5 times a phone case saved handsets

I’m dating myself, but when I was growing up, cell phones were bricks. The screens were only a few inches large, if that, and they were built like tanks. While I will gladly take my advanced smartphone over that, the current smartphone design is worlds more fragile than the cell phones of my childhood. The large panel of glass is very susceptible to breaking, as just about everyone has surely experienced firsthand.

Because of their fragile nature, a quality case is essential if you want your phone to last (without the dreaded spiderweb effect, requiring repairs). Unfortunately, I am pretty accident-prone, and that extends to my phone. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped it, and without a case, that thing would have been a goner. But quality cases like those from Supcase do more than just provide drop protection. Fellow Pocket-lint staff have been in some unique situations where a case came in handy, so I’ve gathered some of the more memorable stories to serve as a reminder that you should definitely pick up a phone case if you don’t have one already.

When it was a neon sign in a snowbank

Cases offer more than just drop protection

Depending on the case, it can be a lot more than just a layer of protection if you drop your phone. Pocket-lint’s Kenzie Davison had a highly reflective case, which turned out to be crucial for finding her phone. She had lost her phone in a snowbank when she was in college, and the only reason she was able to find it was because of the reflective case. The sunlight caught it just right, and she was able to locate it before a plow came by and buried it even more.

My case is my backup wallet for events

Cases that allow accessories are very useful

I recently went to a local minor league baseball game, and didn’t look up ahead of time if bags would be allowed. Unfortunately, clear bags were required, which I did not have. Luckily, I have a magnetic wallet for my phone case, so I was easily able to leave my purse behind and still bring in my ID and credit card without having them loose in my pocket. That meant there was no risk of losing them because they fell out.

Sliding on the subway without a scratch

A case won’t fully protect against embarrassment, but it can help

Pocket-lint’s Christina Darby credits her case for saving her phone on the subway recently.

“Being Gen Z, I’m always on my phone. I’m frequently walking while texting, filming, etc,” she says.

“One day, I thought I’d try my hand at making a ‘day in my life’ TikTok and was filming myself on the subway. Someone knocked my hand, and my phone slid across the subway car. My entire case cracked, but my phone is perfectly fine. If it weren’t for the case’s cushioning near the rear camera lens, it would be shattered, and I’d not only be embarrassed, but embarrassed with a broken phone.”

Surviving drops from a Uhaul

Moves are no match for a quality case

Of course, one of the most widely accepted benefits of a phone case is for drop protection. Pocket-lint’s Kenzie Davison was moving with a Uhaul truck recently and dropped her iPhone out the window of the truck. Luckily, she has an Otterbox case with a screen protector, which completely saved her phone, even though it fell from quite a height.

A camping (mis)adventure made the case for waterproof cases

Prevent a waterlogged phone

One Pocket-lint staffer shared a story of a time they went camping with friends. One friend forgot a tarp for under their tent. When it rained that night, they woke up in a small lake. But, because their phone was in a rugged case, their phone was totally fine. No bag of rice or silica gel needed, and they could keep their phone working for the rest of the camping trip.

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