Vapor Chamber Tech Keeps Iphone 17 Pro Cool

Agreed they're functional without a case.

Whether it's functional after dropping it face down on the glass onto cement/marble is another question!

I'm not too concerned with cosmetic scratches. The main issue is the screen shattering. And the back of the phone shattering in older models where the back was glass.

For my phones, I use the cheapest most-featureless blackest thinnest TPU cases I can get my hands on.

They tend to [just barely] cover the edges of the glass screen, they're very inexpensive. They never seem to wear out in any appreciable way.

So far, zero broken screens in the ~16 years I've been carrying these pocket computers absolutely everywhere...and I drop them about as often as anyone else does, I suppose.

If the screen were reasonably scratch + shatter proof, I think most people wouldn't feel the need to wear a case.

Here's a patent for the idea which just expired this year: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7059182B1/

Apple also patented some versions of this, although I think not as nice as the 2005 one: https://patents.google.com/patent/US9571150B2

It is a bit bigger with protective shell around it is bulky, but withstood all the drops that a typical phone would break. There is some flaring around the screen and camera that it prevents most of scratches. The back has some sort of hard rubber but it held up well.

I've only had to replace the screen protector within 3 years as the scuffs and marks made it difficult to see in well-lit environment.

I went caseless once since I didn't realize my case would arrive a week after I bought the phone.

The phone was slippery (couldn't temporarily rest it on my knee), and I found myself inspecting the restaurant/bar table any time I put the phone down after that one night I placed it right into a puddle of beer condensation and some mysterious food that got in the mic on the back of the phone and grossed me out.

The phone could be indestructible to drops and it still wouldn't solve those issues.

I don't see what's the big deal honestly

Some people just seem to like making things harder on themselves

Meanwhile if I drop my phone (which I'm very careful, so it was probably once or twice and not from too high) it's really nbd

For my 17 Pro I got a case with a kickstand. If the kickstand breaks off I get a new $16 case. If it was built into the phone I’d possibly need a new backplate depending on the damage. Probably not $16 to fix. A built in kick stand would certainly become a love it or hate it feature based on how people use the thing.

And there are people out there who are going to be huge fans of the Flower Power iMac. They can get just such a case and Apple doesn’t have to take the loss on that given 2025 design aesthetic .

I really wonder, seems like maybe, and might be worth looking into. If so, that would be fantastic and would make the case round to 2 orders of magnitude less costly than the device, instead of just 1.

Do cases guarantee your screen won't break if you drop your phone? No. Do they dramatically diminish the likelihood of cracked glass in the most common scenario of phone falling on flat concrete? Absolutely.

Some of us are harder on our things than others...

deep scratches are trivial and drops will immediately lead to heavy dents. that being said the screen itself is incredibly tough so it will be usable.

before (stainless / titanium) you could go caseless without concern. the most i ever had happen was a little crack on the back

Maybe the new phones are better, but I was quite disappointed when I noticed how easy the paint came off. What's the point of a pretty phone if you're gonna need me to put a case around it?

> Typical smartphone glass starts scratching at a level 6 on the Mohs scale of hardness, but Zack’s picks barely left marks even at 7. “Apple ruined my line,” he joked, noting that Corning’s new Ceramic Shield 2 is a big improvement over last year’s iPhone 16 lineup, even besting the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s Gorilla Armor 2, which showed visible scratches at a level 6 when it was put to the same test earlier this year.

and

> Using a crane scale in his garage, he applied direct pressure in the center of the iPhone Air until it finally gave way. The iPhone Air endured up to 216 pounds (~98kg) of force before its front glass finally cracked and the titanium frame flexed past the point of recovery. Surprisingly, the back glass came out unscathed, and the phone was still powered on and usable in the end.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-iPhone-Air-bends-in-JerryR...

On average, I keep the same phone for 3-4 years (current phone is an iPhone 11, coming up on 6 years old).

Sure, why not? If there's going to be a rubber bumper anyways, why wouldn't I want the manufacturer to ship it?

In 25+ years of carrying a naked mobile phone everywhere I've never broken one. My lifestyle theoretically exposes me to significantly greater risk of damage than the average person too. I view phones as semi-disposable devices, so I take no special care or precautions.

I am eternally baffled as to why people need cases on their phones. The observation that many people do seem to break them frequently isn't an explanation. I can't wrap my head around the degree of clumsiness and carelessness that would seem to be required to explain this phenomenon.