No Case, No Screen Protector—1 Month Later

Author

Ark
November 18, 2024

Experiencing the iPhone 15 Pro Max Caseless: A Month-Long Journey

Going Caseless with the iPhone 15 Pro Max: A Month in Review

It’s been a full month now since I’ve decided to strip it all down to nothing and go completely caseless on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’ve always used a case on my iPhones for protection and because, well, I generally like the feel of the device better with a case. This is the first time ever that I’ve committed to and have stuck to going caseless, and it was a bit of a rough start for me. So let me tell you what it’s been like to go caseless for the first time and if my iPhone 15 Pro Max has sustained any injuries.

In previous videos, I’ve mentioned that I really just like the feel of an iPhone with a case better than a naked iPhone. The iPhone by itself is a thin and slippery device that likes to just jump out of my hands. A case gives me the additional grip and thickness that make the iPhone feel more secure and comfortable in my hand. Plus, the case does give me a mental break from worrying about where I’m putting my phone down, and I don’t need to worry about all the little scratches and scuffs that can come from placing it on a counter, a desk, or whatever. Then there’s just the real value of added protection from actual drops and falls that can occur from everyday use. Cases do a pretty good job of keeping your device looking new and the screen from getting cracked. Even if they still don’t 100% protect your iPhone, they can still help, like when this iPhone 15 Pro Max fell about 6 and 1/2 feet from the ledge in my shower to the tile floor. The Apple silicone case did not 100% protect the iPhone, and I have this small dent on one corner, but that’s it. The phone still works, the screen is not cracked, and not even the screen protector is cracked.

So giving up my preferred feel and protection and going naked was a big deal for me, and a month later, I’m starting to get the hang of it. At first, the idea of foregoing a case was really stressful. I’m constantly worried about my devices getting the tiniest of scratches, especially on the display. So learning how to handle my iPhone without a case was my first priority. The iPhone without a case is a slippery set of guns, so I had to change my flipping actions, like just taking it in and out of my pocket or picking it up off the surface. It just takes a bit more force to be able to pick it up and hold it securely compared to an iPhone that has a case.

At the beginning, I hated the feel of the naked iPhone. Besides being slippery, I’m just used to the silicone cases, which are softer and more comfortable, especially when you’re like resting it on your pinky compared to the naked iPhone. Placing the naked iPhone on a surface has also been an adjustment. The sound of placing the naked iPhone on a surface made me cringe, thinking about the little scratches that could come from it. It’s more like a mental nails-on-a-chalkboard sound because the actual sound is like putting something solid on something solid, I guess, which isn’t that bad. But in my brain, it sounds terrible, like a terrible screeching sound.

But that screech is getting softer after a month, and I’m definitely less concerned or careful with my iPhone than I was when I started. And after a month, I’m really mostly fine now with placing my iPhone on a solid surface, and I don’t really worry about the tiny little scratches anymore because, well, I haven’t actually seen any in the month that I’ve been doing this. After a full month, to my surprise, I’m unable to see any new scratches, dings, or dents just by looking at the device. On the bottom corner, I do have that dent from when the iPhone fell 6 and 1/2 feet with a case on, but other than that, it looks great.

Now, if you do look really, really closely and you’re in the right light, there are some imperfections in the oleophobic coating on the display that were not there when I started this experiment. The iPhone lives in my pocket by itself or on a MagSafe charger. I haven’t been to the beach, and I do not lay this iPhone down on its face. But whatever tiny little pieces of dust or whatever may be in my pocket have added a few hard-to-see dings and scratches. Again, these are tiny little superficial scratches that I never see in regular daily use or without specifically looking for them. Had I seen these on days two or three of this experiment, I probably would have been pretty upset and started questioning the whole thing. But since I noticed it just a few days ago because I went specifically looking for them, I seem to be mentally okay with it.

There’s also a little spot or scratch on the sleep button that I can catch with my fingernail, but it’s really hard to see even with a macro lens, and I can’t say whether or not this was there before or after I went naked. The back glass on the 15 Pro Max looks perfect, and I can’t find a single flaw, whether using a macro lens or out in the sun, and that’s probably because of the frosted texture. But I’m sure there’s probably something on there. The titanium frame also looks just flawless, except for where I dinged it on the bottom.

One other insight from this experiment is that I get a lot of interesting looks and questions from people, friends, and co-workers who notice that I’m rocking the iPhone caseless. There’s a lot of “Whoa, I cannot believe you’re doing that with an iPhone,” which is understandable for a $1,000 device and the exact same thing that I would think prior to starting this experiment.

Next, I want to tell you about some of the benefits and downsides of going caseless that I’ve seen. But first, I want to thank today’s sponsor, CalDigit. You know CalDigit for their Thunderbolt and USB-C docks, but today I want to show you their Thunderbolt 4 cables, which are perfect for any desk setup. With up to 2 meters in length, the CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 cables provide plenty of length to let you put everything where you want it. You can run this cable from your display to a dock or even just straight to your computer without feeling stretched, and it makes for better cable management. CalDigit’s Thunderbolt 4 cables are fully compatible with Thunderbolt 3, USB 4, USB 3, and more, which makes them the perfect cable for connecting anything to your Mac or PC, like external storage or a Thunderbolt dock with the full 40 Gbps of speed. In fact, you can even connect displays with an ultra-high refresh rate, displays with up to 8K resolution, or even use them to connect to an iPhone 15 or iPad, making these the perfect cables for just about everything. So if you want to pick up one of these versatile Thunderbolt 4 cables from CalDigit, you can find them in the description below. My thanks go to CalDigit for sponsoring this video.

Now, the biggest benefit after being caseless for a month is simply that you get to use and see your actual device. How much time does Apple spend talking about the design and materials of the iPhone each year? With the case on, you don’t get to experience the feel of the new metals and see or show off how premium they are. In the past, I would slap a case on it right away on a brand-new iPhone and then maybe take it off every now and then to clean or marvel at the device for a few minutes every few weeks before just covering it all back up again. The buttons also feel better. I spent a lot of time and money previously on cases, trying to narrow down the ones that have good buttons, ones that don’t feel squishy. When naked, you just don’t have to worry about feeling squishy; the buttons just feel good, and you absolutely know when you push one because you get the full amount of tactile feedback, and it’s just a better overall experience.

And last, because the iPhone is more slippery when naked, like most of us, it’s actually nice to be able to easily put the iPhone in and out of my pockets, especially when in a vehicle or sitting down. I don’t end up pulling the liner out of my shorts, and I don’t struggle to free it; it just slides nice and easy. However, that can also be a downside. The slippery little bugger can slide out of pockets onto a couch or floor, especially when wearing something like workout shorts. Luckily, each time it has happened, there’s been a rubber mat or some kind of rug to help ease the impact, and so far, it’s not fallen from my seat to the ground when getting out of my truck, which I’m sure is coming. It’s also slippery on surfaces and can be easily knocked off a counter or arm of a chair if you’re not paying attention. It has fallen on a rug more than a few times in the last month. Yes, that’s my fault for probably not paying attention, but with the case, you just don’t have that issue as much. It just doesn’t slide around as easily.

I already mentioned my issues with the iPhone being slippery in my hand, but another hand issue is the iPhone can get hot depending on what you’re doing. If I’m playing a game or just bouncing between a few apps, the iPhone heats up a lot—not to an unsafe amount, but to a noticeable point where I don’t want to hold the device. Just using it outside in the sun for a few minutes can easily make the iPhone heat up. And yes, it’s probably worse with a case, but with a case, I just don’t feel it, so I don’t really care.

The last downside about using your iPhone naked is really about the screen and glare. For the past few years, I’ve been using these awesome matte glass screen protectors, which do a super job of preventing glare and reflections. They make it much easier to read the iPhone when outside or in a bright room. I’ll leave the link in the description down below because I really have been using these on all my devices, and I love them. Without this, I’m always seeing myself looking back at me or needing to angle the iPhone to better see what I’m doing or to be able to read easier. If I end up staying caseless after this experiment, I will probably still use one of these screen protectors again.

So, this has been an interesting month so far for me, and I’m definitely getting more used to and comfortable with the idea of using a naked iPhone and starting to worry less about those little micro scratches that are inevitable, which is a bit of a mental relief. But if I had to choose today to use my iPhone forever with a case or without and there was no going back, I would probably choose to slap a case on it right now. But that’s actually a harder decision to make today than it was just a month ago.

But where do you guys fall in the iPhone case debate? Do you like the added grip, protection, and customization you can get from a case, or do you like to rock it naked? Let me know in the comments down below. If you want to see the weird, goofy video that started all of this, check out this video right over there. It’s funny-ish. Hit the thumbs-up button if you liked it, hit subscribe if you want, and I’ll see you next time.