Fifteen years ago, a cell phone was simply for calling: no apps, no music, no touch screens, and no texting. Today, a phone means much more. As the features of phones progressed, so did the cases. Whether you’re looking for convenient or cautious, it’s easy to find the perfect case out of the millions to choose from.

Ever feel like you look great in the mirror but the iPhone’s front-facing camera just doesn’t agree? Problem solved! There is a special phone case created to provide optimal lighting for picture taking. The case has a button on the back that turns lights on around the sides of the case. “I like how it can provide better selfie lighting. Selfie lighting is necessary to see everybody more clearly in the photo,” said sophomore Jimmy Pfefferle. You can check it out here.

In a poll done by Zephyrus, 17 out of 24 Edina High School students claim to have needed a replacement for their phone due to cracking their screens. Besides screen cracking, your phone is threatened by water damage, dents, and scratches. You name it, someone has done it. With a Lifeproof case, the phone takes no damage. The case is waterproof and has military standard shock protection. The company also guarantees that the phone case is dirt, dust, and snow proof. “It’s a good case if you’re a careless person,” said sophomore Ravneet Anand. You can buy one here.

Along with the secure case, there is a case that is protective and efficient. This Arae case will turn your phone into a handheld wallet: holding cards and cash along with many other functions. No more money in the back of your phone case! “It’s helpful because if you lose your ‘wallet’ you can find it with GPS,” said sophomore Carl Berghult.

Lastly, the phone case that takes the cake, is the built-in Mace case (which you can buy here). Since you just never know when you’ll need it, it’s very important to carry pepper spray around, and the best way to carry it is most definitely via phone case. “As one who believes in carrying personal weapons, such as multiple stun guns, and a taker of self-defensive arts courses such as Taekwon Do, I believe the mace case is the newest innovation in self-defense,” said sophomore Claire DeVoe. The case has a small pocket where pepper spray is inserted and used when necessary. It might not be the safest idea to be carrying that around but to each their own!

Whether your phone case is ornate or ordinary, it is important to keep it protected. While we value our phones, it’s never fun to have a broken one. The uncovered phone look is nice once in a while, but with so many options out there, it’s just not worth it to go bare.