Types of screen protection for smartphones: what to choose?

The screen of modern smartphones and tablets is one of the most vulnerable parts of the device. And while the entire front screen is usually covered with impact-resistant tempered glass, this does not guarantee protection against scratches, cracks and dirt that are unavoidable during use.

Therefore, a protective film or tempered glass on your phone with a cover is a great way to protect your expensive equipment from mechanical damage and costly repairs. The most important thing is to choose the right protection for your screen.

How do I choose a protective glass for my smartphone?

The market today offers a large number of screen protections for mobile equipment. Below is a list of recommendations on choosing a protective glass for your phone and the shades to consider when purchasing.

• The smartphone model. This is the first and main characteristic to be taken into account. Depending on whether you have a Samsung, Xiaomi or Apple model, you must select the appropriate protective glass for your phone according to the settings and size. There are also universal models, but most often they only cover part of the front panel.
• The thickness of the glass. This characteristic is responsible for the reliability of the protective coating. The thicker the model, the more durable the cover will be. But keep in mind that due to the thickness of the coating, the smartphone becomes visually more massive, and the sensitivity of the touch screen may decrease. It is preferable to choose a moderate glass thickness. Today you can choose between 0.15 and 1mm.
• The strength of the glass. The Mohs scale is used to measure the strength of safety glass. It illustrates the ability of the surface to resist chips, scratches and cracks. The levels of the scale were created based on 10 natural minerals that were exposed to each other. Glass with a 9H resistance is ideal for protecting the screen surface of your phone or tablet. But it must also be taken into account that at different types of exposure, products of different strengths will behave differently.
  

In addition to protecting the screen surface, the protective glass for smartphones and tablets also has a number of other functions. Tempered glass can be matt, glossy, super transparent, smoked black. The most common types of tempered glass are shiny. They perform no other function than protection, and are completely invisible on the smartphone screen. The matt safety glass eliminates glare in direct sunlight.

Initially, safety glasses for smartphones had a straight cut, which caused some discomfort during use. Over time, engineers have introduced new standards for the treatment of perimeter edges. Glasses with 2D edges have the usual smooth-bottomed cut. Usually this coating is embedded in the body, so that the user cannot see the full thickness of the glass. The 2.5D models have extra hardened bevelled ends – these models are almost invisible on the surface when touched at the edges. 3D glass is used for smartphones that have a rounded side edge, such as in Samsung’s flagship models.

Before buying a protective glass, you should first check the compatibility of the chosen model with your smartphone. Then, depending on the conditions of use, you must examine the strength and thickness of the coating.