Cell phone armor bedazzles China's women

Since I arrived in Beijing last summer, I have taken to the underground train system like a duck to water. I have used the subway to travel to work, visit tourist sites, run petty family errands, meet friends and even while away time.

The mass transport network is also where I have observed with great fascination the vast majority of Chinese women commuters using cell phone safety cases that range from depictions of warehouse Communist art to the Japanese cartoon cat Hello Kitty.

In the delicate era of smartphones, owners need to take greater care of their devices. But oh! I sorely miss the bygone "dumb" phones for their toughness.