To case, or not to case, that's the question!

Once in a great blue moon, roughly two years usually, loyal wireless customers get the opportunity of upgrading their beaten up cell phones with something that’s modernized and filled to the brim with some delicious specs. Generally, the entire experience can be similar to something like a child being unleashed inside a candy or toy store – with shiny and tantalizing things just dangling at every nook and cranny of the store. Ultimately, we decide to weigh in the pros and cons with each handset on display to finally come down with a decision as to which one to buy. On that exact moment of certainty, yet another new dilemma comes roaring right in front of us. Should you buy a case with it?

Honestly, you can just about spend an equal amount of time doing your homework and shopping around for various cell phone cases. Some are particularly interested in jazzing up the appearance of their new device, while others simply want something for protection! Obviously, there are an abundant amount of cases that envelop a wide range of functions that go beyond the normal scope of what some people expect – like battery charging and rugged style cases. As we mentioned already, the task of choosing a case can be daunting, but let’s take a quick stroll and see what’s available out there.

Of the bunch, we’d wager that protective cases are going to be the most common type people would fathom of purchasing. Straightforward in functionality, they generally cover the handset entirely to protect the exterior as much as possible from coming in contact with the outside world. Of course, there’s a fashionable element thrown into the mix as well, like ones that sport intricate designs or encrusted with jewels, but they’re ultimately there to protect the handset. Some are constructed out of a touch plastic shell that adds a little bit of girth, whereas silicone type cases provide minimal intrusion – albeit, they concurrently provide less durability. Still, one begs the question of where to place the handset when it’s not being used?

Well, that’s where the good old fashion pouch/holster cases come to mind as they obtrusively cling onto belts with some sort of loop, hook, or fastening contraption. Come to think of it, these cases aren’t known for their fashionable sense, but rather, they’re more mostly found being used by business professionals. Certainly, it’s made more prevalent when you find BlackBerry smartphones to this day still packaged with some kind of holster. However, things can really get cramped if you happen to own multiple devices – and honestly, it can make it seem that you’re wearing some kind of utility belt. And no, not the kind that Batman sports. Nevertheless, at least you have a spot to tuck your phone away when it’s not being used – as opposed to chucking it into your already widening pant pockets.

We’ve all experienced it in one form or another, but that sense of newness is relinquished once that first scratch magically appears out of nowhere. Hence, that’s where screen protectors come to mind since they offer that barely just there protection for scratches – though, it’s not something that will protect your handset if it’s dropped.  Despite that, this form of protection normally leaves the rest of the handset exposed to the elements, and with that, it’s commonly combined with other types of cases.

Interestingly, technology has come full circle in providing customers that 360-degree protection with those various kinds of resilient full-body plastic protectors – like Zagg’s invisibleSHIELD. Not only do they tout their ability in being scratch proof, but they’re highly prized for being regarded as indestructible too. Moreover, they tend to come along with lifetime guarantees that allow you to order replacements if they happen to get old or crusty looking. Granted that they offer superior protection against scratches, installing one can altogether turn out to become a timely and extensive process – and it can sometimes end up completely messy looking. Furthermore, they still don’t offer protection against drops.

And of course, that’s where heavy-duty rugged cases save the day in offering the most amount of protection against everything. These elephants in the cases world are renowned for their ballistic armor, which will keep a phone intact if it’s dropped from lengthy heights, however, they’re far from keeping your handset looking compact. Clearly, there are some tradeoffs you’ll need to consider before choosing this kind of case, but the tremendous amount of beating that they can endure is indubitably their selling point.

Lastly, for those willing to cough up a little bit more money, you can opt to pick up multi-functional or specialty cases. By this, we mean things that offer functionality besides protection or beautifying your device – like a battery case. For example, cases from Mophie and PowerSkin pack in a battery that allow phones to charge actively within the case – while offering the standard set of protection. Much like its rugged counterparts, these battery cases can prove to make most handsets feel unwieldy, but then again, you gain the ability to charge on the ago.

Meticulously thinking about it now, there’s no wonder why some people can spend an exhausting amount of time coming down with a decision. Some are quick to pick something out just to get home and start playing with their new toy, while others treat the process like as if they’re buying a car – needing to inspect it from head to toe.

Then again, there’s always that population of people that simply detest any kind of case since they mask the beauty and aura of their device. When engineers are paid thousands of dollars to craft one eye-catching cell phone design, do you really want to hide it from the public with a case? Ehh, maybe…especially when you take into factor the kind of resell value it can accrue down the road when it’s up for retirement. So which kind of case person are you?