In my experience iPhones (12 and 14 specifically, are the ones I have had) are plenty durable that you can use them without a case.

I do and only have some slight scratches in the screen. Nothing noticeable during normal usage.

That would then be an entirely different situation?

You are describing a one party state. Kind of optimistic to assume that if you manage to hand all of the power to one organization, with no real opposition, that it won’t be corrupted (more than it already is).

10 years ago people would write “this^” without a trace of irony on Reddit. So you are kinda ruining the experience by being semi-ironic.