I stopped using a case a couple of phones ago (I’ve never destroyed a phone. I changed phones because different carriers. Although, I did drop one and it stopped working. Nothing looked broken. It just stopped. Weird). I realized I paid all this money for it to be thin and lightweight, then I ruined it all by adding a case. It’s worked out well so far.
I did have a glass glass protector. Those don’t bother me.
I’m the other way around. I have cases but despise the glass covers whether they are the film or glass. I haven’t had any issues with Galaxy S or my S4 mini. I have however, dropped both on several occasions over the years and I’m pretty sure the case saved them both.
I’m in the probably a waste boat, too. A few weeks ago someone told me a screen protector saved their phone’s screen from shattering after a drop. So I went looking for test results showing force applied to a phone with a screen protector vs one without. The closest to what I was looking for that I found were videos made by companies that sell screen protectors taking a drill or hammer to a protected phone and then peeling the protector off to show that the phone was undamaged. I thought it was telling that the people with the most interest in demonstrating that a screen protector is better than a bare phone did everything but that.
W/o the added thickness of the case, I’d never find it. It usually, but not always goes in one pocket. Cargo shorts in the summer mean even more places for it to hide as the thigh pocket is easiest to put it into if I’m sitting down when I go to put it away. The case also makes it easier to find if I put it on the desk & then a piece of paper gets put on top of it. I also like the kickstand in the case.
The only time I see the raw phone is if I need to remove the case to pull the battery &/or SIM card.
I’m glad they still make smaller ones. My Lumia is about the limit I would want, I can operate it completely with my thumb while holding it in one hand. Needing to use two hands to operate my phone is an annoyance I don’t want.