Does the front/back get scratched?

Prior to getting my iPhone 4 I always used screen protectors. When I got my iPhone 4 at launch I decided the display was too nice to cover up so I went this whole time without one.

In everyday use I keep my phone on the table, in my pocket or docked and I have 1 minor scratch that you can only see if you have the screen turned off and shine a light in just the right way (its more like a hair line scratch and VERY small). I just took delivery of my 4S today and plan to go without a screen protector again based on my prior exp.

 

Nope.. no protector needed

As long as you don't scratch it with diamonds (rings/earrings), mineral crystals etc, it shouldn't scratch under normal circumstances.

I used to use screen protectors (PowerSupport is my favourite) for iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4. Both Anti-glare and crystal. Issue I have is that those screen protectors attract finger prints and it gets very nasty after about 1 year time.

With my iPad, I had the PowerSupport screen protector on as well, however I can no longer stand the anti-glare as it makes the display "grainy", especially on a retina display of iPhone 4 (4S). Crystal screen protector is "almost" invisible but then you can still tell that the screen doesn't look or feel as nice with the screen protector on.

With iPad 2, I use no protection other than the apple's cover so I can lay it face down when it's not in use. The screen so far is still spotless. (of course... my fingers and nails are softer than the screen so it won't scratch )

I know a few people using iPhone 4 "naked" and "without protection" for 15 months, and the worst case i've seen is a hairline scratch that can only be seen if tilted under the light at a certain angle.

So no... Not protecting my iPhone 4S this time around as far as screen film goes, I would get a bumper or a lightweight case just so it doesn't touch the table top directly when it lay it down.

 

After going a year and a half using the iPhone 4 without a case I have two small hairline scratches that you can see if you tilt the phone a certain way.

 

I don't know about all that. I got a replacement iP4 from the Apple store a couple of months ago and I got a decent sized scratch just from sliding it in and out of my jeans pocket. I don't put keys or anything else in the pocket where I keep my phone.

Now, this didn't happen with my previous iP4, but still - I was shocked when I noticed the scratch a few weeks after receiving my replacement phone.