https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/26/18028978/apple-no-iphone-xr-cases-first-party

For the first time in years, a new iPhone has hit the market without any first-party Apple cases for the company to sell alongside it. The lack of such an obvious accessory is odd. Apple has made no public comment on why it hasn’t prepped its usual silicone and leather case options for the XR’s launch. A clear case that was mentioned in the company’s press materials in some regions has also been a no-show. If you walk into an Apple Store today, you’ll find a few options from Otterbox and other brands, but none from Apple itself. At least not yet.

The iPhone XR’s vibrant new colors are hard to show off when the device is covered in a standard-style case. So that could certainly be a factor in why Apple decided against its usual playbook. But the company knows how to design a case with this in mind and has done so before. For the also-very-colorful iPhone 5C, Apple introduced silicone cases with big circular holes on the back to let the phone’s finish come through. The clear case seemed like it was meant to achieve the same effect — minus the polkadot look.