If it's a pricey phone then yeah, it's worth a case/screen protector, especially if having a scuffed or marked phone really grips your poop (real phrase). My cousin bought a brand spanking new Note 4 sometime ago. Less than 48 hours later he dropped it cracking and chipping the plastic. He hadn't gotten round to a case yet... I look after my devices as if they were a near mint copy of "Giant Sized X-Men" #1, so I go screen protector and case.
Cheers! Now I just have to decide if I want a flip case or not! Aaaargh, another decision to be made!
I'be done the same. Bought a new phone, dropped it the next day and destroyed the screen. Cost a small fortune getting it repaired. What do you do with your phone when you go snowboarding? If you carry it, you can get some super tough cases ("used by special forces"), might be worth getting one and popping it on when you go to the slopes.
I had a lifeproof case for my iPhone and I'm getting one for the S6 I'll be picking up. For me having it water/dirt/dust/drop protected is a big deal. It's not as good on the drop as an otterbox but good enough. I suppose I could always adhere some rubber to it as extra protection. Some of those glass screen protectors work pretty well too. I've seen them save a few of my friends' phones.
I've used several flip cases in the past and they've generally done me well, they add additional screen protection too. Screen protection wise I've gone with relatively cheap ones off eBay. I find that I always mess up when first attempting to apply them. It winds me up when dirt gets trapped underneath it or there's bubbles I can't remove, so rake your time with that.
At the moment my current (prehistoric, non-smartphone) sits in the lockers when I go boarding, but I think the heavy duty case might be a good idea. I'm just not sure whether to get one with a front cover on or not bother (particularly if I get a screen protector for it).
As it happens, I too am due a phone upgrade. I was toying with the OnePlus 2, I scored three invites but let them lapse as I'm still not sure about it. I'm also thinking of the Motorola X Style. I dunno, part of me wants to stay with Samsung, but with the Note 5 still unreleased in the UK, I am forced to look elsewhere for my wares...
