Does Gorilla Glass Need Screen Protector?

When cell phones and mobile electronic first arrived on the market there weren’t a lot ofoptions for high quality touch screen glass because, well, the need didn’t exist. When smartphones started becoming the industry standard touch screen glass technology was still relatively new - and incredibly breakable. So for a decade to protect screens from scratches and cracks cell phone users adhered plastic screen protectors to their devices. These screen protectors normally had an adhesive backing that would be squeegeed onto said
device.

However, like advancements in technology, touch screen glass became tougher and more durable. Today’s industry touch screen standard is Gorilla Glass manufactured by Corning.

It was known that Corning was developing a glass that was harder and more resistant to cracks. Prior to smartphones, cell phones and Palm Pilots were using a softer glass for their display for better use with a rubber-tipped stylus.

This glass worked well for its intended purpose but was useless for finger interactions and definitely not shatter proof if the device was dropped. In 2007 Steve Jobs used Corning’s Gorilla Glass for the Apple iPhone, and because of their influence in the market others quickly followed suit.

Now Gorilla Glass is in it’s 6th generation and can be found in 5 billion devices globally. Due to these technical advancements is there a reason you’d even need a gorilla glass screen protector?

What is Gorilla Glass?

Gorilla Glass is essentially glass that has been chemically tempered that is penetrable enough to use with your finger prints but strong enough to be impervious to drops and scratches. This is achieved through soaking the gorilla glass in a chemical salt bath while adding compressive stress to the inside of the glass.

When applied to a smartphone, the
stress on the interior of the glass helps counteract pressure when the device is bumped against something or dropped entirely. Smartphone screens have gotten progressively thinner which creates need for more tempering. However, more tempering means more pressure that is added to the glass.

This creates a more flexible glass that can bend and absorb shock easier when dropped to greatly reduce the risk of cracks and scratches.

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Gorilla Glass & Scratch Resistance

Although Gorilla Glass is won’t shatter your entire screen when it’s dropped, it is however not entirely scratch proof. If you keep your keys or change in the same pocket you carry your phone in, chances are (especially with newer phone models) your phone screen absolutely will not scratch. Although hairline scratches may occur, glass technology has thankfully caught up with smartphone technology and soft metal surfaces more likely than not will not harm a device without a screen protector.

Gorilla Glass however cannot protect your device from hard natural materials such as sand or rocks. Sand is comprised of millions of tiny sharp particles, which can create millions of tiny sharp scratches on your screen.

Rocks too are naturally rough and jagged, so if a device were to skid along one, chances are your phone is not going to remain unscathed (with or without a screen protector).

The good news is that this is typical for all glass, tempered or not.

Therefore, a plastic screen protector may prevent your phone from being scratched by small items, but nothing can prevent damage caused by the natural world.

Depending on what caused the scratch, if the scratch is deep enough it might penetrate the case and cause a surface scratch on your screen as well. If this is the case, you can purchase double sided
polished Gorilla Glass online.

Screen Protectors & Difficulty

Something to consider when debating the use of a screen protector is how difficult your screen might be to use after a protector is applied. As said before, earlier devices such as the BlackBerry or Palm Pilot used a much softer glass that proved difficult to use with your fingertip.

Plastic behaves in much the same way, so if your smartphone’s screen is covered
in plastic it may hinder your ability to operate your device with your finger. With that said the thicker the protector the harder the usability may become. Since Gorilla Glass is already manufactured to be touch-friendly the want to omit a protector is just.

Like most plastic, the ones used for screen protectors is polished. Because screen
protectors also have to have some fingerprint functionality and need to be extremely clear to see the screen it’s protecting, they also have to be coated.

This high polish and coating can attract a screen’s worst nightmare; fingerprints. And with a device that’s constantly being touched, that means the fingerprints can add up fast.

Not only do fingerprints make your nice brand new phone look aesthetically unpleasing, it also makes it impossible to see your screen. Because screen protectors are plastic you can polish and wipe away fingerprints, but doing so frequently can be tedious and make you unproductive
(especially if you’re a heavy phone user).

Gorilla Glass & Replacements

Before applying a screen protector to your device, you should also take into account how difficult it might be to remove your screen protector or screen in case of an emergency. As stated above screen protectors and Gorilla Glass are incredibly susceptible to damage when they come into contact with sand or scraped against rock.

This event can mean not only your screen protector needing a replacement but your Gorilla Glass itself as well. It may be difficult to remove and replace both elements depending on where the cracks occurred or the amount of them. If you’ve completely shattered and dented your device this may not only be impossible but incredibly expensive as well.

Screen protector removal, depending on the brand and application, can leave unwanted
adhesive residue on both the screen and device. Even if your phone is the newest one on the market, any blemishes will greatly lower or even remove its resale value. If your screen protector shows any sign of damage after a screen protector has been removed it’s greatly recommended to buy an affordable already polished Gorilla Glass online.