If a glass protector makes you feel more protected, go ahead and put one on. — Jim Rossman/TNS
At work, a department ordered some new iPads and purchased glass screen protectors to keep the screens from getting damaged.
They didn’t ask me if they needed screen protectors, but if they did, my answer would be, “Probably not.”
Some people buy screen protectors because they want to keep their device’s front glass from getting damaged or scratched. Others buy the extra protection because they think if they drop their device, the glass screen protector will break before the actual screen.
Are the protectors really necessary?
Most device manufacturers today use a variety of Corning Gorilla Glass, which has gone through many generations, each one promised to be tougher than the last.
I’m going to stick my neck out and admit I’ve owned smartphones back to the first generation iPhone, and iPads since they were introduced, and I’ve never broken a screen.
That’s not to say broken screens don’t happen.
I’ve seen plenty of broken screens. At work, we send home iPads with some patients, who are children, and plenty come back with broken screens, even if they’re inside tough protective cases.
I guess the key is whether you are tough on your device or not.
If you work in construction, or in a similar situation where a lot of dirt and dust might damage the screen, I recommend a screen protector and/or a full-body protective case like those from OtterBox.
If you have small kids, look for a case designed for kids. We have started putting iPads in cases that are made of dense foam, which seems to help.
Of course, if you are prone to dropping your phone, you never know if the next drop will be the one that breaks the screen or puts a nice dent in a corner of your device.
If a glass protector makes you feel more protected, go ahead and put one on. They’re cheap and pretty easy to install.
I did find one good use for a glass screen protector.
Five or so years ago, I permanently damaged my iPhone's screen by carrying a second iPhone and putting them both in my back pocket.
The glass on the front of the iPhone’s main cameras is synthetic sapphire, which can easily scratch most glass screens. When I took the phones out of my pocket, I had some round scratches just about the diameter of the camera. The scratches never came out. That’s one instance where I did use a glass screen protector over the scratched glass, so I couldn’t see the scratches.
For most other instances, your phone or tablet’s glass is much harder than any glass protector, so save your money. – Tribune News Service
