Not a huge issue but would appreciate advice, if any. I’ve had an iPhone since the beginning, always used a screen protector, always been happy w/them, until current iPhone 17. Bought an Otterbox when I bought the phone, appears the screen protector size was slightly too large. When I put a case on the phone, the screen protector bunched up in 1 corner. Assumed it was the case, bought a different one, had the same problem so it was likely the size of the Otterbox screen protector.
Bought new Belkin screen protector, fit was fine. One night, plugged in the phone, in the morning the screen protector was cracked. Phone wasn’t dropped, had been plugged in on my nightstand the entire night. Contacted Belkin, they agreed to send a replacement protector, received it today.
Applied it, followed all directions, watched the Belkin video prior to applying it. Ended up w/several large bubbles on the screen. Followed directions, attempted to push them off the screen. They didn’t push off, each large bubble turned into several small bubbles. Looking at the reviews on the Belkin site, I see it has terrible reviews. Should have looked at them first but I bought it from the Apple site, which didn’t have any reviews.
Not the worst thing in the world but I know I will notice it frequently when using the phone. Any suggestions as to another screen protector for iPhone 17? Not a Pro, just a regular iPhone 17.
In the 19 years I’ve had an iPhone I have never used a screen protector and it has never been a problem. But YMMV particularly because I always keep the iPhone in my side pocket (what maniac puts them in their back pocket?), screen turned in away from the key case. If you leave it out on tables, or in a pack with a bunch of sharp edges, well, a screen protector might be a good idea but I’m afraid I can’t help you, there.
Think when screen protectors 1st came out, they sounded like a necessity & I bought one. I’ve continued to buy 1 every time I bought a new iPhone & never questioned it. Never had damage to a phone screen or a screen protector, I’m very careful w/my phone, rarely have I ever dropped an iPhone. This is the first time in all these years that I’ve ever had a problem w/a screen protector.
Maybe you’re right; the screen protector might not be necessary. Will consider doing w/o it. Thx very much.
A screen protector is not necessary to protect the screen from impact. Most iPhone cases have an edge that recesses the screen. So, if you drop the phone, the impact is absorbed by the case, not the screen.
I think that eliminates the major reason people want screen protectors.
I’ve used a screen protector to guard against scratches from keys, coins, metal zippers, jewelry, tools, etc, etc. on my last few iPhones. I’ve been satisfied with the amFilm protectors recommended by Wirecutter.
I use these as well. They come in two-packs and have an application device that makes sure that the protector is placed right. It’s rare when I miss dust on the screen, which is the only thing in my experience that can prevent a good application.
For the first time with my 15 Pro, last summer I noticed that the protector had a crack in it - I have no idea how it happened - and I needed to apply the spare one.
Agreed. For men, anyway - women’s side pockets are often too small for this. Not that the back pockets are much better.
According to the ads, we can slide our phones face down with no issue.
I don’t trust that ad. I got the Spigen Glastr EZ Fit, which lasted on my iPhone 15 Pro until I passed it down to my kid (she’s in college so I don’ know how it is doing now). On my 17 Pro, it applied with some bubbles that I couldn’t squeegee away. But the next day, the bubbles had evaporated somehow. I recommend it.
I’ve been very happy with BestBuy’s house brand, Insignia. I carry my iPhone in my pocket, so I appreciate the protection against scratches from keys, coins, etc.
If you use your phone in public a lot, I recommend trying a “privacy screen”, which allows you to see the screen when you are directly in front of it while hiding the screen from other viewing angles.
For a long time, through iPhones 4, 5S, and 7, I didn’t have a screen protector. I continued this when I got at 13 Pro, and about six months in I got a small but visible scratch on the glass that I could also feel. This got annoying enough that I got a glass screen protector – I honestly don’t notice the difference in the feel (which was not true with other screen protectors my wife has had in the past) and now I don’t get quite as annoyed by the scratch. This protector did at some point also get a crack, at which point I removed it and installed the second one from the kit.
If it really made a difference in the feel of the screen I wouldn’t use one but I’ll probably keep using one going forward.
I think the only time I have used a screen protector was with my Newton, due to small particles getting between the stylus and the screen. My iPhone screens seem very durable and, with regular cleaning, have never been scratched.
The aluminosilicate glass screen on your iPhone is much harder than most metal objects, including keys or coins. And way harder than any screen protector on the market.
You’d have to really work to scratch an iPhone screen with a key. The sides, maybe. Gemstones could probably scratch it, but I don’t own any of those, and if I did, they wouldn’t be in my pocketses with my precious.
I do use a case that surrounds the screen with a lip, which is enough to protect it against most impacts. I guess it could still be damaged if it fell onto a protruding rock or something.
Maybe, but I’ve definitely had iPhones get scratches on their screens. A good screen protector generally feels just like the regular screen, it isn’t expensive, and if you already have some light scratching, it can help to cover them up so they are less noticeable.
@Incompatible
Yes. However, my personal experience with iPhone screens scratching led me to use screen protectors. Perhaps the angle and pressure of a potential scratcher affect scratch resistance.
In any case (ha ha) I’m not a new-phone-every-year person so the additional cost of a protector spread over the life of my phone is minimal for me.
What I worry about more than scratches is small-point impact. A couple of years ago I was carrying my phone and a drinking glass in the same hand. The glass slipped and, as I juggled to regain control, a sharp corner of the glass struck the phone’s display with enough force to break the display.
I had a screen protector on, but the impact was near the edge of the display, just past the edge of the protector. So I can’t say whether the protector would have helped if the impact had hit the protector instead.
The effect I experienced was similar to what happens when sheet glass is struck using a key or other finely-pointed object. It can withstand a good deal of force when it’s spread over a larger area, but not the same amount of force when applied to a small point.
I put a screen protector on almost right away, so I can’t say that this has happened to me with an iPhone, but I do know that in recent iPhone models Apple has said that their glass is “the toughest glass ever”, but I’ve read analyses that say that this is tough against breakage, and some scratch-resistance is sacrificed for that protection. That could be wrong, but I’m happier replacing screen protectors than having to go into an Apple Store and waiting an hour or so for a new front glass, or using a phone with a lot of scratches on the front glass.
I should say that our spare phone, an iPhone 16e, has no screen protector on it. I don’t carry it at all (well, it’s in my travel backpack when we go away, but I don’t carry it in my pocket) and I don’t really know if it has scratches - probably not. I do know that both of the aluminum Apple Watches I’ve had had scratched crystals quickly, which continue/continued to get worse over time.
It is probably true that the screen itself is harder than a screen protector. It’s also true that the screen is much harder to replace than a screen protector, not to mention more expensive.
Thanks very much for all the replies; many more than I expected for such a (relatively) minor problem. Based on some replies, I might reconsider - for future iPhones - whether or not a screen protector is necessary. My iPhones always have a case w/the edge that recesses the screen; that might be sufficient. I’m also very careful as to how I carry the phone, it’s extremely rare for my phone to drop/fall. When it’s in a pocket, there is nothing else in that pocket; when it’s in my purse, it’s in its own pocket in the purse.
Surprisingly, after seeing the response from Oakwine, I rechecked my iPhone & saw that somehow, overnight, the bubbles had disappeared. I only replace my iPhone every few years, rarely is there a new feature that prompts me to consider a new phone. So this shouldn’t be a potential issue for quite awhile.
I’m not sure exactly when they started saying that, but they’ve been saying that almost as long as they’ve been making iPhones. They’ve been through a few versions of Corning “Gorilla Glass”, and then a new generation “Ceramic Shield” glass starting with the iPhone 12. (FWIW, I had an iPhone 12 from work a few years ago, and I remember it having scratches on its glass just a few days after I obtained it.)
PS. You are quite right to distinguish between toughness and scratch-resistance. Hardness, toughness, and strength are different concepts.
I’m in the no screen protector camp. Never used one and never broken a screen. I don’t put my phone in a pocket with keys or other dangerous objects. My case sits slightly proud of the screen so if I place it face down the screen doesn’t touch the table. Also AppleCare+.
