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Does the white iPhone 3G need a case?

M

mac-mania

macrumors member
Original poster
Let me preface this with the fact that, in the past, I have been extremely anal about the condition of my iPods. During my "hayday" I was replacing my iPod basically whenever a new one came out, and to pay for this, I would resell my old iPod to friends and family. A scratched chrome back is a big deterrent to the people who I would sell to. So I babied my iPods and kept them in brand-new condition for the time I owned it.

Anyways flash foward. I'm going to replace my Treo 755p on Sprint with a new iPhone 3G in white. Since I can't/won't be reselling the iPhone 3G for two years there is no monetary reason to keep it in perfect condition. The other thing is, I personally hate using cases on my cell phone. I keep my phone in my left pocket with no change or keys or anything but lint.

So I'm wondering, does the white require a case in the sense that do either the screen or plastic back scratch easily and more importantly, do fingerprints/smudges show up all over the back or basically only when you're looking for them directly.

Thanks
 
if anything the black would show more scratches and fingerprints
mine has been great so far, the back is fairly scratch resistant
 
I have had a white 3G for a month, and it never smudges badly on the back. In fact, it self cleans itself when you put it in your pocket. The front gets smudged with dirty fingers, but that is expected. I would never get a case for fingerprints or scratches. Btw, the back has no visible scratches.
 
I was like you: kept my Treos and iPods in really good condition, but don't like to add any bulk. Because of the nature of the screen on the Treo, I NEVER used it without a screen protector. That was literally the first thing I did when I opened the box. That thing would scratch if you looked at it funny, so I learned years ago to keep a supply of protectors. That meant changing them regularly, because they would get old, my visibility was reduced if I was wearing my polarized sunglasses, etc. 🙄

With an iPhone, I'm free of all of that. 😀 I have the white, and it's totally naked. I use iPod socks when it's going to be in my pocketbook, but every other time (pocket, home, wherever) it's completely free!

After almost 4 weeks, it has not one blemish. I wipe off the fingerprints when I think about it, but the screen is great, the back is perfect (even the apple logo, which others have said gets scratched easily), and the chrome is pristine. I actually examined it closely in the sunlight today, just because I was curious.

I'm sure it will get scratched eventually, because it's a phone, and I use it all the time, but I'm not hard on my things, so that helps.

The white doesn't get all fingerprinty like my friend's black, and I happen to think it looks way better naked than in any of the cases I've seen.
 
Simple answer: YES.

Get a case, believe me, it will be worth it. Although I love my iPhone in its nakedness, I just got my original 3G replaced, and have kept a case on the new one they gave me 24/7. Why?

The white iPhone scratches easily. Sure, just taking a glance at it you won't be able to tell, but look at it in the sunlight at different angles and you will see plenty of scratches in the middle of the phone which has contact w/ the surface. The chrome apple also scratches like DJ Skribbles. I also got 2 DEEP scratches in mine, probably when I was out at the bars not in the right state of mind. I probably put my phone in the same pocket as my keys, but it's definitely not on the level of the 2G iPhone back. So, either get an invisible shield or get a case. It's good for your peace of mind as well. I've been using my old iSkin that I had on my 2G. Although it bulges out a big in the back, it provides almost 100% protection.

Get a case, the white iPhone scratches.
 
gsbedi said:
Simple answer: YES.

Get a case, believe me, it will be worth it. Although I love my iPhone in its nakedness, I just got my original 3G replaced, and have kept a case on the new one they gave me 24/7. Why?

The white iPhone scratches easily. Sure, just taking a glance at it you won't be able to tell, but look at it in the sunlight at different angles and you will see plenty of scratches in the middle of the phone which has contact w/ the surface. The chrome apple also scratches like DJ Skribbles. I also got 2 DEEP scratches in mine, probably when I was out at the bars not in the right state of mind. I probably put my phone in the same pocket as my keys, but it's definitely not on the level of the 2G iPhone back. So, either get an invisible shield or get a case. It's good for your peace of mind as well. I've been using my old iSkin that I had on my 2G. Although it bulges out a big in the back, it provides almost 100% protection.

Get a case, the white iPhone scratches.
Click to expand...

Yes but you also have to be careful about cases...cases, more often than not, cause scratches themselves
 
It all comes down to this: If minor wear and tear scratches will annoy you more than wrapping up your beautiful iPhone, yes get a case. If putting a fugly case will annoy you than minor wear and tear scratches then keep it naked!
 
slicecom said:
It all comes down to this: If minor wear and tear scratches will annoy you more than wrapping up your beautiful iPhone, yes get a case. If putting a fugly case will annoy you than minor wear and tear scratches then keep it naked!
Click to expand...

Helpful tip: Don't get a fugly case.
 
I say get a case like incipio's silicone sleeve that is easy to remove. Much like one of the posters above me said, I put mine in the case at work to protect it because I'm afraid of dropping it, then nights and weekends I go nekkid!
 
I have a white one and I keep a acrylic case so I can still see the white back.I take it off in the house.the resell is better with no scratches.I sold my 1st gen iPhone for more than what I paid for it.if you rich and don't care about reselling or having to buy a new phone because you dropped it eeffff it go naked.
 
I agree phones don't need to be babied, but the problem is there is no insurance plan with apple. On verizon i'de treat my phones like total trash because if anything happened (even water damage) i could replace it for 50 bucks..

Now with my iPhone I know if i break it it's going to be 225+ at LEAST. So, for the time being I use a Bodyguardz, which at least keeps is scratch free and I keep it in a Sena Elega. That way, when im using the phone it's basically naked, but at all other times its protected.
 
I tried rocking a case on my white iPhone, see my review here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/548516/

In the end ... I decided to rock it naked 90% of the time in my day to day life. The (while slim-ish) was just too much added bulk, it scratched the phone worse than my pockets did and what kind of fugly compared to the normal design of the iPhone.
 
everyone says no case until they drop their phone the first time and it cracks or scuffs, now you get a case to hide it instead of protect it - at the very least get a skin for it
 
I've got the Griffin Elan Clip (Leather) and it fits rather tight (temporary case). No hole for the camera, so I took it over to the shoe guy and he punched a hole in it for me. I've ordered the Belkin Acrylic Clear w/beltclip and that should show up next week; and yes, my 3G White iPhone definitely needs a case...😎
 

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nfg315 said:
everyone says no case until they drop their phone the first time and it cracks or scuffs, now you get a case to hide it instead of protect it - at the very least get a skin for it
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's pretty true - at least for me.

But after that initial shock of a scuff ... I'm ok embracing my iPhone as a normal non-perfect phone.

A skin, though, may not be a bad idea ...........
 
I have a clear case on my mine. I have been known to drop my phone, so for me it's worth it to keep it protected. The case adds very little bulk to the phone, and because it's clear it doesn't change the look of the phone.
 
When purchasing a case for your white iPhone, keep in mind that black will heat up in the sun a lot more than white. Go for a clear cover. My black iPhone 3G has a black cover (it covers the whole phone, so I wonder why anyone cares what color the phone is if the cover covers the the whole back and sides) and when I set it on the passenger's seat of my car while I am driving, it really heats up. I try to move it around and keep it out of the sun if I can. I think I'm going to carry a small white cloth or tshirt in my car to put on top of my phone to protect it from the sun.

Rubber cover made by InCase, that I purchased at the Apple Store works Really Well !!! 🙂
 

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I would agree -- the InCase is the best one I've seen.




Rybold said:
When purchasing a case for your white iPhone, keep in mind that black will heat up in the sun a lot more than white. Go for a clear cover. My black iPhone 3G has a black cover (it covers the whole phone, so I wonder why anyone cares what color the phone is if the cover covers the the whole back and sides) and when I set it on the passenger's seat of my car while I am driving, it really heats up. I try to move it around and keep it out of the sun if I can. I think I'm going to carry a small white cloth or tshirt in my car to put on top of my phone to protect it from the sun.

Rubber cover made by InCase, that I purchased at the Apple Store works Really Well !!! 🙂
Click to expand...
 
Rybold said:
When purchasing a case for your white iPhone, keep in mind that black will heat up in the sun a lot more than white. Go for a clear cover. My black iPhone 3G has a black cover (it covers the whole phone, so I wonder why anyone cares what color the phone is if the cover covers the the whole back and sides) and when I set it on the passenger's seat of my car while I am driving, it really heats up. I try to move it around and keep it out of the sun if I can. I think I'm going to carry a small white cloth or tshirt in my car to put on top of my phone to protect it from the sun.

Rubber cover made by InCase, that I purchased at the Apple Store works Really Well !!! 🙂
Click to expand...

Those seem like the perfect cases because they protect where you need it the most, but I decided against one of those because of what I hear about it scratching the phone. I ended up getting a the Marware CEO sleeve which I love.
 
angemon89 said:
Those seem like the perfect cases because they protect where you need it the most, but I decided against one of those because of what I hear about it scratching the phone. I ended up getting a the Marware CEO sleeve which I love.
Click to expand...

I don't see how it could scratch the phone on it's own. If sand or abrasive debris got between the cover and the phone, it could scratch, but that could happen with any cover. I've been VERY happy with my InCase cover. Good luck though with whatever you choose.
 
angemon89 said:
Those seem like the perfect cases because they protect where you need it the most, but I decided against one of those because of what I hear about it scratching the phone. I ended up getting a the Marware CEO sleeve which I love.
Click to expand...

Im pretty anal about my phone, so every night before i go to sleep i take it out of the case and wipe it down and wash the case in the sink (so no scratching happens). So far this has worked wonders for me.
 
rwd hero said:
Im pretty anal about my phone, so every night before i go to sleep i take it out of the case and wipe it down and wash the case in the sink (so no scratching happens). So far this has worked wonders for me.
Click to expand...

I try to not take mine out of the case too much because I read an article on a media website of a reporter that was testing the cover and said that he took the phone out of the case several times a day (I don't know why, but I guess he wanted to), and after a few weeks the case had stretched and didn't fit his phone as snug as when it was brand new. As a result of reading that article, I almost never take my phone out of the case - I have no reason to. 🙂

I use a vacuum cleaner to remove lint and dirt from the headphone jack and USB port.
 
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