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Newbie Question - Screen Protection

E

Ellen

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 3, 2007
299
34
Hello, I want to start off by apologizing if this question has been asked and answered many times before. But as a newbie Apple Watch owner I would be grateful for your advice.

I just purchased the Series 3 38mm (aluminum case) after losing patience with my Fitbit tracker which kept having Bluetooth problems. But now that I have it, I realize that am paranoid about damaging it which is a problem since I want to wear it as my everyday watch and at the gym. I was wondering if anyone might share with me any product they recommend for screen protection. There are tons on Amazon and I don't know where to start.

Please note that I have never had good luck with film protectors (dust and bubbles) so I am hesitant to go down that route.

Thanks in advance!
 
I don’t use any protection to my watch screen whatsoever and so far only sees two hard-to-notice scratches unless I see it under directly sunlight. I’d say Ion-X Glass is already durable enough. Sapphire would work better overall.
My suggestion is to use your watch as your daily watch (I do this every day) as it is quite capable. Don’t worry too much about damaging it.
 
Some cell phone case stores actually apply the film protectors for you. The local one has done much better than I ever do.

They clean the screen, then apply the film like it’s no big deal. Comes out perfect every time.

So you could call independent shops that specialize in cases and protection for cell phones. I know... who’d have thought you could run a retail store profitably selling only cases and screen film???
 
If you want any real protection, you need a hard case like the one linked below to protect the corners of the glass. Most of the time, an impact comes from an off angle. A glass protector simply protects the Watch from scratches, not from impact.

http://s.aliexpress.com/z6zmMVRR
 
Everyone will have different opinions. Personally, I don't use screen protection ... I hate how they feel, at least the plastic ones.

I have a few scratches on mine (Nike S2 - ionX glass) but they aren't very noticeable. Especially when the screen is on. The screen is so bright, that it overpowers any scratches. I suspect if the scratch is deep, then maybe I'd notice it.

Lastly, as long as you don't work in construction or something like that, it's not that easy to bang the watch. I mean, how often to you bang your wrist on something?
 
JPack said:
If you want any real protection, you need a hard case like the one linked below to protect the corners of the glass. Most of the time, an impact comes from an off angle. A glass protector simply protects the Watch from scratches, not from impact.

http://s.aliexpress.com/z6zmMVRR
Click to expand...

What you linked for those protectors that surround the casing/glass have been very problematic for many On here. What happens is, debris and dirt gets trapped inside, and causes rubbing against the display or casing, scratching the Apple Watch or in some cases, Have even caused a reaction with the 7000 Series aluminum. Many have started threads on using those types of hard cases they have been detrimental to the Apple Watch. I personally would not suggest hard cases for the Apple Watch, at most a tempered screen protector would suffice For the Ion-X Glass.
 
When I first got my S0, I put a screen protector on it. It would peel after a week or so, and I would replace it. After a year of replacing screen protectors every couple of weeks, I gave up. After 2 years of using my S0, it had a tiny micro scratch near the top of the screen, which was hardly visible and did not affect usage at all. Going on 8 months with my S3, I have zero scratches on the screen without using a protector.

Both of these are sport aluminum models with Ion-X.
 
I've never bothered, I don't with my phone either. I find it makes the device not as pleasant to use, which kind of defeats the point of being a premium watch in the first place. The aluminium case is easier to scratch than the screen anyway, so unless you go full on case (seriously?), you're not achieving much for quite a big loss.
 
Thanks for all the opinions. I am still figuring out what to do - for example I could just invest in Apple Care and stop worrying. The responses about the negatives of the screen protectors are exactly why I don't like them.
 
Ellen said:
Thanks for all the opinions. I am still figuring out what to do - for example I could just invest in Apple Care and stop worrying. The responses about the negatives of the screen protectors are exactly why I don't like them.
Click to expand...

The Apple Watch is the one product I would highly suggest Applecare for. Reason being mainly because when you wear a watch on your wrist, you’re constantly moving and it’s the one object that you can inadvertently hit something and break it when you least expect it. I would not want to pay out-of-pocket costs without AppleCare.
 
Has anyone used either the Speck Candyshell Fit case or the Spigen Slim Armor case? Thanks!
 
Relentless Power said:
The Apple Watch is the one product I would highly suggest Applecare for. Reason being mainly because when you wear a watch on your wrist, you’re constantly moving and it’s the one object that you can inadvertently hit something and break it when you least expect it. I would not want to pay out-of-pocket costs without AppleCare.
Click to expand...

Yes, I don’t think people realize how many times a day they smack their wrists. We don’t notice or care unless it’s enough to hurt us. But some devices are more delicate than us.

The only thing I still don’t really understand is why the Apple Watch is so much more prone to damage than traditional $30 cheap watches.

I beat my watches daily as I work on stuff. And they never show any signs of damage. After 10 years, I’ll replace them when the battery dies. But visually, they’ll look like new.

Yes, I do tend to go for the stainless steel watches. But gold, and plastic have been used.

But even the screens will have no damage after a decade of being beat against engine blocks, lumber, rocks and gravel, and anything else I stick my hands into.

They get washed with soapy water or “gunk” / gojo when I wash up at the end of the day.

The worst I’ve ever seen on the screen after a decade on them has been a couple slight micro abrasions on the screen.

Yeah my watch bands get scrapes. But even those aren’t really noticeable on stainless steel unless you use a magnifying glass. Or a picture zoomed.

It just really doesn’t make sense that the Apple Watch should be more delicate than cheap $30 watches.

They poured enough money into designing it, surely they could have come up with materials that are more durable than my cheap Timex.

Picture of my current daily abuse victim. In the sunlight.

Zooming reveals scrapes on the band. But the face is still great.

I figure it’s got another 5 to 7 years before the battery dies. Been about 3 years so far.

Apparently I need to clean it better lol. Got some gunk still in the band hinges. But, if I cleaned it today, it’s look that way again tomorrow.

It just really seems like Apple should be able to come up with a screen that’s as durable as these cheapies.

If you look at the band on my watch, you can see the impacts the screen must be getting. Yet the screen looks great.

Note that the hazy spot between the 12 and 1 in the picture is an artifact of the glare from the sunlight reflecting back at the camera. It’s actually as clear as the rest of the screen.


C7DF5AAF-8EA0-42D4-B595-7B353DDEDB62.jpeg
 
Relentless Power said:
What you linked for those protectors that surround the casing/glass have been very problematic for many On here. What happens is, debris and dirt gets trapped inside, and causes rubbing against the display or casing, scratching the Apple Watch or in some cases, Have even caused a reaction with the 7000 Series aluminum. Many have started threads on using those types of hard cases they have been detrimental to the Apple Watch. I personally would not suggest hard cases for the Apple Watch, at most a tempered screen protector would suffice For the Ion-X Glass.
Click to expand...

Personally, I haven't had any problems with the clear case and I've been using it for over a year. It only takes a few seconds to remove and wipe the case if there's any debris or moisture trapped under.

The case is similar to an iPhone in a typical TPU case. I agree there's a chance for micro-scratches, but the impact protection benefit it offers outweighs the chance of micro-scratches.
 
JPack said:
Personally, I haven't had any problems with the clear case and I've been using it for over a year. It only takes a few seconds to remove and wipe the case if there's any debris or moisture trapped under.

The case is similar to an iPhone in a typical TPU case. I agree there's a chance for micro-scratches, but the impact protection benefit it offers outweighs the chance of micro-scratches.
Click to expand...

Entirely agree with the bolded. Problem is, most either are complacent or simply forget to do that. And I think that’s where the problem lies, is that after a while, dirt/debris is embedded under the case, along with moisture causes a problem with the aluminum. But if you regularly clean it, it should never be an issue for the most part.
 
I didn’t like the glass type protectors. I use the flexible film type protector and it’s been good enough. I play softball with my watch on in addition to running and going to the gym. I’ve only had to replace the protective film once in 9 months or so when it started looking a little icky around the edges.
 
As a bumper case the Speck Candyshell is currently very inexpensive, but if anyone has used it that would be excellent to know.
 
Some good examples here. For me, I was very concerned about damaging my new S0 watch when I got it (Dec 2015), so much so that I debated either returning for one with a sapphire crystal or getting Apple Care. I'm very hard on watches, so much so that I used to buy disposables to wear when painting, gardening, woodworking, car maintenance, etc. In short order, they looked as you might expect.
But after some initial hesitancy I wear my watch all the time, except in water. It still looks pretty good. No visible scratches. The band stretch by about 1/2 notch, though.
 
Ellen said:
As a bumper case the Speck Candyshell is currently very inexpensive, but if anyone has used it that would be excellent to know.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1528927124][/doublepost]I bought the Candyshell and it is very nice - I like that you can get it on and off without removing the band - but is not a perfect fit for the S3 so I will be returning it to Amazon. I gather it was made for the S1. Too bad.
 
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