My phone was case-free for a day
I stumbled upon a conversation between Keenan and Halsted1 on Mastodon and threw myself into the conversation2. I'm generally "pro-case", primarily because my phone is almost entirely all glass, it's thin, and slippery as heck. It's as if it's built to require a phone case3.
For whatever reason, I committed to ditching my case for a day. I've tried it in the past, but I don't think I've ever gone an entire 24 hours without putting a case back on. This time would be different; this time I would stick to 24 hours.
Even so, I made sure to pack a case with me in my work bag. A thin, dirty, transparent case, but a case nonetheless. I needed a safety net. I wasn't sure I could *really* commit to a full 24 hours. And I had a softball game later Wednesday evening, where there's lots of dirt and sand and other things that can scratch glass (I have a screen protector, so here I'm mainly worried about the back glass and camera lenses).
But I persevered, even if it was by accident. At lunch time I fully intended to put my case on the phone when I walked to get a cold brew before I returned to my desk. But I forgot, and continued onward without a case. I made it through a full 24 hours, but this morning I decided to put the case back on.
For me going without a case isn't worth it. As far as I'm concerned, the only pro is that the phone's visual design is really great. There are more cons though. The first I can think of is that the camera bump on the Samsung Galaxy S21+ (and other "flagship" smartphones, I'm sure) causes the phone to wobble when the back is placed on a hard surface (so, screen facing up). I like to see my screen for notifications coming in, or tapping on the screen to activate the Always On Display. To solve the annoying wobble, I had to place it face-down.
I note here that the case I chose to put on the phone is an "official" Samsung transparent case that shows off the beautiful glass back; but this clear case also attracts greasy and grimy fingerprints over time and mars the transparency and it's kind of annoying, so I usually opt for an Otterbox or Ringke case.
The other thing I already mentioned: The S21+ is a very thin device, and is made almost entirely of glass. Holding onto this thing is tricky to say the least. Yeah it has a low profile in my pocket, but the trade-off is it's so easy to drop (in theory; I've never dropped it while outside of a case).
On a related note, it's difficult to take pictures with such a thin device with very little grip. The sides offer a minimal amount of grip, and it's acceptable, but it's not enough for me.
I think if my phone was just a little bit thicker with squared sides, I'd be happier without a case. Looking at the current S25 line, this is a design closer to what I imagined the S21 series was when I purchased the phone back in 20214. The iPhone - which I am considering if/when I upgrade - is just a little bit too much of a brick at the moment.
In summary, I wasn't uncomfortable without a case on my phone - I am generally careful not to drop it. But there were no discernible benefits for me over using a case enough to warrant not using a case. But I'm not here to tell you either way is wrong - try either case-free or case-full, make your own reasoned decision.
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You should listen to their very good podcast, Friendship Material↩
Imagine doing that at a bar somewhere? Eavesdrop on a conversation, and then just walk over and start talking. Social media is weird.↩
The accessories market (both 1st and 3rd party) makes a lot of money, maybe there's something to this...🤔↩
At the time, I read that the screen was flat as opposed to curved, and interpreted this to mean that the casing was also squared off and a little thicker. I was wrong; I really like the phone and am keeping it for a long while before I consider upgrading, but the small size of the phone is a bit of a disappointment.↩