The iPhone falls, the display breaks, the wallet hurts. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon without a protective film or bulletproof glass. With this comparison, I want to make it clear where the differences lie and how they make themselves felt. How to find the best screen protector for your iPhone
My personal favorite when it comes to bulletproof glass
TORRAS meets my high demands on a screen protector. Protection for the iPhone without degrading the look and feel. With the subframe, everyone can get the assembly done smoothly and if something does go wrong, TORRAS will provide replacements free of charge. Since I use an iPhone 13 myself, I link the appropriate protective glass here. Glasses for other models are also available below.
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The difference between tempered glass and protective film
Very simple! Foil is plastic and glass is…well, glass. Protective films are now a rarity on the market and for good reason. The disadvantages compared to glass screen protectors outweigh the disadvantages. Foils are more difficult to apply, are themselves prone to scratches and offer less protection in the event of a fall. I can say from experience: With a foil, the operation of the iPhone or iPad no longer feels particularly appealing. For these reasons, I recommend everyone to get a real glass screen protector.
Hard pencils and Formula 1
Two things that at first glance have nothing to do with the topic. And at the same time two facts everyone should know about bulletproof glass:
- To protect the driver, the front of a Formula 1 car must absorb as much kinetic energy as possible in the event of an impact. In the process, she breaks. It is similar with the display protection: In the event of a hard fall, the glass should break and thus prevent damage to the display underneath. Shards really do bring good luck!
- Pretty much every bulletproof glass advertises with a degree of hardness of “9H”. Some people think of the hardness scale according to Moh, on which glass is around 5-6. A diamond at the maximum of 10. However, protective glasses for smartphones only refer to a hard 9H pencil with “9H”. You can’t scratch the tempered glass with it.
Why not all protective lenses are the same
I think my iPhone is beautiful and I would prefer to use it without a case and the like. But the risk remains and sometimes the iPhone just falls down. So I put it in a case and put bulletproof glass on the display. It should still look good, please!
Screen protector with maximum coverage and “soft” edges
You stroke, wipe and swipe across your display, and not just since the home button was no longer available. Nobody wants to feel a sharp edge or a wide gap between the case and the bulletproof glass. The fact that a lot of dust and fluff accumulates in such a gap doesn’t make it any better:
I deliberately exaggerated the dust here. I can’t show you the feeling of the sharp edge.
Screen protector without cutout for FaceID
It has now become an unmistakable trademark of Apple’s iPhone – the notch. The so-called cut-out for the front camera and FaceID sensors is not covered by all protective films and glasses. This provides even more edges that catch dust and lint and reflect the light:
Important: If you have problems with FaceID, you must first remove everything that covers the sensors for service and repair. This also applies to protective glasses.
Screen protector with black frame
All displays are now black, even if you choose silver or – as Apple calls it – polar star when choosing the color of the iPhone. If you don’t want to see the armored glass every time you look at your phone, I recommend glasses with black edges:
No unnecessary detail: glasses with a black frame are hardly recognizable. The glass edge without reflects much more.
Comparison and my recommendations
In order not to go beyond the scope, I have decided on three of the most well-known branded products. are there Protective glasses from TORRAS, Spigen and Belkin. Especially with Belkin I have a hundredfold experience. The glass and a professional attachment device were developed together with Apple. Belkin bulletproof glass is usually available for your new iPhone, and not just in Apple stores around the world. Still, Belkin isn’t my favorite.
1st place: TORRAS Diamond Shield
The glasses from TORRAS are currently my favorite. They cover the entire display, are almost invisible and the operation of the iPhone feels excellent thanks to the pleasant edges and the grease-repellent coating. If the armored glass breaks after a fall, you have a second one to hand. The assembly aid is made of plastic, but only 1x in the box and therefore a good compromise from an ecological point of view. But: Other manufacturers are already using cardboard assembly aids – so there is still room for improvement. Last but not least, TORRAS will even provide a free replacement if the attachment fails. If you still don’t dare to do the assembly, you’d better take my place 2.
Per
- Very good coverage, incl. FaceID
- Invisible thanks to the black border
- Mounting aid reusable
- 2 glasses included
- Replacement delivery in the event of unsuccessful assembly
against
- Plastic mounting frame
2nd place: Spigen Glas.tR EZ fit
With this protective glass, the name says it all, because the application is real ez – so easy. The term assembly aid is an understatement for the mechanism. Except when removing a protective film, you do not come into contact with the glass – this prevents fingerprints and dust under the armored glass. And even then it shines with good display coverage and rounded edges. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely invisible. You have to do without a black border and the glasses for the iPhone 12 series have a cut-out for FaceID. For the simplest assembly, I still have a clear recommendation.
Per
- Very good coverage
- Easiest assembly
- Greaseproof coating
- 2 glasses included
against
- No black border
- Mounting aid not reusable
- Plastic assembly aid
3rd place: Belkin UltraGlass
Even if it’s only enough for 3rd place, Belkin has its clear advantages. If you don’t have beads of sweat dripping from your forehead when you think about the assembly, you will particularly like the environmentally friendly assembly aid made of cardboard. All manufacturers should do this! However, the mechanism allows the greatest potential for error in this comparison. The bulletproof glass is attached to the paper shell with foil and must be folded over the underlying iPhone – like a hinge. It can in the truest sense go wrong. To stay true to Apple’s rules, the FaceID sensors are not covered by the glass. Overall, the display coverage could be significantly better. Belkin offers one of the thinnest glasses on the market with perfectly rounded edges.
Per
- Very thin glass
- Environmentally friendly assembly aid
- Antimicrobial and greaseproof
- Compatible with extreme cases
against
- No black border
- low coverage + FaceID cutout
- Assembly requires more precision
Conclusion
Who today after a Screen protector for iPhone seeks, is from the Flood of providers and products slay. This begs the question, why do some cost twice as much as others? For me are not all protective glasses are created equal and it’s worth reaching for a better one. I pick up my iPhone between 70 and 100 times a day. According to an Apple study, this puts me in the average range. And I don’t want to wipe over a sharp edge every time, nor constantly wipe fingerprints. With your precious iPhone, you shouldn’t neglect the feel of it in everyday use. And for what a screen repair costs, a high-quality armored glass is a must in my opinion.
Tag: iphone design, iphone 14, apple iphone, iphone release