Gadgets

You don’t have a case on your iPhone!

I get this comment all the time. People act like I just committed a terrible crime against a defenseless child. I had broken an unspoken rule. iPhones aren’t cheap and apparently they needs to be protected.

I haven’t always been this way, I used to be paranoid about scratches on my iPods.  I would leave a new iPod in the box until I got a case to protect it. I would search the Internet for weeks looking for the best case available. No price was too high to protect my “investment.”

I would rationalize that the shiny back looked better without any scratches on it.  What ridiculous and backwards thinking since I will never see the back if it is always covered.  People say the iPod looks great then slap on a bulky and ugly case.

Those clear plastic cases always make me chuckle. You can still see the iPod so you can still bask in it’s beauty, sort of. The clear hard plastic cases are even worse than the rubber cases. They are tacky and destroy the sleek image of the iPod/Phone.

The sleeve type cases aren’t as bad as the others.  These will protect the device and still allow you to see it’s original beauty on a regular basis.  However, they add bulk to the device and make it take up more pocket space.

The sticker type screen protectors avoid the bulk problem, but still aren’t a good solution. Most of them just add a foggy layer. They have a textured surface and dull down the image. I haven’t used Invisible Shield so it may be the exception.

A case doesn’t offer much protection if the device is dropped or subjected to other physical harm. It mostly protects against scratches, which I have stopped obsessing over. I would rather use my iPhone than handle it like a delicate luxury good. It sits in it’s own pocket so there is less of a chance of scratches, but that is about it. The screen is made out of optical glass that is pretty scratch resistant and I am not too concerned about the back. So far it still looks great.

Stop babying your device and start using it. The first minor scratch will be the hardest, but afterwards you will be able to take a deep breath and suck it up. There is no point of using a case to protect the exterior if you never see it.