Samsung Galaxy Screen Protector with 900D

The rest of us risk-averse poor people know that a new case costs $35, while a new smartphone costs $650, not to mention the opportunity and mental health cost of being without a smartphone for an entire day or two! Putting a case on your smartphone just makes sense. Here’s why you should completely ignore my advice from last week and carry your phone around in a drop-, dust-, water-, theft-, and stupidity-proof vault.

It’s TOO thin and TOO light

Phones these days are so thin and so light that they’re not very durable. Certainly nothing like the indestructible Nokia 3310, anyway. A case adds much-needed extra bulk so your phone doesn’t break or bend.

You didn’t buy phone insurance

An extra $10/month, plus a $50 deductible, for peace of mind in case you drop or lose your phone? You’re no sucker! Instead of buying phone insurance, you prefer to take care of your belongings. Well, part of “taking care of your belongings” includes putting a case on your phone. The case is your phone insurance.

Scratches suck

Phones aren’t ultra-fragile pieces of glass—most of them are made out of tough-ish metal or plastic, and the glass they do use is special ultra-tough Gorilla Glass and the like. But even if you never drop your phone or step on it, it probably spends a lot of time in your pocket or purse where it’s gonna get scratched to hell, unless you have a case on it.

Cases protect all of your phone

Cases aren’t great at protecting the biggest, most fragile part of your phone: The screen. Drop your cased phone and the screen could still be in trouble. But cases do protect the rest of your phone, like the delicate electronic parts inside. Your phone is a piece of technology, after all.

It’s expensive

Sure, high-quality cases can be pretty expensive. But $50 is a lot less than $650, which is the cost of a new phone.

You need the friction

The problem with sleek, sexy smartphones? They’re super slippery! A grippy, rubberized case could mean the difference between you holding onto or dropping your precious device.

It’s an older model

You might think it makes no sense to put a protective case on your older phone, since it’s not like you really care if it breaks. But a case does more than just protect: It hides the fact that you’re still rocking the original Nexus One.

You take your phone everywhere

Literally everywhere. Even places you probably shouldn’t, like the bathroom or on a date. Even if you’re not a naturally clumsy person, it’s highly unlikely that a gadget that spends 24 hours a day with you is never going to be accidentally knocked off a table.

Some cases are more than just protective covers

Cases do more than just protect! There are plenty of multifunctional cases out there that act as wallets, battery packs, bottle openers, and tasers. Yes, tasers.

A case makes your phone unique

Got the latest it phone? Guess what. So does everyone else. Putting a case on your phone won’t just show off your personality, it’ll also help you identify your device.