Cell cases: How effective and are they worth the money?
Ryan Scott
Smart phones have been steadily rising in popularity, reaching sales of $36 billion in 2012 according to ABI Research, of which $20 billion came from accessories.
Phone protection accessories such as cases and screen protectors are among the most popular accessories sold for smart phones, which make up a combined 43 percent of accessories sold according to the NPD Group.
“People love to buy phone cases right now,” said Sajal, a sales representative for Cellairis. “They need it.”
Sajal went on to add that cell phone cases are becoming a regular product for cell phone owners, no matter what the price of the phone.
“It doesn’t matter if people have a $20 dollar phone or a $300 dollar phone they will still spend $20 on a case,” said Sajal
There is a very wide variety of cases available to consumers with a lot of varying factors such as price, style and material.
Otterbox is one of the most successful manufacturers of cell phone cases with total revenues of $525 million dollars according to Forbes, who also listed Otterbox as one of the ten most promising companies in America.
“I drop my phone a lot, like five times a day and it just bounces,” said Kimberly Thomas, who has an Otterbox Defender Series case for her iPhone 4S.
Thomas said that she spent around $65 on the case, and considers it to be a worthwhile investment.
Screen protectors also come in a wide variety of options, but many consumers and blogs feel that screen protectors are less relevant with the advent of improved scratch resistant glass that nearly all smart phones incorporate.
There is however, evidence to support the usefulness of a screen protector.
First, they prevent glare and help to avoid fingerprints on the screen of the device but more importantly, they can help prevent the screen from breaking.
Erica Griffen, a tech and accessory reviewer, recently tested the effectiveness of the iLoome ScreenMate.
