Apple wants you to use the iPhone 16 without a case

25 April 2025
It's quite unprecedented.

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The day a phone maker will out a smartphone (or any other portable device) that survives totally scratch and crack free then I'll think about it. And that is the sad thing about all phones today. Almost all are designed to be "beautiful" first while using delicate materials, most of them are slippery as hell because of those choices. I don't mind the use of aluminium or steel for the frame, not at all. But why always silky smooth, brushed and/or anodised in such a way it would do great during winter-sports in the Alps or water-sports wherever there is a splash of it. A glass back? If I can, I stay far away from it but that's the issue. Most of these masterpieces of creations do use glass for the back plate. That's why I'm so happy that Asian makers (re)discovered "vegan"(there isn't anything Eco about it in most cases) leather again for back-plate usage. In my opinion the frame can be plastic of steel/alu based but then with deep grove patterns in it all around. The back should always be plastic or a combination of steel and plastic but not glass. The front, obviously stays glass and that's fine. Why this rant about current (previous too and future as well) designs? Well that's simple, you buy a beautiful phone (and that's fine) and then you have to stick it in an ugly (very often) case because you're afraid that if you drop it, it will be ruined (even if only aesthetically). You pay big money for it (according to what your wallet can stretch, it's always big money from a personal point of view) so you don't want to risk having it scratched, cracked, grooved... Then why not make a phone that looks good and really don't require all these cases? Agreed, buying cases also allows you to change the look of your device from time to time so these things aren't totally bad. It's just that it makes them much more bulkier or chunkier than the initial design. The rugged phones out there are (nice) option and really don't require any use of case but there aren't a lot of real good ones and most of the time it's overly designed to show off how rugged it would be which adds unnecessary bulk and heft to it. Most of the time they are often some shady brands with terrible software support. You can't call these cheep either as most of the time they will cost you easily €500 and much more while the hardware is barely entry mid-range stuff from some years ago.

    • r
    • rayray
    • NIk
    • 19 hours ago

    Hey it is personal preference. If you pay all that money and want to show off your stylish new smartphone the way nature intended, go for it. Paid for that fancy device let it be seen.
    If you want to protect the investment for maximum trade in and put covers and cases on it fresh out the box, then do that! It's all about what you want to get out of your purchase, not what everyone else has to say!!!

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • Kx7
      • 19 hours ago

      I WANT to use my phone without a case, but my hand can't hold it properly without phone case. Didn't bother to put on screen protector since it's already screen resistant..

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • X@9
        • 19 hours ago

        Oh this is nothing. A year or 2 ago in India they made a completely unrealistic ad showing an iPhone bouncing around in a running rickshaw and surviving without a scratch.

          • M
          • Maria
          • sEB
          • 19 hours ago

          So, Apple wants you to use their iPhones without cases, right? Because they want you to trade them in yearly. Why bother with a case then?

            Already been tested for drops.... very bad advice to the owners! Maybe packaged phone insurance is more lucrative than cases!

              Anonymous, 23 hours agoThese companies will reject warranty claims if they find ev... moreThat's why I always think people claiming to go caseless are trolls. Anywhere you go, just look around, they simply don't exist. Most drops will results in a cracked front or back, or a dented frame. Maybe both. Nobody wants that on a shiny new thousand dollar device.

              Only people I see caseless are carrying iPhone 6s and Galaxy S8s. Devices that already have one foot in the grave so they simply don't care anymore.

              That's why I'd never take seriously the "wobble test" of a certain YouTuber.

                • M
                • Minu
                • ter
                • 20 hours ago

                ProMaxUltraAreBricks, 20 hours agoTrue, damage hurts. But even a shattered iPhone often gets ... moreLet's not forget how the technology industry works. Once you open the phone from its packaging, its value plummets to zero in terms of economics, leaving no residual value.

                One of my colleagues recently compared that to opening up a food packet, taking a bite out of it, repackaging it and reselling. I can't disagree with their analogy.

                  ProMaxUltraAreBricks, 20 hours agoYes, using a boring case? No thanks. A phone 0.2mm full-b... more"Cases are for hiding design, skins are for enhancing it."

                  Clear cases exist as well, skins offer no protection.

                    • h
                    • hev.c
                    • 32A
                    • 20 hours ago

                    Apple is spreading propaganda again, just like how they bragged and boasted about "Apple Intelligence", whereas in reality it comes nowhere near the AI features that other brands offer.

                    If they truly claim their ceramic shield glass to be very durable, then why are they advertising it surviving a drop on wood? Why not concrete or some other surface, which would be more realistic, as the streets aren't planked with wood are they? No, they're made of rock or tiles most of the time. So, dropping the phone on wood is unrealistic and does not reflect most real life situations.

                    When the iPhone 16 series released, Apple mentioned that their Ceramic Shield glass was, and I quote, "2x Tougher than any smartphone glass". The problem is that this is a complete sham and a lie with no evidence to back it up. Apple customers are just getting brainwashed by Apple's misleading statements.

                    If you see PhoneBuff's drop tests on S25 Ultra vs iPhone 16 Pro Max, the 16 Pro Max's glass began showing large spiderweb cracks after just ONE drop, whereas the S25 Ultra did not crack on the first drop. This is a much more fairer comparison that Apple should've done in the video at least, comparing drop durability with the competiton, rather than just advertising their phone as surviving a single drop on wood. But obviously they did not, as their phone is not as durable as their claims suggest e.g. "2x Tougher than any smartphone glass".

                    Apple has a nature of making bold claims that are a complete lie from time to time, just like how they claimed the M1 Max delivers performance "similar" to the RTX 3080 while using 100W power. Obviously this was untrue.

                    This isn't the first time that Apple has been misleading their customers with their bold and false claims and unfortunately it won't be the last.

                      DarlingYext, 21 hours agoGlass is glass and glass breaks, if not then it scratches a... moreTrue, damage hurts. But even a shattered iPhone often gets a real trade-in deal / bonuses.

                      Still better, compared to imported China-only phones, these become worthless e-waste the moment you buy them, case or no case.

                      One retains some value, the other starts as a negative investment.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • ijy
                        • 20 hours ago

                        Notice that they depicted a wooden floor (or a similar looking vinylic - anyway a relatively aoft floor. You can also drop you iPhone 16 on carpets and pillows without any damage 💪👌

                          • F
                          • Fierce
                          • XB5
                          • 20 hours ago

                          Even if I'm told that a phone was made using lightening bolts, I'd still use a protector. Thank you

                            I allways use a case.

                              Yes, using a boring case? No thanks.
                              A phone 0.2mm full-body skin keeps this beauty scratch-free and still feels like the sleek phone it is. Cases are for hiding design, skins are for enhancing it.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • vGN
                                • 20 hours ago

                                Ah that's Genius... er.. I mean a quicker way to get you to visit their Geniuses at the store when something breaks. In other news, I wear pants when I go outside - so does my phone.

                                  if they cover it under warranty, only then it makes sense

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • MMZ
                                    • 20 hours ago

                                    I guess it all depends on how you use your phone.
                                    I use my phones without cases but with protective glass. I am leaning towards not using protective glass either. 4 years of caseless iphone 12 pro resulted in scratches on the sides but thats it, no scratches on the back or front, it had about 3 falls throughout those years. I now have iphone 16 pro, also caseless, one drop so far, broke the protective glass. Replaced it and so far so good. BUT i know a person who buys iphone almost every 2 years because they break it so often even while using the protective case.

                                      • S
                                      • Shahar
                                      • 03%
                                      • 20 hours ago

                                      I always go for the most minimal case, and also a screen protector

                                        Glass is glass and glass breaks, if not then it scratches and you will end up losing a ton of precious resale value once you want to sell it.

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