Smartphones

[logan82]

An Otterbox is overkill unless you plan on taking your phone into industrial or other extremely adverse environments. They are really bulky adding to an already large phone.

[1992casey]

Cases are a really subjective thing. Your choice really depends on what you want to accomplish.

 

OneDrive is one of the services that concerns me about privacy. Outside of that, it looks like a nice setup.

[jerichoholicninja]

An Otterbox is overkill unless you plan on taking your phone into industrial or other extremely adverse environments. They are really bulky adding to an already large phone.

 

What should I be looking for that will protect it from basic day-to-day stuff?

[ReverendBrewmeister]

An Otterbox is overkill unless you plan on taking your phone into industrial or other extremely adverse environments. They are really bulky adding to an already large phone.

 

What should I be looking for that will protect it from basic day-to-day stuff?

 

I use the Spigen Tough Armor case and one of their screen protectors--a thin glass that adheres to the iPhone screen. Very effective against drops and doesn't add much bulk.

 

You can find some interesting videos online with people testing out the protection.

[logan82]

An Otterbox is overkill unless you plan on taking your phone into industrial or other extremely adverse environments. They are really bulky adding to an already large phone.

 

What should I be looking for that will protect it from basic day-to-day stuff?

Personally I would go with something like this. That is what I had for my S4 for 2 years. I had an Otter Box for work. I switched between cases for work. The otter Box also had dust protection which was nice for work.

 

Like Casey said, it is somewhat subjective but a case like this will keep your phone safe from minor drops and bumps. If you have an office like job and don't let kids touch your phone it will cover most of your needs. An Otter box is a really nice case but will bulk up the phone quite a bit. If you are going to be taking your phone with you while you do roofing you would want an Otter Box. You have to decide on how much protection you want or need. If you do a lot of outdoor active activities you may want an Otter Box. If I do anything like that I just tend to leave my phone behind.

[MrTPlush]

Whatever you do I don't really recommend any case that has a plastic cover over the screen. I have one and it is total garbage...stuff gets under the plastic and just sucks...just get a screen protector. I would also be carefull with an Otter Box because the last two cases I have had just didn't fair well. The rubbery outer case both times had the edges come off and not fit right after so long...very annoying. Though the IPhone Otter Box's seem to fair better from what I have seen.

 

You didn't mention a screen protector, but if you don't already have one get one.

[jerichoholicninja]

Whatever you do I don't really recommend any case that has a plastic cover over the screen. I have one and it is total garbage...stuff gets under the plastic and just sucks...just get a screen protector. I would also be carefull with an Otter Box because the last two cases I have had just didn't fair well. The rubbery outer case both times had the edges come off and not fit right after so long...very annoying. Though the IPhone Otter Box's seem to fair better from what I have seen.

 

You didn't mention a screen protector, but if you don't already have one get one.

 

Ya. Got screen protectors when we got the phones.

[1992casey]

I think the minor bumps and drops that Logan mentions are probably the main issues that most people need to address. What MrTPlush says about cases with plastic covers makes sense to me. If more protection than what the screen protector offers is needed, I think I'd consider something with a solid cover that folds out of the way for use.

 

Some people are happy to simply protect the sides of the phone. That provides a degree of bump/drop protection. It's also enough to protect the chamfered portion of the edge, which without protection, could start to show wear and tear even with normal usage.

[Boomer5]

The Otterbox is the only way to go. You will never have a cracked screen and its worth the extra bulk.

 

I found Lifeproof is bad for sound quality.

[FVBrewerFan]

Knock on wood moment. I have never had a case for my cell phones, and have never damaged one. I just don't like any extra bulk. I have dropped them plenty of times, just never damaged them beyond a knick here or there.

 

By the way, bummer that belt clips are not in style anymore- that was really convenient.

[Boomer5]

The way pricing seems to be going, the days of the subsidized phones seems to be going away (which is good), so people will keep their phones longer. So a case is a worthwhile "investment".

[1992casey]

With the humongous size of some of the phones out there, I could see belt clips coming back… either that or other ways to carry the phone outside of pockets.

 

A reason for unsubsidized phones is to make it easier for people who want to upgrade frequently. Since these upgrade deals generally involve trading in the phone, a case makes sense.

[logan82]

I can't wait till Flavor Flav style cases are in style.

[TheCrew07]

I actually roll with a mophie for my personal iphone, I love the 120% extra battery when I'm traveling. My work galaxy s4 has an otter box which has held up well.

[logan82]

Otter Box, the three piece one, is a fantastic case. Not quite waterproof but definitely great drop protection and dust protection. The tradeoff is doubling the bulk of the phone. It's overkill for most people. I went with the spigen slim armor and that was enough for some short drops and covered tossing onto tables. You need a case but have to decide how much case you need. 2 cases nay be the way to go if you have different needs at times.

[thebruce44]

Knock on wood moment. I have never had a case for my cell phones, and have never damaged one. I just don't like any extra bulk. I have dropped them plenty of times, just never damaged them beyond a knick here or there.

 

By the way, bummer that belt clips are not in style anymore- that was really convenient.

 

iPhone or Android? I agree, I've never had a case for any Android phone in my life, but if I had an iPhone I would get one based on what has happened to my fiancé over the years.

[LouisEly]

I'm pretty sure that, when men aren't around, when women get catty they throw their phones at each other. Can't remember the last time I've seen a woman under the age of 35 that didn't have a cracked screen (and the phone wasn't less than 4 months old).

[DHonks]

I have only seen 2 or 3 cracked iPhone 6/6+. One hit the road when a friend left it on his roof and drove off. Despite being run over with a cracked screen it still worked. But many iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s, and 5c's have spider-webbed screens.

[jerichoholicninja]

It only took me 1 week before the phone fell out of my pocket. It looks like just the protective screen has some damage to it and the screen itself is fine but come on. Only one week?

[Point Beer Is Best]

It only took me 1 week before the phone fell out of my pocket. It looks like just the protective screen has some damage to it and the screen itself is fine but come on. Only one week?

 

I'm guessing you haven't gotten a case on it yet. They are VERY slick without one.

 

I have the iPhone 6 plus with an Otterbox Defender (more protection than the Commuter series). That's probably not a preferred combination for most users, but I have pretty large hands so it works fine for me. Really the only complaint I have with that case is the plastic screen (helps keep it water/dust resistant). I don't have the issue with dirt/dust getting under the screen that others have mentioned, but the phone is less sensitive to swiping/touching than with a traditional screen protector. Sometimes I have to hit a button in an app a couple of times for it to register completely. It doesn't happen every time, but it happens enough for me to notice it. But not enough to discourage me from the case.

[FVBrewerFan]

Knock on wood moment. I have never had a case for my cell phones, and have never damaged one. I just don't like any extra bulk. I have dropped them plenty of times, just never damaged them beyond a knick here or there.

 

By the way, bummer that belt clips are not in style anymore- that was really convenient.

 

iPhone or Android? I agree, I've never had a case for any Android phone in my life, but if I had an iPhone I would get one based on what has happened to my fiancé over the years.

 

Android. Although my son has had an Iphone for years, has never damaged one either. My daughter has had Iphones, damaged the first two she had, otterbox ever since. Wife has had both Android, now Iphones- also damages every single one of them. She's had cases but always ends up taking them off. So, I am beginning to wonder if it's a Male/Female issue.

[LouisEly]

Women don't put cases on them. Their pants are so tight that they won't fit in their pockets with a case. Less comfortable when they stick them inside their bra because they don't have pockets on leggings.

 

That, and I also think that women throw their phones at each other when they get catty.

[hawing]

Women don't put cases on them. Their pants are so tight that they won't fit in their pockets with a case. Less comfortable when they stick them inside their bra because they don't have pockets on leggings.

 

That, and I also think that women throw their phones at each other when they get catty.

Hey! None of that applies to me. My iPhone 5 has a Coveroo case which I got at Miller Park, with a sweet retro engraved logo (http://cf.juggle-images.com/matte/white/280x280/milwaukee-brewers-alternate-logo-primary.jpg) on the back. It fits in the pockets of whatever clothing I wear. I cringe at the thought of keeping a phone in my bra. I'm also not catty, and even if I were, I'd find something cheaper and less fragile to throw. Just had to put that out there.

 

To keep more on the smartphone topic, I finally went with an iPhone (the aforementioned 5) about a year and a half ago and have been really pleased with it. Our other devices at home are all Apple and I do like the general seamlessness of how the iPhone fits in. The S.O. has a Galaxy S3 and the different OS doesn't seem to faze him.

 

We both use our phones way more for data than for speech communication. Our neighborhood in Madison doesn't have a consistent signal, so we still use a landline at home.

[LouisEly]

I do have some evidence that certain women throw their phones at each other and stick their phones in their bra because their pants have no pockets.

 

If you have trouble with signal strength, they do make devices that act like a mini-cell phone tower that you can connect to the internet at home. With Sprint, if you tell them that you have poor signal strength at home they will send you one of these for free (they'd rather do that than lose your business). I've had one for four years, works pretty well.

 

The other thing that I've discovered is that a 4G signal is not necessary at home. If your phone is connected to your WiFi, you just need a 3G signal for calls - all of your data will come through WiFi. I switched down to a 3G signal and now have no issues with signal strength at home - five full bars. 4G is only necessary for data transfer when not connected to WiFi.

[hawing]

Haha, then just say above that certain women do X, Y and Z. I hope I didn't appear shrill because that's not how I feel about it. (Though I am horrified at the idea of putting my phone in my bra.)

 

As for the phone, we're kind of old school that way. One of our connected phones at home is even a rotary! Though we use it mainly so we can hear the phone ringing if we're upstairs.