Howdy folks! I'm new to XDA, I just bought myself a T-Mobile Vibrant and I'm ready to get under the hood of an Android phone and tinker around a bit. Unfortunately, I'm a busy engineering student and I don't have any significant programming skills yet, or time to develop them. However I have completed a project that I hope will be of use to some of the members here.
Preface
A few weeks ago I managed to scratch my screen quite badly. From the impressions I got from reading about Gorilla Glass, I assumed that I could get away with not having a screen cover for a little while. It turns out that this was a very bad idea. While Gorilla Glass is very tough, even if you are careful with it, there are situations where it can get scratched quite easily. I accidentally put a plastic credit card style hotel key in the same pocket with my phone. I am very anal about my screen and I check it for scratches each time I put in my pocket. After about twenty minutes of the hotel key being in my pocket with the phone, the screen went from completely flawless to very badly scratched. There was no metal on the card; it was entirely plastic. My theory is that some grit became trapped between the card and the screen. Either way, it goes to show that Gorilla glass is not impervious to damage.
Shots of the damage:
P.1
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
P.2
P.3
As you can see there were several deep scratches and many more scuffs. Many of them were visible when the phone was on and caused ugly lines of distorted color. I'm afraid I forgot to take pics of the phone with the screen on before I started the repairs, but you can see what I'm talking about in the later pictures. This kind of screen condition is, IMHO unacceptable. I called up Samsung and they said it would be 160$ to repair the damage. The entire AMOLED screen has to be replaced because the glass is built in. Even though the information I was able to gather about gorilla glass polishing was less than encouraging, I figured that I may as well give it a shot. Worst case, I ruined the screen. The tech support guy confirmed that the Vibrant, (and I assume all galaxy S phones) have no coating of any kind, it's just glass.
Part 1: Materials and Preparation
Looking around I learned that some people had had some success polishing their non-Gorilla Glass iPhones with an industrial glass polishing compound called cerium oxide. I called around town to several windshield repair specialists and found someone who was nice enough to give me some for free! If you don't have as good luck you'll need to buy it online, because as far as I could tell it is not carried in stores. It can be purchased from Amazon
Some of the iPhone polishing guides mentioned that high grit sandpaper is useful to polish out deeper scratches. I went up to an Auto Zone and purchased a pack of 1000, 1500, 2000 grit wet dry sandpaper as well.
Even though the phone has a seal around the screen, I figured it would be worth it to tape up the edges with electrical tape. At the very least this needs to be done to the speaker. I found that the electrical tape worked extremely well, and left no annoying residue.
P.4
Part 2: Sanding
The second step is to sand the screen's phone down. The objective of this part is to remove the top layer of glass that has the scratches in it. This part is important as the polish is not abrasive enough to eliminate any but the lightest scratches.
Guides for polishing older iPhones warn you to go very easy on this part and say that you expect to significant result in about ten seconds. This is not true with Gorilla Glass. On my first attempt I went at it very hard with 1000 grit for several hours. This proved to be entirely insufficient:
P.5
P.6
As you can see I got a little bit of a scuff going, but was unable to remove enough of the top layer of glass to get rid any of the remotely deep scratches. You can see in the second picture that most of the scratches can be seen in spite of the scuff marks. In order for this screen to turn out properly, the old scratches need to be completely obliterated by the finer scuff marks. After I polished out my first attempt, it was clear that I had made very little progress. Application of a screen protector (not pictured) only exacerbated the deep scratches, due to the fact that an air pocket was created in the groves from the scratches.
P.7
P.8
So I gave it another shot. This time I went down to 800 grit and pressed down as hard as I dared without breaking the screen. In order to avoid excessively polishing one area and getting lensing I kept moving over the entire screen. There are two things to note here. First, keep the sand paper wet. Make a puddle of water on the screen that you can use to quickly rewet your sandpaper. I tried dry sanding, but that wasn't any faster and introduced a few new scratches that required more polishing to get out. Keeping the paper wet seems to alleviate this issue. Second, Gorilla Glass with eat your sand paper for breakfast. It will lose most of it ability to affect the screen after a few seconds. I cut my sheet of sandpaper into one inch squares and switched about every ten seconds. This seemed to help things go faster.
After a looong time, the original scratches were almost gone and the screen has a nice matte finish. This took several hours. This next pic compares properly sanded surface to polished surface in the center. Notice that the original scratches are no longer visible and that the unpolished surface has a nice homogenous texture.
P.9
I stopped sanding when the deepest scratches were almost but not completely gone. The key here is to smooth them out enough so that you don't have rough edges that diffract the screen light. If you have done it right, the scratches with be so shallow and polished that there will be no air gap created under the protector, and they will disappear completely.
Because the sanding takes so long, I suggest experimenting with something a bit harder than sandpaper. 800 or 1000 grit diamond polishing compound would probably be more effective. This stuff is designed for polishing metal, so it might do the trick.
Part 3: Polishing
On to the polishing! You will need to use a drill press, drill or some kind of rotary tool or else this part will simply take too long. I used a rotary tool with a felt wheel. This part took some tweaking to get right. You want to have a bowl of water and a bowl of cerium oxide mix handy. Mix a bit of water into the cerium oxide until you have a nice thick texture with no lumps in it. Dip the rotary tool in the cerium oxide water mixture, and start it up before you pull it all the way out of the bowl or else the polish will go everywhere. Also, dab a bit of polish and water on the phone and mix it together into a very thin mix. You can pull a bit of this into your work area from time to time to keep your polishing pad from drying out. This takes some finesse, but you will have plenty of time to perfect it. Again, you will need to press down very hard to get results. Gorilla Glass is very tough! This will generate a good amount of heat, so keep moving and touch the screen every so often to make sure you don't cook the phone's innards! Also, I recommend getting some kind of cloth bit if you can. The felt wasn't durable enough and disintegrated easily.
P.10
This will take quite a while, but if you keep at it, the scuff should start to give way to a nice shine like you see in P.9. I turned it on to make sure it still worked from time to time. Notice the pink areas where I have not begun to polish yet.
P.11
Here, I am very nearly finished with the process. There is still some polish to be done near the edge. At this point I abandoned the electrical tape except for on the speaker so I could get closer to the edge of the phone. Happily, it caused no problems!
P.12
It’s a little dirty, but the scratches are almost gone.
When I had finished, there were still some very slight "orange skin" looking areas in the glass when you held it up to the light, but it was all smooth. That is the key. The protector will eliminate this "orange skin" effect.
P.13
After application of the screen protector, (I used a REALOOK, it's fantastic. Other members have attested to this.) Few scratches were visible, and those that were could only be seen when the phone was viewed in just the right light. The photographs exaggerate them, but it really does look perfect when the screen is on, which is mission accomplished in my book!
Pics P.14 through P.17 were taken with the protector installed. Note that a lot of what you see on the screen are not scratches, but dust on top of the cover.
P.14
P.15
You can see the "haze" from the protector in P.15. It is exaggerated in the lighting. It is not at all visible when the phone is in use.
And some shots of the phone in action:
P.16
P.17
The touch screen did not suffer any damage or degradation in performance as a result of the polishing or the application of the screen protector.
All of these pics are available in high resolution at this imgur gallery:
My technique was modified from this article on removing scratches from an iPhone without Gorilla Glass.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Removing-Iphone-screen-scratches/
I did not realize gorrila glass was easily scratchable. I see youtube videos of people taking nails and screws to it without a single scratch but after this Im a bit worried not using a SP. Thanks for the info though.
No clue how you got those scratches, but thank you for a VERY good post. I'll be sure and add this to the sticky a bit later. Great job with the post man, really helpful.
Still confused about the scratches... I ALWAYS carried my plastic swipe card with my phone, no issues... ever.
The only way I can see that happening is that I got some grit in-between the phone and the card, and it rubbed. After my experience with the sandpaper, I can safely say that there is no possible way that plastic could do that. Still there's no way around it, I put the phone in my pocket with the card, and 20 minutes later, scratches.
I was at a natural park, so it's very possible that some sand, or something a bit harder than you would normally encounter got in there, but sooner or later it certainly can happen.
scratch repair
Nasty!
This is the first phone I've ever used a screen protector for and I put it on at the store when I unboxed the phone. It wasn't a day before I dropped the phone and was so very glad I'd put the protector on.
Regarding the buffing, I've had good luck getting scratches off the iPod touch with good old fashioned toothpaste and a finger. I'd be terrified to take a wheel to it with the amount of heat those things can generate.
Thanks for posting!
Yes the heat is a good point. I had to be careful about that. I'll note that in the OP.
Tooth paste and a finger will not touch this glass. It's just far, far too hard.
jrharvey said:
I did not realize gorrila glass was easily scratchable. I see youtube videos of people taking nails and screws to it without a single scratch but after this Im a bit worried not using a SP. Thanks for the info though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends on how it happens.
As you can see from the OPs suffering, he had a hard time with sandpaper! Yet, something that happened to be in his pocket scratched it up something fierce.
Moral of the story, get a screen protector, you'll be the 1/10000 that manages to scratch his screen if you don't.
Also, OP...THANK YOU very much for this post. I might have to do this for my girlfriend, she scratched her screen on her earrings before we got the screen protector put on.
I have a nice vibrant with dead pixels.. Wasn't me to do a scratch test? I've taken a key and a screw to the corner already.. I used alot of force and it can only be seen with oil from my fingers.. But after cleaning the screen with a cloth they disappear.. I have no problem messing up this screen if y'all want me too...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
junkdruggler said:
I have a nice vibrant with dead pixels.. Wasn't me to do a scratch test? I've taken a key and a screw to the corner already.. I used alot of force and it can only be seen with oil from my fingers.. But after cleaning the screen with a cloth they disappear.. I have no problem messing up this screen if y'all want me too...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do it, Do it, Do it!! haha
The Asian Youtube Video DOES SHOW SCRATCHES.
jrharvey said:
I did not realize gorrila glass was easily scratchable. I see youtube videos of people taking nails and screws to it without a single scratch but after this Im a bit worried not using a SP. Thanks for the info though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard people reference this Asian video saying "wow no scratches,"
I guess people aren't looking closely, you clearly DO see scratches.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xASJobjD68
First scratch evident at 1:47-150, you have to pause at the right angle!
more scratches evident at 1:54
More scratches evident 3:05
And again at 3:10-3:11
And of course, friends of mine with the Galaxy S unprotected, and of course, scratches!
Protect that screen! Interesting thread through.
That's why I still have the screen protector on when there were so many people saying that it is scratches proved blablabla...
I'll pay the $160 before I put on a screen protector. Actually, I *did* pay the $160 already. Ha ha. I dropped my Vibrant on cement about two days after owning it and massively cracked the screen. If I get a light scratch then I can live with it but if it's like yours looked in the original post, I would pay the $160. Meanwhile I keep it in a pouch when it's in my pocket.
Excellent post
Excellent post
Not sure how the scratches were so deep unusual. Anyway, if people are interested in this kind of fix you can go to a gem stone supply and get the polishing compounds that are graduated (fine to finest) and use these. The fine will cut more and take the large defects and then move to finer and then finer. Remember the heat issue always check the surface and make sure it never gets too hot to touch.
Excellent post
I believe Ghost Armor should be a top priority for us Vibrant owners. I am a Ghost Armor employee. Do your research. It would of protected your phone from ever getting any scratches. Plus it also helps from impacts. Dropped my vibrant face down on tile and its still spotless. $25 for a full body wrap is a great deal.. especially with a lifetime warranty! PM me for more details.
MidShipRunabout2 said:
I believe Ghost Armor should be a top priority for us Vibrant owners. I am a Ghost Armor employee. Do your research. It would of protected your phone from ever getting any scratches. Plus it also helps from impacts. Dropped my vibrant face down on tile and its still spotless. $25 for a full body wrap is a great deal.. especially with a lifetime warranty! PM me for more details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can get us a huge discount, oh like maybe 50% or more off the price
MidShipRunabout2 said:
I believe Ghost Armor should be a top priority for us Vibrant owners. I am a Ghost Armor employee. Do your research. It would of protected your phone from ever getting any scratches. Plus it also helps from impacts. Dropped my vibrant face down on tile and its still spotless. $25 for a full body wrap is a great deal.. especially with a lifetime warranty! PM me for more details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The girlfriend & I have both done that WITHOUT ghost armor and had no scratches.
And how is a thin piece of plastic going to help with impacts? It might help with the side effects of impacts (you know getting scratched while hitting the ground), but it's not going to be enough to cushion the impact itself any noticeable amount.
You might want to run some things by your legal dept. before you start acting as spokesman.
I've also read that while the GA is great as a SP, as a full body cover, it seems to peel after a few months of normal use.
Wow, very nice work man. No way would I have had the patience for that
SamsungVibrant said:
Maybe you can get us a huge discount, oh like maybe 50% or more off the price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If a group interest is made I could see what I could do.
tjhart85 said:
The girlfriend & I have both done that WITHOUT ghost armor and had no scratches.
And how is a thin piece of plastic going to help with impacts? It might help with the side effects of impacts (you know getting scratched while hitting the ground), but it's not going to be enough to cushion the impact itself any noticeable amount.
You might want to run some things by your legal dept. before you start acting as spokesman.
I've also read that while the GA is great as a SP, as a full body cover, it seems to peel after a few months of normal use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love how you call it a thin piece of plastic. It's actually polyurethane, which is a pretty sturdy material. Please dont tell me you believe a hard case is necessary for your phone.. Please amuse me..
I am a sales person that stands by my product.
It will peel depending on your usage of the phone.. Thats why we offer a lifetime warranty..
Any more questions?
junkdruggler said:
I have a nice vibrant with dead pixels.. Wasn't me to do a scratch test? I've taken a key and a screw to the corner already.. I used alot of force and it can only be seen with oil from my fingers.. But after cleaning the screen with a cloth they disappear.. I have no problem messing up this screen if y'all want me too...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But Will it Blend?
MidShipRunabout2 said:
I believe Ghost Armor should be a top priority for us Vibrant owners. I am a Ghost Armor employee. Do your research. It would of protected your phone from ever getting any scratches. Plus it also helps from impacts. Dropped my vibrant face down on tile and its still spotless. $25 for a full body wrap is a great deal.. especially with a lifetime warranty! PM me for more details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this as soon as the Ghost Armor kiosk at my mall got the Vibrant protector. It took them almost 2 weeks after I got my Vibrant for them to get it in. I had to go naked for TWO WHOLE WEEKS.
Back when I first got my iPhone (3 years ago) I got the InvisibleShield, but I prefer Ghost Armor, because firstly, it doesn't get that yellow discoloration, and secondly, with the kiosk at the mall, I don't have to worry about improper installation. The top part of my Vibrant got all messed up (some lint got in there and then it spread) and the guy at the Ghost Armor kiosk just replaced it for free! (Of course, there'd be an installation fee if I wanted to replace the whole screen part or the full body, but still!) My friend also got Ghost Armor on his iPhone 3G and it saved his screen from breaking into a million pieces when he dropped it on a rock (It still cracked though.)
If you don't want to take it from an employee, take it from a satisfied customer. Encase your Vibrant in Ghost Armor ASAP!
Related
Hello,
Does anyone know of a way I can fix a small (2/3") light scratch on my Nexus' screen without replacing the whole thing? The scratch is just visible enough to be annoying and can barely be felt when running your fingernail over it to give you an idea of how deep/shallow it is. I was hoping maybe some good glass polish and microfiber cloth might smooth it out...
I also heard that a good screen protector can pretty much hide small scratches as well. I thought about getting the seidio cover, but really wanted to repair the scratch first.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Wes
Polish would be the best bet I reckon.
How did you manage to scratch it?
I thought the Nexus' screen was near scratch resistant (excluding falls, concrete, sand, etc)?
Anything harder than glass can scratch it. I used to think that rubbing it on my jeans was safe. But I think there was a small particle of something. I scratched it Barely visible though, wouldn't even call it a hairline scratch. But there was something there that could scratch the glass, a small particle of sand or even a glass dust particle or something would do it.
i have a bunch of very tiny micro scratches that can only be seen in direct sunlight. and i've babied my phone like no other. nothing except my finger tip has touched the screen. i'd like if others can test their phones in the sunlight to compare. no its not the diagonal touch digitizer. these scratches are vertical and some horizontal, right near the center of the screen, where you would scroll on web pages etc.
since i've literally babied this phone, and these scratches keep getting worse by the day, i can only assume that this is normal and everybody is having these scratches. i have probably 40-50 at this point.
FYI in a normally lit room, my screen looks FANTASTIC, and you would not for one second think there is any such micro scratches. but in sunlight, sure enough, they are there, only can see them at a certain angle.
also i cannot feel these scratches, they are really that small where its not noticeable. but they are absolutely from scrolling the screen. and i touch this thing so lightly its like i barely touch it at all!!
please check your phone too. thanks.
Thanks for all the replies. I have no idea how it got scratched...it resides alone in my front pocket most of the day. I ordered a seidio clear screen protector for it so hopefully it won't get anymore...
Mine are only visible in direct light, too. I can't see them when the screen is on, but when the sun or a light source shines directly on it I can see them. They aren't bad...just noticeable to be annoying...Haha.
Anyway, I guess I will just live with it since I am not very good with polishing compounds and will probably just end up with lots of swirl marks. I just hope they scratches don't grow into cracks with day-to-day use.
Edited: It does make me feel better that I am not the only one with scratch issues.
Thanks again.
Wes
I recommend iDrops. I have a bottle at my disposal and I have removed all kinds of scratches from my various phones and electronics.. Luckily I haven't had to use it on my Nexus yet, but I have no worries that'll it'll work great if I ever need them.
It's a little pricey, but well worth it for how well they work (as long as you follow the directions and spend the TIME it takes to remove the scratches)
http://podshop.com/idrops/
I recommend iDrops.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just ordered a bottle. If this works, I will recommend it to all my friends...a product that actually removes (or at least covers up) scratches well can make a lot of money...
I really hope it works.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Edited: Do I need to do the whole phone screen to avoid making a "depression" where the scratch is?
Wes
so still nobody has checked their phone in the sunlight to confirm if they too have scratches on the screen?
Sorry since the scratch I got I've put a screen protector on it. Can't even see the scratch I had and I can't see any faint ones in the middle.
yeah i got a screen protector too, can't mess around with a $600 dollar phone.
RogerPodacter said:
so still nobody has checked their phone in the sunlight to confirm if they too have scratches on the screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you are talking about the diagonal lines visible in bright sunlight those are the touchscreen digitizer.
Ive been babying mine aswell, never in pocket with keys or anything, come to notice there is one tiny scratch right on the edge of the screen(black part, left side midscreen) but its there nonetheless, just an eye sore blah
Chevytuff19 said:
I just ordered a bottle. If this works, I will recommend it to all my friends...a product that actually removes (or at least covers up) scratches well can make a lot of money...
I really hope it works.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Edited: Do I need to do the whole phone screen to avoid making a "depression" where the scratch is?
Wes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you can Just do the spot where the scratch is.
My best suggestion is to spend time on it. Count on at least an hour of polishing it.
RogerPodacter said:
since i've literally babied this phone, and these scratches keep getting worse by the day, i can only assume that this is normal and everybody is having these scratches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not, just for the record. And I haven't kept special care of it, I regret to say.
There was a video arround with someone abusing his HD2 by trying to scratch his HD2 screen with all sorts of things... the result was that it does not scratch....
than, how come I have to little scratches on my HD2?... all I do it's keeping it in it's own pocket with nothing else... but still I got the little scratches... maybe I touched it with something.... but still considering the abuse in the above mentioned video I don't see how it could happend this...
So, after all.... how scratch resistant is the HD2's screen?
There are plenty of threads for this topic already. Nevertheless it is just scratch RESISTANT, not scratch PROOF. So it can scratch. It only takes f.e. the right kind of sand grains in your pocket. Those can be pretty hard, harder than the glass of your HD2. There are many things harder than a hardened glass panel.
Use a screen protector. It also helps you to have less fingerprint smearing on your shiny display.
discussed already, as long as you abuse it with materials less hard than tempered glass it's not going to be damaged, but particles of terrain or sand or any other material that for any reason ends in your pockets and is harder than tempered glass will scratch the display.
Only diamond is truly unscratchable, other than with another diamond or a laser beam
Yes they will scratch!
I had to stop carrying loose diamonds in my pocket.
johnboatcat said:
I had to stop carrying loose diamonds in my pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, I went through several screen protectors before I realized what the problem was. I carry my diamonds in a little baggie now.
Scrathes
Tygrtail said:
Same here, I went through several screen protectors before I realized what the problem was. I carry my diamonds in a little baggie now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with Paul Simon - I put my "Diamonds on the soles of my shoes".
ccezar2004 said:
There was a video arround with someone abusing his HD2 by trying to scratch his HD2 screen with all sorts of things... the result was that it does not scratch....
than, how come I have to little scratches on my HD2?... all I do it's keeping it in it's own pocket with nothing else... but still I got the little scratches... maybe I touched it with something.... but still considering the abuse in the above mentioned video I don't see how it could happend this...
So, after all.... how scratch resistant is the HD2's screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, those videos are biased towards protecting the HD2 from scratches.
The video of the guy scratching the CD case showed that he applied a ton of force to the case to get it to scratch. Then when he tried scratching the HD2, he applied a lighter amount of force; he was scared of breaking or scratching the HD2.
ok.. the thing is... either use a screen protector either take good care of your screen.. like extra care...
why anybody would think the screen is scratch proof is beyond me.....
I never paid attention to my phones. All of they got small scratches on the screen after a few days, and some scratches on the paint a few hours after buying it. My HD2 is still bright and shiny without any scratches. I like it. This phone is Trudi proof
I'm a tool.
The only mark my phone has picked up in the last 6 months is a small dent in the edge right next to the screen halfway up on the right hand side. Which was a result of me walking into a fridge
I've never used a screen protector and the screen is still as sleek and smooth as it was out of the box. I'm not claiming it is scratchproof but it must be very resillient.
I was really really really really lucky not to smash the screen because the actual casing of the phone is solid and it must have taken a hell of a knock to dent it.Needless to say the hand covers the phone everytime I walk past that fridge now.
any one with recommendation on screen protector
I'm currently using a Zagg max coverage protector that I had installed at Best Buy, and have no complaints so far. The only thing I've noticed with it is that my finger tends to get stuck when using Swype, but not often enough for it to bother me.
I don't have this phone but I don't think you need a screen protector. I haven't seen any videos on the screen durability test like they do for the iphone scratch test. But I think the screen should be sturdy enough. The screen won't be as smooth to scroll with a plastic layer. And if you accidentally get even a drop of water in the corners of the phone with the squeegee, you are screwed. Good luck.
Using an Invisible Shield on mine. This is the only phone I've ever used one on. I figured with a screen this huge I want to keep it looking nice.
You don't need you it is glass like the Iphone and hero. I have seen test's on both using key to try and scratch nothing happened. Anything that would damage the screen (scratch it) would go right through the screen protector and still damage it. As it would take a lot of force to scratch. Just a wast of money not to mention it hampers the touch screens ability to pick up your finger.
someone apparently water damaged their evo with putting on a protector. Careful. I would cover up the indicator on mine once I get it.
i have a zagg on mine and hate it. its sticky and has a "orange peel" like appearence. i ordered a hard plastic one on amazon and am waiting for it to come in the mail.
I also feel that a screen protector is unecessary...glass is very hard to scratch, and can only be scratched by something harder than it is.
Zaag one here and I think it's too sticky. It messes with my swiping. Catches my finger too much.
chazglenn3 said:
I also feel that a screen protector is unecessary...glass is very hard to scratch, and can only be scratched by something harder than it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the same logic with my hero and ended up getting a few scratches just from unforseen sh!t happening. this screen is too beautiful for me to risk.
also whoever water damaged their phone while putting on a screen protector is an idiot.
I put one on for peace of mind and it works just as it did without the protector.
However, if it's like the iPhone screen, then you shouldn't need one at all. I had the same iPhone since the release date and had zero scratches as of Friday... it's last day in service!
We pre-ordered out Evo's at RS so we used out accessory credits for Zaggs and car chargers and I put them on. They do have an orange peel like look when looking at them at a angle with the screen off and reflecting off some light. But with the screen on and looking at them there is no issue with the display. They were not hard to put on either.
I'm using the "anti-glare" protector that comes in the 3-pack you get at the Sprint store for $12 (the other two are "clear"). I love it - it doesn't interfere with my user experience at all. Why on earth would you risk scratching your screen? To save $4 and 5 mins time?
Boxwave Crystal Clear screen protectors. I have a 3-pack on order (I have 2 Evo's between me and my girlfriend). We're using them "naked" so far until they arrive.
I highly recomend the Boxwave protector though, I have used them for about 6+ years on various PDA/Smartphones. I even have one for my P&S Camera.
Here is my experience:
Zagg:
Good -
Works well as protection
Hides fringer prints decently
Bad -
Blurs your screen a very small amount
Makes the surface feel like rubber
Hard to put on without getting a little dust under it
Generic hard plastic sheet:
Good -
Works well as protection
Feels very smooth, smoother than glass
Easy to put on, and normally you get 2 or 3 in case you make a mistake
Perfectly clear
Bad -
Finger print magnet, oil really builds up
You can see where the protector ends around the edges
Added glare in sunlight(small amount)
Unprotected Glass:
Good -
Feels very smooth
Easy to clean off, just rub it off on your shirt
Perfectly clear
Bad -
Medium finger print problem, but easy to clean
I feel scared to place it face down, once I get a case that recesses the face I will feel better.
Over all I decided to go with unprotected. Its the middle of the road and I feel the best over all experience.
Zagg Invisible Shield is NO GOOD.. Its almost sticky. Don't get it! I warned ya.
zone23 said:
Zagg Invisible Shield is NO GOOD.. Its almost sticky. Don't get it! I warned ya.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, the Zagg is sticky. But I deal with it so that I can protect it. I don't have a huge issue with viewing it or the orange peel look when it's off because you don't notice it when it's on. The fit is nice. On my hero, I had a really clear smooth one from ebay which was great, but was all scratched up. The zagg shouldn't even mark up which is why i'm dealing with it. Sticky, but not to the point that it pisses me off. I put it on myself relatively easily, just spray lots of that solution on it, no bubbles, no dust, 2 minute application.
Maybe the Zagg is sticky if you put it on backwards but I have ZERO complaints about mine.
I ordered a 3 pack of anti-glare/anti-fingerprint screen covers from handhelditems for 7.99 (for the 3pack). They have crazy deals on evo 4g accessories right now. I also got a car charger for like 3.99.
I bought it more for the anti-glare/anti-fingerprints than the actual screen protection.
Warning!
There is a whole thread started on water damage and most of this comes from any screen protector that requires you to spray on water... ei Zaggs
When you squeegiie the water off the screen it leaks in to the back of the phone and Sprint has been sneaky about placing water damage indicator right on the tip of the phone.. below battery.
Either cover the indicator with protector or stick to the regular screen covers..
Hi all,i just discovered some light scratches on my glass...they are on left side,mostly on "black part",luckily.
I always used a case,microfiber or the (very cheap) plastic case that samsung gave for free after presentation.
It never fell down,just a hit on the bedside table,but it's polished simple wood.
Anyway,is there a way to "fix" it? I hear people saying they put the phone in the pocket with keys and no case,and no scratches at all...that's so sad
I guess i have to deal with it,but still hope for some miracoulus fix...
I'll search for a better case too,it'better
°Dexter° said:
Hi all,i just discovered some light scratches on my glass...they are on left side,mostly on "black part",luckily.
I always used a case,microfiber or the (very cheap) plastic case that samsung gave for free after presentation.
It never fell down,just a hit on the bedside table,but it's polished simple wood.
Anyway,is there a way to "fix" it? I hear people saying they put the phone in the pocket with keys and no case,and no scratches at all...that's so sad
I guess i have to deal with it,but still hope for some miracoulus fix...
I'll search for a better case too,it'better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is too late for the scratches, but why don't you protect your screen with a film? There are some excellent products in the market that are almost invisible to the eye and the finger...
Let's don't forget that the SGS screen is scratch resistant, not scratch proof.
I'm not Gorilla glass spoke person, but it's still another plastic with higher durability.
basic physics law still applicable, as long as there is a sudden pressure apply on the glass, there are chances that the screen may cracked / scratched.
we all need to take care of it. I don't think there is any fix you can apply
BS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfT9qfVkVQM
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/859694/banana_cd_scratch_remover/
Tried it once, can't say it worked for me, but probably more compatible with gorilla
Within a week of owning mine I found a nice big scratch down the middle of the screen. Really, really, annoying. I put it in a soft case all the time, only got it out when I used it, so I've no idea where it came from.
Strange thing is when I clean the screen with a microfibre cloth it disappears. Completely! Only to return once I touch it again with my grubby fingers.
There is no fix, and any you do attempt will put you at serious risk of making it worse. Heard nightmare situations where people have used repair kits or toothpaste and it's left a nice big scuff where there was once a tiny scratch.
Got a Martin Fields screen protector on at the moment. Does affect the display quality but not massively, and is a fingerprint and grease magnet, but at least it's protecting the screen, and the scratch is no longer visible.
Great guys, now I have to invest in a screenprotector as well. Doh....
thecresta said:
Within a week of owning mine I found a nice big scratch down the middle of the screen. Really, really, annoying. I put it in a soft case all the time, only got it out when I used it, so I've no idea where it came from.
Strange thing is when I clean the screen with a microfibre cloth it disappears. Completely! Only to return once I touch it again with my grubby fingers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may find that it is from the case, not neccessarily scratching the screen but rubbing it more along that area than the rest. When you touch it the grease from your fingers 'sticks' more or less to that area than the rest, causing it to become visible.
I had a huge scratch on mine so I used the banana trick, 2 days later some ape stole it
^^ lol made my day
The screen is one of the best things abt the device imo! I dont use any screen protector nor case....and it still is spotless! Ive demonstrated to so many people by scratching the display with my car keys....nothing yet maybe i should tone down my demonstrations just a little bit
I abuse my phone unprotected. I already had my fair share of trouble with micro dust on a previous phone using a cover. Nowadays I just trie to remember to only put my sgs in my right pocket.
I guess that thecresta and i have the same scratch-type:it's light and becomes more visible when i swipe over it...the screen gets "dirty" due to skin "oil",the scratch remains clean :|
I'll keep it then,and think about protection...
dont trust gorilla glass, my motorola milestone also had scratches and it has gorilla glass
Soniboy84 said:
Great guys, now I have to invest in a screenprotector as well. Doh....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear about your scratch. FWIW I have never used a screen protector on any of my iPhone's or the SGS. So far so good. Keep it away from ladies with diamond rings and keep it away from sand. Two biggies that will ruin your day.
opensourcefan said:
Sorry to hear about your scratch. FWIW I have never used a screen protector on any of my iPhone's or the SGS. So far so good. Keep it away from ladies with diamond rings and keep it away from sand. Two biggies that will ruin your day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but how do u stop sand from entering your pockets?
Chad_Petree said:
but how do u stop sand from entering your pockets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well dont put you phone in a cloth that went in the sand ...... Still Gorilla glass is the strongest screen that you can find on a phone. Unless you want a crappy but really resistant phone http://www.sonimtech.com/features_xp3quest.php
[reposted. previously posted to wrong group]
so much for gorilla glass!
probably something my 8yo daughter did.
it's small -- only a couple of mm, but it's there.
hell, i watched that youtube of the guy dragging a nail across his TF.
this wasn't supposed to happen, right?
anybody else got scratches?
Nothing is impossible. I have no clue how I personally haven't scratched mine. Bezel is filled with nicks but glass is fine. I wonder if you could use a small glass repair kit or something to fill it
Edit:
Something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Stoner-95141-Invisible-Windshield-Repair/dp/B001T9CG94
munsterrr said:
Nothing is impossible. I have no clue how I personally haven't scratched mine. Bezel is filled with nicks but glass is fine. I wonder if you could use a small glass repair kit or something to fill it
Edit:
Something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Stoner-95141-Invisible-Windshield-Repair/dp/B001T9CG94
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've just put a cheapo screen protector on it that came with a case i bought. i hadn't bothered before, thinking that the glass was unscratchable. will source a higher quality one later.
let this be a cautionary tale to others -- especially if your kids are using yours.
theabsurdman said:
[reposted. previously posted to wrong group]
so much for gorilla glass!
probably something my 8yo daughter did.
it's small -- only a couple of mm, but it's there.
hell, i watched that youtube of the guy dragging a nail across his TF.
this wasn't supposed to happen, right?
anybody else got scratches?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
forum.ppcgeeks.com/moto-droid/114659-gorilla-glass-does-scratch-but-i-know-how-repair.html
It's probably from a grain of sand. Since that's one of the materials used to make glass...it will definitely scratch it.
I'd like to see some one take sand paper to the screen instead of keys and knives...that would be hilarious!
So basically...double check that the cloth you are using is free of Debris and I guess maybe blow some air on the screen first to get rid of any grainy particles?
Not as rugged as a Pantech Element, but mine has nicks on the bezel also. I put a nice screen protector on mine knowing that Im more capable than a kid of scratching it! You should upload pics of it so we can all get quezzy!
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Must uh been the diamond ring.
:/ hmm why so emo?
besides if it was really strong enough for a real gorilla to use i doubt it would be sold at this price anyway. even bullet proof glass scratches >_>
hashbrown said:
Not as rugged as a Pantech Element, but mine has nicks on the bezel also. I put a nice screen protector on mine knowing that Im more capable than a kid of scratching it! You should upload pics of it so we can all get quezzy!
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Love your avatar...why is his head so big? You gonna make biscuits?
Mine has scratches too, a lot small scratches on the bezel and a big one in the center. The big one is probably when the tablet was laying screen bottom on table with a lot of sugar and bread crumbs (I know, they shouldn't scratch gorilla glass). I just bought a matte protector and my screen doesn't look like a mirror anymore, scratches are almost invisible after that. It's also quite ugly, but more usefull than the shiny glass.
Magnesus said:
Mine has scratches too, a lot small scratches on the bezel and a big one in the center. The big one is probably when the tablet was laying screen bottom on table with a lot of sugar and bread crumbs (I know, they shouldn't scratch gorilla glass). I just bought a matte protector and my screen doesn't look like a mirror anymore, scratches are almost invisible after that. It's also quite ugly, but more usefull than the shiny glass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the matte protector i have now fitted has made my scratch completely invisible, at the expense of the screen being not so vivid; masks fingerprints too. i am going to leave it on for the present.
could you guys be kind enough to give a link for your purchased matte protector. thxsVM
gdeer80 said:
could you guys be kind enough to give a link for your purchased matte protector. thxsVM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mine came as a freebie with a case i bought on ebay (item # 220937432912 ).
i messed up putting it on (bubbles) and have another on order. i'll let you know how the replacement works out when it arrives.
gdeer80 said:
could you guys be kind enough to give a link for your purchased matte protector. thxsVM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine is a local brand, but probably it's some rebranded cheap protector from China. Still, it looks almost exactly like matte LCD screen. It doesn't have glue - from what I read you should avoid the ones that use glue.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17414715
i posted my matt scfreen protector awhile ago with a pic of two transformers: one with and one without.
Sent from my Transformer TF101
quick update:
i removed my matt screen protector and replaced it with a clear (glossy) one. the new one, while it shows more fingerprints and reflections than the matt one, is preferable to me as the display is so much brighter and more vibrant. the matt one seemed 50% dimmer. the clear one was also easier to fit without bubbling (although it still took me 3 tries!). the brand i used was ebay # 370581513587.
After not being able to find a new glass, I did some research and "fixed" my scratched screen.
Gorilla Glass is an aluminium silicate glass. There is a product by 3M called "Perfect-it III Trizact Machine Glaze" (or 3M product no. 06070 if you prefer) that contains an aluminum silicate clay polishing compound. Its expensive! I got it at NAPA, quart-size bottle costs about $65. Probably can be found online for cheaper. Its intended purpose is removing extremely fine swirl marks from high-gloss auto finishes.. something the high-end auto detailer would use on a Ferrari or something.
Fisrt i tried by hand, polishing the screen with a polishing cloth coated in the polishing compound. This worked just fine for some of the very fine scratches, but took more effort than i figured.
I eventually switched to a very soft, small polishing wheel from a Dremel polishing kit. About 1.5-2" diameter. Used a variable speed drill at a slow-to-moderate speed, I carefully buffed the screen over the scratched areas, moving in small circles over the scratches for 45 seconds to a minute with a heavy coating of the 3M compound.
In the end it worked out pretty good! Most of the scratches are totally gone, and the worst of them is barely visible now and could probably be eliminated like the rest if i repeated the process a couple more times.
I hope this info helps. Just be careful, if you don't have any experience doing this kind of thing you can easily make your screen much worse. I practiced on my old and now retired Droid Eris which also sports Gorilla Glass before I attempted to touch my precious TF101.
a.mcdear said:
After not being able to find a new glass, I did some research and "fixed" my scratched screen.
Gorilla Glass is an aluminium silicate glass. There is a product by 3M called "Perfect-it III Trizact Machine Glaze" (or 3M product no. 06070 if you prefer) that contains an aluminum silicate clay polishing compound. Its expensive! I got it at NAPA, quart-size bottle costs about $65. Probably can be found online for cheaper. Its intended purpose is removing extremely fine swirl marks from high-gloss auto finishes.. something the high-end auto detailer would use on a Ferrari or something.
Fisrt i tried by hand, polishing the screen with a polishing cloth coated in the polishing compound. This worked just fine for some of the very fine scratches, but took more effort than i figured.
I eventually switched to a very soft, small polishing wheel from a Dremel polishing kit. About 1.5-2" diameter. Used a variable speed drill at a slow-to-moderate speed, I carefully buffed the screen over the scratched areas, moving in small circles over the scratches for 45 seconds to a minute with a heavy coating of the 3M compound.
In the end it worked out pretty good! Most of the scratches are totally gone, and the worst of them is barely visible now and could probably be eliminated like the rest if i repeated the process a couple more times.
I hope this info helps. Just be careful, if you don't have any experience doing this kind of thing you can easily make your screen much worse. I practiced on my old and now retired Droid Eris which also sports Gorilla Glass before I attempted to touch my precious TF101.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good info, thanks! Glad to hear theres a polish out there to fix the inevitable scratch.