Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Screen Protector and Retina Display

V

vito

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 4, 2006
687
49
Manchester, UK
Hi

Looking at getting a screen protector for the new iPad, seen the reviews of the iVisor by Moshi and it looks great.

Do you think screen protectors will hinder the retina display / reduce clarity?

Thanks,
 
I've never seen a screen protector that does NOT inhibit the quality of the screen, so I choose not to use them.
 
The Bronx Bull said:
I've never seen a screen protector that does NOT inhibit the quality of the screen, so I choose not to use them.
Click to expand...

Every screen protector I've used has reduced the clarity. Even if minimal, it definitely has.

Beyond that I see them as unnecessary anyway.
 
vito said:
Hi

Looking at getting a screen protector for the new iPad, seen the reviews of the iVisor by Moshi and it looks great.

Do you think screen protectors will hinder the retina display / reduce clarity?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

1. A screen protector ruins the retina display.

2. Gorilla Glass needs no screen protection.

Putting Clingwrap on your HDTV would be ridiculous; same thing with the The New iPad.

BJ
 
While I respect the other poster's opinions, I disagree.

A crappy screen protector will ruin the display. A good screen protector will be indistinguishable from the bare screen. Generally speaking, the "crystal" static cling types from SGP (Spigen), PowerSupport, others fall into the good category. My preference is SGP Steinheill Ultra Crystal. Every wet-adhesive style I've seen (such as Zagg Invisible Shield) falls into the crappy category. I don't use matte screen protectors; I expect even the good ones will affect display quality, but there you're making a conscious tradeoff to gain a matte screen.

Gorilla Glass is definitely tough and is resistant to scratching and breaking. The coating on the surface perhaps not so much. Read a few ebay listings or threads here where someone's cover or case scratched their screen. If you don't care about scuffs or hairline scratches then you probably would be fine, I tend to be fussy about such things (and like the peace of mind of not worrying about it) so I choose to use a screen protector.
 
vito said:
Hi

Looking at getting a screen protector for the new iPad, seen the reviews of the iVisor by Moshi and it looks great.

Do you think screen protectors will hinder the retina display / reduce clarity?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Are u talking about the Ivisor Anti Glare? If so it will def lower the display quality. I tried it on the ipad 2 and you def knew it was there. The big pro is how easy it is to put on. I am going to try the SGP Crystal one for this iPad.
 
deeddawg said:
A crappy screen protector will ruin the display. A good screen protector will be indistinguishable from the bare screen. Generally speaking, the "crystal" static cling types from SGP (Spigen), PowerSupport, others fall into the good category. My preference is SGP Steinheill Ultra Crystal. Every wet-adhesive style I've seen (such as Zagg Invisible Shield) falls into the crappy category. I don't use matte screen protectors; I expect even the good ones will affect display quality, but there you're making a conscious tradeoff to gain a matte screen.
Click to expand...

Any screen protector will interfere with the delicate balance of pixel depth, viewing distance, and brightness. Once you put a piece of plastic between the screen and your eyes you're compromising visual quality. This was less of an issue with the iPad 1 and 2 because of it's low res screen; you simply don't put Clingwrap on an HDTV. You just don't do it.

deeddawg said:
Gorilla Glass is definitely tough and is resistant to scratching and breaking. The coating on the surface perhaps not so much. Read a few ebay listings or threads here where someone's cover or case scratched their screen. If you don't care about scuffs or hairline scratches then you probably would be fine, I tend to be fussy about such things (and like the peace of mind of not worrying about it) so I choose to use a screen protector.
Click to expand...

I've got an iPad 1 bought on the first day it was released. I use it daily on the commute to work, leave it around the house on the coffee table, let my 8/10/12 year old kids do whatever they want with it.

It's screen has been completely unprotected, not a scratch on it. It's spent most of it's life in a backpack rubbing against binders, papers, staples, paperclips, even car keys, not a scratch. None. Nada. I'm on my 2nd iPhone which lives in pockets with lint, sand, coins, car keys, all under pressure in jeans and again not a scratch on them. That's 3 years, 3 devices with Gorilla Glass, nothing ever 'protected', no scratches whatsoever.

A screen protector is not necessary. On a product whose biggest feature is a hi-resolution HDTV caliber display, it's heresy. Screen protectors are profitable items for accessory companies who prey on the uninformed, nothing more. The retina screen will put an end to their game.

BJ
 
i have the iphone 4 and the cheap screen protector from ebay.
I have been taking it off and replacing with the new one and i do not see any difference with or without and trust me i am picky, if i did i would not have it on. i have no bubles either so i make sure they fit perfectly, one time when i was looking at the cases at the apple store this guy wanted to sell me one and i had to point to the camera cut hole and make sure he sees i already have it.
so yes i will put the screen protector on my ipad as they do scratch from daily use, cases,covers, put it upside down on the table, i have seen many ipads with tiny scratches, not that it affects performance or that you can see them when screen is lit but still.
 
boltjames said:
you simply don't put Clingwrap on an HDTV. You just don't do it.
Click to expand...

Hyperbole is silly and doesn't add to the discussion. You don't constantly touch your HDTV to use it, nor do you carry it around everywhere and have a cover over the screen that can trap grit against it.

I'm glad you've had a great experience with your iPad1. I'm sure it is comforting to those who have experienced scratched screens. Is it common, is it inevitable, *must* someone use a protector? Of course not. Is it possible to scratch the screen? Clearly it is. Thus it comes down to evaluating the risks and deciding whether or not to insure against the possibility.

I respect your opinion and have no intention of saying you should feel differently. It is a valid opinion to present to someone who asks for advice and they should consider it in their deliberations. Can you show the same respect in turn, or must you argue down any opinions different from yours?
 
I use it for bothy iPad and iPhone. It definitely does affect the clarity a bit but so does my windshield on my Harley. I still prefer to have it (windshield) on than off.

I have gotten used to having the screen protectors on that it fees strange to use the items without them.
 
deeddawg said:
Hyperbole is silly and doesn't add to the discussion. You don't constantly touch your HDTV to use it, nor do you carry it around everywhere and have a cover over the screen that can trap grit against it.

I'm glad you've had a great experience with your iPad1. I'm sure it is comforting to those who have experienced scratched screens. Is it common, is it inevitable, *must* someone use a protector? Of course not. Is it possible to scratch the screen? Clearly it is. Thus it comes down to evaluating the risks and deciding whether or not to insure against the possibility.

I respect your opinion and have no intention of saying you should feel differently. It is a valid opinion to present to someone who asks for advice and they should consider it in their deliberations. Can you show the same respect in turn, or must you argue down any differing opinions?
Click to expand...

I respect your opinion as well, my apologies if you feel that I'm being too assertive.

If someone is a day laborer, works at a construction site, or is an auto mechanic, I can see how having a piece of plastic atop the retina display is a must-have. Dirty, greasy fingers, blowing pieces of crushed rock in the air, I get it.

But if you're an Average Joe using your The New iPad on the daily train to work, or in an office, or in a study hall, or in a library, or around the house and you're that worried about the screen being damaged, fine, get a case with a flip-open lid or the Smart Cover and that's that.

The biggest leap forward in the The New iPad is the retina HD screen. So compromising that in any way is a complete waste. Putting a piece of plastic to limit the resolution 100% of the time for the 1% chance that something could cause damage is akin to wearing a life vest 100% of the time just in case you happen to drive near a lake into which the car could skid, swerve around trees, hop over boulders, and wind up sinking. People who don't work with the water don't wear life preservers every day; life preservers are there situationally, waiting until someone has a specific time/need to use them.

The issue with screen protectors is that they aren't removable. They're installed, they're on there 24/7 which includes the 99% of the time they simply aren't needed at all. Made less of a difference with the low-res iPad 1 and 2, makes all the difference in the world glued-onto the retina display.

BJ
 
boltjames said:
I respect your opinion as well, my apologies if you feel that I'm being too assertive.
Click to expand...

Excellent. I'd close with stating that having used iPhone 4 and 4S with and without SGP Steinheill Ultra Crystal screen protectors I've seen no discernible difference in their retina displays. It is from this experience that I'm speaking. I've also used wet-apply screen protection on earlier devices and phones (Zagg and BestSkinsEver) and those would utterly destroy the look of the screen. Thus my differentiation between good and poor screen protectors; bad ones will of course be awful.

I expect the same to be true for the new iPad. Since neither of us (presumably) have laid eyes on the device, it's all speculation anyway. I suspect my experience with the existing retina screens has some applicability. :D

In the end it's all a matter of preference and perception. Readers should weigh each opinion stated here and choose for themselves.
 
Last edited:
I have always used a matte screen protector to help with glare on my 3GS, iphone 4 (retina), ipad 1, and ipad 2. Powersupport had the best silky feel to it and one of the smallest affect to the screen so that is what I have used. Your finger glides right over it like silk without any sticky feeling to it. The newer HD matte protector I have used on my iphone 4 with retina display and love it. It does affect the display a little but not to the point of making the detail of the retina display look bad or hard to see the detauls. I can still see very precise detail on the iphone 4 retina screen. The difference in detail between the 3GS and the iphone 4 is huge even with the matte screen protector.

The ipad gen 3 has a lower pixel density than the iphone 4 retina screen so I expect the powersupport matte screen protector to affect the image even less than the iphone 4.

Bad
- image quality just slightly affected
- price (wish they would reduce the price)

Good
- Huge difference in reflections
- Finger glides over the screen easier than without it
- Can help protect the screen (I have kids)

For me the good points are way better than the slight image quality change. If my powersupport matte screen protector ever got damaged on my iphone 4 I would order a new one immediately.

I just hope they get the new HD screen protector for the gen 3 ipad soon. They tend to take time to get the size right its seems which sucks when I want it right at release but they are always the right size when they do finally release it.
 
I use powersupport crystal and it doesn't inhibit clarity for me. Anti-Glare protectors definitely will though...
 
The Powersupport is definitely the way to go. I have had it on my iPad 1 and 2, and it reduces glare without effecting clarity.
 
I had an SGP crystal on my iPad 2 and didn't feel it compromised screen clarity at all. I resold the iPad 2 "as new" because when I peeled the protector off the screen underneath was pristine, like new out of the box. If you use one of the special purpose protectors (anti glare, anti fingerprint) then you can bet clarity will be somewhat compromised.
 
A quality, clear screen protector from SGP or ideally Power Support won't affect screen clarity at all.

I've got an SGP on my iPad 2, and PS on iPhone 4S.

Anti-glare/finger print resistant films will affect the clarity of a "retina" display though.

Also, contrary to popular belief...the newer glass on the iPhone 4 and iPad onwards WILL scratch. They are resilient, but they'll still get marks on them if you aren't careful.
 
klover said:
You simply don't constantly touch and transport the screen of an HDTV. You just don't do it.
Click to expand...

That's not the point. The point is that if you did touch and transport the screen of an HDTV you wouldn't cover it in plastic Clingwrap because it defeats the purpose of the HD resolution.

Look, for the average user perhaps 1% of the time a screen protector is a good thing. Not going to argue that. The issue is that for the 99% of the time that a screen protector isn't needed it severely compromises the biggest feature that the The New iPad has to offer- retina display. Therefore, if one feels the need to have a screen protector, one should purchase a low-rez offering like the iPad 2.

BJ
 
boltjames said:
That's not the point. The point is that if you did touch and transport the screen of an HDTV you wouldn't cover it in plastic Clingwrap because it defeats the purpose of the HD resolution.

Look, for the average user perhaps 1% of the time a screen protector is a good thing. Not going to argue that. The issue is that for the 99% of the time that a screen protector isn't needed it severely compromises the biggest feature that the The New iPad has to offer- retina display. Therefore, if one feels the need to have a screen protector, one should purchase a low-rez offering like the iPad 2.

BJ
Click to expand...

How do you know we wouldn't put screen protectors on a transportable HDTV? Where did you get that magic "1% of users"? Please just stop trying to make up facts and stop calling a screen protector Clingwrap because it is far from it.

The fact is that with a good screen protector on, the new iPad will still look better than an iPad 2. No one is wrong to put a screen protector on, if they're happy with it then that's that!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back