Once you make the buy, the iPhone suddenly becomes even more important than your girlfriend. It's understandable. After all, thanks to its curves and slim appearance, it could easily compete with real-life models. But, is it something you’d want to hide from the eyes of the envious, just to protect the device in itself?

The question here really is “to protect or not to protect" the iPhone, to the disadvantage of its superb appearance and, yes, why not, even its functionality? Using protective cases not only hides the true beauty of Apple's smartphone, but some of them actually obstruct the sides of the touch-screen, making it difficult to use the virtual keyboard, which is already a pain for some. So again, is this an investment worth considering?

Well, for the geek who always has to get the next best thing, no. Geeks too buy the iPhone for its looks, not only for its ability to run hundreds of third party apps (great ones, too). But then, when the new iPhone 3G arrives, they sell the old iPhone model, and grab the new handset. Now, if this were you, wouldn't you feel sorry you've been over-protective with the iPhone? Honestly, who destroys the iPhone in under a year? Moreover, who even holds on to the device for more than two years? The answer - not that many people. Especially when they're faithful customers of companies which, once a year, release spectacular new products. So, for these folks, it's a win-win situation, should they not opt for protective cases. Actually, it's a win-win-win scenario, since cases cost money too.

For the celebrity star who... well, they too always have to have the next best thing so, no, again. The furthest they'll get is probably this.

For the casual users who buy the iPhone merely because they hear it's great and all, again, no. Why? Well, because they're not that crazy about it in the first place. These users merely get it for just one, or two of the main features it boasts - 3G and GPS, for example. And you don't see that many dedicated GPS devices looking like something out of Star Trek, do you? Here's what I'm talking about.



1. Skin for iPhone 3G - Scoche
2. Micro Grip, iPhone 3G rubber case - Belkin

The only person who would, understandably, buy one of the above items, and should not be judged for their actions, is the same person who would buy the I Am Rich application.

Personally, I believe the iPhone is display material, a device whose streamlined, luscious appearance should make the delight of your friends, work colleagues and passers-by alike. After all, isn't looks one of the main reasons you got it for?

There are some benefits to using protective cases, nonetheless. Even though the device looks half as good as it did before strapping the case / sleeve on it, some cases actually sport signal boosters. For 35 bucks, Griffin's ClearBoost Antenna-boosting case for iPhone boosts the built-in antenna of your device, and widens the services area. Using the ClearBoost leads to fewer dropped calls, a cleaner signal (good news for 3G owners) and, of course, physical protection against bumps and scratches. This one doesn't look all that bad either.



ClearBoost, Antenna-boosting case for iPhone - Griffin

So, what's your opinion on iPhone cases? Should they be advertised as must-have “winter-coats” for a lovely device such as your iPhone?