You can live without it, but if you try it, you will want to have it. Of course, it is very expensive for what it offers, but there is no significant alternative on the market. It is not particularly durable. I broke two without much effort. Generally, it doesn't handle pressure well and should always be stored either in its special case or in the corresponding case of the phone. If you toss it loosely into any bag, the most likely outcome is that you will find it broken.