Does Your Smartphone Really Need a Screen Protector?

Smartphones are expensive—you wouldn't want to spend up to $1,000 or more and end up with a scratched screen. Many people still buy screen protectors to protect their purchase, but are they still necessary with modern display advancements?

It's true that there was a time when it was practically a must to put a screen protector on your phone. However, the materials used in modern smartphone displays have changed a lot over the years. There's certainly no harm in using a screen protector, but you may not need one.

Screen Protectors 101

A screen protector is simply a sheet of clear plastic or very thin glass that you adhere to your smartphone's screen. The protector is cut to fit the exact shape of your device, along with cutouts in the appropriate places—that's why you buy different screen protectors for different devices.

To apply a screen protector, you generally clean your device's screen with a microfiber cloth, apply a bit of soapy water to the screen protector, and then press it on top of the screen. You can use a squeegee tool to push out the water and bubbles, leaving a perfectly flat surface that should make the protector invisible.

The idea behind a screen protector is it takes the abuse rather than the glass display. It's much easier to apply a new screen protector than to replace a scratched or cracked display. However, two display types aim to make screen protectors irrelevant.

Gorilla Glass Explained

The vast majority of Android phones today use Corning's Gorilla Glass. This is a toughened, hard glass with high scratch resistance. Corning has actually been releasing new versions of Gorilla Glass over the years. At the time of writing in August 2024, the newest version is Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

There are two things that Gorilla Glass tries to protect against—scratches and cracks. Generally, it has to favor one over the other. Some versions have been more scratch-resistant but easier to crack, and some have been easier to scratch but harder to crack. It's a constant balance between the two, and Corning has continued to push the envelope.

According to Corning, Gorilla Glass Victus has been tested to survive drops onto hard, rough surfaces from up to 6-feet. Scratch resistance is measured with the Knoop Hardness Test. Victus held strong against an 8-10 Newton load, while other glasses failed around 4 Newton.

Ceramic Shield Explained

Apple doesn't use Gorilla Glass for iPhones. Instead, it uses a glass exclusive to iPhones called "Ceramic Shield." Introduced with the iPhone 12 and still being used in the iPhone 15 series, Ceramic Sheild is also made by Corning.

Ceramic Shield is not just a fancy brand name—the glass does actually include ceramic. Ceramic Shield glass is embedded with ceramic nanocrystals that are smaller than the wavelength of light, making it appear just as transparent as normal glass.

The result is a tough material that is resistant to drops and scratches. Sadly, Apple doesn't share many technical details about Ceramic Shield. It simply says it's "four times better" than pre-iPhone 12 models. There's really no way to compare Ceramic Shield to Gorilla Glass, but it's safe to say they are both durable displays made by Corning.

Disadvantages of Screen Protectors

The big thing that screen protectors do is change how the display feels to the touch. Obviously, plastic doesn't feel as nice as glass, which is why glass screen protectors have become more popular.

Placing a sheet of plastic or thin glass between you and the screen can subtly change how your device's screen looks, especially if the screen protector discolors over time. And since screen protectors are not as tough as Gorilla Glass or Ceramic Shield, they pick up unsightly scratches that wouldn't have actually scratched your smartphone's screen.

This is all assuming you apply the screen protector properly. If you're not careful, you may end up with bubbles and cracks under your screen protector, and you may have to apply a new one.

그렇다면 언제 화면 보호 장치가 필요할까요?

일부 일반적인 재료는 스마트폰 디스플레이를 긁을 수 있습니다. 가장 조심해야 할 것 중 하나는 모래인데, 의외로 단단합니다. 해변에 갔더니 주머니에 모래가 조금이라도 있으면 그 모래가 스마트폰 유리 화면에 닿아서 긁힐 수 있습니다. 당연히 단단한 암석도 비슷하게 작동합니다. 다른 유형의 유리, 희귀 금속 및 다이아몬드와 같은 매우 단단한 재료도 Gorilla Glass 또는 Ceramic Shield 디스플레이에 흠집을 낼 수 있습니다.

화면 보호 필름에도 지문 방지 코팅이 적용되어 있지만 최신 스마트폰에는 손가락에 묻은 기름기를 밀어내는 "소유성" 코팅이 적용되어 보기 흉한 지문이 줄어듭니다. 지문이 묻어도 화면을 빠르게 닦아내기만 하면 됩니다. 극세사 천을 사용하는 것이 가장 좋습니다.

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화면 보호 필름은 더 이상 필수 구매 품목이 아닙니다. "알몸" 화면이 있는 최신 스마트폰을 안전하게 사용할 수 있으며, 열쇠와 동전을 같은 주머니에 넣어도 괜찮습니다.

물론 열쇠와 동전을 다른 주머니에 보관하고 싶을 수도 있습니다. 휴대폰의 다른 부분이 긁힐 가능성이 있습니다.

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