Just how easy is it to break the Idol 3's screen? - Onetouch Idol 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi, I'm interested in buying an Idol 3, but am scared I'll break the glass.
How easy is it? Do glass protectors and cases help?

Not very actually.
I have a week old 6039Y and couple of nights ago I dropped on the pavement from waist height. It landed on a corner, then bumped to another corner to finally slide a few inches on the pavement, screen down. Terrified, I picked it up and it only has to tiny scuffs on two of the corners, while the screen is flawless. Not even the tiniest of scratches. It's intact and wonderful.
Safe to say I will be more careful with it from now on, but I'm also very impressed how sturdy it is.
Glass protection is Dragontrail Glass (Japanese made) which is supposed to be on par with at least Gorilla Glass 3.

Related

Does anyone not use a screen protector?

Stopped using mine, and love it. Just an overall more pleasant experience with the phone, and plan on keeping it off.
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+1
I see no need for a screen protector if your device is equipped with Gorilla glass (and you are handling it carefully).
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I always use tempered glass screen protector to make sure fine grits of sand and any hard object don't scratch the screen. I can live with scratched bezels like that on my Note 4 but not on any of my phones's screen.
Never used a protector and have not had any problems. If I was a construction worker or farmer I'd put it in a case, but I have a desk job so it's never exposed to harsh conditions.
Dropped my phone in the parking lot a few months ago. The tempered glass took a chip on the edge, but my screen was fine. I dare not think about what would have happened to the screen otherwise.
Screen
After a lot of drops, screen still looks intact. But from closer look I can see some scratches. If it wasn't Gorilla glass 3 I will definitely buy screen protector.
I often sell my phones and the first thing a buyer looks for are scratches on the screen; therefore, I always use a tempered glass screen protector. Over time, I find that fine scratches will develop, even with Gorilla glass.
As seen on the android wear watches. Gorilla glass is very good against breaking, or destroying, but isn't as good against scratches, so these little scratches always build over time. I've never used any kind of these glass temmpered protectors or whatever nonsense, because the gorilla glass is sufficient enough against breaking, and when u drop the phone on the edge, the glass won't save you either way and the display will crack due to the "construction" of gorilla glass. It's very dense and strong against any impact from the front side, but is very fragile to impacts from "sides". So I use a foil from myscreenprotector dot com. I have S IV for almost 2 years now, and I'm really harsh on it. I've dropped it like zillion times, It even fell a couple times from stairs and nothing happened. My middle frame had pieces falling out, so I've changed it, I've changed the back cover and I'm planning on changing the front frame, because its compltely shattered at some places. But the screen never cracked. And the foil from the site... I can't even see it on the display, It doesn't feel different to touch and I use to replace it every year or so (8$ isn't that much...) and when I peel the foil off the display, the display is as new as the first day I got it, no scratches what so ever
EDIT: I've started with the android wear... I currently have huawei watch for 3 months and it has sapphire glass, which is not as strong as gorilla glass, but is extremely good vs scratches... And I've never seen anyone, who would stomp on their watch, but you can scratch them anywhere...
I don't. Each to their own I guess.
Gorilla glass is too high rated. I've seen drop tests for all Samsung S phones, from about shoulder height. They all ended up with broken screens. Gorilla glass my ass.
The Oukitel K4000's screen is amazing. You can hammer nails with it and the screen won't even have a scratch. Manufacturers should start making screens like the K4000's screen.
Gorilla glass my ass, its scratch easily in my jeans back pocket,, so i put on tempered glass
My protection
In the 2 1/2 years I used the S4, I never used a screen protector. My protection came from using a Nite Ize belt holster made of ballistic nylon with a flap. I do have a line across the front of the phone from wear of putting it in or out of the holster but it doesn't detract from the appearance. The phone has been dropped on occasion on a variety of surfaces with no damage to the screen.
As has been noted, YMMV. FWIW, I have moved on to the Moto X Pure and use the same type holster along with the plastic bumper that came with the phone. No drops yet but am thinking about getting a tempered glass cover.
i had a zagit but got tired of the dull screen so I removed it...glad i did and haven't scratched the screen yet
I gave up on screen protectors. They are expensive, difficult to put on the right way without getting dust underneath, and the glass ones are so fragile. Last one I tried literally snapped in my hand trying to align it to the screen. Something that fragile will not provide much protection even though it looks good.
I use a random tempered glass screen + an otterbox defender with the built in screen protector removed.
I have this case. $15 at a stand at the mall. Rubberized layer to wrap the phone, tough tight fitting outer shell with a grippy back, bumpers on the corners and raised rubber around the screen bezel to keep the screen from making contact with the floor in case of face down drops or rubbing in the pockets. Only complaint i have with it is the holes for the volume and power buttons are a little too flush, making it a bit of a pain to get used to, but adjusting wasnt so bad after a while. And again the case is tight fitting, so getting it on and off is a minor headache but worth it. Tested drops from arms length above my head (I'm 5'9", so say about 6'8"), not a single mark on the screen. Just cracked the plastic above the volume buttons. No need for screen protector here though a tempered one would be nice. However I agree the loss in sensitivity with a screen protector on is not worth the hassle of actually applying it and risking the nasty bubbles. At $5+ a pop, having them eventually peel at the edges and get dirt under it can cause more damage than normal wear and tear if your careful enough
I never use screen protector.
chiruscan said:
I gave up on screen protectors. They are expensive, difficult to put on the right way without getting dust underneath, and the glass ones are so fragile. Last one I tried literally snapped in my hand trying to align it to the screen. Something that fragile will not provide much protection even though it looks good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use those cheap Walmart screen protectors, and the key to putting them on is the tape trick. Barely have any bubbles underneath.
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Ereniemis said:
As seen on the android wear watches. Gorilla glass is very good against breaking, or destroying, but isn't as good against scratches, so these little scratches always build over time. I've never used any kind of these glass temmpered protectors or whatever nonsense, because the gorilla glass is sufficient enough against breaking, and when u drop the phone on the edge, the glass won't save you either way and the display will crack due to the "construction" of gorilla glass. It's very dense and strong against any impact from the front side, but is very fragile to impacts from "sides". So I use a foil from myscreenprotector dot com. I have S IV for almost 2 years now, and I'm really harsh on it. I've dropped it like zillion times, It even fell a couple times from stairs and nothing happened. My middle frame had pieces falling out, so I've changed it, I've changed the back cover and I'm planning on changing the front frame, because its compltely shattered at some places. But the screen never cracked. And the foil from the site... I can't even see it on the display, It doesn't feel different to touch and I use to replace it every year or so (8$ isn't that much...) and when I peel the foil off the display, the display is as new as the first day I got it, no scratches what so ever
EDIT: I've started with the android wear... I currently have huawei watch for 3 months and it has sapphire glass, which is not as strong as gorilla glass, but is extremely good vs scratches... And I've never seen anyone, who would stomp on their watch, but you can scratch them anywhere...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree. See no point in the tempered glass protectors when they're not gonna prevent your glad from shattering. I just use those $10 screen protectors from Walmart just to prevent little scratches from dirt and stuff. And really, I only use screen protectors now because I realize how" wet" and harder to slide your finger across a baked screen can get. Screen protectors makes swiping e screen much smoother and easier.
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I haven't. However I do have a case that has a slight bumper around the top of my screen, therefore there is no huge need for me to have one.

Glass screen protector cracked

At first I panicked, because it looked like the screen itself cracked. No falls, nothing weird at all. In fact the last thing I remember was putting it on my desk and when I picked it up, there was a nice half-moon crack in the lower hand corner.
A month ago, there was a tiny crack, more of a dot, at the very bottom, maybe 1mm x 0.5mm in size and somehow it grew as the new crack connects it with the other side of the screen.
It's exactly how a windshield cracks when a tiny rock hits it. You can be OK for a while, even for a year then suddenly your entire windshield has a crack across it.
Moral of the story: Glass screen protectors spontaneously crack, more or less without any falls at all. I am now debating what to replace it with. I am not sure what glass screen protector I had. I got the device used with about 6 months on it and it came with the screen protector.
What's the best glass screen protector for LG V10? Under 35 bucks hopefully.

Decent screen protector that is NOT tempered glass, or just go naked?

I think we have beat the tempered glass subject to death here... I removed my half-peeled off Tantek tempered glass protector and tried to apply a new one, didn't go so well, this one kept lifting right below the bottom speaker and I tried a little heat from a hair dryer (from a YT video) and it got worse instead of better... long story shortened, the new one is broken and went in the trash and my phone has no screen protector in it's Poetic Affinity case.
Are there any plastic film screen protectors that fit well and don't feel like cling wrap? Supershieldz seem to have mostly good reviews on Amazon, and 6 of them for $6 is pretty cheap.
Is it really worth it to use a simple film screen protector if it isn't tempered glass since we already have Gorilla Glass 3?
Gave up
I thought of this and ultimately decided on not using a screen protector at all after having no luck with tempered glass. Unless you're going for 5+ years of daily usage or live on the sand or use your phone as a cutting board, I don't really feel that they're necessary for anything other than accommodating for the massive and annoying lip that is found on many protective casings.
Realistically, how long does it take to scratch a screen up real bad? I had (and still have) a tempered glass protector on the Note 2 and only ended up with two small, minor scratches on it after nearly three years of daily use.
acejavelin said:
I think we have beat the tempered glass subject to death here... I removed my half-peeled off Tantek tempered glass protector and tried to apply a new one, didn't go so well, this one kept lifting right below the bottom speaker and I tried a little heat from a hair dryer (from a YT video) and it got worse instead of better... long story shortened, the new one is broken and went in the trash and my phone has no screen protector in it's Poetic Affinity case.
Are there any plastic film screen protectors that fit well and don't feel like cling wrap? Supershieldz seem to have mostly good reviews on Amazon, and 6 of them for $6 is pretty cheap.
Is it really worth it to use a simple film screen protector if it isn't tempered glass since we already have Gorilla Glass 3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say that you should look at the old screen protector you removed and determine how scratched it was. Just a few after a year or more of usage, your probably fine running naked.
aybarrap1 said:
I would say that you should look at the old screen protector you removed and determine how scratched it was. Just a few after a year or more of usage, your probably fine running naked.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, it looked pretty good actually... Probably just going to go plain.
Been I using mine for a year and a half with no screen protector. Just an incipio octane case most of the time.
Can't see a single scratch even in bright light, at an angle, with the screen off. It has held up quite well.
I too have been thinking of going without a tempered glass. But a few times my phone drops on the screen side and then I thank my tempered glass. It's worth it for me, because if the screen breaks it will probably be very expensive to replace and I don't want to spend anything more than 2 dollars on my moto x style
I used to use zag screen protectors they make a plastic one that felt ok not great with my note 3 went to glass never looked back until the moto x pure but i don't think ill go back to plastic ill probably stick with glass and put up with the slight halo
i have had the best luck with pleson on my moto x i have scratched the glass protectors and my old pleason saved my screen. The biggest thing i don't like about this phone is the lack of good cases all of the cases suck and the otter box is poorly designed...
I have dropped getting a screen protector after getting a Galaxy S3.
Gorilla Glass is pretty tough, and I have had my Pure for probably 5-6 months now, and I do not see any noticeable scratches. Not that it is flawless, just a few very tiny scratches that I would not see unless if I looked very closely. Just go naked, and be careful when you're near sand.
Remote_Data said:
I have dropped getting a screen protector after getting a Galaxy S3.
Gorilla Glass is pretty tough, and I have had my Pure for probably 5-6 months now, and I do not see any noticeable scratches. Not that it is flawless, just a few very tiny scratches that I would not see unless if I looked very closely. Just go naked, and be careful when you're near sand.
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Click to collapse
Yep. Sand is a pristine screen killer. I really have no choice since I live in a coastal city. Sand is everywhere and needless to say, my glass screen protectors scratch up very noticeably within a year (doesn't matter the brand either). I baby my phones even with a sturdy case so it is not neglect on my part. I typically use a holster as well so that sand that may be trapped in my pocket cannot do a number on my screen protectors.

Is a Screen Protector Really Necessary?

I just removed my screen protector. I've forgotten how nice the front glass feels.
I'm this day and age of gorilla glass, is a screen protector really necessary? Do you use one?
Yes, i used the phone naked for 2-3 weeks, was super careful and still got microscratches all over the screen - so no don't do it.
Gorilla Glass 5 scratches like crazy. I've not used a screen protector since 2008 and yet I somehow have a scratch on my display. All of the flagships use Gorilla Glass 5 and all of them have problems with scratches and the glass breaking so get a good case too.
screen protector is a must trust me
gorilla glass 5 has lower scratch resistance than 4 and 4 has lower than 3
they exchanged impact protection for scratch protection
and they failed at both of them XD
Yes I was using the HTC wallet case and managed to get a hairline scratch. It is only visible at certain angles in certain light with the screen off but that does not matter. Once you know its there it's over lol.
I just can't bring myself to use a screen protector.
I use cases when I'm away from home but these come off at home....& certainly no screen saver.
Heh. I got a scratch on one of my phones!
Still...I just can't do it. I want to feel the phone.
I've been using mine since the Solar Red that I got was released .. and I've had no scratches on the screen and I have a thin shell case on it just to prevent scratches on the back and for a bit more grip when holding it. I've had no issues at all. I also don't put it in my pocket with keys, coins or anything else. I seriously hate screen protectors.
So I vote no on the necessity of plastic on the screen.
I don't use a screen protector with my U11 at all. First time in 15 android phones I've been able to do this. My screen is nearly scratch free after over a year of careless use, drops, keys, etc.
The gorilla glass on this one is super strong.

Case + screen protector, just case, or just screen protector?

I have an Incipio clear case on right now. It makes my glass screen protector pop off. So that's off for now.
I'm on my second PH-1 after a very minor fall cracked the screen on my first. (It was naked) But I had dropped it a couple of times.
Here's the thing, the back and sides were completely unscathed. The screen chipped a tiny bit on the corner on the first fall and then cracked across it with some shattering in the corner on another (from about a 1.5' fall from pocket to concrete when I was sitting on a bench).
With just a glass screen protector, you can hardly even tell it's on there (aka the phone still looks great). It also seems like with a good positioning, the SP or the plastic surround would make the first contact on any fall (given a relatively flat surface with no protrusions), thus protecting the screen. Aesthetically, I would love to get away with just the SP. I don't like casing this phone.
On the other hand, most cases are designed to also make first contact on a fall via a lip around the screen, etc. (The point of conflict with the SPs). So it would seem that a case alone should provide protection against screen shattering in most mundane falls also (again, barring protrusions).
So, what is your experience? Does anyone go screen protector only? Or case only? Have you had a screen break with either?
I have the incipio as well and go without a screen protector. I also have a belt holster to protect the phone from falling out my pocket. I am very anal with phones and have not dropped this one or my prior Android phones (I've dropped my Lumia 920 once but that just had a dent in the plastic housing). I've seen that video in which somebody tested the PH-1 with falls from different heights and know that the first thing that will break on it will be the screen under the right conditions. The rest of the phone is rock solid. That might be one problem that leads to cracks when it falls onto the corners (no dampening and direct energy transfer to the glass). I don't think a screen protector will do much in that case either.
that's my experience.
I'm totally enjoying this phone
cheers
I've just been using a screen protector and fitBAG leather sleeve. The Halo Gray has soft touch texture on the ceramic which makes it easier to grips than the shiny colors.
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