A protective dual layer case is a must with me since I have a propensity to dropkick, hook and launch, and drop phones off my lap when I get out of the car. Also, I spend most of the day on concrete and pavement and I don't buy cell phone insurance (it's a serious waste of money) So with my new phone I'm rockin' a Trident aegis, which ironically makes my new phone almost the same thickness as my last phone was WITHOUT a case. It also makes it easier for me to handle the phone and makes it feel better in my hand due to the size. Lastly I use a screen protector. I work with metal, and always end up with small metal chips in my pockets, I have also caught myself swiping the screen while having a small metal chip on my thumb, I also put the phone in the right pocket on my jeans, where a clip on knife is clipped to my change pocket, with my old phone I didn't have a screen protector, and the screen always hit the clip in the same spot, there were small scratches...and it was gorilla glass.