Oh dear, i see the iPhone 4 has that oleophobic coating

[Mliii]

If you are prone to scratching or damaging your electronics, than you should probably still use a screen protector.
If you have a history of never scratching or damaging them, as I do, then you won't.
It's that easy.

What he said.
I am pretty rough on my phone- not because I am reckless with it, but I travel a lot and it's are always getting dropped, banged, etc. I have a case on mine which I am very comfortable with AND a screen protector- which, btw, has a pretty nasty gash in it at present. So I think it's more about how you use your phone and not so much about build quality. And I really don't care about 'hiding' the beauty of the thing! It's a PHONE, not an amulet that I wear around my neck to demonstrate that I am a member of the Magical Order of iPhone Users!

 

[saschke]

Oh, and in general the idea of screen protectors and cases just doesn't make sense to me. I like to have nice looking things, I really do. But that doesn't mean I need or should cover them up so as to never see them dinged or scratched. Could you imagine wrapping your fine watch in plastic and using a "crystal protector" over the sapphire? Right, you can't - because that is completely inane. If someone can wear and enjoy their $12000 Rolex Sub and not fret over every ding and scratch, well then damn, I think I can handle a fingerprint on my $199 phone THAT I KNOW I WILL BE REPLACING ON A YEARLY BASIS. Going on 4 years with iPhones. Zero cases and zero protectors.

This ^ is healthy!

 

[yegon]

I'd beg to differ that if you dropped it on concrete that it's in mint condition. There HAS to be a scrape on it SOMEWHERE. Unless it was some kind of magic concrete!

Heh, you'd think so, but amazingly it is flawless. I dropped it from pocket height, it landed face down and sort of skittered on the spot. My heart was in my mouth when I picked it up and turned it over.......not a scratch. Screen perfect. Silver bezel perfect. Studied it under a bright light, flawless. Unbelievable but true.

The back is scratched to buggery though, but as someone else said previously, I couldn't give a monkeys about the back.

Flipside, my 20 day old iPad has a teeny weeny scratch on it, despite treating it with muchos respect. Only visible when I really look for it though when the screen is off.

 

[John T]

Basically, glass can be easily scratched.

Not true - where on earth did you get that idea from? Glass (silica) is one of the hardest elements known to man. Not of course that it can't be scratched, but you really do have to be negligent/destructive to do so!

 

[greygray]

Screen protector for what? To protect against your sharp beard?

The screen is GLASS. Screen protectors are a waste of money. I've owned every iPhone since 2007 and I've never had even the slightest scratch on any screen. And that includes one iPhone that I dropped on asphalt.

Mark

That's what YOU think. Others think differently though.

OP: It's always good to have a screen protector handy, it really helps in preventing scratches sometimes, even though the screen itself is scratch-resistant!

 

[nlr]

My old 3G I took really good care with it, tried to keep it clean and with no scratches but for some reason it always got scratches so on my 3GS model I bought a incase slider case which left it in good condition apart from the apple had scratches on the back which I couldn't believe.

Does anyone have any tips keeping it without scratches and clean with your iphone?

 

[gloss]

Not true - where on earth did you get that idea from? Glass (silica) is one of the hardest elements known to man. Not of course that it can't be scratched, but you really do have to be negligent/destructive to do so!

Or at least have some sand in your pocket.

 

[TavisB]

Not true - where on earth did you get that idea from? Glass (silica) is one of the hardest elements known to man. Not of course that it can't be scratched, but you really do have to be negligent/destructive to do so!

psstt...silica is not an element. Sorry, I'm a chemistry teacher .

 

[ScubaCinci]

My 3G is about 2 years old now and it has several minor scratches on the screen. I have been pretty careful with it, never dropped it or shoved it into my pocket with keys, change, etc. Still, it has some scratches so those who say it can't scratch are naive.

I put a powersupport skin on my iPad the day I got it and you can't even tell it is on. I'll likely do the same with my i4

 

[TheBearman]

well aren't you Mr. Perfect..

I beleive in screen protectors, I am a photographer and often toss lens caps in my pocket in the heat of the moment, 3 times now, i've tossed them in the same pocket as my iphone inadvertently and 3 times i've scratched the **** out of the screen. The first time, I had no screen protector and the screen was ruined.. the second two times, I had screen protectors on (that you can't even see if they're installed properly) and I destroyed the screen protectors. Luckily it was as simply as peeling it off and installing a new screen protector though, becuase the screen underneath was flawless..

I'm a photographer as well and do the same thing but I don't have a single lens cap (which are all made of a fairly soft plastic) that would scratch glass.

To each their own, I don't use a screen protector and have never had a problem. Having said that I also know that glass can be scratched and if you are concerned it's a fairly inexpensive option.

 

[dieburnbot]

My iPhone 3G screen has a very small scratch. I put the phone in the front pocket of my scrub shirt one day and came to change and forgot it was in there and the phone flew out and hit the wall in my bedroom. It created a 1 mm scratch. It isn't very noticeable, but it pissed me off because I too thought that the iPhone screen was pretty scratch proof. It was the first and only time in 2 years I ever dropped my phone. Anyway I'll be using a screen protector in order to preserve the resale value and no other reason.

 

[Megalobyte]

I prefer the feel of the anti-glare protectors on the front of the phone. It has less to do with protection and more to do with look and feel... for me.

You're talking about a screen protector, right?

 

[John T]

psstt...silica is not an element. Sorry, I'm a chemistry teacher .

As soon as I posted this reply I just knew some smarty was going to miss the point and try to impress with his superior knowledge! Of course, Silica is an oxide of silicon. In the context of the reply, "element" was used as a noun.

 

[orange42]

People are spending $10-$20 on screen protectors? You can get packs of 6 on eBay for literally less than $2. Why are some of you getting expensive ones? What's the difference, they all cover the screen?

 

[thelumpya2]

People are spending $10-$20 on screen protectors? You can get packs of 6 on eBay for literally less than $2. Why are some of you getting expensive ones? What's the difference, they all cover the screen?

the cheapy ones have a weird rainbow oil stain type effect when you are viewing the phone in certain lights or at a slight angle.. the 7$ ones (come in a pack of 2 for 15$) are crystal clear and you can't see them in any light or from any angle..

 

[orange42]

the cheapy ones have a weird rainbow oil stain type effect when you are viewing the phone in certain lights or at a slight angle.. the 7$ ones (come in a pack of 2 for 15$) are crystal clear and you can't see them in any light or from any angle..

What brand are those?

 

[dagomike]

The original iPhone had a few scratches on the glass. It just happens. Sand, keys, etc. It's not the end of the world and I really can only notice it when catching the light.

I put a screen protector on the 3GS and recently replace it. It's perfect. That's kind of cool and worth 5 minutes and $5 or whatever.

 

[elephunkman]

On a daily basis, I do not notice the superficial scratches unless I have too much time and look at my phone at an awkward angle in the sun. I have not used screen protectors since the first iPhone, but I will be using a case since I like to toss my phone in the dashboard of my car.

 

[xtend]

No screen protector on my 1 YR old 3GS and no scratches when checked in an angle.

simple rules:
- a case that has edges and protect the screen from touching flat surfaces(speck candyshell)
- don't put the phone in a pocket with keys
- common sense when handling the phone.

thats it.. the from has some fingerprints that can be easily wiped off thanks to the coating.

So no protectors for me

I think i'll go with a bumper for the iPhone 4.

 

[Drag'nGT]

I used to swear by the screen protectors but after taking them off and using the phone with just it's glass screen, I have to say I'll never use one again.

With the plastic back on the 3G/3GS I did use a case though.

 

[me2000]

I've had my 3G for almost two years completely naked. The screen is in perfect condition.

I've dropped it on hard concrete three times. The back is kind of beat up... but as long as the screen is still in good condition, I could care less.

 

[Kevlar]

I've had my 3G for almost two years completely naked. The screen is in perfect condition.

I've dropped it on hard concrete three times. The back is kind of beat up... but as long as the screen is still in good condition, I could care less.

Same as me. I have on little pixel sized mark on the front where I dropped the phone on the corner of my uMBP. Whoops.

 

[Crank2142]

Not that I have much frame of reference as my 3gs always had a protector but my iPhone 4 picks up a tremendous amount of finger prints. Does the new iPhone have the oleophobic coating? If so, I can't imagine how bad it was with the older models

 

[cal6n]

Oleophobic doesn't mean that you'll get less smears on your phone. It means that the smears you do get are significantly easier to clean off than those on non-treated screens.

 

[bludragon06]

Screen protector for what? To protect against your sharp beard?

The screen is GLASS. Screen protectors are a waste of money. I've owned every iPhone since 2007 and I've never had even the slightest scratch on any screen. And that includes one iPhone that I dropped on asphalt.

Mark

LOL thats funny. I have the 3G right now and I broke the screen on it and a few other things are wrong with it so I decided I didnt care about it anymore and took everything off it. Including the Zagg screen protector. I stand behind Zagg all the way. My screen is soooooo scratched up its ridiculous! With the crack in the screen thought to the side it has a bunch of scratches. Glass can and will scratch!
-Dave