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Anyone ever manage to scratch their screen? (Case question)

Brien

Brien

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 11, 2008
3,852
1,417
I just picked up a white 3G and I'm going to get an invisible shield; I've put them on every iPod I've owned so far and they've worked like a charm. However, I don't really want to put anything on the screen - I mistakenly put the shield on the front of my iPod touch and have never liked the texture/drag it has.

So, before I decide to ruin my beautiful iPhone's screen, I'm wondering if anyone here has ever had an issue with a 'naked' screen. After all, Apple does call it scratch-resistant glass...

Thanks in advance fellas.
 
Brien said:
I just picked up a white 3G and I'm going to get an invisible shield; I've put them on every iPod I've owned so far and they've worked like a charm. However, I don't really want to put anything on the screen - I mistakenly put the shield on the front of my iPod touch and have never liked the texture/drag it has.

So, before I decide to ruin my beautiful iPhone's screen, I'm wondering if anyone here has ever had an issue with a 'naked' screen. After all, Apple does call it scratch-resistant glass...

Thanks in advance fellas.
Click to expand...

I bought my iphone 3g in September of 2008. The dumbass that works at best buy told me I didn't need a screen protector because the iphone's screen is made of glass, not plastic, therefore he basically said unless I'm carrying a diamond in my pocket it won't get scratched. so I bought the slider case to protect the back and sides, but nothing for the screen.

So time went on, and it never scratched. Then, one night I was out at a bar, and noticed this line going down the screen when I was using it
so I tried to wipe it clean w/ my shirt with no luck, so I thought ok no big deal, I can clean this better when I get home. So later, I checked it out later and it was indeed scratched. I even took it to the apple store and they couldn't do anything for me. So now I feel like going back to best buy and punching the kid who sold it to me in the face b/c I was ready to buy a screen protector and he advised me not to! Ahhh!

I am not getting a screen protector until my next iphone
the screen is already scratched, so who cares. Then a coworker was showing me theirs with a screen protector and the finger drag wasn't that bad. so YES I recommend a screen protector! Anyone know which protectors are better than others? Which ones are truly invisible?...and which ones don't feel like there is a screen protector on there when you run your finger across it? (I'll need to know this for when I buy my next iphone)

Thanks.
 
I don't mind the texture/drag thing the OP is talkin' about, b/c it actually gives me a firmer grip on my 3G iPhone, than w/o the InvisibleShield. I think a ruined screen is one that is cracked or scratched due to the lack of some type of protection.....
 
I've had an iPhone since the initial launch, dropped it a few times, but haven't ever scratched the screen. Of course, I'm smart enough not to carry it in a pocket with other things. Honestly, I'd be more worried about cracking the screen than scratching it. That's not to say it can't happen, though.
 
B2k1977 said:
Anyone know which protectors are better than others? Which ones are truly invisible?...and which ones don't feel like there is a screen protector on there when you run your finger across it? (I'll need to know this for when I buy my next iphone)
Click to expand...
i recommend the one from the iStore in the green package by Power Support. it comes with 2 in the package for $14.95. it's multi-layered for anti glare, anti scratch, & most of all, the adhesion non-sticky layer where you don't have to be a tint expert with those bubbles that drive you crazy. i've used it on my touch for several months before getting the iPhone and it's worked great. it's anti-glare and matte so no it's not "invisible" but it also resists finger prints which most other protectors don't. i've been tapping my screen like crazy playing Zombieville and the matte finish shows no wear.
 
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the screen will scratch

i was naked for about 2-3 months and there were tiny scratches on the screen

go with a screen protector, its worth the $15 investment
 
The glass screen in itself is a lot harder to scratch than cheapo plastic. More resistant more than scratch-proof. It will still eventually scratch, but compare a 6 month old iPhone to a phone with a plastic screen and the iphone will win. That being said, I enjoy having a Power support anti glare screen protector.
 
I've had an iPhone since the original and I've never managed to scratch the screen. I even tell everyone that it impossible to scratch. I prove it to them by taking a key and trying to scratch the glass. I also carry it in my pocket with no protection. The back is all scratched up.

I've never seen a scratched iPhone glass but I guess anything is possible.
 
B2k1977 said:
I bought my iphone 3g in September of 2008. The dumbass that works at best buy told me I didn't need a screen protector because the iphone's screen is made of glass, not plastic, therefore he basically said unless I'm carrying a diamond in my pocket it won't get scratched. so I bought the slider case to protect the back and sides, but nothing for the screen.

So time went on, and it never scratched. Then, one night I was out at a bar, and noticed this line going down the screen when I was using it
so I tried to wipe it clean w/ my shirt with no luck, so I thought ok no big deal, I can clean this better when I get home. So later, I checked it out later and it was indeed scratched. I even took it to the apple store and they couldn't do anything for me. So now I feel like going back to best buy and punching the kid who sold it to me in the face b/c I was ready to buy a screen protector and he advised me not to! Ahhh!

I am not getting a screen protector until my next iphone
the screen is already scratched, so who cares. Then a coworker was showing me theirs with a screen protector and the finger drag wasn't that bad. so YES I recommend a screen protector! Anyone know which protectors are better than others? Which ones are truly invisible?...and which ones don't feel like there is a screen protector on there when you run your finger across it? (I'll need to know this for when I buy my next iphone)

Thanks.
Click to expand...

How deep is the scratch? I wonder if you would still be able to see if it you were to put an invisible shield over your screen now... my iPod classic had a few minor scratches on its display and they're invisible now that i've applied the invisible shield...
 
Surely, it all depends how well you look after it. For example, if you keep it in a pocket along with things that can scratch it - you're asking for trouble :(
 
I love the invisible shield. I like how it feels, I like how it protects, I like how it makes fingerprints nearly invisible, I like how IT is nearly invisible.

It's great.
 
Yeah, definitely go with a screen shield, many people say go with one just for a piece of mind. You will thank yourself later.

Anyways, if you don't live by an Apple Store and prefer not buying shields online, i'm sure there is a Best Buy nearby. Check out the DLO Surface Shields if you want to go with the anti glare option, i had to get some type of screen shield when my PS anti glare messed up and i was going to chicago the next day, quickly picked up a pack of these DLO's (13 bucks gets you FIVE), and they're totally worth it :)

Great thing is, i know i have some spares just in case :D

(if you want more of a clearer look on your screen, i hear the surface shields that come with the DLO Jam Jacket are actually anti glare, but the screen is clearer, your call)
 
My friend has a lot of scratches in his screen (fairly deep ones that are easily noticed) - but he always puts his iPhone face down on tables, etc, so it's to be expected. On the other hand, I haven't got any scratches because I always rest my iPhone face up. (We've both had our phones since June 08.) I also keep it in a pocket without anything else in that pocket, although I have always done this with cellphones, so I don't think I'm especially overprotective with the iPhone. I've dropped it many times, and I certainly don't baby the phone or the screen. To date I don't have any scratches, and only a few specs of dust under the screen (which, it appears, is basically unavoidable).
 
fabian9 said:
How deep is the scratch? I wonder if you would still be able to see if it you were to put an invisible shield over your screen now... my iPod classic had a few minor scratches on its display and they're invisible now that i've applied the invisible shield...
Click to expand...

I thought about that. I'm just afraid it may amplify the scratch. as of now, it is hardly noticable so I was just going to ride it out until I upgrade. If a new iphone doesn't come out by the end of the year, I'll probably get a 16, I got the 8gb originally and thought it would be plenty, but no way, I need at least 16. so I'm holding out in hopes for a 32+

Given all the rumors, it's a very real posibility we could be seeing a new iphone as soon as this summer. The back of my iphone is cherry, it's been in a slider case since day 1. my slider case is jacked the hell up. but the phone is cherry still. If I buy a new phone, I"ll continue to use my old one until I find a suitable case for it. I won't make this mistake again.
 
I always kept a screen protector on my Treo 650, but I haven't used one at all on my iPhone (had it since Aug 08). No scratches at all so far...
 
I am more worried about it cracking due to a simple drop at the (concrete) bus stop, or a light rail station (bricks!) than small slight scratches that I won't notice.
 
The screen protector will protect the screen from scratches if you get punched in the arm and the iPhone falls out of your hands and slides down the concrete. My phone is proof. I keep mine completely covered at ALL times unless I have it plugged into my dock next to the computer.
 
I got my iPhone when it was about 14 months old, used. The guy had never kept it in a case or anything and it was perfect.

About a month later I dropped it. It bounced merrily along on its corners, landed on its screen and slid along the pavement for about a metre. It had 2 TINY scratches - I did the same thing with an iPod 5G and it was not just scratched (badly), but chipped.

I've had a (cheap off Amazon) screen protector on it since then (mainly so I could stop babying it and just chuck it in with my keys etc). You could use the screen without a protector and probably be fine, but personally I like the peace of mind and the protector doesn't smudge up the way the glass does.
 
I have 2g and 3G.
Never used screen protectors.
I have kept phones in pockets but never with keys/coins.
Never had any scratch, maybe i`m lucky.
 
I've used Power Support Anti-Glare screen protectors on the 3 iPhones I've owned. I also keep the phone in pants pockets by itself, and I'm careful how and where I set it down; nevertheless, little ooops will happen, and I've never had a scratched screen. One word of caution about the Anti-Glare, however: I've noticed that with my current iPhone 3G, it doesn't play nicely with the Incase Slider (I've tried it with 3 different ones). I finally got everything aligned nearly perfectly, so that there is only one very tiny dent in the protector at one corner, virtually invisible. In between unhappy tries to get it perfect, I switched briefly to Power Support's other protector, the Crystal Film, but wasn't happy with it. It not only wasn't nearly as resistant to fingerprints and face oils, but it developed a small scratch (only on the protector), from I'm still not sure what. I won't be taking this Anti-Glare off, unless I intend to leave the screen naked, which will only happen right before I give the phone away to my first ex-wife, along with a thousand dollar bill.

I've never seen anything quite like the widely varied experiences people have with the naked iPhone screen. Some swear they can shoot it with a tank cannon and the shell bounces off; others find it gets scratched from being in the proximity of an invisible speck of fluff in a hermetically sealed room. I wouldn't think even different batches of glass would yield that kind of variation. Maybe there's a variation in the definition of "scratch"...? As in, if it doesn't look like my Hummer would have a problem getting through it, it isn't a scratch.
 
I've had an iPod touch since the original release and I got my first screen scratch a couple of weeks ago, FWIW. YMMV. IDK. BBQ.
 
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