8:51PM
Question on iPhone
Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 8:51PM 
Spent evening putting hoist system in garage for canoe. Real effort with 16-foot ceilings, but worth it. Six-to-one pulley system truly ingenious.
Anyway . . .
Finally got iPhone. Have Mac desktops at home and now three laptops, but have resisted on phone until Verizon carried it. Now if the NFL will just move beyond that satellite provider and sell games directly over cable . . .
Got Elago covers, which are very thin, but wondering now about protector for screens (we got three in all for all but our collegiate, who does not want to change). Kevin is adamant about screen coverage to protect from scratches.
My questions are:
- Does one really need a screen protector?
- Which are the best?
Reader Comments (14)
You don't . . The glass is really glass . . Tempered or at least, some kind of hard . . If you break it, a screen protector wouldn't have saved it . . And they (Apple) can replace the glass for about $100 if I remember correctly . . still cheap if you have a 16 gig 4G . . And by the time it gets scratched up beyond legibility, it'll be obsolete twice!
And you nor yours seem like the type to use a phone for a frisbee . .
1. Yes. Gorilla Glass isn't quite as bulletproof as Steve Jobs would like you to believe. The screen WILL get scratched over time without protection, no matter how careful you are.
2. What worked for me: splash Masque Clear Screen Protector for iPhone 4, available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TPQBJW/?tag=e--20 . Very easy to apply and remove. I would note that the very popular Otterbox Defender case, which I'm currently using, has a built-in screen protector. The Otterbox is very solid protection, especially from my 3-year-old, the only criticism being that it does add some significant bulk in exchange for all that protection.
Hope this helps!
1) Does not need screen protector. The glass is surprisingly hardy.
2) I keep mine in one of these: http://www.senacases.com/apple/iphone-4-verizon-cases/ultraslim/ Very svelte, good protection.
I have a screen protector on my Droid X.
I think they're useful if for example the phone ends up in the same pocket as my keys, or if I'm using it while I'm eating and some food gets on the screen.
I had the 3G for two years and have had the 4 since June and yet to need screen protection. My 3G remained in very good shape after 2 years of heavy use and the 4's screen is still flawless.
Be careful, iOS is habit forming. Iphones are a gateway drug to the IPad.
No, never felt the need in years of use.
I use the Otter Box. It is the sturdiest protective case I could find. It is shock resistant with a soft rubber case over a hard plastic case. It's also water resistant. I could be a bit bulky for day to day use, but if if you are hiking, canoeing, or fishing it's a life saver.
Would advice apply to Ipad as well?
You don't need it. I initially had mine protected; fellow iphone owners at work convinced me it was not necessary. I removed it, doubtful at first; now, six months after normal, daily use it has nary a scratch and I'm convinced. Just don't carry it in the same pocket as your keys. Also, when using a protector, as with other prophylactic technologies, the tactile experience is somewhat diminished...
You don't need a screen protector. Apple actively discourages their use, actually, as they can have an effect on touch detection, and they add an extra bit of refraction to the display which is annoying.
I've been carrying around my iPhone for about 6 months with no case whatsoever. The back and sides are scratched like crazy, but the screen is fine.
That said, if you are REALLY rough it might be worth taking a case, but otherwise, the phone will be obsolete in 2 years anyway.
Is the Elago a case or just a film? I have since added a small case to minimize impact damage, which it works well at.
I have an old original. The screen gets filthy, but doesn't scratch. Just now cleaned it off and it looks brand new. It has been moderately abused throughout its service life.
I like the Zagg invisableShield, goes on all phone surfaces including edges and thus insulates against the great antenna short-out as well. I'm extremely hard on phones, and have had no problems (even in same pocket as keys, silly me.)
Really? Not a single game theorist here? Let's think:
1) A non-glare screen protector costs $12, and even looks kinda cool.
2) Gorilla Glass is just a marketing term. It's better, but it WILL scratch.
3) Like anything else on an iPhone, if it needs replacing, it's never a simple a process as one would think it could be.
I think getting a screen protector, any screen protector, is a no-brainer.
But there's a greater issue here: Thomas "Mr. Globalization" Barnett didn't get an Android phone?! :)
NOTE: MR. BARNETT HAD SEVERAL ANDROIDS AND THEY ALL SUCCUMBED TO APPARENTLY GLOBAL VIRUSES! THEY ALSO DIDN'T WORK SO WELL OVERSEAS, HE FOUND. THE GOOD DOCTOR WENT THROUGH ABOUT 8 IN 8 MONTHS BEFORE SENDING THE LAST ONE BACK AND GIVING UP. HE HAS SINCE FALLEN DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH HIS iPhone AND WILL NEVER GO NON-MAC AGAIN. BUT YES, HE DID TRY THEM SIMPLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF LEARNING THE ANDROID "TONGUE"=SO TO SPEAK. IT JUST OFTEN SPOKE GIBBERISH TO HIM.
HOW DARE YOU REPLY TO THE KING OF SCOTLAND IN ALL CAPS!