Why do you need a protective glass for your smartphone? Protective glass or film, which is better for a smartphone?

A mobile phone or smartphone can easily get scratched, fall and break. To minimize such force majeure cases, various protective glasses and films have been invented. It was the films that covered the displays of the very first cell phones. With the development of industry, safety glass soon appeared. Now many people are faced with the question: how to choose between them?

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What types of protective films are there, and what are their advantages?

Matte (anti-glare):

Better glide compared to other types of films;
Fingerprints are practically invisible on the screen;
Protected from new scratches;
You can use your phone even in bright conditions.

Glossy:

Almost invisible on a smartphone screen;
Color rendering quality is not degraded;
Minor scratches will not be visible on the screen;
Protect your device from new damage.

Shockproof (available in both matte and glossy):

High degree of protection against deep scratches and cracks;
The sensitivity and brightness of the screen remain the same as without film.

Each type of film has disadvantages. Glare on the display may occur during use glossy finish and fingerprints will be visible on it. Due to the anti-glare properties, a screen with a matte film may have a grainy effect.

It is more rational to select a film for the screen of a smartphone of a certain brand. But if such a move is not possible, there is an alternative - to choose a film that fits the diagonal of the smartphone. If the smartphone is in a case, then it is best to use a glossy film. For those who play games on their phone, read a lot of literature, or often surf the Internet, a matte film is suitable.

Carefully wipe the smartphone screen so that there are no small grains of sand, fingerprints, or dust left on it, which prevents the film from properly gluing. Under no circumstances should you use alcohol or alcohol-based substances. Wipes for cleaning LCD monitor screens are best.
Remove the film from the original packaging. There will be a paper petal on one of its edges. You need to gently pull on it to gradually (but not immediately) separate protective film from the transport station. The main thing is not to touch with your hands inner side coverings. Then you need to firmly attach the film to the smartphone screen and, pressing with your fingers, stick it. It happens that you cannot glue the protective accessory the first time, so you can try again.
When pasting, bubbles may appear on the screen. It is enough to swipe the plastic card across the display several times to make them disappear. If the bubbles do not go away, then the problem is with the quality of the film.

Do not glue the film close to the edges of the display.
If the film is glued unsuccessfully, it can be removed and washed under running water. Please remember that this manipulation may damage the coating. low quality and render it unusable.
During operation, periodically wipe with damp cloths.
The maximum service life of the accessory is 1 year.
If, after gluing the film, dust is noticeable underneath it, then it is better not to try to re-glue it, because this can damage it.
It is best to apply a protective film after purchasing a new phone. This way there will be no dust or air bubbles.
Paper tape will help get rid of dust on the display.

Safety glass recently replaced films. In itself, it is treated with various substances (chemical compounds and impregnations) tempered glass. This accessory is almost 5 times thicker than regular film. Any protective glass consists of the following layers:

The silicone base secures the glass and smartphone display together.
If the display is damaged, the glass will not shatter and the crack will not spread further. All this thanks to the containment layer.
Anti-glare. In bright daylight and artificial light, the display will be bright and the image on it will be clear.
Actually a protective layer that protects the smartphone from scratches, abrasions and other possible damage.
The oleophobic layer protects against moisture and grease.

Advantages of safety glass:

Strength;
Impacts and falls from heights are not scary.
No color or brightness distortion;
Long use;
Easy to install yourself.

You need to choose glass strictly for the type of smartphone, because each model has its own speaker layout and front camera, and cutting or sawing the coating is strictly prohibited. It is important to pay attention to the strength of the glass and the conditions of its use. There is no particular difference between glossy and matte finishes; the owner chooses it in accordance with his desires and preferences. Almost all service centers and stores offer to stick this accessory for a small fee of 200-700 rubles. You shouldn’t agree to this, because this manipulation can be done in a few minutes without much effort.

How to stick glass on your phone yourself:

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
Clean your mobile device from dust using special products.
Remove the transport film from the glass.
Place the glass evenly along the edges of the display and wipe with a dry, clean, lint-free cloth.
If the first attempt was unsuccessful, you can repeat everything again.

What is better to choose: film or glass?

In all respects, it is better to choose protective glass. It is much stronger and will last much longer than plastic coating. In turn, the film will protect against minor scratches. But if the phone falls, then this accessory will be powerless. To those who mobile phones very expensive, you should not save and it is better to give preference to glass.

Popular brands of protective films:

The highest quality films are from the following manufacturers:

Belkin;
Cellular line;
EasyLink;
Jekod;
Ozaki.

All products from these brands are durable, exact dimensions and small thickness. Lower prices for joint production between Russia and China. But their quality leaves much to be desired. It is better to avoid branded films from well-known cell phone brands: they are not inferior in quality to Belkin, DiGi and the rest of the first group, but will cost much more.

Well-known manufacturers of tempered glass

The American company Corning produces a line protective glass Gorilla Glass. New ones come out every year technical modifications, which differ from the previous ones in thickness and quality. Now ultra-thin glass is only 0.4 mm thick.

The Japanese concern Ashani Glass and their DragonTail, which is becoming a world leader and will soon supplant Gorilla Glass. All due to the relatively low cost and light weight of glass.

iPhone owners are tied to the sapphire glass manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies. Sapphire is one of the most durable substances, but its synthetic version is used in glass. The main disadvantage of this accessory is its rather high cost, which exceeds even Gorilla Glass.

The lowest cost of film is approximately 100 Russian rubles. And the most expensive one does not exceed 1000 rubles. Of course, it all depends on the type of film and country of manufacture. Prices for protective glass are higher: from 200 to 3000 rubles.

A smartphone is a rather expensive and fragile thing. No one is safe from an accidental fall. To avoid having to change the sensor or touchscreen later, it is better to purchase a protective film or glass and protect yourself from such an unpleasant situation. Moreover, there are plenty of goods in this category on the market. And what to choose: film or glass, the owner decides independently, relying on his financial capabilities and preferences.

There are hundreds of types of protective glass for mobile electronics on the market. You will learn what to look for when choosing in this article.

The most vulnerable place modern smartphones- this is the screen. If dropped or hit, the display may suffer significant damage and may break:

glass
touchpad“touchscreen”
in extreme cases - the matrix itself
cable for connecting the matrix and touch-grid

Replacing and repairing a display is an expensive task and unnecessary for anyone. Many people believe that protective glass completely protects the gadget - this is not so.

Let's figure out what the features and properties of safety glass are.

How to choose a durable protective glass for your phone: required characteristics.

Let's start with the fact that a lot of low-quality glass is produced; in order to save money, manufacturers underestimate parameters or completely exclude important technical specifications, protecting the smartphone and making work comfortable.

Items worth checking:

Manufacturer's stated strength

The strength of glass is measured on the Mohs scale, which measures the surface's ability to resist scratching. To create the gradation, ten natural minerals were used, which scratched each other and lined up in a Mohs line. 9H toughness is the standard for safety glass, this means that only diamond will leave scratches on it, it has a toughness of 10H.

When choosing a protective glass for your smartphone, look at the specifications; in most cases, they are indicated on the product packaging. Choose just such a product, 9H is guaranteed to keep your screen intact and undamaged.

Safety glass thickness

The first glasses had a thickness of 0.5 mm; such models did not look very impressive and interfered with the operation of the touchscreen; users sometimes noticed a lack of response to touches and gestures. Modern protective glass has a thickness of 0.33 mm - this is the optimal indicator, which maintains rigidity and protection from glass deformation, the phone’s touch panel is fully functional and the edges do not look thick.

Manufacturers indicate this characteristic on the packaging to the protective glass or film:

You need to choose a convenient protective glass

The following factors influence how comfortable you will be using the phone:

Availability of special coatings on glass
Color and specularity
Surface type

Protective glass with oleophobic coating is a must!

All modern glass are produced with a coating to reduce the number of fingerprints left behind, this coating is called oleophobic. Manufacturers take this functionality as standard and do not indicate its presence on the packaging, but if you order cheap glass from Aliexpress or decide to buy it on the market, the coating may be absent in order to save money. Be careful!

Glass color and mirror surface

We do not recommend glass with paint impurities; they distort the color rendering of the screen and interfere with the use of the gadget. Mirror types of protective glass reflect strongly in the sun and significantly reduce brightness and contrast during daily use, try to avoid them.

By the way, they almost never produce colored protective glass for tablets!

Matte or glossy?

Which type to choose is up to you. Frosted glass feels very good in bright sunlight, does not glare, but causes a decrease in image sharpness.

We hope you now know what kind of glass for your phone you need!

Today we will tell you whether a smartphone really needs protective glass and whether it can protect the gadget if it falls. We will also tell you which glass to choose and how difficult it is to install it.

The need for glass

When buying a smartphone, sellers often offer to add a protective glass as an addition, assuring that you absolutely cannot live without it. If the display breaks, they continue, it will be easier to buy new phone, plus scratches.

They are right that the price tag for replacing the display can reach up to 60% of the cost of the device. But otherwise there are nuances. If the device is budget and does not have the so-called protective tempered glass, then yes, it is better to stick protection on it, otherwise scratches will not be avoided, and even if it falls, the glass will absorb a little.

But the devices are average price category with a screen made using Gorilla Glass or Asahi technology, you do not need a piece of plastic 0.33 or even 0.22 millimeters thick, such a device is not afraid of scratches. Displays with Gorilla Glass are practically scratch-resistant.

Impact on sensor operation

A persistent myth is that glass impairs the performance of the sensor. In fact, this is not true. The only thing is that the protective glass may not have an oleophobic coating, and there will simply be a bunch of fingerprints on the display, and the finger will glide worse than on a “bare” screen. The smartphone sensor may not respond well if the glass is poorly glued.

Glass or film

Glass is a relatively recent phenomenon. At first they were popular on iPhone and Sony devices, but later the trend spread to all other models.

Of course, it is better to glue the glass. Firstly, it is much easier to glue than film, especially on new device. Secondly, it provides, albeit small, additional protection.

But there is an important clarification here. If you have a 2.5D display with rounded edges, then ordinary protective glass will not be glued around the edges or will not be able to cover the entire screen. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify whether the glass will accurately cover the entire screen.

Real cost

Prices for glass sometimes reach up to 2000 rubles, which is not very cheap. Is the high price justified?

Not really. There are really expensive glasses from manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, etc. They are produced for curved displays, and there are also glasses with colored frames to match the color of the device. Their price tag can reach up to 1000 rubles. The purchase price of simple transparent glasses from little-known manufacturers is 50-150 rubles per piece.

Which glass to choose

There is a huge amount of glass on the market from different manufacturers, which one to choose?

Curved screen

If you have a smartphone with curved screen, then it is advisable to buy special glass with a 2.5D or 3D effect for it. Otherwise, it will not stick to the edges or will not cover the entire screen. Moreover, the inscription “2.5D” on the glass packaging does not mean anything. It is better to ask the seller whether it is exactly full screen or not.

Colored frame

It is better to avoid glass with colored frames. If transparent glasses are glued over the entire surface, then in colored glasses there is glue only on the edges. They also often have a “gasoline stain” on the screen that cannot be removed. .

Oleophobic coating

A good oleophobic coating prevents finger grease from remaining on the screen. The screen on such devices is always clean. For protective glass, this coating may be worse than that of a smartphone, or may be completely absent. Therefore, before buying glass, it is better to move it over it and see if there are any fingerprints and how easily your finger glides.

Matte or glossy

This is of course a matter of taste. In our opinion, glossy glass is better. Although it does glare in the sun, you don’t have to turn the brightness to maximum to see the image.

Thickness

In fact, it doesn’t really matter how thick the protective glass is - 0.22 or 0.33 millimeters, you won’t notice the difference.

Installation

Many people think that there is some special glue for installation or that it requires special equipment. In fact, there is nothing complicated about gluing, and the glass packaging usually contains instructions with pictures.

1) First, you need to degrease the surface of the screen and remove all debris from it. To do this, the manufacturer includes alcohol and dry wipes with the glasses.

2) After cleaning the screen, apply the glass, having first removed it from protective layer. There is a special sticker on the glass for this.

3) Carefully place the glass on the screen so that it does not go beyond the edges. That's all, actually. The glass is glued.

If it doesn't work out the first time, it's okay! You can pick up the glass with something, such as a toothpick, and try to re-glue it. If debris has managed to get under the screen, the glass can also be lifted and the debris removed using the adhesive side of the tape.

Modern smartphones are equipped with high-quality protective glass. Most of the latest flagships feature durable Gorilla Glass (in present moment the fourth generation is available) or sapphire crystal. Is it worth adding additional protective coating? And if additional protection need, then which of these two means to choose: glass or film?

Why the screen of modern smartphones needs additional protection

The displays of flagship gadgets are protected from scratches much better than the first phone models with plastic or regular glass. To assess how reliable the protection has become, let’s give a few numbers.

The hardness of ordinary glass on the Mohs scale is no more than 5 units.
The hardness of the metal is 5.5, which allows keys or a knife to leave scratches on the phone screen with regular glass.
The hardness of fourth generation Gorilla Glass is about 6 units (according to some sources - 6.5H). He is not afraid of metal objects.

But the strength of quartz, the main element of ordinary sand, is 7 on the Mohs scale. Is it any wonder that scratches on even the most durable screen protection become noticeable over time?

The second aspect of the problem is the smartphone falling to the floor. It is especially dangerous if the gadget has fallen face down. In this case, the expensive display and touchscreen unit must be replaced. And you are left without a phone for a period of from a week to 1.5 months. Exact time required for replacement depends on the availability of spare screens for your gadget model in service center. The wait for new models, of which there are still few in Russia, may be seriously delayed.

Protective film for smartphone

A special film can protect your phone glass from scratches. It is made of a fairly durable polymer that does not collapse upon contact with metal keys and other blunt metal objects.

Advantages of protective films for smartphones:

Low price. Manufacturers offer to purchase them in sets of 3-10 pieces per package. As soon as one fails, you stick on a new one.
Ideal size for popular models phones. For example, in Novosibirsk you can buy in our online store.
Reliably protect the screen from scratches during everyday use.
No special skills are required to apply stickers to your phone. The adhesive layer is covered with a special technological film. Clean the display from dirt, remove the technological layer and glue the film.

Protective glass for smartphone

Tempered glass - another one modern way Protect your gadget screen from scratches. During production, it is heated to 600 °C and then cooled. This makes tempered glass very durable, up to 9 on the Mohs scale. In theory, it can only be scratched with a diamond, the hardest mineral. Let us remember that sand has a hardness of only 7H, which does not allow it to leave scratches on such a protective coating.

If films only prevent scratches, then protective glasses can also help if the gadget falls on the floor. The additional hardened coating breaks, but the display itself remains intact.

Advantages of safety glass:

The price is 8-10 times less than the cost of replacing a display with a touchscreen.
Protect your display from scratches and falls. The additional coating breaks, but saves the expensive screen unit.
Possibility to order in Novosibirsk, Meizu of other models, precisely adjusted to the size of the phone, the location of its holes for the camera and speaker.
They do not spoil the image on the screen and do not reduce the brightness of colors. Moreover, some manufacturers claim that colors become more saturated.

How to stick glass on a smartphone

The sticker is made in four stages.

First, you remove all dirt from the display. To do this, the kit includes two napkins: wet and dry.

Now we remove the technological film.

And glue the tempered glass onto the smartphone.

We remove air bubbles from under it for better fastening.

For questions regarding the selection and purchase of protective films and glass in Novosibirsk, please contact the managers of the SibDroid store. They will give professional advice and select suitable protection for your phone model.

Protective films became popular in the late 2000s, when they began to appear on store shelves touch smartphones. But now the need for stickers of such films looks very doubtful. After all modern devices- these are not those pieces of plastic with fragile glass on the front panel. Let's figure out whether it's worth sticking something on a brand new smartphone now.

First, let's remember how history developed mobile devices. For a while cell phones did not have any screen, and therefore there was nothing to protect. And if the first device had fallen on the asphalt, the road surface would have cracked rather than damaged the phone.

Later, the size of mobile phones decreased, and the LCD display moved from monochrome to color. But nothing has changed - most phones successfully withstood external influences. If scratches appeared on the glass, they did not bother the owner at all. There were two reasons for this:

The screen did not occupy the largest area of the front panel; the appearance of the keyboard and other parts of the case was much more important;
The cost of a mobile phone was becoming lower and lower, which made it possible to replace the old device with a new one almost at any time.

At the end of the 2000s, quite unexpectedly, push-button mobile phones began to give way to their touchscreen counterparts. Smartphones also gradually began to switch to touch control. As a result, the keyboard was almost completely replaced. If there were any controls under the screen, they were represented by only three or four buttons. And they soon became sensory. From now on, most of the front panel was occupied by the screen. Of course, glass was applied on top of the LCD display itself - sometimes with an air gap, sometimes without it. But glass was the most common, and in some cases transparent plastic was used. It was possible to break such glass without any difficulty, especially if there was air under it. And it was completely impossible to carry a phone in the same pocket with keys, since deep scratches immediately appeared on it. At this moment, a new accessory appeared in stores: a protective film for a smartphone.

Do modern devices need a protective film?

What has changed in seven or eight years? A lot, actually. Standard glass now covers only the front panels of the cheapest Chinese smartphones, whose names no one remembers. If the cost of the device exceeds 5,000 rubles, then its display must be covered with special protected glass. He is being released Corning, Asahi and some other companies. It is tempered, making it very difficult to damage such glass even on purpose.

But in fact, the answer to the question “Do I need protective film?” not so clear cut. The fact is that safety glasses are divided into generations. Initially, the same company Corning produced very unreliable first-generation Gorilla Glass.

And if you have very much in your hands old smartphone, then it makes sense to buy and stick protective film still exists.

Well, now devices are coming off the assembly lines that are equipped with protective glass of one of the most last generations. He is not afraid of the metals from which keys are made. And some glasses have no consequences even after using a kitchen knife!

Please note: glass is not designed to withstand falls from great heights. But film will not help in such cases.

There is one material that protective glass is still afraid of. This is sand. If you are going to the beach, it is better to put your smartphone in your bag, taking it out only in case of urgent need.

Sand easily leaves scratches on any device. It is in such cases that the film comes to the rescue - after a trip to the beach, you can remove it, getting rid of any scratches.

Which is better: film or glass?

Any protective film is a piece of very thin plastic with varying degrees of transparency. It is the minimum thickness that allows it to be flexible. But now another accessory is gaining popularity: protective glass. At first, users asked the question: “Why do we need additional protective glass if the smartphone already has it?” Time has shown that there is sense in using such an accessory. In some cases, he saves from falling by taking the blow himself. But this does not happen in 100% of cases - sometimes the screen still receives some damage.

Another question is which is better: glass or film? It all depends on how actively you use your device.

If your smartphone regularly falls on a hard surface, then you need to get glass, since film does not protect against this.

But at the same time, you may encounter not the most best job sensor, since glass is thicker than any film. If you are very afraid of this, then it is better to opt for film, or do without a protective accessory altogether.

It should be noted that there is a universal film that needs to be cut according to a specific pattern, as a result of which it will be suitable for your smartphone. This is true for little-known models for which separate accessories are not available. In the case of glass, this trick will not work, because it cannot be cut. Therefore, you can easily find glass for sale for iPhone, many models from Samsung, Huawei, HTC, etc. But if you have some rare device at your disposal, then there is a high probability that you will not find glass for it. And practice shows that it is precisely these devices that could use additional protection. Read more about protective glasses for smartphones you will read in a separate article.

Which film is better: matte or glossy?

At the end of the 20th century, we regularly printed photographs. Usually at such moments we chose not only the size of the photo, but also the type of photo paper. It's about the same story with films - they come in matte and glossy. Let's consider the main advantages and disadvantages of such surfaces.

Matte film:

It is much more difficult to leave fingerprints on it;
Almost complete absence of sun glare.

The image becomes slightly grainier.

Glossy film:

The picture is practically not distorted, its brightness is reduced by only 1%;
This film is much easier to find on sale.

Sun glare may appear;
Fingerprints are clearly visible on the gloss.

Additional explanations are unnecessary here. All you have to do is decide which shortcomings are less significant for you, after which you can go to the store to make a purchase. Note that expensive glossy films have a special coating (like an oleophobic one), as a result of which fingerprints accumulate a little more slowly.

Summing up

Be that as it may, any protective film for a smartphone screen has a number of disadvantages. You will have to come to terms with them. But it’s better not to buy such an accessory. Especially if you have it in stock good smartphone, released in 2015 or later. You can safely put it in the same pocket with your keys, on it appearance It won't have any effect.