For the most part, whenever a new smartphone is released, many folks immediately jump to grab a case. That is, unless we're talking about some of the more obscure options when looking at the best rugged phones. After owning the Galaxy Z Fold 2 for a year, I came to a realization that might not be the most popular of opinions.

You don't need a case.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 provided a big jump in terms of durability, just from the standpoint of the design itself. In addition, Samsung improved the hinge, slimmed down the phone, and made it lighter. This combination made the Z Fold 2 easier to hold and manage on a daily basis, and adding a case just put back all the bulk and heft that Samsung removed.

Fast forward to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and I have only purchased one case for my new foldable phone. The Z Fold 3 is even lighter and slightly thinner than its predecessor (when folded). One-handed operability is a breeze, especially now that one of the best Android launchers, Niagara Launcher, has been optimized for foldables, and you can just swipe up and down to find your favorite apps.

So again, why would I want to put a case on a phone that is priced higher than my laptop and iPad Pro? I don't use a laptop case and never have, and the only case I use with the iPad Pro is the Magic Keyboard so it can transform into a laptop when I need it to.

What I've decided to do instead is to rely solely on skins from the likes of dbrand. When dbrand unveiled the "Robot Camo" a couple of years ago, I fell in love and was extremely disappointed when it was taken away as part of the company's "limited drops." But it's since been re-instated and was the first accessory that I purchased for my Galaxy Z Fold 3.

See, I know that I'm a bit lucky, as I don't need to head to a job site or office any day. Most of my days are spent inside my home office in my apartment. And if I do venture out, the Z Fold 3 just stays in my pocket or in the cup holder of my car. Not once have I come across a situation where I thought, "man, a case would be really helpful."

This point was driven even further home after picking up the S Pen Folio Cover, which was more of an effort to get my hands on the Fold Edition S Pen than actually using the case. The case itself is an abomination in its own right, and if you check out the r/GalaxyFold subreddit, you'll come across plenty of Fold 3 owners who have modified the case to try and fix what's wrong with it.

So instead of dealing with all of that, I came up with another solution for those times that I might actually need a case. But again, it's to be able to have somewhere to put my S Pen instead of just throwing it in my pocket or in my backpack.

The solution I came up with actually came from the r/GalaxyFold subreddit. Just take a basic clear case, slap on a couple of Ringke Stylus Holders, and call it a day. However, I did take it a step further, as you can see that there's a PopSockets PopGrip for MagSafe on the back. This is thanks to the Mophie Snap+ adapters, and since I own plenty of MagSafe accessories for my iPhone 12 Pro Max, I now can use all of those accessories with my Z Fold 3.

Opting for a skin over a case is not the best solution for everyone. In fact, I highly recommend that you probably should grab one of the best Galaxy Z Fold 3 cases if you own this foldable wonder.

But for me, I'm not willing to make the sacrifice of not being able to enjoy the engineering marvel that is the Z Fold 3. And for that matter, the Z Flip 3. There's a dbrand Robot Camo skin sitting on my desk just waiting to be applied to my Galaxy Z Flip 3. So if you'll excuse me, I need to grab my hairdryer and slap this bad boy on it.

Dbrand Skins

Forget using a case; personalize your phone with a skin
Dbrand skins are my favorite way to customize and personalize how my various smartphones look. Cases add too much bulk and generally just aren't enjoyable to use. Using a skin helps your phone keep a low profile, and there are so many options to choose from.