[oefrha]

Not in my case. I never ever used a case since iPhone 4. Then I dropped my slippery XS Max two months in, cracked the back glass, and “repair” cost like 70% of a new phone. So it’s been living in the silicone case since, it’s no longer slippery and I don’t see the crack.

[indemnity]

I guess the XS Max would be well outside of AppleCare+ territory, but for those of us who upgrade every 2-3 years, AppleCare+ is great.

It's literally insurance for your phone except you don't have to deal with the insurer.

I've only used the Express Replacement Service part of it twice, but when I've used it, it's been like magic. I get a brand new (refurb probably, but who can tell) phone within 2 days, and then I send back the old one.

No questions asked, no weeks of wrangling with the insurer.

[oefrha]

Yeah, now I get AppleCare+ (or whatever tier that covers accidental damage as well) on everything since the 50%-70% “repair” (i.e. replacement) cost on the slightest damage is insane. It seems you can now pay to extend the coverage indefinitely after the standard period, according to an Apple Store employee when I got a new iPad Pro recently.

[layer8]

Starting with the iPhone 6, iPhones became slippery due to the rounded sides. This stopped with the iPhone 12, with the return to flat sides. Except for a short stint with the iPhone 6, I skipped the whole rounded-sides era, and never used a case.