Tempered Glass Screen Protectors For Your Phone: Things To Know Before Choosing One
Screen protectors aren't as necessary as they once were, but they can still be very useful.
By Sadho Ram — 07 May 2015, 12:37 PM
The touchscreen 'smartphone' has come a long way in terms of being advanced. Sadly, its most vulnerable part - 'the screen' - even after mobile manufacturers' continued investment in toughened glass, special coatings, and new materials, still remains vulnerable!
Enter, third-party companies that supply screen protectors.
Now, the trade in screen protectors is high. They come in various qualities and types. Here, we're going to look into tempered glass screen protectors and how to pick one for your smartphone.
First things first, tempered glass screen protectors aren't like the bendy piece of plastic protectors, they're a very thin layer of glass!
Seen here is Zagg's 'Invisible Shield Glass' screen protector applied on an iPhone 6.
Image via ForbesOn the pricing front, glass protectors start at around USD2 for the cheapest variant and can go up to USD50 (RM180). The price difference is because of the quality of the glass, and technologies applied to it like an oleophobic coating which reduces fingerprints.
Tempered glass protectors feel more like the original screen. However, because of their thickness (they are generally around 0.3-0.5 mm in thickness), they will bulge out a bit more than plastic.
So, for example, say you have an iPhone 5 or Nexus 4, the thickness of the glass protector will make it slightly raised from the flush finish of the sides, which can be an aesthetic issue for some.
Seen here is Zagg's 'Invisible Shield Glass' screen protector applied on an iPhone 6.
Image via ForbesOn the iPhone, this also means your Home button is recessed more than you're used to. I know 0.5mm seems like a small number, but you can feel the difference.
lifehacker.com
While choosing a glass protector, make sure the edges of the protector is bevelled, so that it does not catch or have a sharp edge.
For example, while Zagg's 'Invisible Shield Glass' screen protector, does add to the thickness of the iPhone 6, it's edges are bevelled, reports Forbes. Because of the curved edges that Apple has gifted the iPhone, the Invisible Shield will not reach out to the edge of your handset, rather it just covers the flat area of the glass.
As shown in the image above, glass protectors have surface hardness rating of 8-9H. Meaning they're hard enough to resist scratches from anything that's not topaz or corundum (extremely hard aluminum oxide), but they aren't completely shatter-proof!
Since this is toughened glass we're talking about, in the event of a fatal drop, the protector will absorb all the damage and break into tiny shards. Chances are pretty good that your display will end up unscathed underneath. Thus, instead of having to replace the entire screen, you'll only have to get a new protector.
Lastly on the installation front, the process of installing a glass protector can be as difficult, if not more, as installing a plastic screen protector. Make sure to clean the screen first and go for the quality product as they are easier to install. Generally, there are two kinds of glass protectors: full-adhesive and bezel-adhesive.
Again, don't hesitate to spend a little extra and go for the slightly expensive ones, because a cheap tempered glass screen protector will probably have issues like:
The oleophobic coating and the quality of the glass is just not good enough. You will see fingerprints, and you'll be able to tell that it's not as good as your actual phone. To me, that defeats the purpose of a glass protector.
lifehacker.com
