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To screen protector or not to screen protector

Should I put the screen protector on the iPad pro

  • Yes

    Votes: 19 37.3%

  • No

    Votes: 32 62.7%
  • Total voters
    51
SassyCassyxox

SassyCassyxox

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 4, 2017
15
19
I've read several posts that are for and against screen protectors and it seems to be a split reaction.
I have the iPP 10.5 with the apple pencil and I'm really not sure if I should get it, some people say it will affect it greatly and some say it improves the use of the apple pencil.
 
I put matte screen protectors on nearly all my devices. Only exceptions are three Kindle Fire tablets and all my Kindle readers. I am willing to sacrifice a little display sharpness for the greatly reduced smudging and the slightly "toothier" feel with both touch and Apple Pencil. Your mileage may vary...
 
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LibbyLA said:
I put matte screen protectors on nearly all my devices. Only exceptions are three Kindle Fire tablets and all my Kindle readers. I am willing to sacrifice a little display sharpness for the greatly reduced smudging and the slightly "toothier" feel with both touch and Apple Pencil. Your mileage may vary...
Click to expand...
Do you use the Apple Pencil a lot?
 
Screen protectors make the pencil so slippery it becomes harder to write legible. And my usual writing isn’t a particular pleasure for the reader....
 
Tempered glass screen protector Ipp pro 10.5

Essential since previously using iPad Air 18 months approx without screen protector

Don’t notice it at all though I appreciate screen isn’t smudged etc.

Flash wipe is all I use for freshness!
 
I have a 10.5 IPP with a matte screen protector and a Pencil. In my opinion it improves the writing experience and I enjoy having less fingerprints and smudges on it.
 

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I had the Zagg tempered glass one for my 12.9 - but I took it off. I have the leather sleeve and Smart Cover - I noticed with the protector, when the Smart Cover closes over the screen, the magnet didn't hold it closed as tight as usual, and the cover would slide around over the screen. It kind of became a problem when I would put the iPad in the sleeve, and I imagine uneven pressure would eventually tear the Smart Cover over where it connects to the iPad.

Also - I've never used a screen protector on any iPads (including the prior 12.9), and never had a problem. I think they were more relevant early on, especially with phones, but now..not so much.
 
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I have gotten skeptical responses on this for some reason in other threads, but let me tell you my experience with this:

1.) I really baby my devices--I loathe cosmetic damage on my Apple stuff, ESPECIALLY scratches in the screen, so I always make sure everything is clean and grit free before using my Apple Pencil. (Yes, I check the tip of the Pencil as well to make sure there is no grit embedded in the material there either.)

2.) Before my current iPad Pro 10.5", I have owned the iPad 2, the "new iPad" with retina, iPad Air 1, iPad mini 3, and iPad Pro 9.7". I never used screen protectors on any of them until the iPad Pro 9.7". Within a week of getting my Apple Pencil and using it pretty regularly with the 9.7", I noticed a small scratch in my screen that I know for a fact was not there before. Probably just in the coating, as I couldn't feel it with a fingernail, but a scratch nonetheless. I imagined even with my careful use that this might become a bigger problem down the line as I accumulated more scratches--especially in regards to resale value--so I put a glass screen protector.

3.) Not wanting this same issue to happen on my 10.5" Pro, I didn't even use the Pencil on it until I had a tempered glass screen protector.

I have been criticized when stating this same thing in other threads. People say I just don't keep my iPad/Pencil clean enough or I must live in a dusty, dry environment or something like that. Neither of those things is even remotely true. What I think happened is that the universe randomly decided that a piece of grit was going to land on my screen, and it was the kind of grit that was abrasive enough to scratch my iPad screen while using the Pencil. As careful as I always am with my stuff, it still happened.

So my advice--if minor scratches bother you, get a screen protector. They will surely happen, even if they're just in the coating and are not particularly easy to see. I never believe people that say they have no permanent marks on their screens--they're there if you look in the right light. If you get a protector, you don't even have to think about it.
 
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I had the tempered glass screen protector on my 9.7-inch IPP, but removed it after just one day. It was almost like looking into a mirror. The screen protector turned the Pro's gorgeous low reflectance screen into a glossy screen which just defeats the purpose of AR coating. From what I can tell, the screen is fairly scratch resistance and nuisance like fingerprints and dusts can be easily removed by microfiber cloth.
 
Tazoawake2016 said:
I had the tempered glass screen protector on my 9.7-inch IPP, but removed it after just one day. It was almost like looking into a mirror. The screen protector turned the Pro's gorgeous low reflectance screen into a glossy screen which just defeats the purpose of AR coating. From what I can tell, the screen is fairly scratch resistance and nuisance like fingerprints and dusts can be easily removed by microfiber cloth.
Click to expand...
This I agree with--it does affect the anti-glare properties, and it does make the screen more slippery. I guess people need to decide if they want the peace of mind with the screen protector or if they're willing to go without and have the nicer feel/look to the screen. If only we could have a combination of both! :)
 
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SassyCassyxox said:
Do you use the Apple Pencil a lot?
Click to expand...

Not usually, but I used it a good bit yesterday. I had some map screen shots in a PDF that I imported into Notability and I wrote property owner contact information on the PDF pages. I also took pictures of a couple of parcel maps with my iPP 10.5 and pulled them into the Notability document and annotated one of those pages.

I expect to use my pencil more, especially once iOS comes out. I just need to make a concerted effort to do so.
 
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I was actually in this dilemma recently as I despise using cases and screen protectors, however my handwriting with the Apple Pencil on plain glass made my chicken scratches impossible to read.

I researched a bit and ended up picking up a Matte screen protector from iCarez. Put it on flawlessly, and the pencil did indeed feel more like I was writing on paper. However looking at the screen was a horrific experience. Not sure if all matte protectors have the grainy look to it, but the picture would distort pretty bad especially on plain white backgrounds such as google or a new Notability page.

Ended up removing it and will just try to write slower with the pencil.

tl:dr Retina resolution with glassy writing experience, or grainy resolution with a pencil like writing experience.
 
LibbyLA said:
I put matte screen protectors on nearly all my devices. Only exceptions are three Kindle Fire tablets and all my Kindle readers. I am willing to sacrifice a little display sharpness for the greatly reduced smudging and the slightly "toothier" feel with both touch and Apple Pencil. Your mileage may vary...
Click to expand...

Is there a particular screen protector manufacturer that you like? I have a new 12.9 iPP that I want to protect.
 
SassyCassyxox said:
I've read several posts that are for and against screen protectors and it seems to be a split reaction.
I have the iPP 10.5 with the apple pencil and I'm really not sure if I should get it, some people say it will affect it greatly and some say it improves the use of the apple pencil.
Click to expand...
Do a forum search. This question had been proposed more than once before.
 
Broadus said:
Is there a particular screen protector manufacturer that you like? I have a new 12.9 iPP that I want to protect.
Click to expand...

I have used Ghost Armor for several years. On my 12.9 IPP I had the matted screen protector for about year and then switched it out for the clear. On my 9.7 IPP I decided to not have the Ghost Armor applied because I wanted to experience the device based on its design (direct glass touch & pencil). With both IPP I'm using Apple cases & covers. On my IPP 10.5 I'm presently using no screen protection with a SilGut case & cover. I'm thinking to switching to a Sena or Vaja case. The glass screen susceptible to scratching should be getting close to reasonable handling without scratching.
 
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Broadus said:
Is there a particular screen protector manufacturer that you like? I have a new 12.9 iPP that I want to protect.
Click to expand...
I have used the iCarez ones on my iPP 10.5 and iP Mini 4. Compared to some other brands that I've used on other devices, they were easier to install. I had very little trouble with positioning, bubbles, and dust. I had to get a different brand for an Android tablet and the iCarez installation was much less stressful.

They're kind of weird because you use rubber bands(part of the kit) to hold the protector in place so you can position it "just so", then there is a special piece of sticky paper that you use to attach the screen protector to the ipad at the bottom edge (forming a hinge) and another piece at the other end to use as the "handle". You "open" the screen protector like a door, then clean the screen, remove the protective backing, then use the "hinge" to close the protector back down over the screen.

If you do have dust, there are special smaller pieces of sticky stuff that you can use after you've lifted the screen protector using the handle. I've used regular tape like that before, but these pieces work better for me.
 
I already got tempered glass on my Ipad pro 10.5 and i will be using the apple pencil a lot.

Is it possible to install anti glare screen protector on top of tempered glass?
 
willmtaylor said:
Do a forum search. This question had been proposed more than once before.
Click to expand...
I know, I said in my original post that I've read several posts about it.
Thank you though.
[doublepost=1503067983][/doublepost]
neutrino23 said:
I bought this but didn't receive it yet so I can't review it. This is a screen protector that is supposed to make it feel like you are writing on paper.

https://getpaperlike.com/
Click to expand...
Oooo that looks interesting! Holy moly $43 though?!
 
spiderman0616 said:
I have been criticized when stating this same thing in other threads. People say I just don't keep my iPad/Pencil clean enough or I must live in a dusty, dry environment or something like that. Neither of those things is even remotely true. What I think happened is that the universe randomly decided that a piece of grit was going to land on my screen, and it was the kind of grit that was abrasive enough to scratch my iPad screen while using the Pencil. As careful as I always am with my stuff, it still happened.

So my advice--if minor scratches bother you, get a screen protector. They will surely happen, even if they're just in the coating and are not particularly easy to see. I never believe people that say they have no permanent marks on their screens--they're there if you look in the right light. If you get a protector, you don't even have to think about it.
Click to expand...
I would never invalidate or deny one's first-hand experience. It's sad that people couldn't just take you at your word that it happened as you stated it happened.

I have heavily used a variety of styli over the years on all of my iPads... rubber-tipped, foam-tipped, mesh-tipped, clear disc, powered capacitive w/fine point, and Apple Pencil. The iPads never had screen protectors and never incurred any scratches. That's my experience and so obviously my conclusion is that screen protectors aren't needed.

Having said that, you are correct in saying that if minor scratches bother a person, get a screen protector.

The decision for screen protectors is the same as buying covers, cases, and whether or not AppleCare is needed.
 
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I'm using a glass protector on my Air 2 solely for the purpose of reducing fingerprint smudges and making them easier to clean and for me it's working quite well for that purpose. I don't find that affects usability or has any negative effects at all. This is the only time I've ever used a protector on any device that I have owned (a lot).
 
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sparksd said:
I'm using a glass protector on my Air 2 solely for the purpose of reducing fingerprint smudges and making them easier to clean and for me it's working quite well for that purpose. I don't find that affects usability or has any negative effects at all. This is the only time I've ever used a protector on any device that I have owned (a lot).
Click to expand...
My main concern really is with the apple pencil and how well it will perform with a screen protector.
 
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