I Upgraded to an Otterbox, and It Saved My Brand New iPhone's Screen

Meredith Dietz Meredith Dietz Senior Staff Writer ExperienceMeredith is a marathon runner and stand-up comedian. As Lifehacker’s Senior Staff Writer, she covers personal fitness tech, home gym equipment, and more. Read Full Bio July 30, 2026 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google We may earn a commission from links on this page. Credit: Meredith Dietz Table of Contents Over the years, I have cracked more phone screens than I'd like to admit. It usually starts as a small crack in the corner, only to eventually spread across the screen like a spiderweb. That's actually how I ended up needing to upgrade to a new iPhone (the 17 Pro) last month. Only this time, I swore I was going to protect it properly.In the past, I'd avoided bulky cases for silly style reasons. But sleek phones are also, as I have proven again and again, fragile phones. So this time, I went all in: an Otterbox case, a screen protector, and a MagSafe wallet. If I was going to upgrade my phone, I figured I might as well upgrade my whole relationship with it. I put my Otterbox case and screen protector to the test with truly comedic timing. Within hours of securing my new phone in the Otterbox protections, it fell out of my pocket while I was biking. I am who I am. I picked the phone up braced for the worst—which was justified, since the screen protector was, in fact, cracked. The actual iPhone screen underneath, however, was completely fine. This is because the screen protector did exactly what it's designed to do: It takes the hit so your $1,000 phone doesn't have to.I peeled off the screen protector and ordered a replacement for $40. Meanwhile, my actual phone, underneath the Otterbox and now a fresh protector, thankfully remains undamaged. What do you think so far? The MagSafe wallet has turned out to be an upgrade in its own right, too. Now my cards are attached to the thing I am, for better or worse, incapable of losing track of: my phone. I'll admit there's an irony in taking this long to arrive at the obvious conclusion that protecting your $1,000 device with a $60 case (and $40 screen protector) is a good trade. Now, when I picture my next phone drop—and there certainly will be one—I'm hopeful that worst case, I'm out another screen protector and five minutes of my day. For someone with my track record of cracking phone screens, an Otterbox case (and accessories) are a no-brainer upgrade. Lifehacker has been a go-to source of tech help and life advice since 2005. Our mission is to offer reliable tech help and credible, practical, science-based life advice to help you live better. Our Mission Our Team Newsletter © 2001-2026 Ziff Davis, LLC., A ZIFF DAVIS COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Lifehacker is a federally registered trademark of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of Lifehacker. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.