TECH

Which screen protector should (not) buy?

Tempered glass, privacy screens and blue light filters: screen protectors abound. But, which one is best suited for your smartphone?

There are countless types of screen protectors available, but we can roughly distinguish a few categories: plastic (plastic) protectors, glass, and all sorts of forms in between.

1. Plastic Screen Protectors...Starting with plastic protective layers. These can be made from hard or soft plastic and usually cost less. They ensure that the phone's screen scratches less quickly, but they are often not resistant to strong blows (for example, when the device slips out of your hands).

The hardness of a screen protector is measured on the Mohs scale, which runs from one to ten. Gypsum scores two on this hardness scale and can be scratched with a fingernail, while diamond scores a ten. This material can only be scratched with another diamond.

A well-known enemy of phone screens is grains of sand. These usually have a hardness of seven or eight on the Mohs scale. Plastic screen protectors aren't always able to protect a phone from this - causing scratches on the screen - but glass variants can usually do that.

2. Protective glass films...Tempered glass screen protectors are made from tempered glass and generally have a hardness of 9H. This means that the screen is resistant to scratches from grains of sand, among other things.

They can also absorb a blow: the moment the phone falls to the ground, the impact is distributed across the entire screen protector. This then breaks into small pieces, leaving the phone's screen unharmed.

The big advantage of glass screen protectors is that they are of better quality than their plastic counterparts. Unfortunately, this often makes them more expensive. Glass protectors are also usually a bit thicker, so they can protrude beyond the phone case.

3. In-between shapes...Finally, there are screen protectors that sit between the plastic and the glass. These protectors consist of several layers of strong plastics, which gives them the hardness and quality of glass, but the maneuverability of plastic. Hybrid guards can therefore withstand and provide excellent protection against sand grains.

These types of screen protectors also have disadvantages. First, they are often very expensive. Also, hybrid screen protectors are not available for all phones, but only for the most popular models.

The choice is huge... So far, the main currents within the screensaver scenario. There are still many variants on the market with additional functions.

Think antibacterial guards. As the name suggests, these protectors claim to have a special coating layer that prevents bacteria. Not everyone is convinced of this, as critics argue that antibacterial sunscreens have little effect in practice.

Sometimes you also find screen protectors with a blue light filter. Many screen devices emit blue light, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. A screen protector with this filter blocks this type of light.

You also have privacy screen protectors(image above), which ensure that your phone screen can only be read when you are sitting right in front of it. That way, others can't read along. Finally, there are the matte protectors, which ensure that the protector reflects less and you (almost) don't see your fingerprints.

What is the best screen protector?...Which screen protector you need depends on your preferences and how you handle your phone.

Those who are mainly worried about scratches and have a good protective case on their phone can opt for a plastic protective layer. These types of screen protectors prevent scratches from keys and nails and are very inexpensive. You already have them at home for a few euros.

If you drop your smartphone regularly and would like to opt for more security, it would be wise to purchase a glass or hybrid screen protector. Depending on the brand, you pay around ten to fifty euros for it.

Source: Android Planet