The 4/4S really were quite fragile. The 5/5S is much more durable. I use the default iPhone 5/5S case made by Apple, which is fairly low profile. My phone is almost in perfect condition. I do have the standard key scuffing though, which really isn't noticeable, unless you're looking at it with the screen turned off.
Although I've also owned quite a few iPhones over the years. So I've learned how to handle one. I've broken one iPhone 3G (water) and two iPhone 4's (back glass shatter). After those experiences, my brain is basically my "otterbox". For a younger or more careless person, an otterbox may be a good idea. Especially if they have an iPhone 4/4S, or are prone to excessive drinking.
As for a screen protector, I'm on the fence. I kind of wish I had one in order to avoid the light scuffing that I have, but I'm just going to resell this phone once the 6 hits the market, and the scuffing will have negligible effect on the resale vale. So a screen protector may not be worth the hassle. As a side note, I tried a few screen protectors on previous phones, and they were of absolutely horrendous quality. Creating pixelating reflectivity, etc. I hope better ones are on the market these days.
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If we don't see parts soon, we can pretty well assume that it's not happening. I remember people working themselves into a frenzy about rumors for the 4S and 5S, expecting a new design instead, and that new design never appeared. The rumor sites are quite often wrong, at least until a few weeks prior.
