Database Users

Screen Protectors and Broken Screens

Okay, so here's my story. I am on my third D.Inc at the moment. I just got it in the mail yesterday. The first one I had I put a screen cover on it right away. This phone fell a bunch of times, nothing crazy but just normal use stuff. Then one day it fell literally from a foot above the ground and the volume buttons stopped working after that (I use the vzw silicone case on all 3 dinc's btw).
I brought it to vzw and a new one was sent in the mail to me. My second dinc, i decided to not put a screen protector on because the screen just felt soo smooth. Plus, before i sent in my old one I checked how "scratch-proof" the screens really were and to my surprise I couldn't do any damage to the screen. I know dirt and sand will do worse than a steak knife, but it was nearing winter and i didn't think i'd be at the beach for a while so that was not a worry for me.
I had the second dinc for almost 3 months and the screen still looked great. One day, i was getting out of my car and i forgot my phone was on my lap and it slid out and hit the ground face down. When i picked it up, the screen had a huge spiderweb looking crack. I've dropped this phone much harder and in worst situations so I was quite surprised to see it cracked.
Now my question is, will a screen protector help protect the screen from cracking (I'm not talking about scratches, i mean the glass actually breaking). I'm not sure if I should order a screen cover or just leave my screen naked.
Any ideas?
edit:
With the dinc that was cracked, do you think it was because it was so cold out and possibly fell on a rock on the pavement? or does anyone think that a screen protector could have saved it?

Gorrila glass is pretty good. I did the lap drop thing too and if not for my case(edges wer above screen).the phone slid for a while screen side down but was fine .that said dropped on carpeted floor and speakers broke.warranty. warranty warranty
Sent from my ADR6300

yeah i feel like it had to have landed on a small rock or something because i've seen phones drop a lot worse.
do u use a screen cover?

Yea. Gotta ten pack cheap. Just piece of mind prolly. Case is what saved me really. Kept screen above most of the ground while slidn.
sent from dinc

I dropped my phone on a sharp corner of a marble statue about 20 seconds after putting a screen protector on and no cracked glass. Just a small "dent" in the protector. Oh well, I got 3 for $3 on Amazon.

It can have a lot to do with how the phone landed. I believe landing flat on the face would be a worst case scenario. Landing on a corner or edge would be less likely to cause a problem.
My camera stopped working (auto-focus is jacked up) after a 3 foot drop onto pavement which landed right on it's back. oh well... live and learn
I now use the HTC silicon case and I feel it's protected better. I've used a screen protector since day 1. I've had other touch screens look like crap after a few weeks of no protector.

i haven't used a screen protector since i got the phone back in may or June of 10. dropped it a bunch of times and no damage to the screen just a couple tiny dents in the front bezel. at least once the phone dropped on a hard floor from ear height so about 5.5 feet. been lucky i guess.

yeah i know of a lot of people with dincs that don't use screen protectors and have dropped their phones many times and haven't had any problems..
i guess some people are lucky and some are not

I finally decided to do away with my screen protector after it started peeling. I'm going naked now and living on the edge.

I think this definitely helps your screen not to crack. I had a protector from Clariview that made it so you couldn't see the screen from the sides, so it was pretty thick. My phone got knocked out of my hand without a case and flew about 10 feet before eating it on the ground. The outer part of the screen wasn't cracked, but the actual display was underneath. I have no doubt the screen protector saved the outer part.

i use the otter case and my dinc has survived a flight of stairs and my driveway
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App

I doubt it would help, I think the angle has a lot to do with it webbing like someone mentioned earlier. Mine shattered with a screen protector... I still have a screen protector after I fixed it but no case

I have had my Inc since launch and I have dropped from about 3-4 feet about 4 times over that time... no screen protector or case and no cracks just some 1 mark along the outside. Maybe I've just been lucky.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA Premium App

guess what happens when you drop your S2 face down on a gravel road

I dropped my GS2 on a gravel road from about chest high, glass side down. I picked it up and the screen was completely dusty and horrible looking and I said UhOh. I got a microfiber cloth and wiped off the phone after blowing as much as possible of the screen. Got it all wiped off, and in direct sunlight at every angle, not a single scratch, blemish, pit, nothing lol. I have a slim gel on the phone, but the screen is naked. Whew!

Cool!
Peep peep.

It's called Gorilla Glass for a reason - gorillas are well known for their high resistance to being dropped by humans onto gravel.

I liked that someone experimented with Gorilla Glass

Swore I was going to read chest pains followed by back to back heart attacks until death.
Glad to hear it's ok.

Xero Xenith said:
It's called Gorilla Glass for a reason - gorillas are well known for their high resistance to being dropped by humans onto gravel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WINNING ^^

Yeah I decided to forego the cases and the screen protectors after seeing some videos (not produced by screen protector sellers).
I was using Reallook but it got to slimy and even carrying the phone in my pocket with keys, only the plastic edges gets a little nicked. My Captivate's screen never had a scratch and I am the most un anal person when it comes to worrying about scratches on the body of the handset. Under everyday conditions the glass really is scratch resistant and I would say scratch proof in a pocket with keys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-dw04tNgpA&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5WRQuvaA4I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVxj6gRYwS0&feature=related

I was expecting more from this thread.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

I've seen reports of screens cracked, so i wouldn't jump for joy just cause someone got lucky and his screen is still intact after dropping the phone. Also reports of scratches on the screen. So i advice people not to start playing football with their SII after reading this thread

Sp1tfire said:
I've seen reports of screens cracked, so i wouldn't jump for joy just cause someone got lucky and his screen is still intact after dropping the phone. Also reports of scratches on the screen. So i advice people not to start playing football with their SII after reading this thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. Dropping your phone to confirm its.durability is not big or clever.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

yes i got lucky, and could of also put a weak spot in the glass, and the next drop might not be so lucky.

budco2000 said:
yes i got lucky, and could of also put a weak spot in the glass, and the next drop might not be so lucky.
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Click to collapse
Gorilla glass is good stuff......The "screen protector" makers are so scared of it they are posting questionable videos on YouTube of how "easy" it is to scratch. "fear" is a great advertising tactic and sells a lot of things. In fact the glass is amazingly resistant to scratching.
I would be more worried about the interior circuitry shock on a drop than the glass.

As long as HTC is in business, the screen protector people will be too. You can look at an HTC screen wrong and scratch it.

You are very lucky. Its a different story if you drop it in the sea or fall in with it in your pocket
Put it this way I've got a very expensive piece of gorilla glass for a coaster. Ohh and a spare battery that I'm too scared to use :-(
I must admit I got a zagg invisishield screen protector and it is awful. Wonder why they bothered ohh try money.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App

I dropped a galaxy S1 from about waist high onto concrete. it bounced about 5 times before come to rest face down.
The LCD screen under the glass was cracked into 20 different pieces. But the glass itself - not even a single scratch. You had to hold at it an angle to see the broken lcd pieces. So while the gorilla glass is strong, the screen inside itself is pretty flaky, so dont be droppin it!

iridium84 said:
I dropped a galaxy S1 from about waist high onto concrete. it bounced about 5 times before come to rest face down.
The LCD screen under the glass was cracked into 20 different pieces. But the glass itself - not even a single scratch. You had to hold at it an angle to see the broken lcd pieces. So while the gorilla glass is strong, the screen inside itself is pretty flaky, so dont be droppin it!
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Click to collapse
Yeah Thats what I am talking about....The glass is like Pyrex...maybe even stronger. The interior parts are the issue with drops. That's where those thick soft silicone cases help out but I don't care for cases as the ones that could really protect the phone make it too bulky and the thin cases are a waste and only prevent scratches and nicks around the edges. I don;t worry about those. Never used the same phone for more than a couple years if that long. The back cover can be folded in half and if ever needed replaced easily.

Croak said:
As long as HTC is in business, the screen protector people will be too. You can look at an HTC screen wrong and scratch it.
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Click to collapse
That's nonsense, they scratch just as easily as the sgs2, I will let you decide how easily that is since most htc devices also use gorilla glass

Calling Google about scratches?

I've got a ton of scratches that are pretty deep all over my Nexus 4 that have been appearing since I got the phone. My last phone was an Atrix and after dropping it a few times I never cared to take that good of care with it and it has only very small scratches, none of which near as deep as the scratches I've been getting on the N4 which I take extremely good care of. I was one of the first to receive the Nexus 4. Is it possible that I got a bad phone or has the whole "bad batch" thing just been tossed around? I'm thinking of calling Google and asking but I would like input before that. Maybe I'd prevent wasting someones time... but if this thing really is defective in some way I would like a replacement.

I have the same problem as you. I've only dropped the thing once and I've always stored it in a pocket alone and yet I have tons of scratches all over. So much for gorilla glass. Let me know if you do call what the results are!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

The front of mine is still perfect after two weeks. The back has the protector on still and somehow there is a scratch near the camera.... I'm worried about taking it off until I get my case. Here in Toronto the only way to get a case for it is online shopping... My original case order was cancelled and I got scammed in the process so I had to order a new one that'll come in about a month -_-
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Seriously? You're gonna call Google and tell them what? You scratched your phone...not Google -_-… they didn't make the glass.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Serious_Beans said:
Seriously? You're gonna call Google and tell them what? You scratched your phone...not Google -_-… they didn't make the glass.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Did you read the post? Yeah I'll call them out if I get enough people saying they think it could be defective. I've seen a couple threads where people were saying they sent it back for scratches. I'm pretty much asking if people think there was a chance of actually having a defective device and if so could the glass be effected by that.

Glass is glass. It isn't a defect in your phone, you've just had bad luck with the phone and probably sand or other fine particles coming into contact with it.

oricatiy 11am
Pics or it didn't happen

i noticed scratches the 2nd day of use so i called Google and they sent me a replacement

1. It's glass. A single speck of sand will scratch it. It's glass.
2. Because it is glass, you would have been wise to invest $6 in a noninvasive front and back body skin to protect it. You don't think you need it, until you realize you did.
3. It isn't defective and Google won't help you.

Nospin said:
1. It's glass. A single speck of sand will scratch it. It's glass.
2. Because it is glass, you would have been wise to invest $6 in a noninvasive front and back body skin to protect it. You don't think you need it, until you realize you did.
3. It isn't defective and Google won't help you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You didn't have to say "its glass" twice
2. I purchased many different screen protectors and all of them where very annoying. This screen was especially designed to be super smooth and it is super oleophobic. Why ruin the experience with a screen protector?
3. I've heard of people saying that they could be defective and scratched too easily so and they even got an RMA. The person above you seems to have gotten one for the screen scratching. I have had cheap phones that I have taken horrible care of that have no scratches on their screen. I have also heard of people taking awful car of their nexus 4 and talking about how durable it was and how it still has no scratches. I've babbied this thing and had a screen protector on it through November to middle December. This all leads me to believe tat something is not right with the screen.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

As you say yourself, the glass on the Nexus 4 is meant to be oleophobic, which means that the glass is covered with an oleophobic coating, which scratches more easily than glass would. You just have to be even more careful with it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk HD

Chrono_Tata said:
As you say yourself, the glass on the Nexus 4 is meant to be oleophobic, which means that the glass is covered with an oleophobic coating, which scratches more easily than glass would. You just have to be even more careful with it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk HD
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Click to collapse
What? The Oleophobic layer is what makes it more scratch resistant. Friction is what causes scratches and if there's less friction then it lessens the possibility of scratches.
I swear people like to talk crazy stuff sometimes. I've had my phone for over a month now (ordered Nov 27 and received Dec 6th). The back of my device is perfectly scratch free now and i'm pretty gentle with my device as well. Dunno wtf you people are doing with your phones but I have no case or anything either and it's perfect still.

Err, no. The oleophobic layer is made of softer material than glass, so obviously it's going to scratch easier. Making something more slippery doesn't make it less easy to scratch.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk HD

Umm NO, here's the word straight from the horses mouth:
http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/sites/all/files/COR_GG_WhtPaper_Easy-to-Clean.pdf
Go to page 4.
Abrasion Resistance
Scratch resistance was found to be an added benefit of the easy-to-clean coating on Corning Gorilla Glass. Test samples
comprising 1/2 coated and 1/2 non-coated regions were tested by wiping across both surface areas with 150 grit silicon carbide
sand paper, using the crock meter, for 40 passes (back and forth) at ~1.5 PSI. Surfaces were then tested for haze to determine the
degree in which optical appearance of scratches was mitigated. Figure 3 shows an optical photo of such a sample, exhibiting
significant scratching on the non-coated region whereas few visible scratches exist on the coating. Figure 4 demonstrates this
effect further, plotting haze for coated and non-coated glass regions and for chemically strengthened soda-lime glass.Test
conditions also showed a significant benefit for Corning Gorilla Glass over soda-lime glass (50-60% improvement), and further
benefit for the easy-to-clean coating (additional >75%).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADDING the oleophobic coating helps the glass to be more scratch resistant as well as the fingerprints and all that jazz too. Gorilla glass itself is tough but adding that layer helps protect the surface of the Gorilla Glass making it more scratch resistant.
If you want more info, go look up XDA TV and learn something or 2 as well. There was a girl (forget her name now) that explained gorilla glass for her Note 2 device in which she mentioned this as well with more details.
Ahhh found her, it's Erica:
http://www.xda-developers.com/xda-t...ass-drops-tests-composition-xda-developer-tv/

OP, I agree that we shouldn't have to ruin the experience of the phone for the sake of everyday use. I've never had screen protectors and very rarely get scratches while living a fairly active lifestyle.
So far I've not had any scratches on the screen, even cycling with the phone in my pocket. I have been happy with the scratch resistance so far and would compare it to other phones of similar quality.
The back glass has not held up nearly as well, despite sharing the same pocket/conditions. I have a few hairline scratches, particularly over the nexus logo and unfortunately over the camera. My guess is that this happens while pulling the phone in/out of pocket and that is why they are clustered over the logo area.
I'm not sure how much a call to Google will do, can there be quality problems with glass that would cause some to scratch worse than others? QA issues causing breaking seem more likely. To answer your question though, I've not been babying the phone (well, maybe a little) and don't have a hint of a scratch on the screen after a month.

I don't think you can RMA it for scratches after having it for 2 months but it doesn't hurt to call and all they can do is say no.
I myself have no scratches, I should add yet here, and I received mine on November 27th. But it has never seen the inside of my pocket, I bought a belt clip case immediately that it sits in if I'm out and about. IME Pockets are too dangerous as my phones always ended up getting scratched in my pocket because I dropped change in there or put my keys in there by mistake.
I did finally put a screen protector (skinomi) on the front after about a month but I'm not happy with it, it does ever so slightly ruin the experience especially since it is too soft and gets marks in it and it has a dull look to it. But I'm being more than anal about watching out for scratches with this phone as it was an investment. Eventually I'm sure I won't give as **** anymore and start treating it like any other phone but right now paying $400 for a phone still stings a little.

Thanks for the links and I stand corrected. Coming from a Galaxy Nexus, most users found that the display tends to get scratched more than other non-oleophobic glass so it was just generally assumed that the coating was the culprit. Obviously from Corning's documents this isn't the case with Gorilla Glass and their oleophobic coating.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

BravoMotorola said:
I've got a ton of scratches that are pretty deep all over my Nexus 4 that have been appearing since I got the phone. My last phone was an Atrix and after dropping it a few times I never cared to take that good of care with it and it has only very small scratches, none of which near as deep as the scratches I've been getting on the N4 which I take extremely good care of. I was one of the first to receive the Nexus 4. Is it possible that I got a bad phone or has the whole "bad batch" thing just been tossed around? I'm thinking of calling Google and asking but I would like input before that. Maybe I'd prevent wasting someones time... but if this thing really is defective in some way I would like a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take better care of your phone and it won't get scratched

VoiD_Dweller said:
Take better care of your phone and it won't get scratched
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Click to collapse
+1 ... haven't dropped or scratched my phone. Using a bumper and a rearth slim for the first couple of days of having it.
hope i didnt jinx myself just now

VoiD_Dweller said:
Take better care of your phone and it won't get scratched
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So did you read the post? That's exactly my point, I do take really good care of it. Now (again go read my posts) I did have an Atrix before this phone and tossed it around quite a bit and it has hardly any scratches that are as deep as the ones on the nexus. The only scratches it has are around the edge and can only be seen in the sunlight. I owned the Atrix for almost two years and never had a screen protector for it. I've owned this phone for only months, and its only gone one month without a screen protector. It seems new scratches appear each week and I'm doing everything to prevent them. It just makes no since why it would be collecting so many scratches in just a small amount of time.
kzoodroid said:
I don't think you can RMA it for scratches after having it for 2 months but it doesn't hurt to call and all they can do is say no.
I myself have no scratches, I should add yet here, and I received mine on November 27th. But it has never seen the inside of my pocket, I bought a belt clip case immediately that it sits in if I'm out and about. IME Pockets are too dangerous as my phones always ended up getting scratched in my pocket because I dropped change in there or put my keys in there by mistake.
I did finally put a screen protector (skinomi) on the front after about a month but I'm not happy with it, it does ever so slightly ruin the experience especially since it is too soft and gets marks in it and it has a dull look to it. But I'm being more than anal about watching out for scratches with this phone as it was an investment. Eventually I'm sure I won't give as **** anymore and start treating it like any other phone but right now paying $400 for a phone still stings a little.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so you know, neither keys or pocket change will scratch your phone, its sand and the glass particles in dust you want to worry about.

[Q] Gorilla Glass 3

What have been your experiences with Gorilla Glass 3? The unit on mine cracked with a minor drop, although given it was a drop suffered directly to the face. But a two week phone already cracked. I had better experiences with Gorilla Glass 2 on my galaxy s2

How do car windshields sometimes just chip and sometimes crack all the way across, with a similar sized hit from a rock?
I wouldn't blame your glass, just luck of the draw.
Plus isn't GG supposed to be scratch resistent(not that it totally is) moreso than impact resistent?

LucasDTV said:
What have been your experiences with Gorilla Glass 3? The unit on mine cracked with a minor drop, although given it was a drop suffered directly to the face. But a two week phone already cracked. I had better experiences with Gorilla Glass 2 on my galaxy s2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consider yourself lucky if you ONLY cracked the glass. A number of us, including myself, have had experiences where the OLED broke off a "minor drop". In all honesty, you were unlucky AND lucky. If the phone still operates and you can look past the obvious cosmetic blemish (or scar, however you'd like to see it), then ride it out until the price of Gorilla 3 glass comes down. At least you may still have something that operates. Better that then seeing your phone go completely black.
One more note: can you show us where the phone landed on? I'm willing to bet 100 internets that it landed on the sides or corners. A large number of people here have had face down drops and come up clean (as in flat impact on flat surface.)

That sucks bro, I work a pretty labor intensive construction job and I keep my phone in an otterbox with the provided otterbox screen protector. I have dropped my s4 from roof to basement (roughly a 30 foot drop) and my phone is still unscathed. Same with the s3 I had for about a year and a bit. Probably dropped it 200 times, never had a problem. Just lucky I guess.

i guess it really depends how the phone drops, my friend also work in construction, he dropped his S3 from the 3rd step of a ladder last years and it shattered, his S4 fell from the top of a similar ladder and had a very slight chip on the plastic strip around the phone but no screen damage. Corner shots can be especially deadly

You guys need to quit playing around with your phones while at work. That's the problem - your punishment for goofing off.
Lol (just joking)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2

JasonJoel said:
You guys need to quit playing around with your phones while at work. That's the problem - your punishment for goofing off.
Lol (just joking)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
No but i do agree. If you're careless, or accidentally drop the phone, you should be responsible for your acts, i have dropped my phone a few times before, thankfully, nothing ever happened, but if one day it does, the only person i'll blame is myself, not the construction of the phone, and definitely not gorilla glass 3. It's a phone, not a tank. Nothing is ever specified in any documentation that the phone is supposed to resist any drop.

Gorilla Glass will soon be a thing of the past
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIu1_zoLRgE
Samsung's flexible display is awesome.

My experiences were good for the first 30 hours of my phone ownership, although I guess I can't be too upset at a thin piece of glass shattering upon contact with concrete.
Is there any clear cut way to tell the difference between a broken digitizer and just a broken glass? I can touch anywhere on the screen and it works fine, until I get a shard of Gorilla Glass in my thumb... I could always just shell out $220 for a whole new assembly, but I'd really rather not considering I spent a good amount of my check last week getting the phone.

ouch, you should be more careful.

The glass and digitizer are built together. You will need to buy them both built together. Disassembling the phone isn't too difficult though if you are good with fixing things you might be able to install it yourself.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

UVClay said:
Is there any clear cut way to tell the difference between a broken digitizer and just a broken glass? I can touch anywhere on the screen and it works fine, until I get a shard of Gorilla Glass in my thumb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When the digitizer is broken the touch capabilities don't work. It rarely breaks as its a piece of material more than anything
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk 2

LucasDTV said:
What have been your experiences with Gorilla Glass 3? The unit on mine cracked with a minor drop, although given it was a drop suffered directly to the face. But a two week phone already cracked. I had better experiences with Gorilla Glass 2 on my galaxy s2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dropped mine when getting out of the backseat of an SUV. I had the phone in my lap, forgot it was there, slid out and heard a loud SMACK on the rocky asphalt. I looked below and saw my phone laying screen down upon the dirty, New York stone parking lot. I reluctantly bent down and sighed, resigning myself to a $650 charge on my credit card next time I hit up an AT&T store. I picked it up to inspect the damage and...
Nothing. It was perfect as the day I took it out of the box. <3 GG3

Dropped it On a tile floor, bounced around, and very minimal damage.. Dropped from my hand without a case so 4-5 foot drop. The chrome dented where it dropped and the glass sorta cracked/chipped a layer.. There are no breaks, just a small area of damage.. Was quite scared that more damage would be inflicted based on some of the criticisms going around about the poor build
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

joeybear23 said:
Gorilla Glass will soon be a thing of the past
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIu1_zoLRgE
Samsung's flexible display is awesome.
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Click to collapse
If the material is soft enough to be flexible I doubt how scratch-resistant it is going to be, and would a screen protector even stay on? I predict people whining about scratches.

Discussion about Gorilla Glass 3.0 on the HTC One (M8)

Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?

Official HTC Screen Protectors 2 pack £9.99 in Carphone Warehouse.
Don't forget the 6 months free screen replacement
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

biggles1000 said:
Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still have my m7 for a couple weeks. Same glass, never had a screen protector on it, never had an issue. I don't baby it, but I do make sure nothing else is in my pocket. These things are so tough, can't even imagine what you are doing to it.
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

biggles1000 said:
Got my gray HTC M8 (UK, contract on 3 Mobile) on Thursday, been treating it like a baby since - keeping it in the rubbery case that came with it; putting it down gently; and when carrying it with me in a pocket, making sure to put it in one that is completely empty of anything else.
I haven't bought a screen protector yet because the one I have my eye on on Amazon doesn't seem to be available at the moment, but figured I'd be ok for a few days. I was wrong.
Today I noticed two hairline scratches, one about 1cm long, the other around 2cm, in the bottom left quarter of the screen. What I don't understand is how - every single time I get a new device that boasts Gorilla Glass, I think "well, hopefully it won't be quite so hopelessly fragile as the last" only to be let down time and time again.
So, anybody else with the new M8 noticed scratches on their screen yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's quite possible there was a tiny bit of sand in your pocket, and that's really all it takes to scratch these glass screens my man :/

I haven't used a screen protector in almost three years. Do you lay the phone face down on tables, rub the phone on your shirt or pants to clean the screen, or use paper towels on it? I don't baby my phones at all and never get scratches. Sorry you scratched yours.

I'm just as unlucky as the OP, so I always exercise caution when having a new phone. Before even receiving it, I have a cheap case and screen protector just to hold me over until something better comes out. It's very important to keep my devices flawless because I always sell them to subsidize the cost of a newer phone. There are some people who will boast about Gorilla Glass being the greatest thing ever, but I've still experienced scratches on the few devices I haven't protected so well. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe I'm just unlucky. Either way, I'll probably never stop using screen protectors.

I put a screen protector on the minute I got mine. However, if u were to believe the video on line then its practically impossible to scratch the m8 screen.

It's always the laying face down on the table that does it. I bet 70%+ of accounts of scratched screens is that.

Same scenario with 2 M7 I had, hairline scratches while I am very careful, though M7 is Gorilla glass 2 and M8 glass 3 so I was expecting to be better.
Perhaps HTC is using another coating above the Gorilla glass which is pretty scratchable
The double flip case was a good protection on M7 and the Dot cover will on M8

Something like grit in my pocket is the only possibility, as I've been using clean spectacle cloths to wipe the screen with and haven't even once placed it face down on anything because I wanted to avoid it scratching. I'm not sure how HTC Advantage works (if at all) outside the US, but I allegedly signed up for Three Rescue (don't seem to be able to access it at the moment) when getting the phone so if the scratches become unbearable then I guess I can swap it.
My previous phone was the black HTC One S, which, you know, had the whole "you don't need a case" claim by HTC, followed by many disgruntled customers such as myself being dismayed at the appalling transformation of the outer shell. Since then I trust HTC's durability claims a lot less, and I've never had a device with Gorilla Glass not get scratched in some way or another, despite being very careful with my devices. I just wish I had bought some form of screen protector beforehand...

Gorilla Glass doesnt mean the screen isnt scratchable. its hard to have a big scratch on it but its easy to do some tiny scratches... its always been like this..

mushages said:
Gorilla Glass doesnt mean the screen isnt scratchable. its hard to have a big scratch on it but its easy to do some tiny scratches... its always been like this..
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Thats not how hardness works.
If you have something hard enough (compared to the gorilla glass) then it'll be just as easy to make a big scratch as it is to make a small scratch.
My M7 has a bunch of lil scratches on it, mostly from me putting it face down on tables, and one time I kept it in the same tight jeans pocket as my Anker battery pack (it was charging the phone) and somehow the battery pack left a rub mark on the screen =.=
Will be putting a screen protector on my M8 probably.. not sure.. meh
I have a cheap one ordered for now.

Nippero said:
Thats not how hardness works.
If you have something hard enough (compared to the gorilla glass) then it'll be just as easy to make a big scratch as it is to make a small scratch.
My M7 has a bunch of lil scratches on it, mostly from me putting it face down on tables, and one time I kept it in the same tight jeans pocket as my Anker battery pack (it was charging the phone) and somehow the battery pack left a rub mark on the screen =.=
Will be putting a screen protector on my M8 probably.. not sure.. meh
I have a cheap one ordered for now.
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thats the best way around. and I prefer http://www.clear-coat.com/ as i tried it on my Butterfly S and loved it! very thin smooth and you dont feel like you even applied any sort of protection + i got life time warranty on it.

jspradling7 said:
I haven't used a screen protector in almost three years. Do you lay the phone face down on tables, rub the phone on your shirt or pants to clean the screen, or use paper towels on it? I don't baby my phones at all and never get scratches. Sorry you scratched yours.
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This x 100. I think this every time I see someone say something like the OP. I have never used Screen protectors or Cases on any of my phones, and I have never damaged a single phone. Sure light scratches on the back from setting it on tables/desks, but never the screen.
Biggest reasons I see people scratch screens are setting it face down, putting it in pockets/bags with change/keys, or dry wiping the screen (using a cloth/shirt/etc to wipe off the screen... rubbing sand/etc in to glass)

crawlgsx said:
This x 100. I think this every time I see someone say something like the OP. I have never used Screen protectors or Cases on any of my phones, and I have never damaged a single phone. Sure light scratches on the back from setting it on tables/desks, but never the screen.
Biggest reasons I see people scratch screens are setting it face down, putting it in pockets/bags with change/keys, or dry wiping the screen (using a cloth/shirt/etc to wipe off the screen... rubbing sand/etc in to glass)
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As true as that is with other people, I've done nothing but treat the M8 with care. Never face down on a surface, always resting fully on a surface rather than hanging off, always carried in a pocket with no other items, regular cleaning all over,... other than the possibility of grit I still don't see how this could have happened as it's been treated with the utmost care. Even when plugging the micro USB cable in I've done it carefully and properly so as to avoid any markings around the port as happened on the One S. Yes, when my devices reach the end of their tenure they tend to look sub-par, but I never mistreat them. Other than my old Qtek and Touch Pro2, I've yet to have a device live out its period of usage and come out the other end with an unmarked screen.

Personally I always end up with little scratches on my Screen. My M7 was no exception. That had quite a few small scratches on the screen, but I never kept a screen protector on.
My M8 now has a screen protector and I will probably keep it that way. The ones I picked up are brilliant and I can't even tell it's on there without squinting my eyes!

I haven't used a screen protector since I had my HTC Hero and I never have scratched screens. The Captivate has some hairline scratches but it also went flying out of a moving vehicle so its amazing the glass isn't shattered entirely.

I've been using the original Desire since 2010 without a protector and maybe half of that was without a case. I can only find 2 or 3 hairline scratches which I can't even see unless I turn off the screen and reflect some light over them. I've slipped on some ice once and fell directly onto my phone without a case and it only cracked my camera lens cover. If my 4+ year old phone can handle that without gorilla glass, then I can only imagine that any new phone I buy should be near invincible.

I used to hate screen protectors until I started using Spigen ones. I get them for all my phones and most folks have no idea there's a screen protector when I sell the phone. They are very good quality, and the fit is always perfect if you take your time to do it right. NEVER buy those junk screen protectors that the carrier stores sell. Those are the ones that make people hate screen protectors.

biggles1000 said:
As true as that is with other people, I've done nothing but treat the M8 with care. Never face down on a surface, always resting fully on a surface rather than hanging off, always carried in a pocket with no other items, regular cleaning all over,... other than the possibility of grit I still don't see how this could have happened as it's been treated with the utmost care. Even when plugging the micro USB cable in I've done it carefully and properly so as to avoid any markings around the port as happened on the One S. Yes, when my devices reach the end of their tenure they tend to look sub-par, but I never mistreat them. Other than my old Qtek and Touch Pro2, I've yet to have a device live out its period of usage and come out the other end with an unmarked screen.
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a google search brought me to this forum and I just wanted to post to help get the word out there: I've had the same experience with my M8. this is my fifth smartphone total and I haven't used any kind of screen protector since the early days. I've never needed them, never had any issues with scratches until this one. I've only had it for two weeks and have treated it with the same level of care I have all the others but somehow it's gotten several in that time. it's like there's some sort of extra layer over top or something, but so far I haven't found any info supporting this. I tried taking it back but of course t mobile won't give me the time of day. so it looks like I'm stuck with it for the next six months at least.
excellent phone otherwise.