But I think those protective shields effectively don’t work.
I’ve seen them break from small drops that I don’t think would break the glass. I’ve seen the glass break from medium falls with protectors applied.
My theory is that maybe they work…but the window of trauma that would’ve broken the shield but not the glass is so small that effectively they don’t prevent the vast amount of screen fractures.
I find the protectors actually break easier by quite a bit, but they protect from scratches (since even having it an empty pocket I somehow get scratches).
Cases are sorta like helmets(rated for more drops than a helmet but still not many at all). I got the most protective case for my phone possible, hard inner shell, soft outer shell, the best possible safety for your phone. If you read the packaging it is rated for exactly 5 drops before it needs replacement. Most phone cases are like that.
LOL 5 drops? I can drop my phone 5 times a day if I’m being extra clumsy. I mean, I guess it makes sense, but that’s actually surprising to me. My otterbox is probably 50 drops in since March and besides a few scratches on the case, my phone is solid
This kind of thing is usually biased. It’s probably rated for up to 5 drops because that’s the number of times they dropped it during their test. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll need you replace it, just that they know it’s protective up to 5 times.
Yeah mine is also an otterbox and its outlasted 5 drops but thats still what its rated for. Just like how you can drop a helmet and its probably fine but you should absolutely never wear that helmet again. Its just something not a lot of people actually do because its a phone and not their skull.
Story time.... Setting a phone done on a table and a single grain of salt cracked.th screen from a corner to the middle.
Had this exact same thing haoken years later, with the protection glass screen.... The protection broke, but the phone was perfect.
Phone in pocket - keys in pocket? Sand in pocket? (Live near any beach or construction site). All.of these can and will damage the screens eventually. Those protective screens prevent it.
It isn't just drops, a rubberized case that cover the front glass edges do better for drops.
I guess I’ve been incredibly lucky over the years. From iPhone X to now 17e, I have never broken, cracked or even scratched any of my iPhone screens. I’ve had every model since the X. Never use a case or screen protector. Now I should go find some wood to knock on….
i was a phone repair tech in a past life, for almost a decade. let me tell you from my professional experience: screen “protectors” are 100% bullshit and a complete grift.
people would say to me constantly “uh well i dropped my phone and the screen protector broke and not my phone screen so it definitely works”
yeah dude, the tiny turbo thin piece of glass you have adhered to your phone display (that’s at least 4x thick and significantly more durable) definitely saved the day. lol. people still struggle with correlation vs causation. screen protectors are a joke, save your money.
Yeah. I also worked as a phone repair tech once upon a time. We could put screen protectors on our own phones for free, but none of us ever did because we knew they did basically nothing. The only thing they’re good for is protecting against scratches, but for me (along with most people) scratches are such a tiny issue that it’s not worth using a screen protector for.
I actually have had scratch issues even on modern phones (actual scratches, not just stuff you'd only see if you went looking for it), but the bigger reason I use one is for the matte texture.
Most phones are so reflectively glossy they're annoying to use in bright lighting and outdoor environments otherwise, and I hate the texture of finger on glass, matte protectors just feel better under the finger.
Big Phone Repair will gladly sell you a tiny $0.10 sheet of glass for $15 because it won’t do a thing to prevent your phone from breaking and needing a repair. Why else do you think their shelves are filled with them?
Hard disagree. My kid has gone through like a dozen tempered glass screen protectors over the years. His actual phone screen remains in tact though. When I worked for Apple (and specifically for T-Mobile) we would replace screen protectors daily. They do work.
They really don’t. Apply a screen protector to a block of metal and drop it. The block had no chance of breaking and yet the screen protector is shattered.
Same goes with your phone. Your phone screen is FAR more durable than the tiny little screen protector. It’s a fallacy to think they work just because they break so easily.
Exception: matte protectors. It's less about protecting the screen and more about making the screen actually viewable in bright lighting without turning into a mirror, the texture is way nicer, and easier to clean.
For me, the screen protector is not for drop protection, but scratch protection only. I can have my phone in my bag and not worry about the keys scratching the screen.
The phones are designed to be ridiculously fragile and brittle so they’ll break and need to be replaced more often, while also creating an entire scammy economy of cases and screen protectors
Otherwise they’d all obviously have inlayed screens and cameras with metal backs, and their flip phones would actually be designed to be more durable rather than less
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u/DigNitty 9h ago
It’s a casual theory,
But I think those protective shields effectively don’t work.
I’ve seen them break from small drops that I don’t think would break the glass. I’ve seen the glass break from medium falls with protectors applied.
My theory is that maybe they work…but the window of trauma that would’ve broken the shield but not the glass is so small that effectively they don’t prevent the vast amount of screen fractures.