The dispute on the topic of whether to glue films on the phone screen or not is as old as the world. Some argue that you can only use phones with them, others fundamentally disagree with this. It even comes to the point that as soon as someone breaks the screen of the phone, people with tapes come running to him with conversations about the need to think and protect the screen earlier. Now we would like to dot the “i” and close some of the questions regarding the protection of the phone. We will share our own experience and the opinion of service center specialists who encounter broken phones several times a day. Now we will find out whether it is necessary to glue films and put on covers.
Phone screen protection
If everything is clear with covers, they were used from the very beginning, then the history of films that can now be bought on any phone is not so old, although it has about 20 years. It all started when the first compact phones with a plastic screen cover appeared. From constant carrying in pockets, transparent plastic became cloudy, and sometimes nothing was visible through it.
The problem became especially acute with the release of the first PDAs, the soft screen of which could not withstand constant poking at them with a sharp stick – a stylus. In those days, it was really easier to periodically change the film on the screen than to change an entire expensive gadget or its case / screen. Now replacing the iPhone screen has become a simple procedure, but then there were obvious problems with spare parts and good craftsmen.
Later, the display modules changed from plastic to glass with a higher level of scratch resistance. But out of habit, users continued to glue films, and later also protective glasses, which began to appear en masse around 2011-2013.
Gradually, new types of glass screen covers came out, which became stronger and stronger, reaching the level of 6-7 on the Mohs scale. This means that in theory they can still be scratched, but only with a diamond. True, the scratches on the screens still continued to appear, and we asked our friends from the Apple Pro service center why, in their opinion, this is happening.
Why is my phone screen scratched?
First of all, we must not forget the old proverb: “Water wears away the stone.” That is, if you rub even the softest feather on the most durable screen, then sooner or later you will rub it to the holes. I agree, the example is a bit strange, but you get the gist of it. Nothing will happen from one touch, but the constant nature of the exposure can lead to damage.
This is what happens when the phone is scratched with dust in the pocket of your trousers with every step you take. Also, do not forget that some dust particles are very sharp and abrasive. The issue is even more acute with respect to sand. If you take your phone to the beach, the sand can scratch the case pretty quickly.
How to make your iPhone last longer
Another example where the screen can be severely scratched is contact with hard objects. On the first day of using the iPhone 12 Pro, I managed to scratch its screen very badly. This happened when I was shooting a review, taking it and the iPhone 12 in one hand. As a result, the iPhone 12 camera scratched my iPhone 12 Pro with its metal rim and protruding glass. What can I say, it was embarrassing.
Do I need to glue the film on the iPhone
Summing up the intermediate results, we can say that if you don’t spend 200 days a year on the beach with your phone and don’t worry about a couple of small scuffs after 2-3 years of use, you don’t have to think about film or glass. If you stick the film on the screen, then in a week it will get scratches and it will have to be changed. On the bare screen of the iPhone scratches will appear many times longer and you don’t have to change the protection once a week or constantly look at the picture through the pattern of scratches, reassuring yourself with phrases like “but not on the screen.” The glued protective glass may begin to crumble in the corners and will also need to be changed. Here, many make a mistake when, after a fall, such a protective glass breaks, they think that if not for it, the screen would crack. This is not true.
Let’s add here the disadvantages of reducing the comfort of use, glare, the appearance of fingerprints, clouding of the picture and even the deterioration of the phone’s cooling, and it becomes clear that screen protection is not only pluses. And it’s much worse to break the screen than scratch it. And this is not due to a blow to the glass, from which the thinnest layer of plastic will not protect, but from deformation of the case when it falls. But if it does, replacing the screen glass isn’t expensive enough to worry about. The entire screen, as a rule, does not need to be changed. I personally saw how the broken glass of the display module is replaced in the vacuum chamber in the Apple Pro, and I know that this is a very high-quality procedure.
Are phone cases worth it?
With covers, the situation is slightly different. They can really protect your smartphone from damage and reduce the need to choose a good service center for a number of reasons:
- The phone is not so deformed when dropped
- Even a thin layer of the cover softens the impact a little, especially when falling on asphalt or tile
- Raised edge protects the corners of the screen – the most vulnerable place on impact
- The thick back wall will hide the protruding camera (here we wrote how often it breaks and why)
That’s why case is a much more practical purchasethan screen protector. Especially if you just use the phone, and do not engage in extreme sports with it. Sometimes covers also spoil the case if dust clogs under them, so you need to periodically remove them and clean the phone. It is also advisable to take them off if you decide to play, and even more so to do it while charging. In a case, the case is not cooled, which can lead to swelling of the battery.
Otherwise, cases can and should be used if you want to protect your phone and it is not important for you to get those sensations from contact with it, which were laid down by designers when it was created.
