natural rubber latex
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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General Case Design Guidelines
RF Absorbing Materials
RF Absorbing Materials
Cases for Apple devices should not contain materials or coatings that absorb radio frequency energy. Such
materials can impair or degrade the performance of cellular communication antennas or GPS, WiFi, or Bluetooth
antennas. Examples include (but are not limited to) the following:
Metals (e.g. steel, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, etc.)
Plastics with any carbon content
Plastics with any glass content
Plastics with metallic plating
Metallic paints
Black paints with high carbon loading
White paints with high titanium dioxide loading
Metallic Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) coatings
Touchscreen Overlays
The touch interface in an Apple device senses the presence of one or more fingers on its surface. Any material
between the surface and the user’s hand, even a very thin sheet of plastic, can affect the performance of the
touch interface. If a case design requires a touchscreen to be overlaid with another material, the material should
be thinner than 0.3 mm and should be designed so that there are no air gaps between it and the touchscreen
surface. Such an overlay should not be electrically conductive.
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
11
Document Revision History
This table describes the changes to Case Design Guidelines for Apple Devices .
Date Notes
2012-09-12 Revision R3: Added information for devices with the Apple Lightning™
connector: iPhone 5, iPod touch (5th generation), and iPod nano (7th
generation).
2011-03-11 Revision R2: Updated guidelines to cover cases for iPads.
Changed document title from “iPhone Case Design Guidelines” to “Case
Design Guidelines for Apple Devices.”
2011-02-28 Revision R1: First release of “iPhone Case Design Guidelines.”
2012-09-12 | © 2012 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.
12
Apple Inc.
© 2012 Apple Inc.
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