Develop Bugs

[Q] Screen protector or not?

Do you or do you not? I personally think its overkill. Screens are getting stronger and stronger and granted theres never going to be a 100% solution but for the time being my Folio case does a good job of protecting however inconvenient it is ;-)

I use a screen protector. While there are options for more and more durable glass, that is not a guarantee that the device you are using has it. My g2 for instance has 2 scratches on the screen and I was generally careful in my handling of it. if it is not known to be gorilla glass then i would get some form of protection, either a case of a screen protector. The thing that pushed me over the edge with the xoom is that I decided to go caseless for now. None of the cases out right now appeal to me.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

I am not worried about protection as much as I am with the extreme glare and fingerprints. I had the same issue on my Samsung Captivate and Invisible Shield helped dramatically. I ordered the same for Xoom and hope it has the same results.

I have a portfolio case. Idont believe there is a need for a screen protector. Gorilla glass is strong. plus i dont believe there be casual scratches like with a phone and keys in my pocket

I think with most new devices having gorilla glass, its only precautionary to get a screen protector. I have had a droid X since release and have never had a screen protector and the screen is just like the day i got it. But we are talking about a 800.00 device, so then its not a bad idea to cover your investment.

I normally go without a case but for my Xoom I will get one just to help with the fingeprints.
Dave
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

Screen Protector and Silicone Case FTW

once stienheil releases an anti glare/fingerprint protector I think ill make a purchase because as stated, the fingerprints are terrible on this and they don't wipe off very easy.

I totally love the Frogz antiglare screen protection I have on my iPhone. Happy with it. Have 2 left. =]
Though not antiglare as none were available, I did bought 3x screen protection and of course they are cheap. As soon as they arrived, I tried to carefully apply to my Xoom but I failed after every attempt which resulted in me wasting all 3. Waste of money. ="(
The screen protections (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...5Wo6dic%3D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT) I received were not perfect fit for Xoom as they are claimed to be.
I'm waiting for Frogz or other to start selling antiglare for Xoom...

I would say it's overkill.
Back in those days with plastic resistive touch screen, a screen protector was necessary. But nowadays, a typical glass surface (even for non-Gorilla glass) is hard enough that it's rather hard to scratch it. If you drop your device, the glass may shatter, and screen protector is not going to help with that. And if you hit the screen hard with something sharp and strong enough to dent it, it will probably dent through the protector too. I have been using my HTC Desire without any screen protector for almost a year now, and it is still completely scratch-free.
Another reason not to use a screen protector is that they tend to be less oil- and fingerprint-proof. While Apple is the only company advertising that they have an oleophobic coating on their screens to make them more fingerprint-proof, the fact is that most glass screens has such a coating, even though it was not advertised. And most cheap screen protectors don't (can't speak for all of them, probably some more expensive ones have such coating... I don't know). I've tried some screen protectors and I found that oil and fingerprint left on the glass are much easier to remove than those left on the screen protector.
That being said, if you really really hate glossy screen, you may want to put an anti-glare type screen protector on your device. I have one on my iPad. This type of screen protector does create some sparking effect with white background, or make the texts blurry. But they don't look too bad for me, compared to the shiny glare of the iPad...

Are we sure that it uses Gorilla Glass? Ive seen a lot of people alluding to that but no actual statement, and its not on the official Corning list.
I like Steinheil as well, I've had good luck on my phones with them but they are slow to get new sizes out sometimes.

I want something only to reduce glare and fingerprints.
If installing it ends up screwing with touch sensitivity, I'll stick to stock.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

When I had an iPod touch, I thought screen protectors would ruin the experience. I soon learned two things.
1. Glass is a finger print magnet.
and
2. You never know when something unexpected will come into contact with your screen. After getting a few scratches from dropping my iPod between my car seat, I decided to get a screen protector.
I got a screen protector from Verizon the day I got my Droid, and put it on right there at the counter. The metal casing of the phone is dinged up, scratched, paint is chipped, etc, but the screen is flawless.

FWIW, I've only put a Body Glove case around my EVO, but have dropped it 4-5 times (in fact, the BG case is warped at one corner after the last drop- been pretty clumsy lately ). Despite leaving my screen unprotected (and it's not GG) these 9 mos, it's still quite pristine despite all the drops and the zillions of touches (and debris, had a cold a couple of months ago!).
So. I have the silicone case (which does prevent me from using all but one iPad stand out there I tried), but no screen protector.

arrtoodeetoo said:
I got a screen protector from Verizon the day I got my Droid, and put it on right there at the counter. The metal casing of the phone is dinged up, scratched, paint is chipped, etc, but the screen is flawless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, my Droid looks the same, with no screen protector!

I don't have a screen protector, and I don't plan on getting one. I don't have one on my og droid and I've had it since launch with no issues. Plus I can never get those things on right lol
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

I think the answer to this is yes unfortunately.
I haven't had it out of the house, haven't knocked it, dropped it, poked it or anything else and I already have a spot on the screen that I can't get off with Microfiber/Distilled water.
Thats pretty darn annoying.

Do we really need a screen protector...

... when the SG2 is "gorilla glass" protected ?
I wonder

JohnDoe01 said:
... when the SG2 is "gorilla glass" protected ?
I wonder
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I shouldn't think so. I've had nothing on my SGS1 screen for over a year now and there's no blemishes at all!

I've never used a screen protector on my HD2 and I've had it since December '09. It has no scratches on it and I've dropped it a couple of times, thankfully without damage. The HD2 does not have the benefit of so called Gorilla Glass.
I plan on getting the sgs2 so long as no massively unfavourable reviews suddenly appear (and this seems unlikely) and I can't see myself getting a screen protector.
I feel screen protectors were useful in the old resistive screen days, but with todays capactive displays I don't feel the point is there as much....
The only caveat I can possibly think of and which doesn't apply to me, is if you keep it loose in a bag or in the same pocket as keys. Even then, and as you mentioned, I don't think it would matter. Gorilla Glass is named that for a reason.

I've had my dell streak for nearly a year (also Gorilla Glass) and not even the tiniest of scratches ars visible.
One word of warning - a 8 month old baby with new teeth will infact crack the Gorilla Glass if they manage to get there hands on your phone!!!!
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA Premium App

My captivate got a few scratches on it, so it's not scratch proof.

samsung omnia hd for past 1 n a half year, nokia n8 for 7 months. no screen protector and no scratch. gorilla rocks

My SGS 2 wont see a screen protector on the screen..perhaps on the back site?

Its always better to have one and not need it, then not have one and need one.......
600euro phone
5euro protector...............

Gorilla glass maybe good to protect your phone from your keys or a coin but a grain of sand will still scratch it.

I have the FOLIX antireflective screen protector on ALL my phones (Touch HD, HD2) and ordered it for my SGSII now (the phone will be delivered in 8 days according to expansys - hope so) NOT because the screen needs protection but it makes the visibility of the screen in direct sunlight a charm (esp. in nav-mode!)
So for me it´s more a sunlight visibility enhancement but a protection. GG does not need protection ...............

Nicolopolus said:
Nah, I shouldn't think so. I've had nothing on my SGS1 screen for over a year now and there's no blemishes at all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap I second that and it's been to the beach and back many times. Still as good as new.

ive a tiny scratch on the SGS as well from some sand or such tiny stuff. in general its very scratch proof. I guess i just wasnt lucky.
putting a protect is up to you: YES it can be useful, but NO its not really required - its just that the screen is not "unscratchable". it does happen. Its just pretty rare.

What you guys don't realize is the screen is slightly different than the original Galaxy S because of the oleophobic coating. I had a Galaxy S as well and it never got scratches but my Nexus S (as well as many of my friends' nexus S's) have slight scratches in the coating, not the actual screen. It's fairly easy to get scratches in the oleophobic coating. If you examine any used iPhone 4 closely you'll see the same thing.
So it's up to you if you want to replace the nice smooth feel of an oleophobic screen with a screen protector or not. I'm pretty sure any screen protector would hinder the visibility and performance... I've never seen one that could match the look or feel of my naked Nexus S screen.

Just put one on mine and apart from the few bubbles i can't tell its there. When i first put it on it felt nothing like as smooth but used a bit of car wax on it and now its perfect.

jenkinson6a said:
Just put one on mine and apart from the few bubbles i can't tell its there. When i first put it on it felt nothing like as smooth but used a bit of car wax on it and now its perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like this idea.

had screen protector on my HD2 and ordered last week for my SGs2 Savvies screen protector for Samsung Galaxy S2 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/170627309357 ,anything can hapen who knows it might scratch but is worth to have it

You can scratch gorilla glass. I deeply scratched my Dell Streak within a few weeks of getting it, i still dont know how.

turborider said:
had screen protector on my HD2 and ordered last week for my SGs2 Savvies screen protector for Samsung Galaxy S2 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/170627309357 ,anything can hapen who knows it might scratch but is worth to have it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine came today -- very unimpressed. Very cheap and poor quality film, poorly cut (needs trimming to fit the device, as the speaker hole is too low for it to sit properly otherwise) and mine had a crease in it too (may be due to the post, but no damage to the envelope or packaging).
I'd steer clear of this particular protector.

Another one which does not fit:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004WJCCJM/ref=oss_product
Just processed the return. Found a pack of 10 for £3.99 on ebay, ordered. Will report back on how they fit.

my galaxy s had some small very feint scratches after several months of being carried in my pocket, grit and sand can certainly scratch gorilla glass.
that said the gorilla glass was one of the things which persuaded me to change my nexus s for a SGS2
I 'm going to order one of those folix ones mentioned earlier int the thread, having read a few reviews they sound like a good quality option.
provided it fits and doesn't feel awkward the £5 cost should easily add that to the value of the phone when it comes to my next upgrade in 6 months.

Htc Desire screen is Gorilla glass confirmed in gsmarena..

Firstly please check the link..
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_desire-3077.php
so..as u can see our Desire's screen glass is Gorilla glass confirmed only by gsmarena and i also checked other sites but none of them contain this spec.
so i'm kinda confused regarding this, coz i dont want to use my phone with plastic screen which protector worn out within few days and have to change over and over again..
so what is ur xperience using Desire without any screen protector?

Just NO. Yep, sure it doesn't get scratched by keys and knives, but if you keep it in your pocket thin and sharp dust particles can be deadly. A friend of mine tried to go without a screen protector, and after a month or so there were a few light scratches...guess what happens if you go on like that for a year or so. Also, the first time you go to the seaside you're screwed: so happened to my gf with her brand new ipod touch, which now has a big nice smile in the middle of the screen...dust/sand particles are really dangerous, even for gorilla glass, believe me.

Firstly a screen protector wont 'wear out' within a few days, unless you have finger nails like edward scissorhands then itll last for months before needing to be changed.. ive had my cheap protector on for 3 months already and its still as good as new.. not bad whan it was something like a quid for 6.. and when i do come to change it I know theres still a pristine screen underneath.
Secondly even if it is so called gorilla glass its not immune to getting scratched, isnt it best to have an extra layer that can get scratched before the glass below it does?
You just have to look at the state of some iphones to realise gorilla glass isnt all its cracked up to be

Absolutely no scratches
My Desire was one of the first delivered last year - and until today there is absolutely no scratches on the glass. And I wear the phone with me every day, it has fallen into the dust etc., etc. The metal frame has scratches, the metal plate around the cover of the camera. But not the front glass. I'm really extremely happy with the glass quality.

glumardok said:
My Desire was one of the first delivered last year - and until today there is absolutely no scratches on the glass. And I wear the phone with me every day, it has fallen into the dust etc., etc. The metal frame has scratches, the metal plate around the cover of the camera. But not the front glass. I'm really extremely happy with the glass quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might have been lucky there..ever tried to look at it under a very strong light? Micro scratches aren't very likely to be seen in normal use.

I scrached it with sand so easy and once it felt on flor and got deep and wide scraches on glass and small bumps on metal. When screen is off I can see scraches easy.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

I confirm: absolutely no scratches. NO. Not big, not micro. None. Niente. Nada. Nirwana. Gar Nix. Rien du tout.

And if they aren't noticeable under normal light what does it matter

My 1st desire arrived the day after orange put them on sale, so it was one of the 1st. After 2 weeks of keeping it in my suit pocket the screen had some nice scratches on it (probably from a lighter). So I would say all ways have a protector on it, in my case a Zagg which went on my 2nd desire, 1st one got sent back as it was playing up later to be found out it was due to using some power saving app, least the replacement arrived with no scratches and the zagg went straight on.

Someone should do this to their Desire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2EYnUGUti0
Until then, I do not believe this has gorilla glass.

peytral said:
Someone should do this to their Desire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2EYnUGUti0
Until then, I do not believe this has gorilla glass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
omg!!!! thats brutal!!!

thanks all for helping me to determine weather should i use my desire with or without screen protector....
so the bottom line is our desire actually doesn't have gorilla glass screen and it is not advised from most of u that not to use without screen protector...

Well, tbh i don't know wether it's gorilla glass or not...what i do know about that kind of glass is that it offers a good resistance when you try to break it, and it's overall more durable, otherwise it's like any kind of scratch resistant glass. This said, there's plenty of vids on youtube showing gorilla glass getting scratched (like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EimSyAIuDoI&feature=youtube_gdata_player), so why risking it, i'd say

I'm fairly certain its not Gorilla Glass since I've got a couple fairly big scratches through normal use.

glumardok said:
My Desire was one of the first delivered last year - and until today there is absolutely no scratches on the glass. And I wear the phone with me every day, it has fallen into the dust etc., etc. The metal frame has scratches, the metal plate around the cover of the camera. But not the front glass. I'm really extremely happy with the glass quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, I've been using it since april 2010 and there are no scratches!
vnvman said:
You might have been lucky there..ever tried to look at it under a very strong light? Micro scratches aren't very likely to be seen in normal use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, if the scratches are so small one cannot see them under normal conditions then I wouldn't care about them at all...

Philko said:
Well, if the scratches are so small one cannot see them under normal conditions then I wouldn't care about them at all...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it still means that it can be scratched: if it falls face down on gravel you can be quite sure you'll get something noticeable
Also, maybe tiny scratches won't annoy you, but for sure they will affect screen durability...i mean it could crack more easily you know.
Hey man, i don't wanna be a ****, i just wanna say that all of the superduper hax glass powered devices i had or stumbled across in my long phone nerd career got scratched sooner or later...but hey, at the end of the story it's your baby, not mine

Also its kind of pot luck wether you get a good qualitly screen protector.
I bought mine for like £2 for 6 and they show scratches after a week
whereas my friends ones, which were also bought from ebay for a similar price do not
show one scratch in months, and hes a bmx rider and his phone goes through alot
more than mine. All his friends with iphones have cracked screens so its stronger than
that at least. Ill always use a screen protector anyway, gorilla glass or not.

people...google it. here is a link. my desire has no scratches at all, and i hate screen protectors. i like my phone pure - without anything on it. all the best
I cannot post links, so go to the corning gorilla glass and see the products

the desire definitely does not have gorilla glass. it is very odd that corning who makes gorilla glass says that the desire does have it though that is incorrect as htc has said it does not. i had my desire without a case for a few weeks and it has 2 micro scratches that can only be seen when you shine a light on it while the screen is off. i hate the feel of screen protectors so i just have a plastic case for it and i haven't seen any new scratches on it for over a year.

er...just buy a case, no screen protectors needed. My Desire is 12 months old and not a mark on it. Case I use hardly adds any bulk whatsoever.
http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/...&searchstring=htc+desire+case&urlrefer=search

Got my first scratch. I used to think a screen protector was not necessary.

BUY A SCREEN PROTECTOR!
I woke up today and noticed my first scratch. Its about a quarter of an inch long and is really noticeable on a white screen due to the 'rainbow effect'. I use a nice hard silicone case which has done an amazing job protecting my phone from stupid drops and falls (I've had about 5 ).
I now believe that the tempered glass used with the Galaxy Nexus is NOT as strong as Gorilla Glass. Everyone I know with a Gorilla Glass phone doesn't have a screen protector and has NO scratches whatsoever.
Forgive my rambling. Do yourself a favor and buy a screen protector. I know I will be.

you forgot to add the *this message paid for by screen protector C co. jk haha
but seriously do you know what you did to scratch it? currently I've got an XO and androidified case on mine. But the other day I was at the gym and my nexus fell off an elliptical like machine (twice) the second time one of the feet things smacked it as it was falling (~4.5 ft) and the nexus went flying across the room.
Worse: It didn't have a case on, because I was trying to mod the touchstone tech into my case.
Awesome: picked it up popped the battery in, and it was completely unscathed. I don't understand what people are doing to crack/scratch this thing. It seems pretty solid to me.

I used XO Skins as well. They will fill in that scratch. Their video shows that. I also posted my review of their stuff linked in my signature, as well as about 500+ people on here.

Don't waste your money
Screen proctors are a waste of money, from iphone to droid x and blackberry, never had a scratched screen.

Not to make light of the situation, but I wonder what % of users would try to show a scratch with a screen capture? I'd say a solid 20%.

I got a single scratch too. I've had and used the iPhone 2g since launch and it has not a single scratch, so I am confused as to what I suddenly did differently. I'm sort of annoyed, but whatever =)

number3pencil said:
BUY A SCREEN PROTECTOR!
I woke up today and noticed my first scratch. Its about a quarter of an inch long and is really noticeable on a white screen due to the 'rainbow effect'. I use a nice hard silicone case which has done an amazing job protecting my phone from stupid drops and falls (I've had about 5 ).
I now believe that the tempered glass used with the Galaxy Nexus is NOT as strong as Gorilla Glass. Everyone I know with a Gorilla Glass phone doesn't have a screen protector and has NO scratches whatsoever.
Forgive my rambling. Do yourself a favor and buy a screen protector. I know I will be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You scratched the oleophobic coating... not the glass.

I got a chip,
ordered xo, hopefully it fills it in

Always had a screen protector on my phone, I buy them off ebay (bought about 20 off the same seller, love his screen protectors). It just gives me a sense of mind if my phone falls, which it has. I also have an otterbox commuter (first time buying a case worth more than $10 ). But it has saved my phone.
6 Foot drop out of my friends window smack onto concrete, no scratches

scratch?
do you know what scratched your screen??? I sometimes put my car keys in the same pocket as my gnex (although I try not to) and I have not gotten a scratch yet. I can see dropping the phone resulting in a scratch but even drops won't protect gorilla glass completely.

RickROM said:
You scratched the oleophobic coating... not the glass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is likely the case - especially if you can't 'feel' the scratch with your finger/nail.

no glass is scratch proof just some are more scratch resistance. Gorilla glass will still scratch, my Atrix had a few minor scratches. you notice when they do those demos at the gorilla glass booth they only use metal to try to scratch the screen? if someone tries to tell you that gorilla glass on their phone wont scratch ask them to prove it by rubbing some sand on the screen. Stuff like keys wont scratch your screen because they are relatively soft compared to the glass on your screen but stuff like sand and other glass can scratch a chemically tempered glass screen.

I have a scratch around a centimetre long, I can feel it with my fingernails so I agree it is most likely the coating that is damaged .. any ideas how to repair, cover, remove the damage?

No scratches on any phones EXCEPT my G2x which had Gorilla Glass...
Don't believe everything you hear. Although this round I am sporting an XO SP.

I had a screen protector on since day 1 until a couple days ago when it started getting jacked up in the corners. It's so silky smooth without it on that I don't plan on putting another screen protector on.

This is the first phone with which I've ever had a scratch. I pretty protective with my phones. I don't ever put it in the same pocket as my keys. I'm still not sure what I did that caused the scratch. It scared me into getting a screen protector for the first time. I can still barely see the scratch through it. I got a Ghost Armor.

I bought a screen protector weeks before I even bought the phone (as it wasn't available on the market at the time). I wasn't talking no chances. If they had the glass ones from Spigen available I would certainly upgrade. (too bad they can't make one due too the curved glass)

Gotta have a screen protector
No big scratches yet, but I have noticed some tiny scratches at the bottom where I have laid it down on it's screen from the first few weeks of use. Now I have a screen protector as well as a case.

While waiting for my bodyguardz to arrive(still waiting after 14 days), I went to buy a cheap screen protector even though it ruined the HD of the screen. Totally worth it though

A few hardly noticeable scratches but it still looks better than a screen covered in even the most highly regarded protector.
Sent from my HTC Flyer P510e using xda premium

scratches through screen protector.. reccomend me a new one !

Bought the steinheil flex, 2 screen protectors.
noticed this white 'hair' line... eventually ending up peeling it off and its a scratch! can feel it with my finger and everything... matches up perfectly to a white line on the screen protector too...
Ridic! £15. 2 weeks of waiting. 3 days of use. 1 unhappy customer. *angry*
What do you guys reccomend I get now? Going to leave this one on for the moment, but not permanently since it did this..
Btw this is the most ive ever spent on a phone. Its always been in a pocket to itself, im always making sure its not near anything that could scratch it (even since the protector has been put on) and... idgi how i got one. lol

To my surprise I can recommend the Verizon clear screen protectors (NOT the matte, anti glare ones = awful).
They do leave a little gap all around, but they are smooth, easy to apply and look decent and most of all I feel they protect my screen!
Had a scare yesterday. I fumbled my phone and it slid out of my hand face down onto a very sharp edge on the slide for my keyboard pullout.
My heart stopped for a sec before turning it around and indeed a pretty ugly gash on the screen and a second minor one. Felt it with my fingernail, hoping it was just the screen protector, but dang it felt deeeep.
Mustered up the courage to rip off the screen protector and hallelujah: perfect screen.
The screen protector was pretty banged up, but not even cut all the way through.
Applied a new one right away and my Nexus looks like new.
I did order an XO skin as well, but it has been sitting in its box unopened since last year!

I have an XO Skin, and I totally recommend one!

XO skins are known to "hide" the surface scratches. Give that a go and see what happens.
However, you might not favour the rubbery feeling of the XO

Zagg screen protector! Will not scratch will not give you the glare of the plastic screen protector best I've ever used I buy them for every touch screen I have and it has lifetime warranty if it rips scratches anything the will replace it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I just got the xtream gaurdz full body screen protector after my old screen protector started coming off, its a wet application but it only took about 3 hours before I could use it again and it does not have any orange peel at all the best part was that it was only $5 on eBay and free shipping, I will say though that if you are comftorable with taking your phone apart its much easier to apply on the screen and housing seperatly

wynnemelvin said:
Zagg screen protector! Will not scratch will not give you the glare of the plastic screen protector best I've ever used I buy them for every touch screen I have and it has lifetime warranty if it rips scratches anything the will replace it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^ Agree, Zagg is great!!

I have an ishieldz on. It's pretty invisible, and don't mind the feel, but noticed that it dulls the screen a little when I had it side-by-side with a naked nexus.
Am thinking about pulling it off and taking my chances.

I've had a Flex on my GN and I like the feel and fit. With what and how hard do you have to slice the screen for it to go thru the protector?

XO Skin FTW