The Case for Going Caseless

It's Finally Time to Ditch Your Phone Case

Some of us spend over a thousand dollars to buy a smartphone and then destroy its aesthetic-balance by throwing a case on it. You should not have a phone case. You do not need a phone case. Your phone case is making you complacent.

The Aesthetics Argument

When you add a case to anything you increase the distance between you and the object you're interacting with. Is tying your shoes with bulky padded winter gloves comfortable? Why would you do the same with your phone?

A case adds weight, no matter how "light." A case adds volume, and even the thinnest kind is noticeable. Its bulk throws off the in-hand feeling. The visuals are all wrong. The optics are deranged. In the past, I would look at encased phones and wonder if the +2 armor stat boost was worth it (it isn't).

I knew someone who waited for a specific color model of iPhone to be in stock. Imagine my surprise when I saw them pull up with a full body case slapped on. A unique case design doesn't mean you're any more special or individualistic. It signals the opposite. Some of the most fashionable person are able to style a uniform look and keep it looking fresh every day of the week. Try it with your own phone for a whole week and commit to its presence. It's just as much an accessory as a necklace or bracelet would be.

I still can’t get over spending $20 to $100 on a phone case. Do you know how bougie that sounds? An overpriced case on a premium phone that's already arguably expensive? Please be serious!

When I used to have a phone case, any time I took it off, I was in awe of how beautiful my phone looked without it. Many of us have had this feeling! But usually, after we take it off, we resignedly put the case back on, downgrading the aesthetic in favor of bland utility. It’s tragic. You're buying the coolest sneakers money can buy and wearing them exclusively with shrink wrap around them.

The danger/risk is part of the fun of "having" a product and not being beholden to it. A tool can be mended, or sharpened but it will be used until it can't be used anymore. A phone is no different. It's a portal tool, and it is not your pet or child to be coddled or protected.

Phone Cases Don't Work

I might go a little lighter on my stance if cases were 100% foolproof. But they aren't. You can live a life of cased phone and have it shatter anyway. Glass is glass. If it meets sufficient force it will break. What should that tell you? Everything. You'd be better off with a screen protector than a phone case.

If you want to preserve the phone you just bought, either for resale or sentiment sake, a case is the last thing you want to do. If moisture gets in, it's game over. If dirt or sand gets in, it's over. These particles make it easier to scratch up your device and the effect accumulates over time. It's not worth it. You’re wearing down the surface of your device like a river-forming canyon, letting that form grooves in the form of scratches.

Phones Are Stronger Now, Cases Are Counter Productive

With each iteration of smartphone on the market, there's been a trend of increased durability. Elements like Ceramic Shield offer better protection for your premium phone from drops, dust and drench. Nowadays, most premium smartphones come with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating that indicates well they can handle water and dust. Unless you're working in extreme or harsh conditions, the base durability of your phone is more than good enough for your day to day. Consequently, cases are fundamentally redundant.

Cases Can Damage Your Battery

If you want to run the latest apps or shook 4K video on your phone, and have multiple things going on you're going to use a lot of battery power and computing power. These processes create heat and all that heat has to go somewhere. Normally, it'd dissipate into the air, directly out from the phone allowing your device to be cool to the touch. With a case, the heat gets trapped, creating a pot roast of your phone's internal components. Overheating a battery will cause its life to flash before its eyes (you’ll need to replace it sooner). In the past, when I lived on the east coast, I used a bulky battery phone case and the heat got so intense that it inadvertently served as a potent hand-warmer during the winter.

This is less of an issue nowadays because flagship smartphones don't run as hot as they used to. They're pretty capable. Your phone is not likely to run unpleasantly hot like in the past. However, it still doesn't make sense to induce your phone to overheat through the addition of a superfluous case.

Wireless Charging

I don't even wirelessly charge my phone but I can live happily knowing that if I wanted to, I could do it with little fuss. Some of us have phones that only charge wirelessly. Wireless charging pads currently need to make surface contact with your phone in order to work effectively. A lot of cases are not optimized for charging. If they aren't explicitly compatible with wireless charging, you need to take the case off each time you go to charge.

The closer your phone is to a charging pad, the faster it charges. When you add a case to the equation, even if it's wireless compatible–you're reducing the speed at which your phone could charge.

Upgrade Cycles

If you're anything like me, you might wait a long, long time to upgrade your phone. My first iPhone was a 4S. My next phone was a 6S. My next upgrade after that was to a 12 Pro Max (my current phone to this day). Most people upgrade their phone every two to three years. This is not that long a time. If you've been rolling with the same phone for two years, maybe you just need a battery swap and if your screen is cracked, an easy replacement should do the trick. Simple. If you feel inclined, you could even buy another phone of the same model for cheaper or upgrade to a new phone.

Increase Your Status

What does it tell us when we see someone haphazardly holding their phone? When we see them holding a Macbook by its corner?

It signals a sort of affluence. A high-status visual. They aren't beholden to their devices. Their devices are tools. It communicates: “It doesn't actually matter if I drop it because I can afford the repairs or I can buy a new one and transfer all my things over. No big deal.”

Increase the Stakes, Progress Past Your Apathy

When something is guaranteed, you tend to take it for granted. Some say a phone case offers you peace of mind but as we've discussed, that is illusory.

We go about our days in autopilot. It's not a particularly bad thing–it saves brainpower–but it just makes us less cognizant of our actions. When you don’t have a case, you subconsciously and consciously will act in ways to ensure you are not going to drop it. You reduce the risky behaviors that you would engage in with your phone (and even if you were to drop it, you're very likely to be perfectly fine).

Assurance, Cloud, Warranties and Backups

You probably don't drop your phone as often as you think. And if you do, you're probably safer than you think. And if you're still worried, maybe you need to learn to drop your phone less often so this is good training to keep your wits about you and stay sharp! If you want a compromise, maybe take some of the money you would've spent on the phone case and allot it towards a phone care plan that would take care of your replacements.

iPhone users, there is no excuse. AppleCare+ covers unlimited accidental damage incidents. $29 for a cracked screen/glass. Not bad! Much better investment than a case. There are cloud services to backup all the important data on device. You can use iCloud, Google One or even a self-hosted solution.

Environmental Impact

Day after day, tons of phone cases end up in landfills across the globe. People want to talk about plastic straws? We shouldn't forget plastic cases either! Manufacturing these cases en masse leaches toxins into the local ecosystem and even in landfills they degrade very poorly over time. It can take a plastic case 1,000 years to break down completely. Over 1 billion new plastic phone cases are sold every year. It's a frivolous luxury. Who needs more microplastics coating every square inch of the planet? For this to change, it starts with one. As our phones become more durable and our attitudes become less anxiety-driven when it comes to this matter, less of these cases will be manufactured and desired. Stay ahead of the trend.

End Note

For this month's post, I wanted to be a little more freewheeling and challenge myself to write on a position at length just to see how far I could take it. I hope you enjoyed this experiment!