[Q] Case, Skin or Nothing - Nexus 6 Accessories

Should I use a case, a skin or nothing with my new Nexus 6?
Historically, on all past phones, I've used nothing, as I've never been a fan of cases, not liking the aesthetics or extra bulk. However this is the first phone that I've outright paid $600+ for, so my interest this time is different, and I'm concerned about what would happen to my phone if I dropped it, etc. It should be noted that I did buy the Motorola insurance, so I can replace the phone for $35 if something happens to it. The only thing I dislike about the phone in its naked state is its tendency to spin on flat surfaces.
I've looked at Spigen cases at http://www.spigen.com/.
I've looked at dbrand skins at https://dbrand.com/.
With all of these things in mind, I'm looking for feedback on whether I should use a case, a skin or nothing at all. I'm also looking for feedback on whether I should use a screen protector.

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im a firm believer in using a case and screen protector, all of my smartphones and tablets have them from day 1.
i hate bulky phone cases
i dont like flip cases for phones
i am not a huge fan of ultra slim cases for phones as they only provide protection against scratches and some of them scratch the phone itself
with the nexus 6 i went all out and got my first ever tempered glass screen protector and a dbrand skin and 2 ringke cases, max and fusion, here are my experiences and views with them:
Cases:
for my nexus 6 i purchased a ringke max, fusion and a spigen ultra hybrid which i later returned.
the spigen wasnt as good as the max or the fusion, it looked and felt cheap and the buttons weren't that good as you couldn't differentiate between them.
the max provides a little more drop protection and the phone feels safer in it because it is a dual layer case with a removable plastic window in it to show off the nexus and moto logo. the buttons arent as good as the fusions but theyre usable
the fusion looks and feels great, i have a crystal and a smoke (the smoke was an updated version that they sent me since the first version of the crystal came with scratches). its grippy thanks to the tpu and the plastic back. the crystal looks like it will yellow over time but the back plastic is fully clear, the smoke has a smoke tint over the back plastic but it wont look bad when the tpu has discoloured.
both ringke cases add very little bulk, the max is 1mm or 2mm thicker. both cases keep the design of the phone but do something very important. they are both sit flat where the nexus and moto logos are meaning that the phone wont spin or rock side to side as much as compared to the phone without the case. both cases have dust plugs attached to them that cover the headphone and usb jacks, i like this, others dont, theyre easy to cut off and dont really get in the way if youre patient. they are also compatible with wireless charging, i use an lg wcp 300 and it works flawlessly and it means i dont need to fiddle around with any usb cables and scratch the aluminium rim! i recommend you look into a qi wireless charger to use with your phone, it takes about 3-4 hours to charge which is perfect if you charge your phone while you sleep
i hear good things about the ringke slim, the sf black is the only one that has a soft touch feel to it and its the one id buy if i was to get one, the others feel like polycarbonate
the best thing about using a case isnt the protection or the style factor, its the feeling of the phone when you take it out of the case, your phone feels like new and its all pretty and you appreciate it more. a case has saved my phones many times
spigen ultra hybrid vs fsuion comparison pictures of the max are here with the dbrand skin on
Screen Protectors
if you decide not to use a case then you MUST use a screen protector! plastic or glass, cheap or expensive, use one! it will protect your screen from scratches and im sure that it has saved many of my phone screens from cracking and smashing
you get a free screen protector with all ringke cases, i also have a pack of ringke protectors that i got in order to qualify for free delivery but i really enjoy the spigen protectors on my nexus 4 and 10.
i am currently using a nillkin tempered glass protector, the first glass protector ive ever used and it is well worth the price and hype. i am using the eyes care one that has an anti uv filter that protects your eyes, it doesnt effect the screen wuality in any way, when there is a black image or screen off in bright daylight you will see a blue tint. i also have the nillkin h+ glass protector that doesnt have the blue tint
its hard to get the right glass protector for this phone. orzly fits too short but doesnt lift on the sides (also known as halo), 90% will halo at some place, my nillkin has a small halo near the bottom speaker but it doesnt bother me much as it is no where near the screen
make sure the protector has 2.5 d edges, it basically means that the edges are curved so they dont cut you or peel up
check out the tempered glass forum on xda for which is the best one right now
the glass protectors are superior to the plastic ones in look and feel, i recommend you get a glass one, honestly, it feels like the the actual phone screen and most of them are oiliophobic meaning that they resist grease, sweat and water.
there is a special way to apply glass protectors, look at the hinge or door method
here is a post showing my nillkin protector all of the halo has been removed by using the binder clips method except for one place
Skins
for the nexus 6, this was another first for me, if the back of the phone was glass id use a plastic protector.
if the back was metal, i wouldnt bother
if i had the blue nexus i wouldnt have bothered but i have the white nexus and im glad i do because a) the aluminium rim looks better in sliver than it does in blue, b) skin + ringke fusion case = perfection! and i wouldnt have known or experienced this if i didnt get a white nexus
for this nexus i got my very first phone skin, a dbrand black carbon fibre, pictures dont do it justice. i also got a matte black but i didnt like it so i got a silver titanium that will hopfully look like a brushed aluminium htc one m8. it was simple to apply after watching a few videos on how to do it and the skin looks and feels great
with this in mind, if i had known that slickwraps, an alternative to dbrand, were going to come out with a genuine leather skin for the nexus i would have gotten that, it was announced yesterday so a month or 6 weeks too late for me but i might look into it in the future
here are some pictures of the skin with and without the case the pictures dont do it justice, theyre epic in person
hope my experiences help, have a look at dedicated forums on xda for cases, skins, screen protectors, both glass and plastic, to find whichever suits you the most

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Case and skin
That's what I use and its my favorite set up so far. I have 14 skins and 10 cases.
My favorite cases
SupCase beetle hybrid
Spigen ultra hybrid
Skins:
Slickwraps: green carbon, orange carbon, silver carbon and soon real bamboo and rela Horween leather!

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No case and no screen protector here. Always use my phones naked. Definitely wouldn't mind a screen protector but because of the curved glass I feel that tempered glass screen protectors look odd without a case or have that nasty halo effect. I'm generally careful but I understand one mishap and I'll be getting my phone replaced.

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I have been using a Caseology gold case for a while, but I took it off and have been going naked. I love the feel of this device bare. It feels so good in your hands.
I do have a spiegen screen protector and I believe in using a screen protector.
I have a spiegen clear slim case on order, and I just ordered a real leather black pouch. I am thinking the pouch may be my ultimate choice as I will get the daily protection but will have the naked feel when using.

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ZeusIII said:
No case and no screen protector here. Always use my phones naked. Definitely wouldn't mind a screen protector but because of the curved glass I feel that tempered glass screen protectors look odd without a case or have that nasty halo effect. I'm generally careful but I understand one mishap and I'll be getting my phone replaced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running naked as well but there's no way I was gonna risk scratching the screen (biggest negative for resale). Instead of the ugly tempered glass with huge gaps I bought regular film (Spigen) and it's pretty much perfect... It goes almost from edge to edge (right to the curve) and no lifting at all. Cheap too (pack of 3).
But I'm bummed about the metal sides though. I realized recently that I should have bought a white one with un-ionized metal because you can always polish out scuffs with steel wool, fine sand paper. The back cover can always be swapped for Blue color if you want. Anyway, I have a few scuffs by now but there's no way I'm gonna put it in a case because it's already a gigantic phone. I loved 2013 MotoX finish.... Bullet proof

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I got a case, got sick of it, then bought skin
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Thank you all for the great feedback, and keep it coming. For those of you that are only using skins, what do you think the likelihood is of damage if you drop your phone?

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Karine said:
Thank you all for the great feedback, and keep it coming. For those of you that are only using skins, what do you think the likelihood is of damage if you drop your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rarely use a screen protector or case. This phone has a back that is so slippery, I'm looking for something to improve the grip. I was looking at some of the skins that are applied to the back but haven't read any feedback about the grip. If I get a case, it needs to work with a Air Frame vent holder and there isn't much room for anything except a very minimal case.

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I hate the bulk of most cases so I'm doing intelliglass for screen protection and for minimal drop protection, I've picked up the spigen thin fit and ringke slim case. Neither adds bulk. The spigen is grippier while the ringke, in white, protects all sides.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

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mgerbasio said:
I rarely use a screen protector or case. This phone has a back that is so slippery, I'm looking for something to improve the grip. I was looking at some of the skins that are applied to the back but haven't read any feedback about the grip. If I get a case, it needs to work with a Air Frame vent holder and there isn't much room for anything except a very minimal case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The skins add grip to the phone. With dbrand skins, carbon fibre adds the most grip followed by the titanium and then the wood and leather.
Don't expect anything like grip tape but it is less slippery than the normal back
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

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I just ordered a full body Skinomi skin with screen protector that I'm gonna try out.

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You could get the SlickWraps Horween leather skin's. They will give you more grip then a base because it's leather...

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Naked. Never used a case of history many I have owned and they still look new/mint when I move to next. But I am that Monk type person so all my stuff is new like even years old so depends on person. Phone makers go so much trouble make a phone look sexy makes no sense me why people cover it up. My 77 SS Chevy not made be covered but shown same as my Dodge SRT to be shown not covered. I think they sexy look of phone makes it itself not cases we put on it.
Sent from mobile...excuse typos!

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Is it bad I kinda hope everyone going naked drops their phone and cracks their screen? Case and screen protector since day one for me.

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I use a combination of skin and case right now because my phone seems to be starting to show very minor signs of the back beginning to detach itself from the phone ("detachgate" as some people are starting to call it). Generally, I just use a full body vinyl skin and a screen protector of some sort on most of my devices, and put them in cases only when I feel the risk is high enough that I need it, especially on a phone this big.