They say that in moments like these, your whole life flashes before your eyes. Time slows down, leaves stop rustling, and noise turns into a deafening silence, poignant and heralding trouble.
BANG. The phone dropped.
If you're reading this and visualizing it simultaneously, you know you belong to one of two groups – screen protectors (not to be confused with conspiracy theorists) or fans of pure form. Do you use a protector or not? Are you intrigued?
Phone Screen Protector
Drops can be painless or have dramatic consequences. One act in such a drama can be a cracked phone screen. A damaged screen can significantly affect the aesthetic experience and even lead to malfunctions of your smartphone's display.
What's more, the liquid crystal screen can turn a dark purple, making it completely impossible to use the camera. That's all for the grim scenarios.
However, there's a cheap, simple, and readily available way to protect your display. You can cover your smartphone screen with a clear film or tempered glass, which will protect your phone from the effects of gravity to some extent.
Check out the features of each solution.
Protective Film or Tempered Glass?
Protective film is a thin, highly flexible, and clear material that is applied to a smartphone screen. The front of your phone protected by a film will be scratch-resistant. Additionally, the film will protect the screen's glass structure from the consequences of dropping the phone from small heights.
The advantage of protective film is its very affordable price.
However, we do not recommend cutting the sheet to the screen size yourself, as a smartphone after such an operation might look like a failed cubist painting. Opt for a ready-made one, i.e., a film adapted to the specific model and size of your device.
Purchasing tempered glass is not as pleasant an expense. Good protective glass will cost from 80 to even 250 PLN, so the difference compared to film can be up to 10 times. But with glass, it's like with a Viking – the stronger, the more effective!
Tempered glass is a significantly thicker, more durable, and less flexible material than protective film. These properties make it much easier to apply to a smartphone screen without leaving bubbles, and they are usually perfectly fitted to the shape of buttons and/or camera lenses. They will also absorb significantly greater forces than protective films.
Since glass is a harder material, it may chip upon impact, for example, on the edges. However, this is a good sign, indicating that it absorbed the force of the impact and fulfilled its primary, protective role.
Types of Phone Screen Protectors
Just as crashing waves differ from each other, so do protective films not belong to a single family. We distinguish between:
- Polycarbonate films, which will well protect the smartphone screen from dirt, scratches, and lighter impacts.
- Hybrid films, with a fairly good impact resistance rating. Some claim it's comparable to lower-priced tempered glass.
- Hydrogel films, also known as rubber films, which also feature good impact and scratch resistance. Additionally, they have an external electrostatic coating that prevents dust particles from sticking. The question of what's better – hydrogel film or tempered glass – will be best answered by a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of both products.
Protective Film — Pros and Cons
Take a look at the advantages of protective film:
- Fits curved screens
- It's cheap
- It can be applied and removed multiple times
- Replacing it with a new one doesn't incur high costs
- It doesn't distort colors
- It's thin, so it doesn't affect screen sensitivity
- Provides good protection against scratches and decent protection against impacts for hybrid and hydrogel models.
- Models with electrostatic coating are available, which don't attract dust.
However, to avoid painting too rosy a picture, it's worth noting a few disadvantages:
- A phone display protected by a film will be more susceptible to impacts than one covered with tempered glass.
- In the case of good quality tempered glass – despite the thicker layer – you also won't feel a significant difference in screen sensitivity, and you won't deviate from the original look of the device.
- Tempered glass, like protective films, does not distort display colors, and applying them is simpler than with films.
How to Apply This Wonder?
Pro tip – if you have an avid model builder at home or among your friends, ask them for help applying the film to your phone. It will require truly Scandinavian patience, but also exceptional manual skills.
And now, seriously:
Step 1: Before applying the film, thoroughly clean the screen of dirt and even microscopic particles.
After applying the film to a carelessly cleaned smartphone screen, you'll start struggling with accumulating air bubbles and, consequently, poorer smartphone operation quality.
Step 2: Apply the film carefully – step by step.
Applying it all at once will also result in air getting underneath the film. Doing it gently will prevent trapped air, and if any appears, you'll be able to quickly remove it by pressing the air bubbles towards the edges.
Now you know what those fine motor skills classes in kindergarten were for. Good luck!
