I'm going with a case because I'm super anal about keeping my phones intact. I have two cases - one is an Incipio NGP which is a thin TPU case that keeps the IR blaster open; the other is the SGP Slim Armor case, which is a bit like an Otterbox Commuter, but a little smaller. I've used both and think I'll probably keep the NGP on when I'm at home or work and use the Slim Armor when I'm out somewhere where a fall could be more damaging to the phone. Plus the NGP is a translucent grey color, so you still get to see some of the beauty of the phone.