I certainly understand. As a counter point and a bit of the (probably faulty) logic for why i choose no case + AppleCare: I’ve managed to break screens in cases in prior iphones. I’ve used local screen replacement shops and have been totally unimpressed with the quality of replacement i.e. I’m convinced i did not receive a remotely comparable screen to Apple’s OEM. I use my phone all day every day for work. I keep my phone in my jeans pocket and really prefer the no-case slim fit. Cheap cases tend to last me 6 months a pop before getting ratty looking, so i can either spend $50 on a nice Otterbox or other quality case or $15*4 for a new cheap case every so often.

Apple care, expensive though it may be, gets me a few mulligans while also providing broader coverage against other unknown damage or warranty issues, something even the nicest Otterbox style cases won’t afford me. It’s all a trade off. My preference is expensive but I historically break a screen every year, why not plan accordingly.