Ghost 2.0 Mega Update
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Hello Human,
Nearly a year ago, we launched the Ghost Case. It was the most successful failure we ever put into the world.
Our goal was to overcome the #1 issue with clear cases: they all turn yellow.
The #2 issue with clear cases? The fact that they scratch really, really easily. Being unwilling to compromise on the zero-yellowing guarantee meant we had to skip over industry-standard anti-scratch coatings (which also turn yellow over time).
Once the Ghost was launched, two things happened:
- The zero-yellowing guarantee brought us more customers than we ever could have imagined.
- Many of those customers made it clear that we’d missed the mark on scratch resistance.
In our last email about the Ghost Case (we’ll refer to this as the “Ghost 1.0” from now on), we shared a sobering realization: that the tooling and industrial design of Ghost 1.0 was fundamentally incompatible with any of the anti-scratch solutions we developed.
Putting it really simply, this meant we had to start… from scratch (painful amounts of pun intended). New design, new priorities, new tooling, new Ghost. After pouring what felt like a lifetime of development work into Ghost 1.0, we can’t say this didn’t sting.
However, there was a silver lining: most of the feedback and new feature requests we received for Ghost 1.0 (namely those that were unrelated to scratching) would have required a ground-up redesign to implement, regardless. The fact that all signs pointed in the same direction gave us confidence that this total redesign was the only path forward.
Today, we’re here to introduce you to Ghost 2.0, unpack all the improvements we’ve made to the product, and offer some clarity on when you can claim your free replacement.
This email is going to be quite the read - we advise you get comfortable. If you don’t have the time to go through it all, our only request is that you fill out the 45-second survey at the end of this email. We’re moving into mass production of the Ghost 2.0 and your response will help us make sure we’re allocating resources correctly to get replacements out as quickly as possible.
Let’s get into it. Introducing: the Ghost 2.0. |
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While our only non-negotiable for Ghost 1.0 was “zero-yellowing,” we had a much longer list for Ghost 2.0. Using your real-world feedback, we were able to identify and prioritize several areas of improvement in the all-new design:
- Scratch resistance
- Debonding
- Sidewall rigidity
- Impact protection
- Corner cracking
- Magnetic strength (with the new option for a cleaner look without MagSafe)
- Button tactility
- Camera protection
- In-hand feel
- General durability
…all while maintaining our zero-yellowing guarantee. Let’s start from the top.
Improvement #1: Scratch ResistanceAs you’re no doubt aware, scratch resistance was the driving motivation behind our re-development of the Ghost Case. If you’ve been using the Ghost 1.0 for any amount of time, it probably looks something like this: |
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All of these micro-scratches on the Ghost 1.0 are the result of a high-polish clear polycarbonate with no added scratch protection. When exposed to similar levels of wear-and-tear, your Ghost 2.0 should look like this: |
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As you've no doubt noticed, Ghost 2.0 no longer has pockets of clear plastic wrapping around the sides. While some part of us instinctively wanted to keep that visual identity, it was the shape and mechanics of that clear subframe that ultimately led to:
- failed anti-scratch solutions;
- cracked corners after being dropped;
- high debonding failure rates (i.e., the black and clear parts separating from each other); and
- a relative lack of grip due to a "plastic-y" feel in the hand.
This new visual identity hasn't just enabled us to implement a functional anti-scratch solution - it's resulted in the most scratch-resistant clear case we've ever tested (and believe us, we've tested a lot of clear cases).
To be clear, we aren't saying the Ghost 2.0 is scratch-proof (although we did develop an impossibly scratch-proof version - it was made of glass and shattered way too easily). We don’t, for instance, advise that you drag your Ghost 2.0 across asphalt or use it as a cutting board.
However, we are confident in saying that—based on the in-market clear cases we’ve tested from major brands—Ghost 2.0 will be the most scratch-resistant clear case you've ever owned.
This all-new subframe of Ghost 2.0 not only acts as a platform for scratch resistance. It’s also the key that unlocked all the other improvements, including…
Improvement #2: DebondingYou’ve likely heard us speak on this topic in the past. Debonding is exactly what it sounds like: when two substrates “de-bond” from one another. |
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Phone cases are typically created by bonding together two materials: a thermoplastic polyurethane (rubbery material) and a polycarbonate (rigid material).
Technically speaking, bonding two different substrates means you’re bonding materials with differing properties (thermal expansion rates, surface energies, mechanical adhesion characteristics, etc.) These differences can cause stress at the interface between the materials, which, over time and exposure to unfavorable conditions, will inevitably result in the materials separating.
While this material separation, or “debonding,” is a terminal issue with every ( source) phone ( source) case ( source) that’s ( source) ever ( source) existed ( source), our Ghost 1.0 industrial design was particularly susceptible to the issue.
The biggest culprit was the shape of the clear plastic and how dimensionally limited and under-engineered the contact surfaces were.
To help visualize this, below is a picture of the Ghost 1.0 subframe: |
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As cool as it looked, it simply wasn’t durable enough. On the other hand, here’s the Ghost 2.0 subframe: |
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Not only has the contact surfacing gone up 12x, we’ve added an all-new “tunnel” mechanic to the mold. The “tunnels” (those tiny little holes) are designed to add an extra axis of bonding between the two materials. During manufacturing, the tunnels get filled with molten polyurethane and - once cooled - the cylindrical channels act as strength multipliers for mechanical bond between the two materials.
While the adjustment may seem obvious, the real challenge was in execution. When the molten polyurethane tries to enter into those tiny channels, the natural resistance comes from microscopic air pockets that have no escape route in the tooling. This results in little warts all over the rim of the case.
Through a lot of trials and modifications, we designed some clever escape routes in the tooling to make these bond-strengthening tunnels achievable in mass production.
Our accelerated durability testing indicates that the Ghost 2.0 is the most durable, strongest bonding case we’ve ever produced, by at least a factor of five.
Until we've had an uncountable number of consumers put the Ghost 2.0 through its paces over several years, it’s difficult to say if this means a five-fold or fifty-fold improvement to the longevity of the case, but we’re confident that this innovation means “debonding” is a thing of the past.
The all-new subframe, enabling both a scratch resistant coating and a manyfold improvement to debonding, also led us to…
Improvement #3: Sidewall RigidityIf you’ve ever tugged at the bottom of your Ghost 1.0, you probably noticed that it feels a bit “flimsy.” |
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As you can see, that’s because there was no underlying support structure. While this allowed us to really dial down the thickness of the case, it also resulted in a flimsier feel. Because the bottom section lacked rigidity, any natural flex also turned into an ingress point for debris.
It's also worth noting that this lack of a support structure meant the bottom was a particularly common point of failure for debonding.
With the Ghost 2.0, we extended the debonding improvements around the bottom, creating a much more durable, rigid subframe on all sides of the case. |
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With that (literal) skeleton out of the way, let’s unpack the key improvements around the impact-resistant rim of the case.
Improvement #4: Impact ProtectionIn the construction of phone cases, the rubber-like thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material is what affords impact protection. On the Ghost 1.0, the isolated TPU structure looked like this: |
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This TPU structure was a polarizing design choice - one which resulted in a number of compromises that Ghost 1.0 users weren’t happy with. Putting aside the limited TPU coverage as a source of debonding failures, users were critical of impact resistance, corner cracking, and - while the ribbing along the perimeter was celebrated for its tactility, users wanted a less “plastic-y” overall feel. |
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With a wider ribbed frame, matte finish, and increased TPU coverage, the Ghost 2.0 eliminates all of those compromises. It's more protective, more durable, and feels better in the hand. Also, if you ever noticed that your Ghost 1.0 would make a "squeaky" noise when squeezing on your phone the wrong way, rest assured: your Ghost 2.0 will be whisper-quiet.
That is, of course, unless you're clicking the buttons…
Improvement #5: ButtonsWe are obsessed with buttons. After reading through mountains of feedback on Ghost 1.0, we learned that the majority of you are as well.
Compared to some of the other feedback we've been addressing, many users were satisfied with the buttons on their Ghost 1.0. That said, some SKUs definitely could have used some refined tactility for specific buttons (for example, the Pixel 8 Pro “Volume Up” button).
The more common feedback we received was that some users had trouble finding the buttons. Not because they're blind, but because the buttons were relatively indistinct on the Ghost 1.0 frame.
Given that the buttons were built into the frame, had a similar (albeit denser) "ribbing" pattern, and didn't extrude very much above the band, it's not entirely surprising that they could be hard to find. |
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Because the Ghost 1.0 had such a narrow TPU frame, there wasn’t really much room to work with on improving it. With Ghost 2.0's all-new tooling, we had plenty of real estate to re-think the buttons completely. |
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In addition to the new look, improved texturing, and unmistakable distinction between each button, we’ve put a careful focus on making sure the “click” is just right on every single button, for every single model.
To that end, below is a photo of the interior of Ghost 1.0’s buttons. |
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Because of the limited amount of moldable real estate in the TPU, you can see that we had very narrow “button islands” on the interior of the case. While they were precise, their narrowness meant that clicking from certain angles could feel "mushy."
By contrast, here’s how that same area looks on the Ghost 2.0. |
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With Ghost 2.0's thicker “button islands,” you'll find that the button tactility will hold up under a much wider range of angles. We also made sure to separate the volume up and down buttons, dramatically reducing the probability of an erroneous button click on models which feature a volume rocker, rather than two discrete buttons.
Put simply: they feel clickier. Guaranteed.
We didn’t increase TPU coverage everywhere, though. Let's talk about the one place we actually reduced the TPU coverage: the camera lip.
Improvement #6: Camera ProtectionOn the Ghost 1.0, the camera lip was a black rim that looked like this: |
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It was a distinctive design element that also served as protection for the camera lenses. On the Ghost 2.0, it looked obnoxious. |
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On Ghost 2.0, we’ve substituted the separated TPU camera lip with an integrated polycarbonate camera ramp. Not only does it fit the cleaner design language of Ghost 2.0, but it’s also much more protective - both in height and rigidity - than the shorter, more flexible camera lip on Ghost 1.0.
That’s not the only thing we took out, though…
Improvement #7: No More MagnetsOkay, not really. But… kind of. Let us explain.
Below, you’ll find a picture of the Ghost 1.0 on a Pixel 8 Pro. |
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Notice anything? The “G” logo isn’t even close to centered. Why did Google not center the logo on their charging coil? We’ll never know. What we do know is that:
- We can’t move the charging coil. Only Google can.
- Our magnetic array must match the position of the charging coil.
Many Pixel customers, after learning that we could not modify the magnet position on the case, shared that they’d rather not have the MagSafe coil at all.
Due to the inescapable reality that the “G” logo will never be properly centered, we're pleased to announce that MagSafe is now optional on Pixel devices. |
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But why stop there? We're making MagSafe optional across the entire Ghost 2.0 range. Putting aside the “G” logo centering, this decision was also the result of feedback that some customers simply didn’t care for MagSafe accessories and preferred a cleaner look.
Yes, this optional MagSafe removal even includes you, iPhone owners. Though, we should note that a non-MagSafe Ghost 2.0 will inhibit MagSafe functionality for iPhones. You should only buy the non-MagSafe version if you truly don't care about using magnetic accessories.
If you do care about MagSafe, though - we've got great news.
Improvement #8: Our Strongest Magnets Ever… Again.While we certainly weren't lying when we claimed Ghost 1.0 had our strongest magnets ever, your feedback has made it clear that we still had room to improve with Ghost 2.0. So, that's exactly what we did.
In pursuit of simply making the magnets stronger (which we did), we came across a root cause for why the magnetic attachment may have felt weak with certain types of accessories attached.
As you know, the Ghost 1.0 had a raised "magnet bump" on the back. |
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This bump was a result of thickness constraints. When injection molding a part, there’s something known as a “minimum wall thickness.” This means that no “wall” of the phone case can be under a certain limit. If you go below that measurement in wall thickness at any point, the injection molded part either cannot be mass-produced or would crack under moderate flex.
To maintain the super thin profile of Ghost 1.0, we couldn’t embed magnets into the back plate. Doing so would result in a breach of that “minimum wall thickness.” Instead, we raised up the magnet area so that the wall thickness constraint wasn’t violated, but the rest of the case remained minimally thin.
In practice, this bump served as a sort of "pivot point" for magnetic accessories. When force was applied to the MagSafe accessory anywhere surrounding the bump, the additional leverage from the raised bump would make it easier to detach.
To put it in simpler terms, let's imagine a MagSafe wallet.
Rather than being seated directly against the back surface of the Ghost 1.0, this hypothetical wallet was seated directly against the MagSafe bump. Anywhere it wasn’t making direct contact with that MagSafe bump, it was elevated off the case by about 0.8mm. This gap made it easy to push down any edge of the wallet and cause a corresponding lift on the opposite side.
This additional leverage isn't possible with a flat-backed phone case, which is why the Ghost 2.0 now sports a flat back, with the stronger magnets embedded directly into the back plate. |
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To reiterate: Ghost 2.0's magnets are also stronger. This, in combination with the flat back, should yield a much stronger magnetic connection under a broader range of scenarios.
The last thing to call out with regard to magnets is specifically relevant to Samsung owners. Some of you were likely disappointed to find that the camera lip on your device physically interfered with some MagSafe accessories. |
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To remedy this, we added a taper to the bottom edge of the camera lip - one that doesn’t interfere with camera protection - on Samsung Ultra models. |
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While there are several more improvements we could detail here, this rounds out the major feature upgrades that you're likely to notice when you receive your Ghost 2.0.
…and in case it wasn't clear: yes, Ghost 2.0 is still guaranteed to not turn yellow. |
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Speaking honestly, the only reason we were able to carry out this redesign in the first place was because of your incredible patience. While our silence for the past few months could have, rightfully, been perceived as taking your patience for granted, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Instead, we've spent each day juggling two competing priorities:
- To get you the best possible version of this product.
- To do so as quickly as possible.
Rather than communicating periodic updates on an uncertain, incomplete product, we've been heads-down with a dedicated focus on achieving that first priority. We hope this update has given some insight into the journey it took to get there.
Now that the Ghost 2.0 genuinely is the best version of itself, we can shift all of our attention to the remaining priority: getting it to you as quickly as possible.
To that end, we've officially discontinued sales of Ghost 1.0. Our focus is now solely on delivering free Ghost 2.0 replacements to everyone who purchased the 1.0 version.
As of today, one of the most important milestones in that journey has been achieved: we've officially cleared all twenty-six Ghost 2.0 SKUs to enter mass production. That includes:
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro
- Pixel 9 Pro XL
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- Non-MagSafe versions for all of the above
If you're wondering why all these new phones are on the list, it's because we recognize that you may have upgraded by the time we're ready to ship. Rest assured: your free Ghost 2.0 can be for any device we support, not just the one you originally purchased.
In mid-October, we'll send you another email. In that email, you’ll get:
- A coupon code for your free Ghost 2.0.
- A coupon code for free shipping, worldwide.
- A password-protected link to the Ghost 2.0 purchase UI.
- Your unique credentials to unlock that Ghost 2.0 purchase UI.
With this information, you’ll be able to place an order for your free Ghost 2.0 replacement (or multiple replacements, if you purchased multiple units). At that time, you'll select your device and provide an updated address, if needed.
Realistically, we expect it will take until the end of the year to clear out the backlog of all Ghost 2.0 replacements. Considering we won't be taking any new orders for Ghost 2.0 until all of the 1.0 customers have had a chance to claim a replacement (paired with the fact that we’d really like to start recouping the millions of dollars committed to this replacement program), we wish we could offer a more optimistic timeline.
To be clear, we’re not saying that Ghost 2.0 replacements will start shipping at the end of the year. We intend to start shipping shortly after the replacement orders are placed. However, given the complexity and scale of this Ghost 2.0 resolution, we'd rather underpromise and overdeliver on the conclusion to this saga - and end of year is our honest estimate.
If you skipped to the endThat was quite a scroll, huh? Here’s the tl;dr:
- We made Ghost 2.0.
- We appreciate your patience.
- See above for more details.
With that out of the way, we've prepared a brief survey for you to fill out. It’ll take about 45 seconds to complete. Now that we're entering mass production, it would be extremely helpful to know what device you're planning on getting a Ghost 2.0 for. That way, we can schedule and prioritize our production runs accordingly.
To be clear: this survey is not a binding decision. You'll be committing your actual device selection and delivery address for the free Ghost 2.0 replacement program when we email you next month.
In exchange for filling out the survey, we’ve hidden some loot at the end. Click here to find it.
If you read the whole email, thanks a ton.
If you skipped straight to the survey, thanks.
If you didn't do either of those things, you're dead to us.
Signed,
A Robot
P.S. - this email is going out to hundreds of thousands of Ghost 1.0 customers. If you have an urgent question or need support that isn’t answered by information in this email, please feel free to reach out. Otherwise, we'd appreciate it if you left us on "read." |
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