It doesn’t matter if you’re buying ahigh-end flagship Android phonethat represents the best on the market, orsomething found in the budget space— you need a screen protector. Although some phones come with cheap plastic screen protectors — like those from OnePlus — usually, if you’re buying after-market, tempered glass protectors are what you’re likely to add to your Amazon cart. These mimic the look and feel of your phone’s actual glass, albeit without the advancements of, say,Corning’s new Gorilla Glass technology.
However, I’ve spent the last year rocking protective films on both of my daily drivers, fully converting back to this old-school accessory. If you haven’t taken a look at where these unassuming little sheets are these days, you’re in for a big surprise. Film screen protectors are better than ever before.
Tempered glass can be temperamental
I found out firsthand with a manual install
Besides protective cases and covers, screen protectors are one of the hottest accessories for new phones, so much so that I cannot remember the last time I saw someone using an “unprotected” phone or tablet outside of foldables. You see, cracked screens and glass back panel replacements remain an expensive affair, especially outside the one-year warranty most manufacturers offer. However, spending $10 on a sacrificial screen guard on any device, regardless of its price tag, seems like a worthwhile investment.
These glass protectors are available at a variety of price points, often even as official accessories from the device manufacturer. However, my only vivid memory of DIY-ing a tempered glass screen protector install on a Samsung Galaxy S5 is a harrowing one. After due research, I bought an affordable kit sans the installation kit which included a frame for perfect alignment. I spent close to 15 minutes lining it up, wiping the phone clean, and sticking it down, and the protector served me well for a long time.
The process revealed several downsides of such protectors, ranging from the dust accumulation around the very tangible edges, limited compatibility with rugged cases, and their general one-and-done nature where a single deep scratch or drop would shatter the protector and render it useless. Although accessory brands offer case-protector combos to mitigate compatibility risks, the tempered glass alone doesn’t protect the back of the phone, and nailing the installation is even harder — if not outright impossible — on curved displays, as I discovered with a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge a few years after the S5 experience.
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On newer devices like theSamsung Galaxy S24, there’s a good chance off-brand tempered glass could interfere with the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. Official accessories from the device manufacturer won’t have issues, but they usually command a much higher price. And even devices with optical sensors, like Google’s Pixel 8 Pro, require you to enable a setting specific to screen protectors to improve fingerprint recognition.
After deliberating on all these difficulties with tempered glass, I chose to go back to the good old film-type protector with myPixel 7in 2022, and have since become a staunch advocate for their revival.
The resurgence of protective films
You should give it one more chance
Finding a protection film wasn’t easy in a tempered glass world, but GadgetSheildz came in clutch with theirFlexArmor rangeof protectors. Its protectors use a thermoplastic material called Tetra Polyurethane (TPU), a pliable material commonly used for sneaker soles and automotive paint protection films due to its high abrasion resistance and elasticity. In fact, the application process for these protectors is remarkably similar to paint protection films — you clean the screen, peel the protector’s backing off, and apply a layer of soap solution to the phone and the protector.
The soap film allows repositioning the protector on the display perfectly until the cutouts line up perfectly or the solution dries up, giving you several minutes of working time. The adhesive layer isn’t too sticky, but as soon as you push the water out, the stiction kicks in, and the film is applied. Yes, plastic is prone to deformation by stretching, and it takes a while before all the bubbles disappear, but that’s all avoidable by careful application.
Thoughcurved screens are falling out of style, this application also makes the film perfectly suitable for those devices, and there’s nothing stopping you from applying protectors on the back and sides of your phone as well. TPU deforms with heat, meaning you can shrink it to adhere to curves using a blow-dryer or heat gun, and also remove light scratches.
As for the actual protection they offer, such films and sheets aren’t sacrificial — in other words, they don’t self-destruct to save your phone. Instead, you’ll observe elastic deformation in deep gouges. And since TPU is thermoplastic, GadgetSheildz says the protector is capable of self-healing with light application of heat. I verified this claim several times in the last year of ownership, and microscratches and other defects magically disappear when I place the phone in the hot sun, or expose it to a heat gun. Its non-sacrificial and self-healing nature together make this a more durable form of protection, especially if you drop your phone often and are tired of replacing tempered glasses.
Such plastic protectors have their fair share of problems too, though. You may notice irreversible yellowing of the protector after prolonged exposure to UV light, much like a transparent protective case. I also noticed slight waviness in the applied film, but it doesn’t hamstring my experience. Fingerprint readers still work, the phone still fits in all sorts of bulky cases without the protective film peeling or lifting.
About time we see a resurgence
Time to ditch those old, cheap glass protectors
It has been over a year since I installed the GadgetSheildz protector on my Pixel 7, and I’m thoroughly impressed with my purchase. The phone has fallen down several times, and the protector still looks new. There’s no comparison between pre-applied protectors and films like these because they are leagues apart, despite sharing the same product category.
GadgetSheildz offers international shipping, and adding a back protector to your cart costs just a little more if you’re getting a screen guard. I won’t say my phone feels like a naked device, but the surfaces are far less slippery. If you like how your phone looks without a case, and aren’t expecting drop protection from a screen protector, I believe plastic films deserve a second chance at glory.
