My pixel 4a is in the mail. What case and screen protector should I get?

[john01dav]

My pixel 4a is in the mail, and I need to protect it properly. I don't coddle my phone, and I tend to carry it with my everywhere, so dropping *WILL* happen, and I need proper protection to make this a non-issue, even if dropping happens frequently and/or from a significant height. For previous phones, I have just gone on Amazon and picked something that didn't have any clear red flags and offered a sufficient warranty, but this has recently failed me where my case (an otter box) for my LG G5 caused the phone to overheat to the point that it was a bit too hot to touch, and then the battery responded predictably (swelling a *lot*, to the point that it cracked the screen, burst the back off the phone, and now it is, in all, about 1.5 inches thick at the center). I want strong protection, with a warranty where the manufacturer will pay for fixes if my phone gets dropped or otherwise damaged and the protection fails (even if it happens multiple years after I buy the case, as I intend to keep this phone for a long time), I want an affordable case and/or screen protector, and I don't particularly care about aesthetics. What is the best option?

[AndreiArgeanu]

31 minutes ago, john01dav said:

I want strong protection, with a warranty where the manufacturer will pay for fixes if my phone gets dropped or otherwise damaged and the protection fails

There is no manufacturer that I know of that does that, since there is now way for them to confirm whether or not you were using the case when it dropped. If you want protection against accidental damage, insure your phone. I get free phone insurance from my bank which covers accidental damage and many other things. Your best choice is to get something like this and a screen protector. Or you know, just take better care of your phone, it doesn't really take a lot to take a little care of it, after all your hands aren't made of butter.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/POETIC-Revolution-Dual-Layer-Shockproof-Protective/dp/B08CKNLTLV/ref=sr_1_16?dchild=1&keywords=pixel+4a+case&qid=1600914859&sr=8-16

.

 

[kirashi]

54 minutes ago, john01dav said:

My pixel 4a is in the mail, and I need to protect it properly. 

I just checked my favorite phone case manufacturer Tech21 but they don't seem to have the Pixel 4a phone listed on their site just yet. Looks like even Otterbox still doesn't have the Defender case for the Pixel 4a ready just yet, so you might have to wait a bit if you want a name-brand case that offers good protection. Otherwise manufacturer's like Moko off Amazon are an OK compromise. https://www.otterbox.com/en-us/pixel-4a

 

56 minutes ago, john01dav said:

I want strong protection, with a warranty where the manufacturer will pay for fixes if my phone gets dropped or otherwise damaged and the protection fails

Um.... I worked at a retail electronics store for 5+ years and have NEVER seen ANY case manufacturer that offers such a warranty. If you want to protect your device from accidents, you can see if the credit card used to purchase the phone offers any kind of extended warranty, or head over to SquareTrade's website to see if they still allow people to purchase accidental coverage for newly bought devices.

[Roswell]

If you’re using a case that has a lip above the screen, screen protectors are unnecessary for 99% of people since the screen will never touch the ground unless you somehow manage to drop it on a pointed object.

 

There are always exceptions like getting scratches from stuff like sand or rocks, so it’s up to you. I personally would rather save the money and not have to deal with the bubbles, sharp edges and peeling.

[Guest]

14 hours ago, huilun02 said:

You bought a 3,140mAh battery phone. Good luck with that

Genuine question, are you saying that smaller batteries degrade faster than bigger ones?

 

On 9/23/2020 at 10:00 PM, john01dav said:

My pixel 4a is in the mail, and I need to protect it properly. I don't coddle my phone, and I tend to carry it with my everywhere, so dropping *WILL* happen, and I need proper protection to make this a non-issue, even if dropping happens frequently and/or from a significant height. For previous phones, I have just gone on Amazon and picked something that didn't have any clear red flags and offered a sufficient warranty, but this has recently failed me where my case (an otter box) for my LG G5 caused the phone to overheat to the point that it was a bit too hot to touch, and then the battery responded predictably (swelling a *lot*, to the point that it cracked the screen, burst the back off the phone, and now it is, in all, about 1.5 inches thick at the center). I want strong protection, with a warranty where the manufacturer will pay for fixes if my phone gets dropped or otherwise damaged and the protection fails (even if it happens multiple years after I buy the case, as I intend to keep this phone for a long time), I want an affordable case and/or screen protector, and I don't particularly care about aesthetics. What is the best option?

Otterbox has a few styles for the 4a and they're kinda a big name in protection, though get out your wallet. If Lifeproof made a case I'd recommend that but alas they do not. As for screen protector just a regular tempered glass should do, or a film based if you're feeling froggy.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Yes. 

 

Phone usage = cargo required to be delivered every day

Big battery = one big truck

Small battery = one small truck

Recharge = return trip

Battery left at end of day = excess cargo delivered

 

Now tell me, is the big truck or small truck going to last longer?

I suppose that makes sense in the context of your analogy, but would it matter at all on what kind of cargo is being delivered or how efficient the delivery system is? For example, moving away from the analogy, if a user is deemed 'light' in terms of his daily tasks and has a smaller capacity phone, but a 'heavy' user has the larger battery, would the battery degradation essentially cancel out due to their individual uses? To further expand on that idea, would it have an impact at all if one user leaves his phone plugged in all the time while the other practices 'good' charging habits?

 

I guess what I'm saying is are their more factors at play when it comes to battery degradation besides just pure size? Again, not arguing with you, I generally do not know.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

The cargo is the same... the power needed for phone operation. And why are you talking about efficiency as new variable when the only variable we are talking about here is the battery size?

True battery size was my first question, but as I stated in my previous comment, i want to know if there are other variables that can be at play that may sway battery degradation one way or the other. I wasn't sure if there's just a black and white answer that "big battery good, small battery bad".

 

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

No. Because a light user with a high battery capacity would end up with a lot of spare juice and would still have recharge less often. The number of 'trips' the battery has to make is lower.

I was trying to say a light user with a small battery, not the bigger one. Since your original statement was strictly about size, I was curious to know if lighter users with smaller batteries would see less degradation then heavier users with bigger batteries, or if they would essentially be the same.

 

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Usage pattern is the fault of the user, not the battery size. And you asked specifically about battery capacity in the first place. Why are you trying to shift the topic to argue against the fact that higher battery capacity, with all other things held equal, is always better?

Again, I've already agreed with you about capacity alone...now I'm trying to figure out if other factors would be at play that could potentially move the needle one way or the other. But honestly I don't wanna derail OPs thread anymore and this isn't the thread to continue our little back and forth. Thanks for the info.