Bored of plain metal? Worried about your hardy, yet scuffable, black iPhone 5 getting some unsightly cosmetic scrapes? Unfortunately the Apple store did not have iPhone 5 cases available at launch. This might have been a deliberate strategy on the part of Apple, to image their phone as a product that doesn’t need a case, or a practical issue of having not officially announced the phone’s design until September 12th. We doubt Apple would take kindly to 3rd party manufacturers who peeked at leaks and mockups.

Though the iPhone 5 is difficult to outright break, reports of scuffs on the black model are common.

The good news is, according to 9to5Mac, Apple Stores across the country will begin stocking cases for the iPhone 5 as of October 22nd, depending on available supplies. Just make sure you take this rumor with a grain of salt, as the source of this rumor is once again of the unnamed variety.

That said, just because the Apple Stores deson’t have cases for your phone, it doesn’t mean there aren’t any quality cases available. Zagg, a sponsor of iJailbreak, has skins, cases, and a screen protecting invisibleSHIELD that can be ordered online. Meanwhile, many popular retail stores have iPhone 5 cases in stock. Just because Apple might have avoided the initial cases on principle doesn’t mean that other stores shouldn’t cash in.

Luxe Lean Case for Apple iPhone 5, already available from Zagg.

Do you feel that your iPhone 5 needs a case to protect it? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.