There’s nothing quite like the joy of opening a new package and seeing your pristine new phone in all its glory. It’s understandable that some of us want to keep our phones in that new state, free of bulky attachments and accessories like screen protectors that might affect our experience.
Big mistake.
You might not know it yet, but every day you use your phone without a good screen protector, you’re putting it at immense risk. Find out why you should be using a screen protector right now with this quick guide.
How Screen Protectors Make a Difference
Scratch Protection
‘Gorilla Glass’ has gone from a brand name to more of a buzzword used by companies like Apple and Samsung, promising virtually indestructible phones right off the factory lines. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
In actuality, whether you’re using an iPhone 16 or 8, your phone is equally prone to everyday scratches just from sitting in your phone or backpack. Everything from a sharp pair of keys to an accidental drop onto a rough surface can leave a permanent, and easily avoidable, mark on your phone.
You don’t have to go all out for a mobile screen protector to make a difference here. Even a relatively cheaper screen protector that doesn’t use any tempered glass is enough to shield your phone from most minor scratches, though we can’t say anything about those bigger drops.
Enhance Resale Values
This point doesn’t get brought up nearly enough, considering how many of us trade in our older phones before buying a new one. Keeping your phone in great condition can elevate your resale value significantly, even after five years (especially if you’re an Apple customer). Factors affecting this value include:
- Your Phone Brand: This matters more if you’re selling to a third-party business. Apple phones, for example, generally sell for more than Androids.
- Phone Condition: This is where screen protectors come in. Even a single major scratch can downgrade your phone’s condition from ‘Like New’ to ‘Heavily Used’ for most assessors.
- Age: Even keeping your phone in pristine condition is no guarantee of value. Your phone will inevitably depreciate year over year.
If you’re planning on trading in your phone for a newer one, we can’t recommend using a screen protector enough. You could save $200 or even more during a trade-in.
Improve Touch Sensitivity
One of the biggest reasons many consumers refuse to consider getting a mobile screen protector is a fear that it will harm the phone’s touch sensitivity and overall user experience.
This is completely unfounded if you know where to look.
High-quality screen protectors are designed to improve the user experience beyond shielding your phone from drops and scratches. In this case, high-quality means protectors made from tempered glass and/or advanced polymers. These protectors almost always ensure smooth interactions and feel identical to the actual phone screen.
Additional Features
The best screen protectors always do so much more than what the name implies. Today’s best accessory manufacturers produce mobile screen protectors with additional features like:
- Anti-Glare Coatings: To help your phone maintain that 1,000 nits brightness even when you’re out and about on a sunny summer day.
- Blue-Light Protection: Blue light is single-handedly responsible for messing up sleep cycles for thousands of power users, and our phones are a major source of it. You can minimize your exposure to this light by using a screen protector that comes with blue light filters. This can also help cut down on stress in the long term.
- Oleophobic Layers: Nothing’s more frustrating than going on your phone after a long day at work, only to find your screen full of fingerprints and other smudges. Screen protectors with oleophobic layers can help you keep your screen clear even after heavy use.
Easy To Apply and Replace
Are screen protectors necessary? We already know they are by this point. Worst case scenario, if you realize you don’t like the screen protector you just bought, you can always toss it away and apply a new one in seconds.
That applies to the power user, too. Some buyers prefer to switch their screen protectors out after a year or two for newer models with better features. If you’re buying from a trusted brand, you can usually do this in under five minutes with the application kits that come with most mobile screen protectors.
Protect Your Phone Today
At the end of the day, it’s just a matter of cost/benefit. Using a screen protector gives you additional features, saves a ton on resale values, and can even improve your user experience. Pick a brand you trust and give your phone the protection it deserves.
