Are Cell Phone Screen Protectors Really Necessary?

After spending hundreds of dollars on a new smartphone, you don’t want to end up staring at a scratched screen all the time. These scratches are annoying to see on the display screen, and you can never get rid of them. Smartphones are fragile and always prone to gashes, but you can help prevent these from happening by using screen protectors.

An extra layer of defense provides easy protection on your smartphone’s glass screen. With low-cost screen protectors, you can take better care of your valued smartphone without breaking the bank. But there are many different types of screen protectors in the market so you need to find one that best suits your needs and budget. Here are a few types of smartphone screen protectors:

PET Film Screen Protector

PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, which is a type of plastic. PETs are great screen protectors because of its scratch-resistant coating and very affordable pricing — they usually come in packs of three. It has a silicone adhesive that makes it easy to put on your smartphone, but of course, it’s better to have an iCare technician do it for you.

PETs are not a perfect solution, though. It doesn’t have a glassy texture and discolors easily due to the sun rays and oil build-up from our fingers. (TIP: iCare technicians will give you a free PET if you like us on Facebook!)

TPU Screen Protector

TPU stands for thermoplastic polyreuthane, which is chemically enhanced plastic that makes it even more tough and durable. Unlike PETs, TPU screen protectors are oil- and grease-resistant and will definitely protect your phone display screen from scratches. It’s made of military-grade material used to protect jet fighters. It’s also very elastic and can absorb impact from pressing heavily on the screen or small drops.

TPUs are better and more expensive than PETs but they still can’t handle extreme conditions like long drops. It’s a great screen protector but it’s not the best.

Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Speaking of the best screen protector in the market today, that will be the multi-layered tempered glass. It has shock-absorbent silicon on the bottom and a PET film, sandwiched by tempered glass and olephobic coating using a clear adhesive. It might sound like a thick glass but it’s not, and is only less than 0.4 mm thick. Application is easy enough but it is better to have an iCare technician do it for you.

Having a tempered glass screen protector can potentially save your phone’s screen from more serious damages. The tempered glass will break into small pieces first before it gets through your phone. So that’s a great additional protective layer on your expensive smartphone.

iCare Phone Repair carries tempered glass screen protectors for smartphones for only $19.99. It’s slightly more expensive than the other types of screen protectors but it’s the best protection that you can find in the market today. Plus, $19.99 is still cheaper than a hundred dollars’ worth of screen replacement. So visit any of our locations today and we’ll apply the tempered glass for you for free!