If you use an otterbox, you’re dirt poor. Lol lol I kid I kid.
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Ditching a Phone Case Is the Latest Symbol of Stealth Wealth — TIME
On screen and in real life, the ultra-wealthy have something in common
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Other I guess I’m poor
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I’ve started seeing less and less cases out in the wild. My family and I use the carved live edge cases which retail $189. They’re slim but gorgeous. I’m good with that. Protects enough as well while looking like a piece of artIf you use an otterbox, you’re dirt poor. Lol lol I kid I kid.
Ditching a Phone Case Is the Latest Symbol of Stealth Wealth — TIME
On screen and in real life, the ultra-wealthy have something in common
As a woman I see a lot of trends come and go, and the "stealth wealth" or "quiet luxury" trend is one of the stupidest I've seen so far. I'm not poor but I don't enjoy shelling out money I don't have to, so I'll keep right on protecting my phone rather than paying to repair it 👌
The only reason I started putting covers on my iPhone since the 11 is that the thing has become too damn slippy without one.
My bank account has never once reflected the wealth that my never having used a case seems to now represent! 
And every phone I've owned has been caseless since my first one in 2009!
And every phone I've owned has been caseless since my first one in 2009!
If the premise is true, it's proof positive that money doesn't make a person smart.
Looking at a side view of a live edge, they are far from slim compared to most cases. There is no camera bump but yet the cameras don't protrude. How? By making the whole case as thick as the camera lenses.
Live edge
Otterbox Symmetry as an example
Poor or just frugal? Costs me a lot less to buy 4 Otterbox and 4 screen covers than to replace 4 iPhones.
I’m happy to have people think I’m poor - then they don’t ask for or expect any of my money.
I’m happy to have people think I’m poor - then they don’t ask for or expect any of my money.
People spend a lot of time thinking about what other people’s choices signal…
I’ve no-cased it for years because I just don’t like the feel of cases. I like as small of a phone as possible and cases add too much bulk. I also enjoy the feel of the naked phone.
I’ve had ONE cracked phone, but it took about 4 years for that phone to finally get cracked, for what it’s worth.
If you aren’t reckless, you can avoid 90%+ of accidents. People just don’t take care of their phones. Those are the people that need cases.
Admittedly, I’m changing a little bit. I use bulky cases when overlanding and hiking now. I also am currently rocking a SUPER thin “case” to avoid scratches. To that end, if you hate cases like me but want SOMETHING, here’s what I’m using. This same brand makes them for the flagship iPhones as well. Sometimes they’re on sale for $20:
I’ve had ONE cracked phone, but it took about 4 years for that phone to finally get cracked, for what it’s worth.
If you aren’t reckless, you can avoid 90%+ of accidents. People just don’t take care of their phones. Those are the people that need cases.
Admittedly, I’m changing a little bit. I use bulky cases when overlanding and hiking now. I also am currently rocking a SUPER thin “case” to avoid scratches. To that end, if you hate cases like me but want SOMETHING, here’s what I’m using. This same brand makes them for the flagship iPhones as well. Sometimes they’re on sale for $20:
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I have never used a case. And in recent years I have seen more and more people without phone cases. Many people have discovered that they don't really need one, or to them it is more of a waste of money to have to make their phones heavier and thicker for the full period of ownership. Of course, for someone who absolutely cannot afford damage to his phone or for someone who knows he tends to drop his phone, he should still use a case.
I really don't care what anyone does, but I work in a hospital with a lot of high to very high earning people, and I have never seen a single person without a case. As fragile as iPhones are, not to be rude but, I think it's a bit asinine to use one without a case. I guess if you're never active, go outside, run with it, hike, take it to the lake, work on you feet, run around at work, etc., then it's fine, but most people I know spend a fair amount of time outside and would just constantly have a broken phone.
A case is cheap insurance. I don't have an iPhone to admire, I have it to use and for me, it's more usable with a case. It doesn't lay flat when on it's back, if you lay it face down (like I almost always do), you'll scratch the screen. It's not designed to be durable.
Back to the fashion topic....haha, never mind. That's enough of this silly topic.
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I'm low income (plus cheap), and yet I perhaps oddly hate the idea of cases due to the additional cost of buying something. But I don't have an iPhone. My phone is a cheap flip phone that had realistically zero resale value once I'd bought it. And, in the perhaps unlikely event that I get a new smart phone one day, it's very possible I'd just get the cheap, decent budget phone--and plan to keep it until it falls apart.
The issue isn't the money, but the inconvenience of having to bring my phone to the shop to have it serviced (I might not even get it back on the same day). I remember I had my iPhone 6s+ die on me hours before I was scheduled to bring my students out on a field trip, and I was scrambling to transfer my data over to my older 5s and set up my apps all over again. It took Apple a week to have it replaced, and that's not counting the time it took to schedule a slot with the Apple Store, as well as travel down to hand it to them, and going back to collect it.
I think the people using their phones without a case just happen to enjoy a particular lifestyle where their devices are not typically exposed to much danger (eg: no kids, office working environment), and they don't plan on reselling their phones. I used my phone for many years without a case either (just that it ends up with a lot of scuffs and scratches, especially around the camera protrusion), and the resale value is pretty much shot. I am currently using a transparent apple case with my 13 pro max in part because I find I don't particularly enjoy the square edges.
lol wtf is stealth wealth? So let me get this straight. They don't understand that not covering a phone logo as marketing on a TV show, but instead think it's "Stealth Wealth" cause reasons? That is the dumbest thing I've read this week. Stealth Wealth to me would be a multi-millionaire that drives a 2015 Honda Accord in 2023 living in a 1700 sq ft house in middle class neighborhood. Rocking LG Kitchen appliances instead of driving a Mercedes or BMW and using Wolf Appliances. in a 4000 sq ft house.
I stopped using cases because phones got too big. I used to be able to use them one-handed with a case. Now I just barely can without one, and the case adds just enough more millimeters to be too many.
No case or screen protector for me. Never had a bad drop or a cracked screen. Don't care about little nicks or scratches honestly, it's like that wabi-sabi thing, I find some beauty in that. Since 2007, I've only owned the original iPhone, 3GS, iPhone 5, iPhone SE (2016) and now iPhone 13 mini.
Yep the inconvenience is a big part of it too, not to mention they could do even more damage. I had to be without my phone for a week once after a tech destroyed the screen trying to change out the battery.
I’m a neurosurgeon, I started running one month and half ago. All without a case on my iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It‘s exactly this. I have Apple Care+/ Insurance on most of my devices but it‘s the hassle of them being out of service, having to book a repair etc that stops me taking risks.
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Funny enough, I spotted this case-less trend while watching Succession myself, but was attributing it more to their product placement strategy.
I use my iPhone in all sorts of circumstances and often on the go. I also have several other people and pets in my immediate surroundings, making going case-less not so smart. I now use Apple’s own silicone case, which is soft and grippy and much easier to clean and replace if it hits the rock, vs swapping the screen.
My brother-in-law went case-less with his iPhone 11 Pro last winter after years of using Apple’s hard clear case with it. His argument was that he was tired of cleaning stuff getting trapped in it and the case was quite hard to remove. He said he was very happy, as he could then keep his iPhone clean much easier. However, this also had a side-effect, as he started leaving his phone behind while going out to reduce possible damage.
Another practical case advantage, as already mentioned, is being able to put your phone on any flat surface, without damaging the screen or camera bumps.
I use my iPhone in all sorts of circumstances and often on the go. I also have several other people and pets in my immediate surroundings, making going case-less not so smart. I now use Apple’s own silicone case, which is soft and grippy and much easier to clean and replace if it hits the rock, vs swapping the screen.
My brother-in-law went case-less with his iPhone 11 Pro last winter after years of using Apple’s hard clear case with it. His argument was that he was tired of cleaning stuff getting trapped in it and the case was quite hard to remove. He said he was very happy, as he could then keep his iPhone clean much easier. However, this also had a side-effect, as he started leaving his phone behind while going out to reduce possible damage.
Another practical case advantage, as already mentioned, is being able to put your phone on any flat surface, without damaging the screen or camera bumps.
You run with your iPhone 14 Pro Max in your hand, or…?