How does a screen protector protect your phone and is it really effective?

 

If you have just spent a huge amount of money to buy a new smartphone, you probably want to buy accessories to protect and preserve it as much as possible. Apart from buying a case for your phone, you might consider putting a screen protector on your smartphone as well, to benefit from an extra layer of protection! Because you certainly wouldn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on one and end up with a scratched screen. Where we have an exaggerated public perception of protective screens as if they are the only and comprehensive savior from all kinds of damage that can be caused to your phone screen!

 

In fact, the protective film protects your phone's screen from scratches and scuffs. I remember when I bought my first touchscreen smartphone, I was worried about the scratches and breakages that this sleek screen would get. Until the seller in the phone store advised me to "get a screen protection sticker, which will protect the phone from anything that time throws at it," he said.

 

At the time, I didn't understand how necessary it was to have this screen protector, which is just a thin, transparent film of plastic or something. So how can she protect the screen from all kinds of physical damage? And if it is possible, why can it be so cheap? It seems that the screen protector is not what most people think, but it needs more clarification away from marketing and exaggeration!

 

What is a screen protector?

 

This screen protector is exactly what its name suggests; A thin sheet of paper that sticks to the screen of an electronic device to protect its surface from physical damage especially scratches. Also known as a screen protector, it is usually made of laminated tempered glass (similar to a phone screen) or plastic such as polyethylene or thermoplastic polyurethane (similar to elastomer). Where the plastic screen protector is cheaper and thinner than glass, it is also more flexible. However, the glass protector gives a more similar texture than the screen of the device itself and thus, in turn, is better at resisting scratches on the surface.

 

How do you protect the phone screen protector?

 

A screen protector protects your phone's screen by simply receiving these scratches and physical damage rather than the phone screen itself, thus protecting the screen underneath. When an "unprotected" phone falls to the ground or gets scratched, it will take all the damage directly on the phone screen itself. While if the phone screen is made of Gorilla Glass, it is largely resistant to physical damage, there is still a slight possibility of scratches, the biggest example of which is sand.

 

However, any electronic device without a high-quality, sturdy screen surface will either be subject to bumps or some scratches if a screen protector is not placed on it. This is where a screen protector comes to the rescue! It's generally more fragile than the original screen, which means that in the event of a bad drop, the screen protector will absorb most of the shock from impact and shattering, but won't completely protect against severe breakages.

 

Scratches not only affect the appearance of your phone's screen but may also negatively affect the touch sensitivity. This is why screen protector is commonly used in smartphones, tablets, and even laptops. However, it is important to remember that the screen protector will not protect your phone screen from all severe physical damage, but rather it protects from light impacts such as scratches and abrasions and may absorb some of the shock energy, thus mitigating the impact of shocks but not preventing them completely!

 

In fact, a screen protector may not help at all. You may have seen many cases where phone screens are broken despite having a screen protector. What's the takeaway from all of this? Don't expect a screen protector to protect your device's screen from all kinds of physical damage!

 

Generally, screen protectors were practically mandatory, but advances in glass and coating manufacturing made them unnecessary for most devices. So you don't have to buy a screen protector when you get a new phone. The screen protector is not a must-buy item anymore, as it is marketed. Rather, it remains just an option to increase the protection of your screen, not for absolute protection. Where you can safely use a modern smartphone with a "bare" screen. And even if you put your phone in the same pocket as your keys and coins, your "HD" phone screen should still be fine!