Why Screen Protectors Matters

Every year, major phone manufacturers launch new iterations of their phones, mostly with brand new internals. But that doesn’t mean that the outside parts don’t get an upgrade as well. With screens getting stronger as well with every new formula of Gorilla Glass, does that mean that you don’t need screen protectors anymore? Let’s look at the reasons why screen protectors are still a necessary upgrade to your mobile device. 

It’s All About Hardness

The reason why phone screens still get scratched is that they are not as hard or harder than the material scratching them. While major phone screen manufacturers do not give a definite value to the hardness of their products, testers have found that modern phone screens are between a 6 and a 7 on the Mohs Scale. This just means that other minerals like the ones on your fancy ring or watch or the quartz in sand or on asphalt will still scratch your phone. 

What Are My Options?

If you take a look at what’s available in the market, there’s certainly a lot of options for screen protectors. To save yourself from googling all the options out there to find the one for you, let’s run down the types and what they offer:

• Nano Liquid - While they do offer some protection, they can be a pain to manage. The layer is so thin that it barely counts as a screen protector and you can’t just take it off. What’s worse is that you can’t really tell if it’s still on or if you need a new coat. So this is a no-go for me. 
• Plastics - These have been around for a long time and do offer scratch protection and drop protection but they’re better suited for the latter. As we all know, plastics scratch easily and are not as clear as glass but they’re thin and easily replaceable. 
• Tempered Glass - These types of screen protectors offer the best scratch resistance at around 7 to 8 on the Mohs Scale. They’re the thickest of the other options but outclass them in scratch resistance. They do offer protection from drops but I’d rather leave that to another accessory.  

What Do I Choose?

There are certainly arguments for all the options but the clear winner for me is tempered glass. Tempered glass screen protectors offer the most clarity and scratch resistance plus they’re also easy to replace. While they do provide shock protection from drops, a phone case with a raised lip is better suited for this job. Plus, they protect the back and sides of your phone as well. What makes tempered glass screen protectors the winner is the host of other features they provide like anti-fingerprint coating, privacy, anti-microbial, and anti blue light. And until phone manufacturers can provide diamond glass for their phone screens, you’re still gonna need a tempered glass screen protector.