The display is the element of the smartphone that we interact with the most. It is also a very fragile and expensive component. If you value your mobile phone, buy a screen protector for it. You won't regret it, honestly.
Prices for protective glasses start from 100 rubles and end in the region of 3-4 thousand. They have a set of special characteristics - the degree of hardness, oleophobic coating, privacy filter, etc. What does it all mean and how to choose reliable protection for the display? Here is a short guide to help you deal with the most common questions about safety glasses.
Does a smartphone need a protective glass?
Many smartphones today use toughened Gorilla Glass, Dragontrail, etc. It can cover both the front and back panels. Its task is to protect the device from minor damage, but you should not rely entirely on this protection. Keys, sand, debris in your pocket and bag, the habit of putting your smartphone face down on the table - all these are the reasons why ugly scuffs and scratches appear on the screen. If the smartphone is dropped, the touchscreen and the display will break. Replacing the screen module will cost several thousand (in the case of an iPhone, the price of such a repair can reach up to 15,000).
Protective glass also does not last forever. It can scratch and crack. But you must admit, it's nice to know that it was not the expensive screen itself that broke, but just a protection that can be removed and replaced with a new one at any time.
Screen protector vs tempered glass - what's the difference?
Shops offer two types of protective coatings - transparent film and tempered glass.
Polymer films appeared before tempered glasses. They are a thin layer of plastic. It must be applied with extreme caution, as it easily folds and becomes unusable. The film costs quite inexpensively - from 50 rubles, often two pieces are included in the kit. It will protect the screen surface from scratches and abrasions, but it will not save you on impact.
Tempered glass is more expensive and harder to damage. On average, its purchase costs 600-800 rubles. In principle, this is not such an expensive accessory for a smartphone with a price of 20+ thousand. Tempered glass is more resistant to mechanical damage than film. If the smartphone falls, it will hit yourself, and besides this will save the display from moisture exposure.
From these two options, tempered glass will be the most reasonable acquisition. You will give more money for it, but in return get a high level of protection.
What is tempered glass?
In essence, it is a conventional glass treated at high temperature using chemical compounds. After heating to several hundred degrees, the glass is subjected to rapid cooling, the result is a high strength product.
Tempered glass for the smartphone has a multi-layer structure. It is easier to stick it simple, with this task, any person will cope at home. In the package with it, everything will be necessary - two napkins for cleaning the screen (wet and dry), several stickers and instruction.
Can the tempered glass bent?
When you take tempered glass in your hands, you will feel that it is not so hard: Nuts, springs, but quickly returns to the original shape. I immediately want to ask: how so, it's glass, why is it bends?
Incredible, but fact: glass has flexibility.
Screens iPhone, iPad, android smartphone and even Nintendo Switch have some plasticity stock. Employees of the site 6to5mac in one of his video showed it. Of course, we do not call for finding out how the screen of your gadget is flexible, it will not end. Just the opposite, think about how it can be protected.
Not every glass is able to be bent so that it is noticeable to a person's eye. Glasses, coffee tables, decor items are made of thick glass and bend their hands will not work. The tempered glass for the smartphone is primarily a thin, thinner millimeter, so flexibility is not a defect, but its normal property.
What is 9H? Is this an important parameter?
The protective glasses have its own set of technical properties. Talk about the most important.
Hardness 9H
This is not an indicator of hardness on the Moos scale, as it may seem. 9H hardness means that the product cannot be scratched with a pencil 9n, the stringent of standard types of pencils. In truth, this is not a very reliable test, but it is easily reproduced at home, confirming that the glass corresponds to the stated level of strength.
Oleophobic coating
To be honest, this is the only parameter that matters when choosing tempered glass for smartphone. Unlike polymer protective films, glass easily collects fingerprints. Not fatal, but unpleasant, and carrying a microfiber cloth around with you is also not very convenient. The oleophobic coating protects against fingerprints. It is a thin oily layer with fat-repellent properties. If it is, there will be many times less stains on the glass. But you need to remember that the oleophobic coating wears off over time. Usually it takes 6-8 months.
Defense of military standard
Just a marketing ploy, nothing more. Any glass will break with the right amount of force, and military standards don't play an important role here.
Privacy filter (anti-spyware)
A special layer that hides information on the display when viewed from the side at an angle of 30-40 degrees. This is a feature for those who are very worried about their privacy. If you want to take such glass, then remember: it often adversely affects the clarity of the image.
Matte finish
Matte coated safety glasses are not very common and are produced mainly for popular smartphones. Buy it or not - depends on your personal preferences. If you don't like a shiny glossy screen, stick a glass with a matte finish on it, and extra glare will not irritate your eyes.
I pasted the protective glass. Do I have anything else to worry about?
The protective glass only covers the screen, it does not surround the smartphone like a case. If the gadget hits an angle, the force of impact through the case will be transmitted to the display, and then damage cannot be avoided. And this, according to the Wirecutter website, is the most common type of fall. It may happen that the protective glass is intact, and the screen itself is covered with a network of cracks.
But if the smartphone flies flat on the floor, then the protection will break first. It will save you from scratches, from keys in your bag, and from many other troubles.
Properly selected tempered glass takes into account all the features of the display (rounded edges, frames, cutouts, fingerprint, etc.), it does not reduce the sensitivity of the touchscreen and does not interfere with the use of the on-screen fingerprint scanner. However, the protective glass is not a replacement for the case and in no case is a guarantee that the smartphone will not receive any injuries when dropped. This is one way to extend the life of your gadget and avoid costly repairs.
