While smartphone cases aren’t obligatory, you’ll be taking a risk if you don’t get one.
Whether you buy a phone outright for hundreds or thousands of dollars or get one at a discounted price by entering a data plan, it makes sense to protect your phone with a case. A case is a small investment that safeguards a big investment.
Your phone isn’t just for talking on the phone, sending emails or texts, or streaming music and movies. Because there are apps for just about any purpose under the sun, smartphones have taken on a larger-than-life significance for many people. Many people can’t imagine what they’d do without one.
Statista says revenue in the UK’s smartphone segment in 2025 worked out to $13.4 billion and that the market is on pace to grow annually at a 0.92% compound annual growth rate between 2025 and 2029. Meanwhile, another source notes that people in the UK keep their smartphones for an average of around 5.5 years. Some keep it longer and others for less.
If you want your phone to last, it pays to invest in a smartphone case. Here are three reasons to consider a case for your smartphone.
1. Saves you money in repairs
One reason to invest in a smartphone case is that doing so can help you save on repairs. Consider how many times you’ve dropped your phone. If it’s dropped and hits the ground at the wrong angle, you might wind up with a cracked screen or a phone that’s rendered a brick or paperweight.
It can cost hundreds of dollars to repair a smartphone with a broken screen. If it’s no longer operational, it could cost you a small fortune to replace it.
When considering that a case will be much cheaper, you should know that it’s about paying now or paying later. You can spend a relatively small sum now to protect your smartphone or pay a lot more later if your phone is damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced.
2. Prevents scratches and dings
Scratches can occur easily — often due to carelessness. Whether you carry your smartphone in a pocket, purse, computer bag, or something else, there’s always the risk of it getting damaged by something.
While scratches might not negatively impact useability, they can detract from aesthetics and make the ownership experience less pleasant. You can reduce the risks by keeping it in a case.
Cases aren’t just available for smartphones either. If you have a tablet, it makes sense to invest in a case. And should you be a gamer with a handheld console, a case makes sense for that as well. It’s always a good idea to get a case compatible with your device — whether the product is OEM or from a third party. If you have a Switch 2 console, for instance, you’ll want a Switch 2 case. Apply the same principle to whatever you own. Using the wrong case won’t help as much as it should.
3. Keeps dust and dirt out
Another good reason to consider a case for your smartphone is that the case can help keep dirt, debris, lint, dust, and other things out of your smartphone’s charging port and buttons. So, a protective barrier can help to prevent performance issues that shorten the device’s lifecycle and force you to trade in your phone sooner than you’d like to.
Of course, you’ll want to choose your protective case carefully to get one that offers the protection you want.
Buying a smartphone case offers various benefits. And, as was mentioned before, the low price point for a case compared to the cost of a smartphone makes it a smart investment.
