Latest iPhone, Google or Samsung Galaxy Smartphone
Walking out of a store with the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy model in your pocket or unboxing a new smartphone once it’s been delivered to your door are both fantastic feelings. Perhaps we are blown away by the new features or can’t stop admiring the sheen coming off of its latest design, but it seems like many of us hold off putting our new companion in a case for as long as possible.
Modern smartphones truly are works of art. They are gorgeous examples of top-class engineering and human ingenuity. It’s wonderful to hold our new Smartphone while it’s in a totally pristine state, but we know in order to keep it that way, sooner or later, we’ll need to tuck it into a case.
We know that not doing so is risky; we may have learned the hard way or from other people’s experience, that going about our daily lives without a phone case is never worth it. Accidents happen to our phones all the time, such as dropping it or someone roughly shoving into us with their briefcase on a bus cracking the screen; maybe it slips off the arm of the couch when we sit down or gets soaking wet in a sudden rainfall. All of this could have been avoided if we had just put a case on it sooner.
Here are several other reasons why you should always keep your phone in a case:
They Nearly Always Improve Our Grip
This sounds like it shouldn’t be that important, but it really is. The majority of accidents that lead to cell phones breaking occur from owners merely dropping them on the floor. Why on Earth is this?
Since when did we get so bad at holding things? It’s actually not us. Think back to the days of the Nokia 3310, cell phone use was still high (as we had all just discovered texting), but dropping our phone didn’t seem the epidemic it is today. If we did, it didn’t really matter, our phones back then were sturdy little blighters, and all that happened was the back popped off, and the battery fell out. No harm is done.
Unlike the bulky Nokias of yore, which was made of light plastic and easy to grip, smartphones today have a matte or gloss finish that doesn’t mix well with sweaty palms. They look great for sure, but they also slip and slide out of our hands, meaning we need to take them for their third screen replacement this year. The people this applies to are out there; you know who you are. We’re not judging you, it happens to us too, but put it in a protective case if this is something you’re getting fed up of.
We Don’t Take The Optional Insurance
Analyzing the pros and cons of smartphone insurance is perhaps a blog for another day. But on a personal level, I don’t think I’ve ever agreed to the coverage they try to sell me every time I buy a new phone. I have home insurance, so I could always claim on this if it came to it, but the truth is this is what a protective case is for. And I don’t need to pay for $30 for it every month.
I can also display my love for the Jacksonville Jaguars on my phone case, can’t do that with optional insurance. If you’re like me and you are looking for a reason to justify not taking out these insurance deals, then a case allows you to feel less guilt over it, and more importantly, keep your phone safe.
Manufacturers Encourage You To Use a Case
Have you ever wondered why Apple and Samsung have their own official case products? The cynical among us could argue it’s simply profiteering on their part, and they may be right. But regardless, this communicates one simple thing: These smartphones are supposed to be kept inside a case.
This should raise alarm bells for anyone who chooses not to do so. Your phone isn’t safe. If it gets dropped onto a hard surface, it’s likely to be damaged. If cases weren’t necessary, then they wouldn’t be sold, they don’t just exist for personalization preferences.
Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones aren’t manufactured to be tanks, they are susceptible to damage, and it’s the owner’s responsibility to look after them. Phones don’t contain shock absorbers and waterproof material, but many cases do.
We could argue that Apple and Samsung should manufacture more robust smartphones, but why do so when cases exist? Yes, they then wouldn’t be able to sell cases anymore, but is either company really making a fortune off their own case sales? Surely they will understand than most of us use third-party cases?
If Apple or Samsung really wanted to control this market, they could find some manufacturing innovation to prevent third-party cases from being so prevalent. This did something similar with the traditional headphone port. The truth is Apple and Samsung’s job is to create the best Smartphone they can. It’s up to us to keep them protected.
Modern Cell Phones Are Sleek And Light
When I look back at my old iPhone 6 when taken out of its case, it would be a miracle if anyone noticed such a light and slim phone fall out of their pocket. As we’ve mentioned, their sleek and glossy design means they slide around easily; if this fell out of my pocket on the bus, I’m confident I wouldn’t feel it happen.
Luckily I tend to use heavier phones now, iPhone Plus, with additional memory, but as I keep my phone in a case, it adds an extra layer of bulk. I can feel it there when I walk and don’t live in fear of it falling out anywhere. I imagine this is a concern for those who use lighter phones without a case. Has it ever happened to you?
Please see some of our other articles, “How to Disinfect Your Smartphone In A COVID 19 Pandemic” and “What Are the Advantages of Smartphone Wallet Cases?”
Daily Wear And Tear
I often use my previous Smartphone as a spare after I upgrade. As I’ve kept it in various cases most of its existence, they’re usually in reasonably good condition. They replace my last old personal phone as my new business phone. But the phone before that now needs to be sold.
Now, remember, each time I do this, the individual phone in question has existed 18-22 months as my primary phone, then another 18-22 months as my spare. By the time I sell it, it has seen its fair share of use. Yet I always manage to sell it for a decent amount of cash, even if the phone is getting on in years and has been replaced by various models in that time. There is always someone on eBay keen to pay me more than the phone store would for it. Why? Because of the condition, it’s in.
Keeping a smartphone in a case drastically reduces wear and tear on the handset. While it will never be mint condition, it’s always been covered up and safe from the elements or scratches. From a monetary point of view, it makes sense to operate this way.
Those of you who don’t need a spare phone like I do stand to gain even more if you replace your current Smartphone every 18-22 months and sell the previous one while it is still in excellent condition, you’ll probably make much more than I do at resale. A phone that’s been kept out of a case and has too many scratches is unlikely to fetch much in terms of profit, though. People who buy second-hand smartphones expect them to arrive in reasonably good condition.
We Use Them More Than Ever
It isn’t the purpose of this blog to examine the causes behind cell phone addiction or to offer a view on the phenomenon. Suffice to say that it’s a recognized issue. The fact is we all use our cell phones more than ever. The more they improve and help us manage our lives or entertain and connect us, the more we have it in our hands.
Last week I went to the movies and looked at it twice during a performance that is tipped to win Oscars. Okay, a businessman looking at his email during a weekday showing of a movie isn’t a crime and is probably to be expected, but I wouldn’t have done this a few years ago. I would have switched it off and judged anyone else I noticed looking at their phone. Something has changed.
If we really can’t go for two hours without looking at our phones, even when we’re absorbed in something else far more interesting, then we really need to take steps to keep it safe.
If you were to count the times you took your phone out of your pocket or handbag in a day, you’d probably surprise yourself. Each time we do it, we risk damage, it’s something we do so casually now. If we are committed to living this way, then we need to take better care of our devices, and a protective case is the best way to do so.
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