Screen Protector discussion

snilloconator · Jul 17, 2012

chillibean said:
anyone tried Skinomi TechSkin before?
looks good and has lifetime replacements.

Zoandroid · Jul 17, 2012

mthoren68 said:
Steinheil Steinheil Steinheil.

GALAXY S3 - Samsung - Cell Phones

Maybe Gorilla Glass doesn't NEED a screen protector, but if something that costs $14 and has zero effect on the usability of the phone (and mitigates smudges) is at all helpful in protecting something that will cost me $600 to replace, I say why the heck not?

Well, I was using a screen protector, until I discovered that even at full brightness I could barely see the display in the sun........until I removed the screen protector. I wanted the AMOLED display specifically to see it in bright sunlight. So I'm leaving the screen uncovered.

firechicken · Jul 18, 2012

treb1797 · Jul 18, 2012

Deal Alert: 75% Off XtremeGuard Screen and Full Body Protectors When You Buy 2 – Free Shipping [All Devices]

Thought this might interest some folks.

defected · Jul 18, 2012

Too many choices for both these and the cases, I don't even know what to go with! Neither seem to have the "perfect" all-round solution!

bennybbc · Jul 18, 2012

defected said:
Too many choices for both these and the cases, I don't even know what to go with! Neither seem to have the "perfect" all-round solution!

Any screen protector and case is better than nothing and there is no perfect all-around solution. With such a huge variety of cheap cases available, there's no reason not to buy a few of different styles and then use the case(s) that you like the best. You can do this for about $20 or so. It's not hard to get excellent protection and decent style food well under $20 and probably even under $10 for most people, myself included. While I have seen some $20-$50 cases that are attractive and offer good protection I don't think its at all required to spend that much.

There are some screen protectors that are so cheap they're almost free and you can spend up to $20 or so too. Even the $1 ones will provide plenty of protection for almost anyone. But for crystal clarity you'll need to spend more. I don't see the point of buying one that advertises "super protection" since ANY screen protector will prevent scratches. Go for clarity, fit and type of application, (wet or dry).

If your phone is still "naked" just because you can't make up your mind just by ANY cheap TPU case and cheap screen protector from Amazon and cover your phone until you can make a better decision.

Benny

Hogan773 · Jul 22, 2012

I've had my phone for 10 days.....just noticed the first screen scratch. Was polishing off the day's oil and grime now and couldn't get one spot perfectly clean. In the light reflection now (when the screen is dark) I see a small "j" shape about 1/3 inch long. Definitely a small scratch.

So now the man who has said "Bahhhh" to screen protectors is back reading the screen protector thread. I'll probably withhold still, because this is mostly MY phone....to use and enjoy for the next few years. I do not see myself as just a steward of this phone for the schmoe who buys it from me off Ebay several years from now.....and I'm not convinced that there is any significant resale price difference for a used phone with a few small scratches vs a "perfect" one. I guess if there is a screen protector that can nearly emulate the smooth glassy feel of the GG2 screen and not reduce touch sensitivity then maybe I'm listening. But to pay $15-20, reduce my enjoyment for the next 2 years and make my phone look worse during that time, all so I can hand over a "mint screen" to the Ebay buyer.....I dunno, I'm still wrestling with that logic.

maverick777 · Jul 22, 2012

Hogan773 said:
I've had my phone for 10 days.....just noticed the first screen scratch. Was polishing off the day's oil and grime now and couldn't get one spot perfectly clean. In the light reflection now (when the screen is dark) I see a small "j" shape about 1/3 inch long. Definitely a small scratch.

So now the man who has said "Bahhhh" to screen protectors is back reading the screen protector thread. I'll probably withhold still, because this is mostly MY phone....to use and enjoy for the next few years. I do not see myself as just a steward of this phone for the schmoe who buys it from me off Ebay several years from now.....and I'm not convinced that there is any significant resale price difference for a used phone with a few small scratches vs a "perfect" one. I guess if there is a screen protector that can nearly emulate the smooth glassy feel of the GG2 screen and not reduce touch sensitivity then maybe I'm listening. But to pay $15-20, reduce my enjoyment for the next 2 years and make my phone look worse during that time, all so I can hand over a "mint screen" to the Ebay buyer.....I dunno, I'm still wrestling with that logic.

Steinheil Ultra Nano fits the bill. Modest protection while retaining perfect clarity and feel. You can barely tell it's even there.

I've used extremeguard, Skinomi, Verizon protector, and the free one from my case. The Ultra Nano is by far the best.

powdbyrice · Jul 22, 2012

i'm still using the one that came with the phone. lol.

scooter1942 · Jul 22, 2012

powdbyrice said:
i'm still using the one that came with the phone. lol.

doesnt that have a bunch of words and arrows telling you what the buttons do?? mine did, i was contemplating leaving it on till i got a proper protector, but looked at it for about 4 1/2 seconds and came to the conclusion that it would drive me flipping bonkers...

jaymf · Jul 22, 2012

scooter1942 said:
doesnt that have a bunch of words and arrows telling you what the buttons do?? mine did, i was contemplating leaving it on till i got a proper protector, but looked at it for about 4 1/2 seconds and came to the conclusion that it would drive me flipping bonkers...

Mine didn't, even had a "considerate" break-off tab at the top corner so that the "temporary" protector could be used without the tab getting caught on things. I broke off the tab so that I could leave it on for a few days before a more permanent one. Ironically, it got caught on my pocket at the bottom one of the first few times I stuck it in, got all linty, so off it came. I've really come to appreciate the smoothness of the glass.

scooter1942 · Jul 22, 2012

tell me about it! mine had the tab too, but it didnt seem like the lettering and stuff was on a separate film that could peel off, so i just tossed it. my case came with a screen protector, but i dont wanna put it on because the glass is so smooth. i kept having it slide off whenever i set it down on an uneven fabric surface. my vibrant never did that...

bennybbc · Jul 22, 2012

Hogan773 said:
I've had my phone for 10 days.....just noticed the first screen scratch. Was polishing off the day's oil and grime now and couldn't get one spot perfectly clean. In the light reflection now (when the screen is dark) I see a small "j" shape about 1/3 inch long. Definitely a small scratch.

So now the man who has said "Bahhhh" to screen protectors is back reading the screen protector thread. I'll probably withhold still, because this is mostly MY phone....to use and enjoy for the next few years. I do not see myself as just a steward of this phone for the schmoe who buys it from me off Ebay several years from now.....and I'm not convinced that there is any significant resale price difference for a used phone with a few small scratches vs a "perfect" one. I guess if there is a screen protector that can nearly emulate the smooth glassy feel of the GG2 screen and not reduce touch sensitivity then maybe I'm listening. But to pay $15-20, reduce my enjoyment for the next 2 years and make my phone look worse during that time, all so I can hand over a "mint screen" to the Ebay buyer.....I dunno, I'm still wrestling with that logic.

I've been a proponent of screen protectors on this thread but not for resale value. My argument has been against those who say they aren't necessary because "Gorilla Glass will prevent scratches...blah blah...". It's a myth and people who don't know better may believe that and get the wrong idea. Your post is yet another example that shows that GG can be scratched.

I've seen people reason that a scratched screen may lower resale value and that seems pretty likely. But to me, and I suspect most people, that's not the best reason to use a screen protector. The logic behind using a screen protector is so that you don't have to look at scratches on your otherwise beautiful screen. Not much to wrestle with in that logic. I don't agree that a high quality screen protector such as one from Steinheil adversely affects the screen feel. At least not as much as ugly scratches affect the screen's appearance. I suppose it's up to you to decide if you would rather look at scratches every time you look at your phone or accept the slight decrease in screen smoothness. I have used unprotected GG and I found the difference between that and the feel of the Steinheil screen protectors I've used to be minor enough that it was hard to detect and something that I quickly got used to. None of my phones have ever been scratched but I've seen enough that have to know that I can quickly forget that I have a screen protector on my phone but ugly scratches would annoy me every time I looked at my phone. YMMV, of course.

No doubt there's a lot of personal preference involved here. But there's little doubt that a scratched screen can lower the resale value of a phone and GG can be scratched. If a person has super sensitive fingertips and doesn't mind looking at scratches (or accepting the risk of scratches) then don't use a screen protector. That's logic that I don't have to wrestle with.

Benny

scooter1942 · Jul 22, 2012

ugh! dangit benny... you and the screen on my S III have got me wrestling back and forth between putting a protector on it or not. i mean i know ill curse myself halfway to hell once i do nick it, but its so silky smooth i dunno if i can cover it up... maybe once those curved crystals come out and we get some feedback ill make my decision

lexluthor · Jul 22, 2012

bennybbc said:
The logic behind using a screen protector is so that you don't have to look at scratches on your otherwise beautiful screen. Not much to wrestle with in that logic. I don't agree that a high quality screen protector such as one from Steinheil adversely affects the screen feel. At least not as much as ugly scratches affect the screen's appearance. I suppose it's up to you to decide if you would rather look at scratches every time you look at your phone or accept the slight decrease in screen smoothness.

I always wrestle with using a screen protector or not. I'm not worrying about resale value, so that's not a consideration of mine.

I also only use screen protectors that are ultra clear and feel like glass. I don't feel that the addition of a good screen protector takes away from the experience. Right now I have an SGP Ultra Nano on.

I worry about getting a scratch on my GG2 screen and then having to deal with the annoying scratch for 2 years. On the other hand, my screen protector usually gets scratched up pretty quickly.

So, I'm protecting against having to possibly look at scratches, by looking at scratches anyhow. Seems like crazy logic and that's why I'm totally on the fence.

I posted elsewhere about my SGP getting scratched and most people didn't see that, but these screen protectors will obviously scratch more easily than GG2. In 2 week's time, I have more scratches on my screen protector than my phone ever would get. They are sill all very small and only seen with the screen off from a certain angle, so no need to put on a new one just yet.

treb1797 · Jul 22, 2012

When you can spend less than $5 to protect a device that's worth $600 - $700 I don't see why anybody wouldn't.

dennygreen · Jul 22, 2012

might as well add my opinion on my zagg hd here.

wasn't really expecting much from it since I tried one of their screen protectors on my Droid X and hated it. It seemed too thick and made it hard to swipe sometimes. I got rid of it and put on a steinheil ultra crystal and was very happy with it.

So last week I picked up a zagg hd for my gs3 because it was on sale. I figured I'd just try something else when I didn't like it.

It goes on pretty easily if you follow the instructions. At first it looks kinda bad, but after a couple days it seems to smooth out. I think it feels really good. at least as good as the ultra crystal did on my dx, if not better. It also feels better than the protector that came with my Incipio silacrylic gs3 case. Unlike that one, the zagg hd doesn't peel up on the right and left sides.

I just wish there was more than one in the package, when it seems most other companies give you 3.

treb1797 · Jul 22, 2012

dennygreen said:
might as well add my opinion on my zagg hd here.

wasn't really expecting much from it since I tried one of their screen protectors on my Droid X and hated it. It seemed too thick and made it hard to swipe sometimes. I got rid of it and put on a steinheil ultra crystal and was very happy with it.

So last week I picked up a zagg hd for my gs3 because it was on sale. I figured I'd just try something else when I didn't like it.

It goes on pretty easily if you follow the instructions. At first it looks kinda bad, but after a couple days it seems to smooth out. I think it feels really good. at least as good as the ultra crystal did on my dx, if not better. It also feels better than the protector that came with my Incipio silacrylic gs3 case. Unlike that one, the zagg hd doesn't peel up on the right and left sides.

I just wish there was more than one in the package, when it seems most other companies give you 3.

Thanks for the ZAGG HD info. I got one person to respond in this thread http://androidforums.com/android-accessories/585031-zagg-hd-vs-zagg.html , but was looking for a second opinion.

Hogan773 · Jul 22, 2012

lexluthor said:
I always wrestle with using a screen protector or not. I'm not worrying about resale value, so that's not a consideration of mine.

I also only use screen protectors that are ultra clear and feel like glass. I don't feel that the addition of a good screen protector takes away from the experience. Right now I have an SGP Ultra Nano on.

I worry about getting a scratch on my GG2 screen and then having to deal with the annoying scratch for 2 years. On the other hand, my screen protector usually gets scratched up pretty quickly.

So, I'm protecting against having to possibly look at scratches, by looking at scratches anyhow. Seems like crazy logic and that's why I'm totally on the fence.

I posted elsewhere about my SGP getting scratched and most people didn't see that, but these screen protectors will obviously scratch more easily than GG2. In 2 week's time, I have more scratches on my screen protector than my phone ever would get. They are sill all very small and only seen with the screen off from a certain angle, so no need to put on a new one just yet.

Very good points. If one cares less about resale then you have to decide whether looking at scratches on the protector is worth it. Obviously the protector can be replaced but the screen can't.

Even though I have a scratch it is VERY faint. I mean it's definitely there but only visible if the screen is off ad you're shining a bright light at the right angle. I have read that gg helps to minimize scratches so they are less visible.

I've got a Diztronic case on the way so will investigate those protectors that are included. Will also investigate the Steinheils but I may just stay naked. Will see.

Dieselbud · Jul 22, 2012

hal1 said:
It's not the curve of the screen that's the concern. It's the curved edges that prevent the screen protectors from staying down which is the issue. That said, any of the wet type should hold anywhere, edge to edge.

I took mine off last week. I got (free) the only screen protector they had in stock on day 1. They (Telus/Future shop) also threw in 2 free jelly cases (the only ones they had) those were $50 worth of free options so I am not complaining. (it was a Wednesday so I also got a free movie).

Where the zagg hit the lip of the case, it kept peeling off. It was not attractive at all.

The screen felt a little rubbery and because I used my SG naked for a year I was not a fan. Neither was i a fan of the case and I really missed my old phone. I was afraid to take them off though, because it spends a lot of time in my purse or pocket or floating around in the jeep with the kids or the dash.

I was in the store a week later (returning hub's iPhone LOL) and they had these. They also come in the blue. It comes with a new back cover, (looks exactly the same as the original I think) and it is sleek and sexy and people really notice it. Now no more worries of it rubbing against a diamond nail file or one of my kid's earrings.

I just ove the screen so much, and with the SG Captivate I was able to sell it 'gently used' because the screen was pretty much flawless.

People ask me all the time about my phone now. I do wish there was a small cutout for the led notification though. I am not sure if guys would appreciate it as much as I do. I do use my camera LOT so it is easy to maneuver.

It was $50 at future shop, I wish they'd had them when I bought the phone.

gnexowner · Jul 22, 2012

Screen can be replaced it just cost. Plus theres alot of geeks go nuts to much hehe, GG isnt gonna scratch under normal wear and tear it's that simple. Screen protectors suck PERIOD.

Hogan773 said:
Very good points. If one cares less about resale then you have to decide whether looking at scratches on the protector is worth it. Obviously the protector can be replaced but the screen can't.

Even though I have a scratch it is VERY faint. I mean it's definitely there but only visible if the screen is off ad you're shining a bright light at the right angle. I have read that gg helps to minimize scratches so they are less visible.

I've got a Diztronic case on the way so will investigate those protectors that are included. Will also investigate the Steinheils but I may just stay naked. Will see.

Hogan773 · Jul 22, 2012

gnexowner said:
Screen can be replaced it just cost. Plus theres alot of geeks go nuts to much hehe, GG isnt gonna scratch under normal wear and tear it's that simple. Screen protectors suck PERIOD.

Yeah but to be fair mine DID scratch under normal use, very light use actually. Again I Mean not overreacting and going to rush to put kevlar Armor on the screen but. People do need to understand that the GG isn't infallible so they can make their own choice.

787323 · Jul 22, 2012

the only screen protector i have used is XO skins one, so i dont really have anything else to compare it with, but have had no problems with it and like the way it looks. I didnt vote because that wasnt an option

Slug · Jul 22, 2012

XO Skins added to poll options.

snilloconator · Jul 22, 2012

Slug said:
XO Skins added to poll options.

Can you add skinomi?

Samsung Cell Phone Screen Protectors, Skins, Cases, Shields, Covers - Skinomi TechSkin

Screen Protector discussion

Which Screen Protector is your favourite?

Anymode Oleophobic

Pro-Tec

MFX 5-in-1

Martin Fields

Case-Mate Anti-Glare

Zagg Invisible Shield

3M Scotch Film Lite Matte

3M Scotch Film Lite

Rock Anti-Fingerprint

Terrapin

Kolay

FoneM8

Vikuiti CV8 by 3M

Vikuiti ADQC27 by 3M

Vikuiti DQC160 by 3M

GadgetinBox

BAAS Matte Clear (Anti-Glare)

Trizmo Anti-Glare & Anti-Fingerprint

MOFRED

Steinheil

XO Skins

Skinomi

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