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Do You REALLY Need a Screen Protector or Cover?

Ann P said:
No micro scratches have appeared?
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I don't see any as of yet. Typing on it now. Just examined.

That aside, two things.

1 - I've sold every iphone I had in the past. Never had one even examine that closely looking for micro scratches. Damage sure, but not that detailed. People looking to buy a 1-2 year old device are likely more interested in a deal than anything.

2 - with each generation of the iPhone. The Display is closer to the glass. I know with a 4/4S I could scratches with the screen on. Even if there it'd be hard to see on a 6/plus
 
For whatever reason, I feel like this newest iPhone got scratched way faster!!! Now I have a screen protector on it.

Generally speaking, I don't care either way as long as the protector doesn't affect the feeling.
 
No screen protector for me but I use a minimalist case just for the grip.
Gorilla glass and its coating has worked well for 3+ years. B 4 that was trouble city with DYI screen protectors.
No complaints from buyers about micro scratches either.
 
Ann P said:
Nope, I keep most of my phones or give it to family. Can't speak for everyone but micro scratches and scruff marks bother me.
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I agree with this. I do trade in my phones for the next model but what's more important to me is not being able to see the scratches. I went without a protector for a few weeks and have quite a bit of surface scratches. The MIME feather gives a great feel and covers up those scratches on the screen so I can no longer see them.
 
I always use cases because of large hands and small phones tend to slip around, I use a medium duty case. For me, I don't think a screen protector is absolutely necessary as I'm pretty careful and don't carry a phone with anything else in my pocket. Having said that, I really do like the tempered glass screen protectors as they feel and look just like the bare screen and do offer a degree of protection.
 
I think I'm going to agree with the majority here and say that while it is advisable, it is not required. It is a matter of preference. I'd also say that your lifestyle plays a factor in. If you sit at a desk all day, then I'd say you need lesser protection than if you were fracking for oil.
 
a.guillermo said:
I think I'm going to agree with the majority here and say that while it is advisable, it is not required. It is a matter of preference. I'd also say that your lifestyle plays a factor in. If you sit at a desk all day, then I'd say you need lesser protection than if you were fracking for oil.
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Before ipod touch/iphone, I always used those rubbery screen protectors and hated the feel of them. Starting with the ipod touch, I stopped using any screen protectors. It was a bit annoying getting micro scratches, but didn't bother me too much.

With my first iphone (the 6+), all my coworkers told me to look into tempered glass because it doesn't have the sticky feeling like the cheap rubber ones. Eventually, curiosity got to me and I tried the Tech Armor one and loved the feel of it. I already see a few small scratches on mine.

But like others, I don't think its necessary. It does give me a piece of mind.
 
unnecessary

Honestly, I once had a screen protector and it came off within a month. Obviously it was a very cheap brand. However, I never once had a screen protector and my phone is in perfect condition. I always have a phone case, and they are not expensive ones. I've dropped my phone from the top of my car, my bedroom wood floor and cement floor. Never has my screen cracked! Let me not jinx it... BUT I'm just saying that a screen protector is not needed.
 
For anyone that doesn't like using cases, I had a Zagg film applied to the back of my 6 and it adds a ton of grip to the phone.
 
Here is some food for thought, as I also reflect often on the value of screen protectors. With the exception of working in sandy, dirt environments, then the value of them can be questioned.

My flow chart of analysis for scratch protection 😉

1. Never scratched your plastic film screen protector? Then you definately don't need a SP. These films have a hardness of 3, the iPhone glass is 9. If you're not scratching the film, you will never scratch the glass.

My wife falls into this one. She has a bumper and plastic film. For a year, there have been no scratches on the film.

2. Never scratched your glass protector (any type of glass), then you probably don't need a SP either. The Zagg is the same hardness as the iPhone screen.

Shatter protection: In general SP vendors downplay the benefit of SP for shatter protection. With good reasons, I believe. They don't add much value.

1.) if the SP, like the thick glass ones, reduce the case's front lip protection, you have reduced the protection of the SP too. Both scratching and shattering. I've seen thick SP on cases, where there is no lip left at all! Stupid!

I've read some people claim that the glass SP protector broke, protecting the iPhone glass. Possible, true. Most likely the thiness and poor fitting of the SP caused it to break sooner than the main iPhone glass. Give any wiggle room, or play between the iPhone glass and the SP, and it will break there first...especially true of the poor fitting edge to edge protectors. Or poor alignment of the SP that just cover the flat iphone screen.

Think about it this way...place you finger under a SP, hit it will a hammer...still hurts, huh? The energy is still transmitted to your iPhone screen...the SP is too thin to aid in shatter protection.

Each persons usage is different, but this is what I think about. I mostly have not used a SP since the 3G and no scratches or shattering. I use cases like Apples or Tech 21, or Spigen bumpers. For really bad envirnoments I have had LifeProof cases.

IMHO, I rather add my iPHone to my house insurance, or get AppleCare+, then pay the money ($20-$80) to replace a SP. Yes, accidents do happen. But the look of SP is not great. I rather go with insurance, given my life style.

Screen protectors like glass ones may add protection if you are scratching the SP, and it is not due to reducing the case's protective lip. I doubt they add much for shatter protection. A good lip is a better choice.
 
I've got the Apple leather case for my 6+ but no screen protector. No scratches so far, just make sure not to mix it with anything else in your pocket (keys etc) and you'll do just fine.
 
Peace of mind is worth a lot to me.

Just last night, I groped for the phone on the night table in the dark. Somehow, the phone went flying and tumbled onto a wooden floor and against a dresser. I did not feel the need to turn on the lights, wake right up, and give it a going-over in order to ascertain that I’d not given it a permanent gouge or scratch.

Same thing such as a jacket zipper casually dragging across the phone while taking it out of an inside breast pocket. The world needn’t stop while I take out the microscopes to give it a thorough going-over.
 
Need is a strong word. You don't need one but it's always nice to have. Unless you are willing to live with the hair line scratches in the coating of the screen. Which is honestly not a big deal
 
It's really a matter of personal preference. I find a case offers me better grip and I can just use the phone and not have to think about being careful all the time so not to drop it. I would love to go without a screen protector and usually do for a couple of weeks until I see surface scratches. Then I put on a glass protector.
 
viewfly said:
What do you do when the SP has fine scratches?

I have no fine scratches on my. Since launch.
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Put on a new protector.

I would love to know what others do that claim no scratches. I'm extremely careful with my devices and always get scratches - micro scratches but they show on a black screen. I have figured out that the majority of scratches on my phones come from wearing earrings when talking on the phone. But even my iPads develop the micro scratches and no earrings touching the iPad.
 
i wish theyd come up with a better oleophobic coating.

as long as thats there, an SP will be needed, even if the display is sapphire - means nothing if you can still scratch the coating on top of it.
 
I went "naked" for about a week while I was between glass SP's. I was a little more careful with my phone, but didn't have any issues. No scratches. I definitely worried about it though. For me the SP is worth it just to not worry...
 
I've owned iphones since the iPhone 4 was released and never had any of them in a case/cover/screen protector. The only reason I have my iPhone 6 in an Otterbox Commuter case is because the camera lens protrudes from the back and I lay my phones down on their backs. None of my phones have ever incurred any case or screen damage. I suppose it depends on how careful one is with their devices.
 
Nhwhazup said:
Put on a new protector.

I would love to know what others do that claim no scratches. I'm extremely careful with my devices and always get scratches - micro scratches but they show on a black screen. I have figured out that the majority of scratches on my phones come from wearing earrings when talking on the phone. But even my iPads develop the micro scratches and no earrings touching the iPad.
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puma1552 said:
i wish theyd come up with a better oleophobic coating.

as long as thats there, an SP will be needed, even if the display is sapphire - means nothing if you can still scratch the coating on top of it.
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Ah diamonds are a lady's best friend, but not Gorilla Glasses friend. Yes, earrings, glass or diamond can be a problem. And a problem I don't have to worry about.

I don't do anything special. If I could get a good photo to prove it, I will. I sell my phones every year, and I have zero scratches in the oleo coating or the glass. Well, I did have a few Oleo scratches in one iPhone, but it took a full year of use to get that.

Sand (which is Quartz glass) or dirt ( which can have ground Quartz or other hard materials) are a large culprit. I keep my front pants pocket clean, nothing special, just wash my clothes. 🙂

Like they say with camera lenses, blow to gently wipe dirt off first before cleaning- rubbing with a microfiber cloth. I don't baby it, and I clean my screen several times a day, mostly to remove oils and such.

True the oleo coating is softer than the glass. There are several types of oleophobic coatings, and in general they are Nanometers in depth coatings. So a scratch will never be very deep and therefore only seeable under grazing light, and nearly never with the screen turned on. Shouldn't bother anyone. Nor affect resale. After that first nanometers, it pure Gorilla Glass.

My feeling is that a SP is not letting me make use of the best of Apples technology, and any additional screen adds a slight bit of reflection ( even with the Zagg) that reduces the contrast of the raw screen. All of which is personal preference, but with the iPhone 6 curved display and the ill fitting SP, and cost, it's not what I want. The exception I make is for real bad environments, where a LifeProof type case is warranted. I had a Zagg on and it felt good, but my eye was drawn to that glass SP edge far, far more than any slight scratch in the oleophobic coating.

Besides if the SP oleophobic coating is gonna scratch, what will you do? Change the SP every two weeks?

But yeah, if I had earring on, that would be a concern for the glass. I'd say you fall into a category of needing a SP as you fail criteria 1&2 in post 39 above.
 
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