In defense of the phone case

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It’s one of the dorkiest things ever. Nerd culture may have taken over TV and movies, but nothing so nerdy as a big chunky phone case will likely ever gain mainstream acceptance. You won’t find any YouTube influencers or social media divas rocking a hip-mounted case. You won’t find style icons wrapping their phones in a quarter inch of rubber.

Although, I suppose, fanny packs came back as purses, so who knows. But still.

The phone case is actually a good thing.

Let’s not be so quick to dismiss the lowly phone case. Sure, it’s dorky. Yes, it helps you figure out which phone is your mom’s. (Hint: it’s probably the iPhone in a big pink and white rubber case.) but a phone case is a good thing. It’s something you should be using. More than ever, there’s a simple reason why:

Phones are lasting longer than ever, if you take care of them.

Not many years ago, phones just sort of lost their oomph after a year and a half. The batteries weren’t well managed and in most cases you couldn’t replace them. Operating systems were evolving so fast that no one wanted an old slow phone. The phone you bought for $500 two years ago wasn’t worth more than $50 when you traded it in.

Today things have changed. Phone operating systems aren’t that different from year to year. Battery management software means phones can last five years easily. The phones themselves have gone up in price, too. It wasn’t long ago that a $1,000 phone seemed like a luxury item. Today they’re all about that price, at least the ones you want. Trade-in prices have gone up too, and it’s worth it to keep that phone looking good so you can get some cash for it.

Get the most value for your phone

Protect your phone from scratches and drops with a phone case. You don’t need a dorky one. You can choose something cool and sleek if you want. Unless you’re really rough on a phone, just a slim case is going to help you keep that phone looking new.

You don’t have to look like a refugee from 2007 if you want to, but if you do want maximum protection you can find cases that do it all. These are the ones you’ll want if you are always dropping your phone.

Whether pocketable or super-tough, a phone case is suddenly the best way to go if you want to keep some cash in your pocket and don’t want to shell out $1,000 a year for phones.

Even if you change phones every six months…

…consider a good case. I am right there with you… if you want the latest and greatest you’ll be changing phones twice a year. Sometimes more. You’ll pay for that habit by selling old phones and guess what: the best way to get high dollars for that phone is by putting it in a case.

Don’t trust eBay

You will find tens of thousands of phone cases on eBay by overseas manufacturers. I used to buy four or five at a time because they break so quickly. Then I figured out that one quality case was more expensive but saved me money. Instead of taking a risk, shop for a quality cell phone case at Solid Signal.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.