Triple protecting Stainless Steel and Ceramic Shield

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I have a very peculiar attitude towards protecting my crown jewels. No, not those, but my smartphone, full of my stuff, signed-in sessions, and secrets. Though the exact device isn't critical, it's currently an iPhone 14 Pro Max, which comes with stainless steel chassis and 'Ceramic Shield' glass. So it's pretty damned tough on its own. (If it was an Android flagship, especially from Samsung or Google, then we'd be looking at aluminium and Gorilla Glass Victus, so still reasonably strong.)

The traditional holder of one's smartphone is a pocket, but I find this to be both uncomfortable and impractical, especially when sitting down - try getting a phone out of a jeans pocket when in a car etc. (And don't even mention the unmentionable - keeping a phone in a back pocket, at risk of robbery and destruction.) 

So, at the risk of seeming horrendously unfashionable (I don't care any more!), I keep my phone in a slimline vertical belt holster (made by PDair before they went bust during the pandemic - I stocked up with a few likely sizes!) Just like the cowboys of old, I'm quick on the draw and my phone is in my hand in any situation in a split second.

But I go further. And yes, at this point things go horribly OTT (Over The Top). I admit it. I'm an extreme data point here.

The holster is a significant extra protection, but I also sheath the (already tough) phone in well-designed TPU (usually one of the Ringke Fusion range). This adds grip to make sure I don't drop the phone in use and, should the worst happen, has corner and face protection to make sure an impact with the ground isn't serious.



And then, a final step, I like coating the back of my smartphone with a skin, usually from dBrand or (here in the UK), XtremeSkins. These don't add structural strength but they do help protect the fragile back glass (often the most costly to have repaired, funnily) and also introduce a fun element, where I can change my phone's colour and cosmetic design as and when needed, as per the examples above and below.

So yes, I may be paranoid, but that doesn't mean the universe and physics are not out to destroy my phone. With my whole life on such (even if 99% backed up to the cloud), keeping it going is as important to me as keeping my fragile human self going!

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Comments

Robin Ottawa said…
Is that thick black line in the diagram your hip, Steve? You're looking very svelte for your age, i must say. But your kit is world class for nerds of every age (he says, imagining the young are not different now lol). But i had a belt holster once, for my lemon yellow Nokia Lumia 1020, and the phone popped off the belt as i got in my car, and broke the screen. 🤕 But I must admit it was the holster that popped off because it used a clip instead of belt loops. Maybe it's time to try it again. Thx! Rob V.
2:53 AM
Steve Litchfield said…
Yes, my hip. I try to eat healthily and am lighter and thinner now than when I was in my 30s. I *think* that's good....!!
8:37 PM
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