Glass screen protector benefit?

[Kevin OQuinn]

Then you were clearly not careful enough.
Your fault.
Just saying.

Let me remind you of the very first sentence that I started my previous post with:

Nothing is ever absolute.

Hmm. One of these things is not like the other.

 

[Vsweety]

Hmm. One of these things is not like the other.

You got that right!

 

[BBSeattle]

"What is the benefit to one of these? Also do they come in matte? I really hate smudges.. "


In response to the OP's question; glass protectors are designed to protect your screen.
The benefit is that they are the closest thing to your phone's screen in feel, clarity, and sensitivity.
They work fine if you are inclined to use a screen protector and no you can't feel any additional weight (good grief).
I use the Nillkin brand and am very happy with the overall quality. There is a oleophobic coating on most glass protectors that minimize fingerprints.
As far as a "matte version" I have only seen the Mosaic brand for the iPhone series.

 

[BBSeattle]

Kevin,
Ask the gentlemen (I assume gentlemen, pardon me if I am incorrect) if he has auto insurance, life insurance, home insurance, health insurance, etc....stuff happens no matter how careful one is. If he replies yes to any of the above than his argument is groundless.
Screen protectors simply put are insurance.

(see bold) As is your entire argument against screen protectors. You assume that people just don't take care of their devices well enough. Since you've admitted that you don't take care of yours well enough as well, any argument against taking precautions against damage in any way is now invalid.

While you drop your phone once a month, I drop mine once a year. Maybe. I still use a case. Even if I never dropped a phone or device my entire life I would still use a case. Accidents are called accidents for a reason.

 

[reeneebob]

Yes I can. And have. After cleaning the screen meticulously with special reading glasses cleaner.
And guess what: virginal after 2 years of heavy (but careful) use...



Tip for those who want to sell their superficially good looking but not really scratchless old phone: do the selling indoors and/or at night time!



If you have sand in your pocket and stick your phone in that's not exactly 'careful' handling. But even if you do have a few grains of sand in your pocket: they will fall down to the deepest corner where your screen is not. Hence they won't/can't scratch your screen. Only the top (or bottom) of your flip cover or bumper case will be able to touch those grains of sand. And wasn't that exactly the point of that flip cover or bumper case?



The edges of any screen protector are gunk collection areas.
Happy cleaning!

Good lord, man, bully for you that you don't need and are too good for a screen protector, but guess what? It can happen. Even with dedicated pockets and white gloves and hermetically sealed bubbles.

So no. That Spigen glas.tr nano slim that I got and applied and doesn't interfere with screen performance and clarity is a small thing. Especially considering no one can ever be sure there isn't a grain of sand waiting in their pocket. And guess what?

That's okay.

It's certainly not the capital offence you are carrying on like it is.

 

[dpham00]

Never used a screen protector on any smartphone in 7 years. Never had any scratches on any screen! None!
Of course I handle my sensitive high-tech gadget as it needs to be handled: carefully! With a shock-absorbing soft-shell silicone bumper case so that the screen never touches, say, a table top when upside down. And I carry it in a pocket without coins, keys, or stuff like that which can scratch the screen.

A flip cover looks nice and protects well against screen scratches too. But having to take the phone out of my pocket and flipping it open before I can answer a ringing phone takes just too much time, whence I miss the call as it slips into voicemail mode. Very inconvenient. And time consuming. Expensive too, because you have to call voicemail to get the message and then you have to call back the caller.
And flip covers, being hard-shell, do not protect against bumps, drops, and falls! Shock-absorbing soft-shell silicone bumper cases do.

My parents have had a house for over 30 years and have paid fire insurance ever since. The house is paid off so they aren't required to buy fire insurance, but they do anyway. Why? Because even though they are careful, they feel that paying for the insurance is worth it. Others do not buy insurance unless required. That is fine. Everyone assess risk differently.

Point being, no matter how careful you are, the screen can get scratched. And it isn't always in your control. Say for instance, someone bumps into you causing you to drop the phone.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[CannedBullets]

I ordered a Zagg glass screen protector. as others have said it feels good to touch and it won't affect how the screen looks.

 

[Spencerdl]

I use to be one of those people that didn't believe in screen protectors as well because I was "VERY CARFUL" with my devices. Until one day the Sun hit my screen just right and I saw tons of microscpic scratches all over the screen....from that day forward I was sold on the idea of screen protectors.
Over the years I've experimented with all kinds of plastic screen protectors from inexpensive to expensive and finally setteled for the Zagg brand. Now that the GLASS screen protectors are on the market, I can say without a doubt, they are worth their price in gold for superior screen protection without the discoloration and sticky effect and/or altering the beauty of the screen. They also help, but not prevent, the screen with breakage.
My wife dropped her 5s the other day and the Zagg GLASS broke, but NOT the actual device screen....$35 (GLASS protector) vs $150 (new screen). A no brainer ..IMHO. I currently use Zagg Glass on my own 5s and iLoome Tempered Glass (9H) on my NOTE3.
If nothing more than a piece of mine, GLASS screen protectors are worth it in my book.

 

[Jeremy8000]

A screen protector will not keep your screen from shattering. Imho the screen protector is a waste of money.
Look up the hardness of the glass used in your phone and you will see that it takes quite a bit to scratch the glass.
Someone stated they protect their phone for resale, if you are worried about resale, you shouldn't be wasting another $40 ona screen protector. You just lost $40 off your return

A screen protector can indeed protect your screen from shattering. Not that it absolutely will, but it can, much like the bumper of a car offers some extra impact protection for the cabin and frame of a car.

I'm meticulous about the care for my belongings, but accidents have that name for a reason - we don't plan on having a slight lapse in caution, but things sometimes just happen. My Nexus 7, with a glass protector, and in a case, slipped out of my hand and hit the sidewalk. When I picked it up, the screen protector was shattered but the screen underneath was flawless. Would it have been just as safe had I not had the protector? Maybe. But there's no denying that the protector clearly helped diffuse the force of impact.

And yes, it generally takes something harder than the glass to scratch it, so coins, keys, etc are not a big concern. But a single grain of sand... If it's going to happen, I'd rather it happen to the easily removable/replaceable glass protector (of similar hardness to the actual screen) than the screen.

As to cost, it's been my experience that the 'name brand' protectors in general are matched in performance by the $10 models you can get on eBay shipped from China. The only difference might be 0.1mm or so in thickness. Oleophobic treatment, fit, clarity are all on par.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

A screen protector can indeed protect your screen from shattering. Not that it absolutely will, but it can, much like the bumper of a car offers some extra impact protection for the cabin and frame of a car.

I'm meticulous about the care for my belongings, but accidents have that name for a reason - we don't plan on having a slight lapse in caution, but things sometimes just happen. My Nexus 7, with a glass protector, and in a case, slipped out of my hand and hit the sidewalk. When I picked it up, the screen protector was shattered but the screen underneath was flawless. Would it have been just as safe had I not had the protector? Maybe. But there's no denying that the protector clearly helped diffuse the force of impact.

And yes, it generally takes something harder than the glass to scratch it, so coins, keys, etc are not a big concern. But a single grain of sand... If it's going to happen, I'd rather it happen to the easily removable/replaceable glass protector (of similar hardness to the actual screen) than the screen.

As to cost, it's been my experience that the 'name brand' protectors in general are matched in performance by the $10 models you can get on eBay shipped from China. The only difference might be 0.1mm or so in thickness. Oleophobic treatment, fit, clarity are all on par.

Warranty support is something to consider, but hasn't been talked about. I haven't had to deal with it myself, but based on what I've read on the manufacturer's sites Zagg has the best policy for replacing screen protectors.

 

[dpham00]

Also some no name glass screen protectors might not even be glass.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[estebancam]

The glass screen protectors are fantastic. Much better than the plastic ones. They feel great, look great, and protect the screen.

Only con is price. But even then, I would say the glass ones are worth it.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[LeoRex]

The glass screen protectors are fantastic.

Agreed 100%... some seem to have some odd bone to pick and look down upon us peons who want to have another layer of protection... but I don't see any drawback to the glass protector I have on my screen..... it feels like the real screen, it doesn't affect the display's brightness or color, it is fit extremely well (nearly at the bezel w/ rounded edged). The only thing that kind of tips it off is that you see the holes for the speaker and prox sensor.

I was recently on vacation.... both me and my wife's Nexus 5 saw a lot of heavy use as it did a lot of the heavy lifting for pictures and videos... so it took some abuse that it wouldn't normally see. We both had plastic SPs.... Both had several scratches and gouges in the plastic (I had a piece of sand imbedded in the plastic at some point), but the underlying screens were still scratch free. Would whatever caused the damage to the plastic have been bad enough to scratch the GG3? Probably. I went without anything for a little bit... and the screen didn't have so much as a faint scratch on it. But I ended up picking up a glass SP and am glad I did. A screen protector that you can see or feel.

 

[Divinedark]

I went naked from the iPhone -> iPhone 4, at which point the screen seemed to be made out of soft wax... I was part of the screaming mob that complained to Apple that their new glass was unforgivably easy to scratch, and it was on both the front and back of the device. I then moved to the HTC Inspire. It was GG1, and had hairline scratches on the screen after a couple weeks of pocket work. The Motorola Atrix fared just as well. After that, I started using screen protectors. I paid for nice Spigen protectors, and then moved to glass when they came available for my phones. I started with the glass protector with the iPhone 5S, after that I was hooked. I get the insurance of a nice screen protector, and the added benefit of having a nice feeling surface. What's not to like?

 

[rizzman]

Love my spigen tempered glass screen protector and I swear by it.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Fotoav8r]

Absolutely LOVE my Zagg Glass Screen

Absolutley LOVE my Zagg Glass Screen

Looks, and feels noticeably better than without a screen at all. I personally don't like to baby my phones that much. This new glass screen is WAY better than the plastic ones, and don't have to be coddle the thing. It's a tool, not a piece of art. I can't imagine anyone getting one, and not being happy with it. No smudges; totally clear all the time, and just looks awesome.

 

[anticlutch]

Yes I can. And have. After cleaning the screen meticulously with special reading glasses cleaner.
And guess what: virginal after 2 years of heavy (but careful) use...

I have to admit, if it passes the sunlight test and you've been using it as heavily as you said you have, that's seriously impressive.

Tip for those who want to sell their superficially good looking but not really scratchless old phone: do the selling indoors and/or at night time!

To be quite honest I only mentioned checking your device in direct sunlight because I think quite a few people don't realize hairline scratches are essentially invisible unless you're outdoors. Kind of like how everyone keeps repeating the old wives tale that putting your water damaged phone in a bag of rice will save it... really? You're going to put your $600+ device in a bag of rice with lots of starchy powder rather than opting for a $2 (or less!) pack of desiccant whose sole purpose is to reduce humidity? But I digress...

If you have sand in your pocket and stick your phone in that's not exactly 'careful' handling. But even if you do have a few grains of sand in your pocket: they will fall down to the deepest corner where your screen is not. Hence they won't/can't scratch your screen. Only the top (or bottom) of your flip cover or bumper case will be able to touch those grains of sand. And wasn't that exactly the point of that flip cover or bumper case?

But that was my whole point. How is anyone supposed to know that they have a single grain of sand in their pocket prior to it ruining their day? Obviously if they've got a pocketful of sand (pocket sand!) and they put their phone in that's one thing, but a few grains? I'm not sure if you flip your pockets inside out and dust them out each time prior to putting your phone in but I can't say that I've seen many people do that (or ever). Oh and that one grain of sand can most certainly migrate upwards... it'll drop to the bottom of the pocket whilst you're walking but once you sit down and start shaking your leg (for example) or lie down, it's certainly possible that it'll move closer towards the screen.

The edges of any screen protector are gunk collection areas. Happy cleaning!

True, for poorly cut/designed screen protectors and phones that have glass with beveled edges. But if you had pristine pockets it's not like there would be any gunk to get trapped there in the first place...

It seems like you take exceedingly good care of your phone(s) and have likewise been exceedingly fortunate in the fact that they're still pristine. I'm probably more anal about taking care of my devices than most people yet I always opt for screen protectors since it is like insurance for your health, car, or home as others have mentioned. $30 for months, if not years of worry free use? Why not? $30 to me is worth less than the heartache and frustration that a scratched screen would cause me. We'll have to agree to disagree on screen protectors... all the new phones could come out with sapphire glass screens and you'd probably still be shaking your head at the fact that I (along with lots of other people) will still be clamoring to put on a screen protector

 

[Quis89]

Very inconvenient. And time consuming. Expensive too, because you have to call voicemail to get the message and then you have to call back the caller

What are you talking about???? That is possibly the dumbest reason I've ever seen in my life.

 

[mrmessma]

Late to the party I know. Here is a personal anecdote.
I used a casio commando GG2 with no screen protector and I was careful and had a TPU on it, no scratches.
I got a galaxy nexus and while I was very careful with that too, I got a Zagg invisishield. It was clear, but I hated the rubbery orange peel feel.
That being said I smacked it completely on accident on the face with the hooked point of a fire poker. Not a cutesy little chrome living room fire place poker, but like a 4' long 5/8" thick poker we use for the wood furnace in the basement of our house. The rubber tore but it absorbed enough of the shock that the screen was completely unscratched, no joke. I was bewildered. So, the 43 cent stamp I used to send back the old zagg to get a new one, was totally worth it. Also originally got it for $12 on ebay.

Screen protectors aren't snake oil.

 

[Tiriyon]

I go outdoors a lot and glass protectors did save my screen plenty of times. Sometimes my pbone falls screen first on some gravel, stones, rocks and other sharp objects. I broke 4 glass protectors this way (not the screen itself).

It's not that I'm clumsy, I just don't hold myself doing things that I like and there are plenty of risks to the things I do including damaging my phone.
I do not take much care for any object because I'm not enslaved to them.

All you "android fans" "iPhone fans" that swap phones so often, wash hands all the time and take such a good care to your phones, you people sicken me.
You are a damage to the environment.
Upgrade your devices only if needed pleaaaase.... T_T

Posted via a waiting to be rooted One M8