Cell phone case or no case?

Using a cover is like this:

Moved to Off-Topic. Please try and keep non-gaming related discussion to that area. Thanks.

I used a really thin case on my S3, used no case on my S5, and just got a good hardy case for my S6. It's a little bigger, sure, but there's piece of mind that I have now. This new one was easy to hold the wrong way and it kept slipping, so I figured I should spend the $7.

Oh, and it's got a little pullout stand!

The only person I know who doesn't use a case has broken 2 phones in the 2 years I've known her. And I got pretty burned by a cracked iPod touch a few years ago, so when I finally upgraded to a smart phone in June I chose to get a case. I like the added weight, it feels sturdy.

Apple don't spend billions of dollars to make it as light and thin as they can for me to shove it in some giant plastic thing

Phones are stupid expensive and gravity gives zero fucks. I've had my newest phone for about a year now and maybe dropped it once or twice on a carpeted floor of all things. I don't think I've spilled anything on it because I don't let any food or drinks get close enough to it in the first place.

I still use a case.

Peace of mind and whatnot.

I have a Note 4. I started off with a case, took it on and off the thing because I couldn't decide whether I wanted it on or off, it finally broke and I went for quite a long time without a case. The screen isn't cracked and you actually have to look hard to see any signs of wear. I bought a case and screen protector for it a few days ago because, while I respect its build quality, I'd like to see this thing last another year. I don't doubt that it could without a case, but I want a bit of extra protection.

I don't actually like cases all that much, though. I don't like the extra bulk. I like how thin my phone is and how it felt in my hand. I really don't like cases that flip open, that's an extra motion I have to make to get to my phone's screen.

As an aside, that Note 4 has been a pretty great phone. I bought it in November of 2014, right as they were coming out, and the thing hasn't skipped a beat since. It still feels super responsive and works really well. When I buy another phone, Samsung will be the first brand I look at.

For people who get as drunk as I do, as often as I do, a case is all but a necessity

Granted, the last year has been a hard scenario for my phones... I'd stick with a case. A year ago today, I would have said other wise but, I cracked 2 screens on 2 brand new phones. Galaxy 4 and 5 respectively(no case) but I had a Galaxy 3 for 5 years without a case in and out of warehouses and never a crack and minor scratches.

I've had a Galaxy 6 in a case and it has survived so far. Even survived a friend getting sick on it... Still makes me cringe slightly when I answer.

Team: Rorie?

A case. Always a case. This thing costs upwards of 100 bucks, you bet your ass I'm throwing it in a case. I usually end up using folio/wallet style cases because I fell in love with that style for some reason.

I go in bareback.

I've never used a case. I dropped my first smart phone, an HTC Panache, all the time and the worst that would happen was the battery would come out. That screen was spotless. I've had my current Galaxy S3 for over 2 years. I haven't dropped it nearly as many times, but it has a pretty superficial crack in the screen thanks to that one time it hit the sidewalk. When I bought it I received a gift card for Future Shop and I have no regrets putting that towards a Wii U instead of a case, like the salesperson recommended.

If it's a Samsung, I phone or the like, not durable phone case, if it's like my older Nokia lumia 1020, it doesn't need one.

No case, hate the extra bulk they add and don't care about little scuffs around the sides. Have a nice rosewood back for my phone too so I don't want to cover that up with a case.

I'm an adult capable of not dropping my phone every 5 minutes ... also I use my phones for such a long time that the resell value won't be hurt by some scratches ... so no case :)

Case. Phone bodies made mostly of glass or metal are too slippery for me to confidently use them without a textured case for some grip. I might try out skins next time, since they offer grip without sacrificing sleekness.

Cases suck. A company like Apple spends millions on design and puts an ungodly amount of work into aesthetics and ergonomics, I'm not gonna take that thing out of the box and immediately throw it in some fuckugly bulky leather monstrosity.

I have a tempered glass screen protector in case I ever drop it, but I haven't because keeping a thing in your hand without it falling on the floor really isn't that hard.

I use a Quick Circle case on my LG G3, so basically no case. I don't go out of my way to baby it, but the phone goes from my pocket to my desk or cup holder. I don't need to protect it from drops. I've had it for a year and a half and never dropped it or scratched it. My job and lifestyle don't require extra protection for my phone. If I worked construction or whatever, sure.

This is the slipperiest phone I've ever used, so I two-hand it more than my last phone when texting and such. If I'm dropping stuff with two hands, I have bigger problems than a potential cracked screen.

I never used a case for any phone until I dropped my last one, a Nexus 4, in such a way that the screen shattered. My Nexus 5 is in a case and it's not bothering me nearly as much as I expected. In fact, since I have fairly large hands the extra bulk is welcome.

depends on the phone, if you have a phone that costs 700 then yeah put a case on it, but I also hate those giant cases that bury the phone and has a big flap. I have a very thin case that has a thin plastic shell over a kinda rubbery material, so its its dropped it has a little shock absorption.

I've found that no case I'm much more careful not to drop it.

I still have a working LG optimus one, and its that way because its in a case.

I buy cheap phones - Moto E, £99 - so don't need no cases.

My last phone was the m8 which was so gorgeous, but I ended up using it without a case and dropped it again and again and again. Yes I try my damndest to be careful, but like most other things in life I failed at not being a clumsy ass too. Eventually I tempted fate too much and cracked the screen. My LG g4 now has a case and screen protector. I still managed to drop it and ding the edge only a tiny bit (thankfully), so I'm probably going to go all out and get an otter case for it now.

Phones look svelte and I would love to trust myself enough to go careless, but I just can't.

I merely used a bumper on my phones back during the 4S to 5S eras.

Now with the 6 and 6S series I tend to use full-on cases for better grip on the phone. I generally use pretty thin cases as well so they don't add that much bulk, as I'm also pretty careful with my phone and I get the new iPhone every year and sell my old one to help finance it, so I want to keep them in good shape.

Personally, I'd never use those bricks like Otterbox or Lifeproof cases, but we did buy one for my girlfriend because she has a tendency to drop her phone, so I think it was money well spent there.

New phones have shitty ergonomics and are very easy to slip from your hands. iPhones are much smaller than most smartphones popular in Europe and it's easier to get a good grip on them - hence why GB guys don't need cases.

Half of Samsung S series phones I've seen without cases had cracked glass. Not a surprise, those things are impossible to operate safely in one hand.

I still use a cheap Lumia 520 for the sole reason of it having a rubbery back of the case. It's fantastic to hold.

Im not using a case and im dropping and spilling stuff on my phone all the time. I have even left it in my pants and threwed in the washingmachine once. Almost 3 years and still going strong, just replaced the battery 2 times at $15 x 2. Dont buy shit of low quality and you wont need a case.

I'm paying a lot for the design of my phone, so I don't want to cover it up.

I also don't really drop mine often so I'm confident I don't need one. No screen protectors on any consoles or phones.

I've had my phone for two years now, never put it in a case, never dropped it. It's a small sized phone that pretty much fits in my hand, so I'm not going around drunk holding some top heavy thing that I'm going to push out of my hand trying to use. I also just don't take my phone out when I'm drinking or doing anything that might cause me to drop it.

I use a case. I've basically never dropped my phone but the iPhone has always been a slippery fucker and especially so when it got thinner so the concept of using it without a case that provides extra grip is just thoroughly unsatisfying. I also use screen protectors because I get real upset at scratches on the display even if I can only see them from one angle once every five days or something.

yes if by case you mean cover. the back cover is the same as the original only addition is it wraps around and makes a cover for the from screen. just because i use it at work and therefore gives a better resistance for water and dust like this

I put my Galaxy S6 in an Otterbox Commuter case (the not-so-bulky one). I would rather live with a couple extra grams and a less sexy phone than pay for screen or back replacements over time.

Not that I drop my phone all the time - maybe 4-5 times a year.

I have a bulky plastic plain case, and although it is heavier and more uncomfortable now, it survived a drop from a second floor without a scratch, so I have no regrets.

No case, because I can take care of my things. Also, the priceless moment when your coworkers almost shouts at you in the break room about how good your case free phone looks after 2 years when their phones after a year looks like hot garbage.

No case. More out of laziness than anything else.

The iPhone6 is already so big that if I put a case on it then it probably would start bulging out in my pocket.

I honestly think the next generation of smart phones has gotten way too big. Some of them are starting to be mini-tablets instead of things you can take out on a bus ride and use with one hand.

Break it down even more: first-party cases vs. third-party cases. Because first-party cases usually are a lot nicer than third-party stuff. And the third-party stuff can be ridiculous (like Otterboxes).

Use a case with a magnetic snap-lock cover and protect 360 degrees of the phone, attach a cellphone-charm, strap or long detail that you can hold onto, taking this simple care, these insurances, my phones last without any visual harm until the day the battery gives up and I find there's no way to get an authentic reliable new battery.

Of course, despite this my 2012 phone has taken fall damage that has offset the rear camera filters, gotta whack it back into position sometimes. I plan to get a Galaxy S7 for the sake of GearVR, I figure four years with my current one deserves a little reward.

You strapless caseless coverless types are begging for a broken $500-$700 RRP device.

No case here. I've gotta show off that sexy iPhone 5S body. I've had the phone for over 1.5 years. It has a few dents on it, but other than a few blemishes, it looks brand new. It took 6 months for me to drop my phone for the first time, and the second time came just mere minutes later. I think it had something to do with me being in a brewery for a few hours.

I had a case for my 5S only because those official Apple ones were very thin and cool looking. After two years the screen developed an internal leak anyway. I'm back to raw doggin' it now.

I switched to an iphone 6S and the problem with getting a phone on launch day was that there werent any cases for it yet :x

Cases are dumb.

I never use them, never dropped a phone ever.

I use a case. Not using a case isn't a problem until it is one. Might as well not take the risk with the object that I probably use more than any other item in my life.

That said, my case is a $10 one a grabbed from Walmart. I prefer the case to be extremely minimal. I don't want to feel my phone in my pocket. I used a giant Otterbox with my first iPhone and ended up downgrading to a case that didn't throw me off balance.

I've thrown my phone down the sidewalk in a drunken rage to see it travel halfway across a block, bouncing and slamming. No damage to the phone itself and the Speck brand case has some scratches on it. My phone would be toast by now if I didn't have a case. I was really surprised by the protection given the very sleek profile. I refuse to get something bulky. I also use a separate tempered glass screen protector to avoid using the plastic one that Speck gives with the case. The glass feels much better on my fingers as if it were the screen itself.

I really couldn't be happier with my phone/case/screen protector combo. So slick and so much protection.

I wish I didn't had to use any, since I like the feel of the materials of the iPhone on my hand, but I keep using a really thin one to avoid scratches on the back, just in case. heh

I use this one, The Veil by Caudabé:

I use a case, and I like the kind that has kickstand. I might add that I have never had a screen on anything break.. Is that luck, is that because I use a case, or is it because I'm careful? The world may never know the answer.

I went to look at Drew's PopSocket and was actually impressed with the design and use of sticky bits to make the pop-up handle into a a clamp, a kickstand, etc. I still like the security of having a shell around my phone. These days the top-end phones are TOO thin, and I actually want "The Duke Experience" of something bigger and grippier.

Also, the argument of "well these companies spend a lot to make them 'look' a certain way" or "I spent extra for this dusty rose gold color"

Is it YOUR job to display a company's logo or make sure everyone knows you have an 2016 and not an 2014? It is not like having an iPhone is a status symbol anymore (sorry, if this is news to you), that went away after iPhone 2 when smartphones became ubiquitous even in the African Congo.

After a while I kept using a case because my old iPhone felt too small in my hands and pockets without it. It's nice these devices are thin, but it felt too thin as I was using it and it felt like it just vanished when I put it in my pockets.

Now I use a case because I finally got a new iPhone and I thought as I was buying it, "You know, if this phone does get damaged or scratched, that would suck". The case itself is clear and thin, so it mainly protects the back and sides and I'm still able to enjoy the phone's appearance. And then I got a screen protector for the screen itself. I'm personally not a fan of bulky cases or cases that open up like a book.

@brainwins said:

Using a cover is like this:

Oh, so a case is like showing a picture that will make 5% of the Giant Bomb audience say with Pavlovian certainty, "Do you even lift, bro?"

I used to have cases on iPhone 4&5, but i changed to a Marshall London and there isn't any suitable cases available. The phone is pretty durable by itself, so case might be a little overkill anyway.