so when you ask someone with a device, which part might be most vulnerable, they will surely answer "screen" in their top 3 choice.
yes screen is the most delicate part of a device and might be also the most expensive to replace barring the whole SOC. many of us use screen protector to keep our native screen protected. so this thread will shed some light of the types of screen protectors, ie, Thick ones or thin ones might be useful for you depending on your choice.
(Note: i have made all possible effort to ensure correctness of data, however i am not responsible for any wrong info. if you find any info is wrong or i am wrong, please provide me with details and i will be glad to correct it, the thread contains my views and since we are all sentient beings opinions might differ )
Screen Protectors:
they are mostly made of following materials PET, PVC, TPU, polyreuthane and Glass, each have their own advantages and disadvantages. some companies make custom screen protectors which have multiple layers but they can all be classified into one of the following types stated.
PET, PVC, TPU & Polyreuthane:
These are what we call plastic screen protectors, they come in various chemical composition of plastic and most commonly available ones in market, they come in various cost to suit your pocket. they serve basic purpose to adding a extra layer to your screen to protect from simple damage and minor scratches. they come in various sizes and most of time you can simply buy a big A4 sheets and cut as per what you desire. as already stated they come in various price braket and cheaper compared to tempered glass type ones
since they contain wide variety of material, they mostly come in Dry install type or wet install types. as the name suggestes, dry ones come with pre applied glue and you just need to remove label and paste it on your device. wet ones come with a solution or materials needed to create solution, you need to spray solution on the sheet or screen then apply it.
the advantage of dry type is that you apply it as as soon as you have applied, you are done. wet type need time to dry and there is always chance of liquid damage if you are not careful.
Pros Of Plastic :
- Cheap and easily available
- comes in various sizes to suit your needs
- different feel levels depending on material composition
- easy to alter and cut to fit your needs
- easily available in various thickness
- relatively easy to remove and install
- no chipping or shattering like tempered glass
Cons:
- easy to scratch
- no impact resistance for normal plastic prorectors.
- heavy damage can be easily be passed to device screen
- glue quality can leave residue
- might lose colour over time
- dust gets in can damage the glue and visibility
- cannot be reused and can have bubbles if not applied properly
The best advantage of plastic is the visibility options it can offer, from the ultra clear to matt types. they are available in various types like Matt, Glossy, clear, Ultra clear, Mirror finish versions. since most people have a individual liking on how they want their screen, plastic types give the most option. listed below is the details of such finishes
Mirror Film
The effect of the mirror film is similar to that of the ordinary mirror, which utilizes the principle of the reflection ray. The special material in the mirror film makes it capable of reflecting light. A certain colors added in the application layer can improve the reflectivity. The name of the mirror film explicitly explains that it can be used as mirror besides protecting your phone screen.
Matte Film
The matte film is the screen protector applying the frosted processing on its surface, which adds the roughness of the film. The roughness makes the external light diffuse when the light contacts with the screen protector, which can decrease the specular reflection and ensure a good users’ visual experience.
Clear & ultra Clear:
The highlight of this type is its light transmittance is over 90% - 98%, which enables the light inside the phone to maximum present to your eyes and will not have big impact on the screen display effect. the colours dont diffuse so gives you a punchy experience
Glossy:
Glossy type is just like clear type but has a high refraction rate, it is most useful to people who use device mostly indoor and like accurate colours. glossy screens protectors can cause reflection in sunlight and hence might make screen less visible in sun or bright light
Tempered Glass screen protectors:
Tempered glass screen protectors in layman terms are essentially toughened glass as the ones you might have on your car and windows, they are heat treated and chemically treated to make it stronger. along with the heat and chemical treatment, there are other materials like silicon, PVC used as layer between them to give them the adhesive properties and when glass shatters, it does not fly around to damage you or your device.
tempered glass give you the same glass feel of your device screen but to protect against scratches, drops. in a sum you can say tempered glass is a version of the ever popular Gorilla glass, while gorilla glass has a "Secret" coating which will resist deep scratches tempered glass can get deep scratches.
thing to note here is that many tempered glass vendors claim it to have hardness of 9, but those claims are mostly false. again i stress "Mostly" so dont aim your guns at me yet, some vendors use patented coatings and layers to make hardness high. tempered glass also get other coatings like oleophobic coating making it smudge and finger print resistant.
In theory, the layers give the device a shock protection and in case of fall, the layer is suppose to absorb the shock and prevent it from going to your main screen.
Pros of tempered glass:
- glass like feel
- better impact resistance
- does not lose colour over time
- easy to clean
- does not get scratched easily
- some can be removed and reused (never tried it)
- does not affect screen colour and visibility
Cons
- can shatter easily on edges
- if not cut properly, it will be useless
- Costs like 4x to 10x compared to normal plastic screen protectors
- chipped edge can cause cuts
- not easy to remove once broken and needs care when removing
- needs precise placement
- dust trapped inside shows easily
- always thicker than Plastic type
- at the moment not available in various finish except the mirror type
so this all brings me to last topic, do we really need screen protectors?
well to this many will have different answer, depending on personal choice, but in general, its always advisable to use a screen protector, the advantages they offer outweigh disadvantages by far. the screen is most important aspect of a device and easily the most fragile. ask people who had accidents and the protectors have saved their precious screen
depending on the manufacturing process of a screen, like modular builds used on One+ or other build where screen and lcd are in individual unit, the screen can cost anywhere from 25% and above of cost to get replaced. you never know what might be in your pocket or in the environment which will damage your screen.
you can easily replace a broken or damaged screen protector than to get a screen replaced. never take this fact for granted. as stated some offer damage protection, even Plastic screen protectors like Rhino shield offer some sort of impact resistance which can be compared to tempered glass. if you are clusmy, then always use a good branded screen protector and cases. small amount spent on such items can save you much money in long run.
Note:
Also please be careful while handling broken tempered glass, use a cello tape or any other tape on tempered glass, apply it from top before removing a broken or chipped tempered glass protector, it can be serious issue if you manage to nick of cut yourself.
source: miuiforum
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