Case & Screen protector worth it?

[Tejer]

So this is more of an opinion thread but I want some because I'm on the fence after reading around about whether or not to get a case and screen protector for this phone. My current nature from the other 2 phones i've used is telling me to get them because I've always had them on past phones. Putting that feeling aside, research is telling me that the gorilla glass screen wont really scratch much and if I drop it really hard it will crack possible regardless of having a screen protector on it. Also, I am feeling that the case just would make the phone a little bulkier with little benefit except protecting from color fading and a few dings here and there. What do you all use and what's your thoughts? My Evo V is currently not using any protective casings/covers.

 

[kagevazquez]

I think about it like this if I'm about to get shot would I want to be in a car or an armored car

 

[deathsled]

I use a silicon/rubber case I got off eBay for $2 which adds minimal bulk and my phone still has the protective plastic on the screen that came on it out of the box. Take THAT Radio Shack sales associate!

 

[Tejer]

I think about it like this if I'm about to get shot would I want to be in a car or an armored car

It's a good point, but consider would it matter which car you were in if it were an atomic bomb?

I know that's a drastic difference, but what I've been hearing is if you drop the phone anyways you've just cracked your screen regardless of having a case/protector on it. Most people say the quality is good and wont scratch at all from normal things like keys rubbing it, etc. Anyone tried scratching theres on purpose?

I'm just not sure what to do, I want to save the money if I can, which I know I can. But I'm just seeking advice from people who have had the phone longer than the 3 days I have.

 

[Tejer]

Ok, so I found this on Youtube, thought you all would like some assurance of how cool our phones are This guy uses Evo V as a hammer!

HTC EVO 3D screen crash test. Driving a nail. - YouTube

 

[GTWolf]

Well I have the otterbox defender on mine and while I hate the huge amount of bulk it adds to the phone, I kind of need it thanks to a 1 year old who is all about android. That said, it makes using my dock to stream movies hard, (read impossible) but the few times it does take a spill, I'm glad it's there.

 

[SuperAfnan]

I think you should get a case and screen protector because it's better safe then sorry. I have a tpu case and it's pretty great. I am still a bit skeptical about gorrila glass though. On amazon you can find tpu cases for the evo 3d as well as screen protectors for cheap.

 

[imabitfighty]

I had a bunch of spare batteries on my triumph because it died so fast. this made me not want to put on the gloss black TPU case I bought for it becuase i had to constantly take it off to swap batteries.

also, even though the triumphs screen was gorilla glass, i DID manage to put 3 circular scratches right in the center of it and they never went away. and when i put a protector over them they just made bubbles...

so with my evo, im being extremely delicate with it and ordering a nice white TPU case off ebay. I also just ordered a spare battery and 3 screen protectors.

The battery life on my evo is amazing, i can leave it on under my pillow overnight and by the morning its only down 5% battery. super impressed. so I know I can leave the case on without constantly swapping batteries.

as for the screen protector. I would LOVE to believe that gorilla glass doesnt need it, but seeing as I scratched gorilla glass first hand, I know it isnt some invincible material. and a second layer of protection is better than none.

you NEVER know when your phone is gunna fly out of your hand like a bar of soap. its always when you least expect it and thats how I totally ruined my Optimus V. flew out of my hands and rubbed its screen against asphalt. I had a screen protector, it took all the damage to the screen, so i peeled it off. but if i had a case the plastic body of the phone might have survived too. it looked like hell after that and that was only days after I paid like 150 or so for it.

 

[chadyboy81]

I have the 4 piece otterbox as my main ibhave almost everycase sold at sprint bb and radio shack its bulky but completely sealed I like it plus has a stand I've dropped it a few good times and its still brand new looking

 

[OverByter]

I personally use the Seidio Active Combo Case because it adds minimal bulk and fits my dock, also even though it's 2 piece it's very easy to remove as a single piece for battery changes. I also prefer wet application screen protectors myself because instead of scratch resistance I believe that they provide better impact resistance to the screen. You can buy decent ones on ebay for about $2 - $3, 1/10 the price of pos Zagg's.

 

[Tejer]

The battery life on my evo is amazing, i can leave it on under my pillow overnight and by the morning its only down 5% battery. super impressed. so I know I can leave the case on without constantly swapping batteries.

Not to get off topic of my own darn thread, but do you leave 3g on 24/7 or turn data off to get that battery life? Even if I idle my phone it will last about 8 hours with 3g on. Now when I turn 3g off and leave service on I will get over a day if I am not heavily using it and just use wifi when I want to.

To all other responses thanks for your input so far, it seems that it may just be better to pay the $8 on amazon to get a case, car charger, and screen protector.

PS: Anytime you do a screen protector (especially the cheaper ones), use antistatic gloves or plain rubber gloves. It's magical to be able to peel off the protector if you get it on crooked/misalligned the first time and dont want to risk ruining it by touching it with your fingers. Plus the gloves dont attract dust.

 

[imabitfighty]

Not to get off topic of my own darn thread, but do you leave 3g on 24/7 or turn data off to get that battery life? Even if I idle my phone it will last about 8 hours with 3g on. Now when I turn 3g off and leave service on I will get over a day if I am not heavily using it and just use wifi when I want to.

To all other responses thanks for your input so far, it seems that it may just be better to pay the $8 on amazon to get a case, car charger, and screen protector.

PS: Anytime you do a screen protector (especially the cheaper ones), use antistatic gloves or plain rubber gloves. It's magical to be able to peel off the protector if you get it on crooked/misalligned the first time and dont want to risk ruining it by touching it with your fingers. Plus the gloves dont attract dust.

to answer that quickly without de-railing the whole thread, ill just say that I leave 3G and 4G radios on, AND wifi inside my house. I turn off wifi when I'm out.

I use mobster rom and I use the "save power" option in the quick settings. i just leave it to on. I assume it manages the radios and makes them disconnect when the phone is idling for a long time.

4G really kills my battery pretty quick but if i turn that radio off and use solely 3G (and i do a lot of browsing, data usage stuff) I can get all the way through to the next day on a single charge.

I'm too satisfied with the great battery life to complain about it or try to find out why its so good. I'm just letting a good thing be a good thing.

You might have an app open that is constantly using data. even if its only pulling a small amount of data, the time it turns the radio on and searches for signal uses more power than how much data it pulled in. I turn off ALL apps that pull data. nothing checks the internet for anything until I open it.



and now back on topic, I bought my stuff on ebay. 1.99 for the nice TPU case ( i love TPU cases) and 0.99 for a set of 3 screen protectors, and 2.99 for a spare battery. same model as the one in my phone.

all shipped from china so they might take awhile, but I ordered the same china batteries for my triumph and they lasted all year without fail. so I have no problem buying again.

 

[Spritey]

I'll say it again: you can keep gorilla glass in your pocket with your keys, you can stab it with a knife, and you can use it as a hammer. But a single grain of sand will do more damage than any of those things combined.

So you should be fine without a screen protector as long as you avoid beaches and playgrounds

I've yet to find a screen protector that doesn't either scratch too easily or have an orange peel texture, so I don't have anything on it right now...and of course, I'm going to the beach tomorrow. I'm literally going to put my phone in a ziploc bag.

As for cases, I'd definitely recommend one of the S-shape TPU cases from Amazon. They're cheap, not bulky, they look like they're actually part of the phone, they protect the cameras, they do a good job of protecting against falls (I can attest to that personally), and they have a ridge that extends above the screen. So even if you do drop it, your screen might not even touch the ground.

At the end of the day, I'd recommend a really nice screen protector (I've heard Steinheil, Boxwave, and Clarivue are good) with a cheap case. You won't notice the protector and the case can be taken off when you're home.

 

[josborne6]

Case it. Otterbox commuter doesn't add much bulk at all and will protect against minor drops. Was looking for a trident cyclops II but found the commuter at the mall and grabbed it. I had the commuter on my Optimus V and loved it. Makes in and out of pockets easy yet silicone gives some bump protection that hard cases don't. My .02.

 

[harvickchick]

Wow, that video was crazy. I have a cheap screen protector on that came with the acase i have. Which I reallllyyy like. My biggest concern was the cameras on the back getting scratched up since they stick up. the acase helps with that.

 

[Banished Angel]

A naked phone is a happy phone

No screen protector or case for me. I have a case, but it's so annoying to get off (it can take 5 minutes on a bad day) that I don't even bother with it anymore. As you've seen from the video, the screen is very tough. I don't live near a beach so i'm not worried about scratches. I also don't drop my phone, ever. I believe in being careful. On the day I do finally drop my phone i'll probably regret not having the case on, but it's a choice I've made.

 

[koopakid08]

I use a black s style tpu case. They cost a couple bucks and Amazon and are very light and minimal but offer some good protection, (especially if you are worried about the giant camera sticking out of the back).

While I have yet to install a screen protector, I have a Zagg I bought on sale sitting in my drawer that I'm planning on trying out.

 

[boomer_jmoore]

I have the trident aegis case. It's silicone on the outside and a hard plastic on the outside. I prefer it that way because the silicone inside absorbs the shock of the impact of a fall and the hard shell on the outside makes it easy to slide in and out of a pocket. It's comes with a belt clip, removable kickstand that you can swap out for other accessories (tripod, bike mount, etc.) and it came with a clear screen protector. The screen protector is awesome but I super prefer an anti glare one. I have been getting the great shield brand off amazon (got it for the Motorola Triumph before) and let me tell you that being able to see my videos, browse the Web, play games and text message without having to cover my phone to see it in direct sunlight is so worth it. Check out trident though. I highly recommend them.

http://www.tridentcase.com

 

[OverByter]

While I have yet to install a screen protector, I have a Zagg I bought on sale sitting in my drawer that I'm planning on trying out.

While I personally use wet install protectors definitely don't use the Zagg, they are the worst especially considering the price. They have a severely noticeable orange peel effect and are extremely grippy giving a crappy feel to your screen.

 

[koopakid08]

While I personally use wet install protectors definitely don't use the Zagg, they are the worst especially considering the price. They have a severely noticeable orange peel effect and are extremely grippy giving a crappy feel to your screen.

So you have another brand you recommend?

 

[OverByter]

So you have another brand you recommend?

Yeah, lately I've been using Stealth Shieldz, they go for $5 for 2 on ebay but the seller is cool and takes offers. Got mine for $4, comes with a 60 day no questions asked money back guarantee and a lifetime warranty. They have absolutely no orange peel or sticky feel. Which are the biggest negatives compared to the static variety. One of the reasons why they are so inexpensive compared to Zagg's is because you mix your own solution using dish washing liquid which saves on shipping costs. Fits perfectly without leaving any edge to catch. Exceptional screen response and clarity . I've used many over the years including Zagg's and highly recommend these.

 

[SuperAfnan]

I'll say it again: you can keep gorilla glass in your pocket with your keys, you can stab it with a knife, and you can use it as a hammer. But a single grain of sand will do more damage than any of those things combined.

So you should be fine without a screen protector as long as you avoid beaches and playgrounds

I've yet to find a screen protector that doesn't either scratch too easily or have an orange peel texture, so I don't have anything on it right now...and of course, I'm going to the beach tomorrow. I'm literally going to put my phone in a ziploc bag.

As for cases, I'd definitely recommend one of the S-shape TPU cases from Amazon. They're cheap, not bulky, they look like they're actually part of the phone, they protect the cameras, they do a good job of protecting against falls (I can attest to that personally), and they have a ridge that extends above the screen. So even if you do drop it, your screen might not even touch the ground.

At the end of the day, I'd recommend a really nice screen protector (I've heard Steinheil, Boxwave, and Clarivue are good) with a cheap case. You won't notice the protector and the case can be taken off when you're home.

This

 

[biggpat86]

case it! ya never know when something might happen. i know overbyter has been repping the active case for months now, and i see why.

my phone, with active case, has officially been shown to be crazy gf proof. long story short, the phone took a pretty hard impact into my coat closet door from a recent flight (she threw the eff out of it) and survived without a scratch. it didnt even reboot itself.

i also have the trident kraken case, super bulky, but ultra-omega protection. my phone survived a mutli-story drop off a balcony with it on.