I'm always extremely careful of my devices, never dropped or damaged the screen other than light scratches.
Let me just give my 2 cents on this.
Having owned a caboodle of high tech equipment, and being what you may call an OCD when it comes to keeping my equipment in perfect looking condition, I've learned a thing or two on how I should properly take care of my precious devices, specially ones with glass on them. And I have discovered an enemy: TINY HARD DUST...read on...
At one point, I've been in the same situation as you...no matter how I say I am taking care of my gadget, there are times, beyond my knowledge, I am actually doing slight damage to my phone. Take these different scenerios:
1. Sliding your phone slowly in your jeans pocket or bag pocket: Little did you know, there are tiny, hard dust particles already stuck in these pockets, and when you slide your phone in and out, no matter how slowly or carefully you do it, your phone will definitely get scratched by these 'tiny rocks'. You may also have 'metal rivets' on your pants, or metal lining on your bag that can scratch your phone beyond your knowledge. My suggestion: resist the urge to keep your phone in any of your clothes' or bag pockets. There are bags you can buy with pockets specially made for gadgets and have micro-fiber materials built into them...don't forget to clean these pockets regularly by shaking off the tiny rocks, before you put your phone in.
My rule of thumb, if I have to definitely keep my phone in any pocket, is to not let any material touch or rub the screen while I walk, run, etc. It also helps to insert a clean cotton/microfiber cloth in between the screen and whatever it may come in contact inside the pocket.
2. Cleaning you screen with 'polyester cloth'. My suggestion: never, ever use polyester to clean your screen...it will scratch it. Use cotton or microfibre cloth instead.
3. Cleaning your screen with cotton/microfiber cloth that have these tiny dust/rocks: Believe me, they're there. My suggestion: shake the cloth vigorously before using it to clean your screen or use a brand new cloth (but don't forget to shake it too before using using it.)
4. After using your phone outside, specially on a windy day: Dust blows everywhere, therefore, beyond your knowledge, your phone already accumulated these tiny rocks. My suggestion: Blow your phone before cleaning or putting it in contact with anything.
4. Putting your phone face down on any surface: No matter what surface you lay it on, there may be the presence of these tiny rocks. My suggestion: get a fresh tissue and use it to put your phone on.
These suggestions are very useful if you don't intend to put a screen protector on your screen. Either observe these suggestions or get yourself a good screen protector. You have no other choice in keeping your screen scratch free.
