Which Cell Phone Case Can I Use A Glass Screen Protector

Having a big scratch on your telephone is like having an itch in your brain you merely tin can't reach. Plus, it lowers the resale value of the device when you want to upgrade. A screen protector tin keep the surface pristine, only ownership i is more than complicated than it should be. It'southward also worth request if modern phones even demand one anymore.

Search for "screen protector" on Amazon, and yous'll likely be overwhelmed by the results(Opens in a new window). In that location are and so many brands, types, and prices that it's enough to make your head spin. Thankfully, screen protectors can by and large be cleaved down into a few simple types, each with their ain advantages and disadvantages.

Do I Really Need a Screen Protector?

Google Pixel 2

The drinking glass on your gadgets has gotten a lot more scratch-resistant since the days of the iPod. Corning's Gorilla Glass will non scratch if you rub information technology with your keys or loose change, which is a big pace forward. The iPhone 12 Ceramic Shield screen, also from Corning, is supposed to be fifty-fifty tougher. It is not, nevertheless, unscratchable, every bit some people believe.

Take a expect at my Google Pixel 2, for case. The scratches aren't deep, but they're definitely there. These scratches probable come from sand and other particles with hard minerals in them, similar quartz and topaz. Any object harder than your screen volition scratch it, and while Corning hasn't officially released its glass' Mohs hardness rating(Opens in a new window), most testers take constitute information technology to prevarication between a half-dozen and 7 (the highest value, 10, is as difficult as diamonds).

And then aye, your screen can still be scratched, and it's probably the sand in your pocket or pocketbook that'due south causing it. Screen protectors are not perfect—even the best ones are unremarkably between a 7 and viii on the Mohs scale, which is slightly better than Gorilla Glass—but they allow you to pop your phone in your pocket without worrying. Then, if and when the protector gets scratched, yous tin replace it, keeping the actual screen in pristine condition for a later on resale.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

PET is a type of plastic ordinarily found on things similar h2o bottles and nutrient containers. PET screen protectors provide the least amount of scratch- and impact-protection, but they're super cheap, calorie-free, and thin, and as a result are less visible one time applied to your phone.

They likewise have a decently polish feel, dissimilar the more than durable just rubbery TPU. PET is likewise a scrap stiff, so information technology tin can't go border-to-edge on phones with curved screens. If you want to go with PET, I recommend Tech Armor(Opens in a new window).

Thermoplastic Polyreuthane (TPU)

When you call up of the screen protectors of old, you're probably thinking of TPU. It'southward a flexible plastic that's a huge hassle to install (it involves using a spray solution and squeegeeing out lots of bubbling), doesn't experience very shine (cheers to its virtually rubbery texture), and adds an "orangish peel" blazon glare to your phone'due south screen.

Still, it's flexible, so it tin become border-to-border on any phone, it has better bear on protection than PET, and it has limited "self-healing" powers for small scratches. Brands similar IQ Shield(Opens in a new window) offer TPU at very affordable prices, while Zagg's InvisibleShield picture(Opens in a new window) is a bit more expensive.

On the other manus, Zagg's comes in a few unlike styles depending on the await, experience, and features you want. Still, not all styles are available for all phones, and some phones don't have TPU options at all. Both IQ Shield and Zagg come with replacement warranties, every bit well, though Zagg'due south is more than all-encompassing, hence the higher cost.

Tempered Glass

These are the granddaddies of screen protectors. They don't have the self-healing abilities of TPU, just they're tougher in terms of scratch- and drop-protection, and these days they are pretty inexpensive.

Both amFilm(Opens in a new window) and Maxboost(Opens in a new window) offering affordable glass protectors that measure betwixt a seven and 8 on the Mohs hardness calibration, according to Wirecutter(Opens in a new window)—and in our tests, they worked quite well. (Zagg's drinking glass protectors(Opens in a new window) only measured between a v and 6, which it says is really better for impact protection, even if information technology requires sacrificing some scratch defense. They also come in more than varieties with features like privacy or anti-glare.)

Because drinking glass protectors are thicker, all the same, they're much more visible on your screen, which isn't neat if you prefer that melts-into-your-screen type of artful.

Nano Liquid

These days you'll also detect liquid screen protectors on the market place, which claim you can protect your phone just by swabbing a solution on your telephone then buffing it off. These protectors come with a host of quirks that make information technology difficult to recommend. While information technology may provide some level of extra protection, the layer is so thin that tough scratches can likely still easily get through to the actual screen(Opens in a new window), which defeats the purpose of a screen protector.

Furthermore, yous can't just have this off and swap it with another screen protector. Virtually products say information technology will just wear off over fourth dimension (though there's no visible mode to tell when). That makes it difficult to test because you can't just scratch and skin the production off—it's unclear whether you'd be scratching the protector or the screen underneath.

All Qmadix(Opens in a new window) protectors come with a SquareTrade(Opens in a new window)-esque $250 warranty, which is probably where virtually of your money goes. But all told, I'd recommend skipping the liquid stuff.

And then Which Screen Protector Is Best?

Don't pay likewise much attention to the hardness rating that brands annunciate—most use the ASTM hardness scale(Opens in a new window), in which the hardest pencil (9H) is softer than tempered glass, making it a useless indicator of protection. The Mohs scale—which does non use an "H"—is much more useful, though information technology doesn't sound as adept on the box. If y'all're unsure most the hardness of a specific make, search around to see if anyone has tested it themselves with a Mohs kit.

In my opinion, nigh people are probably best off with a tempered glass protector. They have the smoothest feel, forbid the most damage, and are available at pretty decent prices. If y'all're really finicky about looks, you lot may similar PET or TPU ameliorate (since they aren't every bit visible once applied to your telephone), especially since films like TPU can provide self-healing, edge-to-edge protection on phones with curved screens.

I'd avoid the liquid protection unless you lot know yous aren't going to utilise any of the others anyway, and want the warranty that Qmadix provides.

If You Want Impact Protection, Get a Example

That said, screen protection is just one piece of the puzzle. These films will assist you avert scratches and provide some impact protection, but if you're worried nigh dropping your phone, get a case.

A screen protector will not protect the dorsum of your phone, the edges, or fifty-fifty the corners of the screen. A expert case (especially one with a "lip" over the screen) will do more for drops than any screen protector, so unless yous experience lucky—or have a adept insurance program—become a example along with whatsoever screen protection you decide on.

I recommend the OtterBox Symmetry Series(Opens in a new window) case, but we have more than options for this twelvemonth's flagship phones, including the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 and 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, likewise as the Samsung Galaxy S21.

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