I’ve gone through a couple so far, and the protectors themselves scratch ridiculously easily. I’ve tested the small strip of exposed glass at the bottom of the screen, and wasn’t able to mark it at all with a metal bit that left a deep groove in the protector. Could I just get rid of the screen protector, or does it serve another purpose as well? I’ve heard that this phone has a really sturdy “Gorilla Glass” screen, but I don’t see that anywhere on the website product description.
It depends on how you use/carry your phone and how well you want to protect it. From how fast you’re scratching protectors, I’d say you’re at risk of scratching your screen.
Thanks for the link, Dewey.
Aaron, it’s usually sitting on my desk, and I swipe or tap my finger on it to use it. Sometimes I use a capacitive stylus, but not usually. When I go out, I carry it in my pocket without any other items, though if I have no pockets it goes in my purse, where it might come in contact with something like the zipper on my leather coin purse. I will probably devise some sort of pouch to cover it when I put it in my purse.
The screen protector I currently have has sustained noticeable scratches just from swiping a finger across it during normal use, and becomes terribly scratched when it comes into contact with anything harder than a bit of dust. Most likely it was just cheaply made to begin with, as I got the lowest price option I could find on Amazon.
The tiny strip of exposed glass beyond where the protector reaches has no scratches at all, neither from the ordinary use and carriage that has scarred the protector so much (all the scuffs and scrapes end at the edge of the protector, and there are none at all on the exposed glass around the edge), nor from deliberately trying to mar it with the edge of a bottlecap, which left a deep scratch in the protector for comparison. I did put a feather in my pocket with it the other day, and the quill end left a terrible scuff in the protector.
So, I don’t think it’s that I’m treating it particularly roughly, so much as that the protector was crappy in the first place, and wonder if it’s worth it to keep spending money on protectors. If so, is it better to get several cheap protectors and replace them frequently, or is there a good protector that doesn’t scuff as easily and is therefore worth more than several of the cheaper variety?
FWIW, for my phone I splurged on the Bestest Most Expensivist screen protectors I could find on Amazon – this3-pack was $7. So far, after a few months there aren’t any scratches at all, and I sometimes carry my phone and keys in the same pocket. Those particular screen protectors were a bit tricky to put on though, and I wasted two of them in my attempt to put them on perfectly. Still worth it IMO.
Just as anecdotal evidence, I don’t use a protector on my iPhone. I put it in my pocket with other metal items such as keys and coins and have never put a scratch on it in two years. I’d say if you can’t scratch it up deliberately, chances are you won’t accidentally, either. The glass front of most smartphones is pretty tough stuff and made to stand up to casual handling.
Oh in that case it might be your screen protector then. You don’t seem to treat your phone very roughly. You could try better screen protectors - mine only has 1 or 2 scratches after 1 year. Personally I’d get a longer lasting one since they’re so troublesome to apply.
I think the OP should forgo the screen protector, since the Gorilla Glass is tougher than most of them.
Thanks for all the advice. I think, once this protector is too scuffed to be worthwhile, I’ll forgo paying for another one and trust the Gorilla Glass. If I could be absolutely certain of receiving the proper item through Amazon, I might consider one of the better quality protectors, but I’ve seen a lot of seller reviews that say they didn’t receive the item described, so I’m a bit wary. I might fashion some sort of cover for it if it has to go in my purse, just to be on the safe side.
I’ve got a Motorola Defy that has Gorilla glass that I’ve had for over a year and it’s still pristine condition
- I keep it in a rubber bumper that protects the plastic back and wraps around to form a 1mm-proud rim about the front surface (so if I put it face down on a table, only the rubber will be touching)
-When it’s in my pocket, it’s always slipped into a tough fabric sock that I made out of a scrap of tough curtain material (although I daresay a knitted sock would work just as well)
I’ve got like most people the “new every two” type contract.
For my GalaxyS I kept a screen protector on it for the first year. After that I removed it and figured I’d let it go protector free for the second year. I’ve had it unprotected for 10 months now and while the outer shell is pretty well beat up the screen is spotless even under close inspection.
My next phone will be getting a case but foregoing the screen protector.
Are Screen Protectors Necessary Anymore? (verdict: mixed) Are Screen Protectors Necessary Anymore?
These DIY protectors probably aren’t as good quality as others, but they’re seriously inexpensive! How to Make Your Own Screen Protector (for less than a nickel!)
I have nearly the same phone, an HTC Desire Z (known as HTC G2 in the U.S.) and I’ve never used a screen protector. I’ve dropped it a bunch of times, once it landed very hard on VERY rough asphalt, and the screen doesn’t have a single mark on it. The metal bezel around the screen is another story, it has a great many nicks, most of which came with that violent fall on the rough asphalt. Looking at the condition of the bezel, the abuse the screen has been put through is readily apparent, yet it has survived completely unscathed.
I carry my phone in my pocket, slipped into this pouch, which isn’t actually made for my exact model, but still fits perfectly.
There seems to be something of a consensus on the lack of need for a screen protector. 
I have a sort of shell that goes around the back of it, so that should keep the rest of it in pretty good shape. I’ve only dropped it once so far, and of course it landed on a corner that was one of the only exposed bits of the entire phone, which left a tiny dent. That’s the only sign of wear at this point.
Had my Desire S for about a year. Never used a screen protector and keep it in my pocket (not with keys!) and - so far - no marks on the glass.
I’m on my second iPhone now. With both I had a case to protect the back and sides, and nothing at all on the screen. There isn’t a single scratch on the screen, and I carry it in my pocket with coins and a USB drive.