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Comment by mihaic | Hacker News Reader

I abhor all these phones with a glass back, that look great in the store and then everyone puts an ugly back cover on.

I'm still rocking a Pixel 5, which is actually my second Pixel 5. I really like using it without a case. It's light, small, can handle a fall without the back shattering, and I like the matte finish.

All I want is a version with more modern specs, but every manufacturer keeps optimizing for the advertising shots, and people keep falling for this. Right now the camera is the only thing tempting me to upgrade, but I'll probably wait another year.

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You don't need to put a case on phones. I've had an iPhone 11 since it came out, with no case, and quite a few drops onto hard floors. It's still fine.

Obviously there's some luck involved but the only time I put a case on a (in that case, Samsung) phone it shattered the first time I dropped it. So, I figured I might as well go without again. I've yet to have an iPhone break from a fall, only from leaning up against something with it in my pocket.

Sure, I won't put a case on my next phone as well, even if it's glass, but most people do use a case, which keeps incentivizing manufacturer to get away with more fragile designs.

I'm mostly lamenting on how durability is a niche value for one of the most widely used objects in our lives.

You’re right that a case does little against big drops - with or without case, either you’re lucky and the phone survives or it doesn’t.

Cases prevent scratches but, meh, I wouldn’t mind a few scratches on the back of my phone.

However the main attraction of a case to me is: grip. My iPhone 15 Pro Max feels more slippery than a bar of soap. Unless I exert a lot of force, it just slips out of my hand while using it.

I've used minimalist cases for my the last 3 or 4 phones, dropped them all plenty of times, and never suffered more than a minor scratch on the screen. I assume phones are just much tougher than 10 years ago, but the case isn't hurting the cause and I'm too scared not to use one.

I'm a pretty greasy person and while obviously it's not as good as rubber I don't feel the same way about glass phones. They're obviously smooth but glass on skin is pretty grippy, overall.

I can't remember the last time I held a phone without a case and didn't think "wow, I am going to drop this NOW". You'd think a $1000 camera would have, oh I don't know, some grips? A lanyard hook? Instead it's just shiny smooth nonsense all around.

Related: I use a 15 Pro with no case and this thing is an absolute beast. I've dropped it on concrete many times, no shattering. The newer glass they use seems to be doing the job. (This from someone who's shattered the front and/or back glass of at least 5 prior iPhones too.)

Not even a scratch on it either, titanium turns out to be a pretty fantastic frame material.

I don’t know what it says, but I managed to break a 15 Pro lens WITH a Tech21 case, dropping from about 3’ on concrete on the corner (not flat on the lens). It may be that Apple covers the actual lens with a cover, but whatever that outer surface was, it was replaced for $29 with Apple Care and didn’t require a new phone. Not a big deal, but makes me hesitant to carry it without a case.

You do, because now all phones have ugly camera bumps and can't lie flat on the table without a case.

Why can't make phones thicker, to match the camera bumps, filling the extra space with battery, is beyond me.

Because most people would put a case on it, making it even thicker? I mean, I spent ~$1500 on my last phone, and while I treat it carefully, I'm not risking it getting smashed so I could never go without a cover.

I would totally use my phone without cover. $1500 or $300 I'm not going to resell it anyway, so scratches and wear aren't an issue. But I'm going to put it on a table a lot and I hate it when it wobbles.

I don't really know why I'm supposed to be upset that the phone doesn't lie flat. It's pretty rare I set it down on a table, to begin with. Even when it is...so what? I can make it jiggle when I poke it, I guess.

Many often cite the wireless charging argument, but often forget that there are many people who don't care about wireless charging and would prefer a durable phone.

There are non-glass backings that work with wireless charging. It's not either/or.

picks up plastic phone in store

"feels cheap"

buys iPhone

  - average user

I miss my Pixel 4. If it were still supported I'd use it.

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