For the past several years, I’ve used my iPhone without a case or any type of cover. I love using my iPhone without any case. Sure, they will protect the phone from accidental drops, but they also take away the pleasure of holding the phone in hand.
I wrote about my decision and experience of using my iPhone without a case on my blog a few years ago. Several years have passed, and I have a new blog dedicated to all things Apple, so, naturally, the time has come for an update on how I’m feeling so far.
Should you use a case on your iPhone? Have I changed my mind after using the iPhone without a case or cover for years? Let’s find out!
Cracked Dream
The iPhone is a dream phone for many people. This expensive device has a bad reputation for easily cracking the display if it falls on a hard surface. It’s an easy decision to use a protective case like the Silicone case from Apple to avoid cracking the dream.
I was no different. That’s the reason I got the Apple silicone case for my iPhone 6s back in the day. I hated using cases, covers, and anything protective on my phone. None of my Android phones had any cover. But, knowing that the iPhone has a bad reputation for display cracking, I had to go with it.
Eventually, the Silicone case aged. It looked so bad on the iPhone that I had to part ways with it. I bought a fake leather case similar to the Silicone case, but I didn’t enjoy having the phone in my hand. And it was important to feel great while holding such a great device.
Case Dismissed
After over a year and a half of daily use, the iPhone 6s continued to look great every time I took it out of the case. But it was just ugly on the outside. It didn’t feel great at hand, nor did it look good. And being a hater of cases, I couldn’t find any suitable alternative either.
There’s no denying that using a case makes for a strong case when it comes to protection.
Then one day, I decided to just drop the case and use the phone without anything. I was a little bit scared at first, but I went ahead with it.
Surprisingly, the first time I dropped my iPhone on the floor since buying it was shortly after I stopped using the case. Yeah. As sad as that is, I continued to do so (accidentally, I should mention) more than twice after that.
But there was not even a single scratch on the iPhone. It dropped on a hard floor multiple times, and every time that happened, I thought the glass would crack. But it didn’t happen. The iPhone 6s was safe, and I couldn’t stop appreciating the fact that it’s a much better device than I used to give it credit for.
You should get a screen protector for your phone. But a case that makes your iPhone bulky and unpleasant to hold, mmm maybe not.
As a tech enthusiast, I take care of my gadgets as much as possible. But I also want to “use” the gadget and enjoy every bit of it. However, as long as there’s a case on it, that hardly happens. That’s the main reason I don’t like using cases or covers on my phones.
Do iPhones break without a case?
So my iPhone 6s never broke even after falling straight on the floor many times.
I’ve since used the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 11 before upgrading to the current iPhone 13 Pro. Both the iPhone 8 and 11 hugged the floor more often than I’d care to keep count of. Perhaps the rounded corners are to blame, but I have dropped them a lot of times.
The only visible damage caused by so many drops on the iPhone 11 is this scratch on the lower right corner of the phone, where the red color wore off. Since it’s really just color and nothing else, I doubt it would have happened if I had a silver iPhone. (My Space Gray iPhone 8 doesn’t have any scratches or dents.)
So, one and a half years of continued use without any case, and that’s the only damage done to the phone.
To clarify, I do have a protective glass on the iPhone display. I recommend everyone get that. A high-quality tempered glass screen protector doesn’t negatively affect how it feels to use the screen. So you should get a screen protector for your phone. But a case that makes your iPhone bulky and unpleasant to hold, mmm maybe not.
Pros and Cons of using iPhone without a case
Many people use personalized or various stylized cases on their phones. That is great. It makes their phone feel very personal to them. But if you’re in the boat of people that use the case to keep it safe, while in the heart, you truly want to get rid of it; I say, go for it.
True, the phone will be a little bit safer if you wrap a case around it. But if you want to enjoy holding the iPhone, you can trust my experience and believe that your phone will be okay without a case if you take care of it.
Here are the pros and cons of going without a case on my iPhone:
Pros:
- Feels great in hand. You don’t appreciate how beautiful of a device it is if it’s covered in a case.
- You also feel how thin of a device it is. With a case, it’s always bulky.
- Better cooling. iPhone’s battery can get pretty warm under heavy use like gaming. Having a protective case means it remains warm for just a bit longer than it would if it didn’t have a case. Cheap cases can also negatively affect the battery life of your iPhone. See how.
Cons:
- The phone feels too delicate at hand, especially if you use it without a case after using it with a case for a long time.
- You’d also have to be careful about where you put it. On the counter, on the table, etc., you would need to make sure it’s not scratching the surface.
- The iPhone gets warmer under heavy use (like gaming). When that happens, you feel that warmth when the phone is in your hand without a case. I don’t play games for an extensive period of time, so I don’t face that situation too often. If you’re a heavy gamer on the iPhone, this might affect you.
There’s no denying that using a case makes for a strong case when it comes to protecting your iPhone from accidental damage, however minor. But most of today’s phones, especially the upper-end flagship models, are built well enough to sustain some impact.
I’ve dropped mine so many times, and the impact is negligible. If you can use it with a bit of care, you can enjoy the quality product that is the iPhone.
How do you use your phone? Do you prefer it with or without a case? Have you considered dropping the case and living life on the edge? Sound off in the comments section below!
