READ NEXT: Best iPad cases The best iPhone screen protectors to buy in 2023 1. JTech Tempered Glass Screen Protector: The best all-rounder Yes! Whether your doctor has warned you to stay away from any bacteria or you're just a bit of a germaphobe, screen protectors with antimicrobial coatings will help to prevent and eliminate surface bacteria from lurking on your phone screen. How we test But this coating isn’t entirely scratch proof, however. An extra layer of protection is never a bad thing, and this will ensure that any key scratches, abrasion, or general wear and tear will be totally shielded. What will I do with my new iPhone 14 Pro? Considering how well Ceramic Shield seems to have protected my iPhone 13 Pro from scratches that I can feel or that affect performance, I’ll probably leave it to do its job again. There’s no doubt a screen protector would have taken these scratches and protected the Ceramic Shield beneath it, and when you took it off, the original screen would still be in pristine condition. This is helpful if you want to sell the phone in the future. However, in the meantime, you will have to use the phone with a screen protector on it, and not all have the same degree of tactility as the actual screen they cover. Plus, there’s no denying what a pain they can be to fit in the first place.

Do I regret not putting a screen protector on the iPhone 13 Pro, or has Ceramic Shield glass done a good job at keeping it free from scratches and scuffs? You can see in the short video above how it has performed, but understanding its effectiveness is more than just seeing if you can spot scratches on the surface. Scratched, but not badly While a tempered glass is the material of choice for most screen protectors, they're not for everyone. Some people prefer the feel and touch sensitivity of a film screen protector like the Supershieldz PET 14 Screen Protector. When measuring how tough a tempered glass screen protector is, manufacturers use a hardness scale that ranges from 6 to 9. Higher numbers are better, and the Spigen Tempered Glass Screen Protector is rated at 9H hardness, which is as good as it gets.

Conclusion

Supershieldz uses high-quality Japanese PET film, which consists of five layers of protection. This material is easier to install than tempered glass, but earlier film screens would leave residue on your phone's screen. PET screen protectors have come a long way, and Supershieldz says these are residue-free. No matter how careful you are, the screen is the most vulnerable part of your iPhone 14. Even if you never drop your phone, simply using it often enough is all it takes to degrade the quality of your screen. Take a look at our case guides for the latest flagship smartphones that boast the most powerful cameras: including the best Google Pixel 7 Pro cases, as well as the best Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra cases, to protect your phone from daily damage. The biggest advantage of film screen protectors is the feel and touch sensitivity. To help the overall feel, the top layer of this film screen protector uses HD Clear Coating. This helps your screen stay looking shiny and new, but also feels more seamless to use.

Any screen protector you choose takes the damage your screen would have otherwise. Tempered glass is the strongest, but it's not the only option. Film screen protectors (often PET plastic) are cheaper and easier to apply, and some people prefer the feel.PET plastic is a great alternative to tempered glass, since it’s usually much cheaper and thinner, meaning it won’t protrude from your phone’s screen as much. On the downside, it isn’t nearly as strong, so it won’t provide the best level of protection. Considering the number of scratches the iPhone 13 Pro has accumulated over the last 12 months, and how I can only feel one of them with my fingernail, Ceramic Shield has done an impressive job. My phone hasn’t had any fights with a hammer or fallen from a great height, so I can’t speak to its ultimate performance. A screen protector may help keep the screen in one piece in more extreme circumstances, so if you’re prone to accidents it’s still a worthwhile addition to your new iPhone 14, along with a good case.

This is my iPhone 13 Pro's screen after a year of use without a screen protector, so you can see how Ceramic Shield has worked to keep it free from harm. We weren't born yesterday, and we know that most manufacturers will exaggerate and upsell key features of screen protectors knowing that you'll never test them. For example, some products might be listed with 10ft drop protection, but we aren't about to find out for ourselves whether that's true.

Tempered glass is the most popular choice for screen protectors. It’s a reasonably thin and somewhat flexible panel, and is the toughest of all the materials used to protect your iPhone screen – but they also tend to be the most expensive options Most high-end phone screens are already protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. Since being specifically designed to make smartphones more resistant to damage in 2005, it’s gone through over five different generations. The latest iPhone 13 range uses Corning’s Ceramic Shield material.