Is it necessary to put a screen protector on your phone, like a glass or a film? Are modern phones susceptible to their screens?
The mobile phone is now a necessary accessory for people, as it offers access to both entertainment and the simplest necessary transactions, such as connecting to government services, banks, etc. And they are also quite expensive in terms of acquisition value, resulting in you cannot easily replace it if it gets damaged.
And the most common damage is a scratched screen. Many people buy screen protectors to protect their expensive mobile phones, but are they really necessary with today's advances in screen technology?
I recently replaced the glass on my cell phone after the old one was cracked, and I only enjoyed it for a day! The next day it fell from a height of half a meter and, guess what... cracked the new glass. I wondered if the glasses actually protect the screen or are they just there to be consumed!
It's true that there was a time when it was practically necessary to put a screen protector on your phone. However, the materials used in modern smartphone displays have changed a lot over the years. It certainly doesn't hurt to use a screen protector, but you may not need one.
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What are screen protectors?
A screen protector is simply a sheet of clear plastic or very thin glass that you stick to your smartphone screen. The protector is cut to fit the shape of your device exactly, along with notches in the right places, which is why you buy different screen protectors for different devices.
To apply a screen protector, you generally clean your device's screen very well with a microfiber cloth and a soft paper soaked in lens fluid, dry the screen, and apply the screen protector over it. Because they have a kind of glue it will stick to the screen without needing any special care.
After placing the glass on the screen, tap the center of the screen gently with your finger and the glass will stick to it by itself, expelling the air in between. You can use a squeegee to push out any bubbles, leaving a perfectly flat surface that should make the protector invisible.
The idea behind a screen protector is to protect the screen from abuse and drops. It's much easier and cheaper to apply a new screen protector than to replace a scratched or cracked screen. However, two types of screens aim to make screen protectors irrelevant.
What is Gorilla Glass?
The vast majority of Android phones today use Corning's Gorilla Glass. This is a tempered glass with high scratch resistance. Corning has, over the years, continuously released new versions of Gorilla Glass.
The first generation of the product was released in 2007, followed by Gorilla Glass 2 in 2012 and Gorilla Glass 3 in 2013. Gorilla Glass Victus 2020 and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 2022 are found in many flagship phones today. However, Gorilla Armor is the last and best solution on the market right now. This new solution debuted on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Check out a list of Gorilla Glass versions below:
- Gorilla Glass (2007)
- Gorilla Glass 2 (2012)
- Gorilla Glass 3 (2013)
- Gorilla Glass 4 (2014)
- Gorilla Glass 5 (2016)
- Gorilla Glass 6 (2018)
- Gorilla Glass Victory (2020)
- Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (2022)
- Gorilla Armor (2024)
My cell phone that "good morning" broke the glass, has Gorilla Glass 5 which according to Corning it withstands to fall from a height of 1,2 meters, much more than the half meter that fell on me and broke the window. That's why I wonder why I wear glasses...
There are two things that Gorilla Glass tries to protect against, scratches and cracks. And not always both the same. Some versions were more scratch resistant but easier to break, and some versions were easier to scratch but harder to break.
According to Corning, Gorilla Glass Victus has been tested to survive drops onto hard, rugged surfaces from up to 1,8 meters (6 feet). Scratch resistance is measured by the Knoop Hardness Test. The Victus withstood a load of 8-10 Newtons, while other glasses failed around 4 Newtons.
What is iPhone's Ceramic Shield?
Apple does not use Gorilla Glass for iPhones. Instead, it uses an iPhone-only glass called “Ceramic Shield”. It was introduced with the iPhone 12 and is still used in the iPhone 15 series. The Ceramic Sheild is also manufactured by Corning.
Ceramic Shield isn't just a fancy brand name. Glass actually contains ceramic material. Ceramic Shield glass is embedded with ceramic nanocrystals that are smaller than the wavelength of light, making it appear just as transparent as regular glass.
The result is a hard material that is resistant to drops and scratches. Unfortunately, Apple isn't sharing many technical details about the Ceramic Shield. It just says it's "four times better" than pre-iPhone 12 models.
There's really no way to compare Ceramic Shield to Gorilla Glass, but it's safe to say that both are durable displays made by Corning.
Another, lesser known toughened glass is the Dragontrail Glass from the Japanese company AGC. This glass is used in recent phones like the OnePlus 11R and OPPO Reno 9 series. But we've also seen older Dragontrail technology used in Pixel 3a series phones.
Disadvantages of screen protectors
The biggest difference screen protectors make is changing the feel of the screen to the touch. Obviously, plastic doesn't feel as nice as glass, which is why glass screen protectors have become more popular.
Placing a sheet of plastic or thin glass between you and the screen can subtly change the appearance of your device's screen, especially if the screen protector discolors over time. Or if there is tiny debris in between with air entrapment.
And because screen protectors aren't as tough as Gorilla Glass or Ceramic Shield, they pick up unsightly scratches that wouldn't actually show up on your smartphone screen.
All of this is provided you apply the screen protector correctly. If you're not careful, you may end up with bubbles and cracks under your screen protector and you may need to apply a new one.
Also, some protective glasses limit the angle of vision, protecting your data from the eyes of someone else sitting next to you. This means that you too cannot see who is calling you when you look at your phone at an angle.
You need a screen protector
Some common materials can scratch any smartphone screen. One of the most dangerous materials to watch out for is sand, which is surprisingly hard. If you go to the beach and end up with some sand in your pocket, that sand can rub against your smartphone's glass screen and scratch it.
Not surprisingly, hard rocks work similarly. Other dangerous materials are some types of glass, some rare metals and very hard materials like diamonds, as they can also scratch a Gorilla Glass or Ceramic Shield screen.
Screen protectors also have anti-fingerprint coatings, but modern smartphones have “oleophobic” coatings that repel oil from your fingers, reducing unsightly fingerprints.
Even if you have a screen full of fingerprints, you can just give the screen a quick wipe, ideally with a microfiber cloth, and it will all be gone.
Screen protectors are no longer a "must" purchase. You can fearlessly use a modern smartphone with a "bare" screen and even put it in the same pocket as your keys and coins. This will hold.
Of course, we're only talking about the screen as sharp objects like keys can easily scratch some other part of your phone.
And in theory if you have a Gorilla Glass 5 or higher, the screen won't break if your phone is dropped from one meter. Conversely if you have equipped it with a glass be sure that the glass is destroyed.
