a case that essentially triples the size of your phone doesnt seem like a solution

I personally can't stand using a phone without a thick case. They give you a really comfortable grip on the phone. Modern phones are horrible to hold without a case.

I'm a bit clumsy, I seem to drop anything I even come near.

I have an iPhone 7, whenever I take it out of it's case it just seems to fly straight out of my hand.

Most smartphones remind me more of fine jewelery, or something that was intended to sit in a locked display case.

The best part about having a bulky case is it removes so much stress. Dropping your phone doesn't matter. You can throw it across the room. It's insane how something designed to be taken everywhere and used regularly is so fragile.

Yeah, I don’t get it. Well I suppose if you want the protection you just put a case on it <shrug>.

I remember cycling down the hill and having my Nokia 6610 fall out of my pocket, front n back case n battery flying every which way down the road and thinking nothing of it.

Times have changed.

Absolutely hate having cases on my phones. Almost all make it hard to slide into a pocket, make it far too thick for my hands, and take away the elegance of the design and the "hand feel" (I know that last point will get short shrift here, but enjoying using a device is important).