A Naked iPhone -- Or, Why You Shouldn't Use a Case

http://www.thegeekscompanion.com/home/a-naked-iphone.html

by devirkahan • 15 years ago

13 43 15 years ago

thegeekscompanion.com

mootothemax2• 15 years ago

Hehe, very fun article, although it completely ignores a large portion of iPhone owners: women such as my wife who go out with a handbag and no pockets elsewhere. Car keys and an iPhone screen are, from experience, not the best of friends ;)

gte910h2• 15 years ago

That's funny you mention that:

Scraping keys on the gorilla glass is the demonstration they do (or at least have done twice while I am there) at the Apple store to show you how hard the screen is.

You sure you weren't scratching it on a diamond, stone, or perhaps a piece of plastic stuck to the screen was being scratched?

cbs2• 15 years ago

Gorilla glass is nice, but its not perfect. I don't use screen protectors but the only thing I carry in my phone pocket is my phone. By the time I get a new phone, the screens are always pretty beaten up.

raldi2• 15 years ago

I literally tried as hard as I could to scratch the screen of my iPhone 3G after I retired it. Keys, paper clip, knife... the screen is unscratchable. Are your wife's car keys made of diamond?

mootothemax2• 15 years ago

I literally tried as hard as I could to scratch the screen of my iPhone 3G after I retired it. Keys, paper clip, knife... the screen is unscratchable. Are your wife's car keys made of diamond?

Heh, your guess is as good as mine ;) The keys from our old flat were a mix of both large old-style keys and some fancy super-secure-looking thing with a few potential nasty spikes on it. But still - I don't see how anything else scratched it when the was inside the bag :)

dpark• 15 years ago

I don't know if the glass is the same as the iPhone, but my iPad 2 has scratches on the screen from going in and out of a book bag (separate compartment, too) for a few trips before I got a case/cover. Metal might not scatch it easily, but then metal generally doesn't scratch glass easily anyway. A little sand or grit can certainly do the job, though.

That said, a case won't protect your phone screen anyway. You need a screen protector for that. I don't bother with either on my phone, but my wife does.

tibbon3• 15 years ago

When I had my Treo 650, I got in the habit of keeping my keys in a separate pocket than my phone. Yet, with the iPhone I stopped doing this more and more. Now I don't care. I have yet to scratch it or damage it in any way.

bryanlarsen2• 15 years ago

If I remember correctly, the Treo had a plastic touch screen on top of the glass LCD. The worst of both worlds -- the brittleness of glass combined with the scratch weakness of plastic. Modern smartphones use Gorilla Glass or similar which is best of both worlds.

therobot24• 15 years ago

i disagree that if you drop the iphone with a case it will break anyway - to lawyer the responses: of course the surface and height is important, however using a case will greatly increase the probability of not breaking on most surfaces (for example hardwood floors)

i can't count the number of times i've dropped my phone only to hear my case break off and take the brunt of the blow

kissickas2• 15 years ago

I drop my iPhone a few times a month (mostly knocking it off of a table) and although my case does not cover the screen (a mophie juicepack for 3GS) I have never even gotten a scratch on it. I'll keep using a case, thank you very much.

lloeki• 15 years ago

"I drop my iPhone a few times a month and although I have [no] case I have never even gotten a scratch on it. I'll keep [not] using a case, thank you very much." And my iPhone 4 has literally been sent flying through the room. Twice. (Yes, inadvertently.)

At some point I just said "what's the point of keeping it pristine if you're keeping it under wrap? you won't be enjoying it." and decided it was simply more worth to be just a bit more careful.

kissickas2• 15 years ago

Do you really not enjoy it when you have a case? I have no such regrets.

marknutter• 15 years ago

I couldn't agree more. I always find it ridiculous when I see people put a sleek piece of hardware in a bulky Costanza style case.

pcestrada• 15 years ago

With two toddlers around, a case is a must with my iPhone.

drivebyacct2• 15 years ago

My valuation of my phone has nothing to do with my clumsiness.

mikhuang• 15 years ago

Or use a tether to prevent your iPhone from plummeting to its death http://gizmodo.com/kenu-highline/

raldi2• 15 years ago

I'm going to have to demand better evidence that you can't drop an iPhone (cased or naked) without breaking it.

The glass it's made of is not the same as, say, the kind you drink wine out of. Unfold a paper clip and try to scratch your iPhone. You'll fail miserably.

I know anecdotes are not the same as data, but I've heard so many "my iPhone is indestructible" stories like http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/237495-iph... that I'd love to see the results of an actual durability testing lab.

erwanl2• 15 years ago

You can certainly drop an iPhone without breaking it - but I wouldn't be sure it would work every time.

Also, scratch-resistant and drop-resistant are not the same thing.

bryanlarsen2• 15 years ago

Unfold a paper clip and try to scratch window glass. You'll fail miserably.

It's quite probable that iPhone glass is easier to scratch than window glass. Glass is harder than just about everything except for diamond, so adulterated glass, like the Gorilla Glass in your iPhone isn't as hard.

Normal glass is very brittle. Gorilla Glass isn't.

newhouseb• 15 years ago

This isn't the case - the surface of Gorilla glass is under compression along its surface in such a way that it's incredibly scratch resistant in addition to being very flexible (see demos of people scratching car keys on it).

The primary weakness of Gorilla glass is that any actual incremental damage basically causes the glass to implode on itself and creates spiderwebs of cracks instead of a straight one reflecting where the structural integrity was breached. Think of how many times you've seen hairline cracks in windshields versus the disaster that someone's iPhone screen turns into if they happen to crack their screen.

The way Gorilla glass is manufactured it is by far the weakest around the edges (there's no compression depth-wise across the edge) and thus the iPhone 4 is somewhat more susceptible to damage than earlier models (due to the edge to edge glass on the front).

symptic• 15 years ago

It's worth mentioning that there is a difference between "hardness" and "toughness" when dealing with glass and gems/minerals. Hardness is the material's resistance against scratching, while toughness is its resistance to breakage. The iPhone uses a synthetic sapphire I believe (much like in many eyeglasses made today) which has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale (Diamond is 10), so it is very resistant to scratches, since only materials with a hardness the same or above can scratch it; that doesn't correlate with it's resistance to breakage. Many very hard materials are also very brittle and will crack or shatter more easily than anticipated.

redthrowaway• 15 years ago

They certainly aren't indestructible:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

It's not that you can't drop it without breaking, but it'll break often enough that it's a really bad idea.

r00fus• 15 years ago

They definitely aren't indestructible - my sister's iPhone4 dropped out of her pocket onto a concrete floor (movie theater) - around a 3 ft drop, and hit the corner and the glass backing cracked from top to bottom.

I love the form and fit of my 4S, but when it's out of the snap case, I am very ginger with it.

paul9290• 15 years ago

I use and have used an Otterbox case. VEry durable and not bulky at all. The 3G version was bulky, but their 4S version is sleek and not as heavy.

I dropped both iPhones numerous times on every type of surface there is. Without using an otterbox I'd be paying thru the nose for a new iPhone, as a friend of mine who doesn't use a case has done a few times.

Get heavy duty/durable case not a flimsy one you buy a the five dollar store!

jzb• 15 years ago

Indeed. I bought an Otterbox case when I moved to the iPhone 4 and have dropped it a number of times with no ill effects. Also the cat likes to scoot things, and has knocked uncovered iPhones off the (tall) kitchen counter before.

I also prefer the feel of the phone in the Otterbox, tbh. It's easier to hold on to (despite aforementioned drops) and it's harder for the cat to scoot, too.

Silly post, really. Surprised it made it to the front page.

tibbon3• 15 years ago

I too do not use a case with my iPhone. I had the original iPhone, which I had one of those film screen protectors on. My 3GS I never put those on. Never had a case on either. I've dropped each a handful of times on various surfaces, sat on them, etc... maybe I'm just lucky (could easily be), but I've never cracked or broken one. Really not worried about it. Picking up a 4S in a few days and I'm going to go caseless on it too. I even took my iPhone 3GS to Burning Man and used it as a quick camera and notepad out there (no talking of course). Didn't hurt it, despite everyone telling me the dust would kill it.

My Macbook Pro goes without any additional protection aside from my Crumpler backpack. I use the smart cover on my iPad 2, but it just feels to 'fit' it so well and acts well as a quick stand.

hackermom2• 15 years ago

Form and design indeed holds value, and I couldn't agree more that the iPhone 4S is the sexiest piece of smartphone ever made (I have one myself and its appearance does appeal to me), but... I couldn't help noticing that it seems the author of the article and the people who share his opinion are the kind who'd pick up a smartphone for its outside rather than its utilitarian inside. This struck me as counterproductive.

yahelc• 15 years ago

I'm also anti-case, though my hubris resulted in this beauty: http://cl.ly/0y3b2K3l3E2m2n1A0L2l

Ironically, breaking the screen only hardened my resolve to not use a case; why let the crack be in vain?

heynk• 15 years ago

I went all in with Apple's new Applecare for the 4s... basically whatever happens, turn it in and get a new phone for $50. I figure I'll be spending close to that on a decent case, but the phone could break in that case too. I think it's just cost effective to stay without the case.

nlawalker2• 15 years ago

My understanding is that ZAGG (Invisible Shield) and Ghost Armor are making out like bandits in the new market of sexy tech toys that people don't want to put big clunky cases on. Their products fill the perfect niche - I think that many people feel that what the author says is true (a drop will have the same effect on a phone when it comes to a "full break/crack," regardless of the presence of a case), but what they are trying to prevent are scratches and scuffs marring their pristine toy.

An Invisible Shield put on with care is barely noticeable - I put a wet-apply shield on my Samsung Focus screen myself - and except for a little bit of the "orange peel" texture it's almost completely undetectable. It's great insurance against killer scratches, a scuffing drop onto concrete, and spills of sticky/nasty goop. At any time I could peel it off and replace it, or just get rid of it.

That said, I have nothing on my iPad but a Smart Cover, but it generally lives at home and isn't in and out of my pocket all day. On a screen of that size, I think there's something to be said for avoiding the orange-peel texture.

maqr• 15 years ago

But all these devices are useless after 2 or 3 years anyway... why would anyone care about scratching up the metal a bit? These aren't collectors items.

silencio• 15 years ago

It helps resale value, but more importantly, it protects you from rubbing your fingers on a scratch in the glass (nothing dangerous, just irritating) or having an unusable part. Like the plastic covering the rear camera lens.

I got a case for my 4S ($10 on amazon, almost unnoticeably thin) because my 4's camera became increasingly unusable over the course of a year and change since I kept putting it down on tables, while the rest of the iPhone was in good shape for being naked (even considering I drop it at least once a week). I probably noticed the first scratch on the plastic lens cover bit a month into owning the 4, while right now there are no noticeable scratches on my 4S's which was purchased in mid-October.

Compare http://twitpic.com/6n1o1b and http://twitpic.com/6ubjq2 (can't even really see faces anymore, and that was with an attempt to focus and decent lighting) to http://pic.twitter.com/gHK0yi5g or http://pic.twitter.com/7U1lNoA9 (where you see a little too much detail ;) ).

nlawalker2• 15 years ago

>> These aren't collectors items.

That's in the eye of the beholder. I don't think cars, stamps, watches or baseball cards are collectors items, but the slightest imperfection in any of them is a tragedy to some people. I don't think a lot of people out there "collect" devices, but the same instincts apply.

A watch actually might be a fairly good analogy here. When you pay hundreds of dollars for a shiny, shiny device, it's natural to want to keep it in its mint state. The primary difference is related to, of course, the original topic - watches just get extra care, devices get plastic wrap put on them. I would attribute this to the fact that watches are generally inert, and can be chosen for an occasion. A device, for many people, is something that's always carried and is frequently set down, picked up, manipulated and pocketed.

Additionally, device screens are precise, touch-sensitive instruments with increasingly high resolution. A small scratch in the right place can substantially diminish the experience.

AndrewDucker• 15 years ago

Those people talking about how well the iPhone survives a drop could do worse than taking a look at some people actually testing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

bonsaitree• 15 years ago

A case isn't there primarily to protect the screen. It's there to absorb shock, protect against nicks and scuffs on the non-glass regions, and provide a non smooth-as-glass grip surface for your fingers and palm.

A good case will also have a raised bezel on the front so any potential screen impacts from a drop on a flat surface will hit the bezel and not the screen.

erwanl2• 15 years ago

Or, buy a phone that can resist a 1 meter drop on concrete without a case. That's pretty much any phone except the iPhone 4 and 4S. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

Yes, sure, full glass is beautiful. But not very drop resistant.

hackermom2• 15 years ago

Anecdotal at best, really. No science in there. A friend of mine dropped his brand new Samsung Galaxy S II out of his pocket, less than 1 meter into the soft linoleum floor of his kitchen, and the screen burst completely. No concrete needed there.

cbs2• 15 years ago

I have an ipod classic (I need rockbox and physical controls for music). I don't have one of those condoms for it because I like that over time it gets a beaten-to-shit look. I don't want that for my phone.

Maybe it only has a marginal improvement to fall protection, but for someone who spent most of his article creaming his pants over the iPhone design, I'm surprised he doesn't care about day to day wear and tear.

Splines• 15 years ago

I use a silicone case so I don't drop it in the first place. It's pretty easy for a naked iPhone to slide off a table or slip out of your hand.

slaven• 15 years ago

I would almost agree with this for iPhone 3GS, but due to exposed glass edges on iPhone 4/4S this is no longer the case - coming from someone who's dropped and cracked his fair share of iPhones. The bumper case is enough to protect the edges of iPhone 4 from the impact - which is where the crack first forms and then explodes all over the glass plate.