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MichaelColley

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 14, 2014
52
23
Hit my fingernail on the screen pretty hard while trying to pick up my phone. I became curious as to whether or not my fingernail could scratch the oleophobic coating...

Is it so thin to create scratches in the film? or can I expect it to be stronger than a scratch from my finger nails?
 

BugeyeSTI

macrumors 604
Aug 19, 2017
7,217
9,068
Arizona/Illinois
Hit my fingernail on the screen pretty hard while trying to pick up my phone. I became curious as to whether or not my fingernail could scratch the oleophobic coating...

Is it so thin to create scratches in the film? or can I expect it to be stronger than a scratch from my finger nails?
If you have a bit of dirt on your finger, then rub it around the screen that’s enough to cause micro scratches. I doubt a finger nail would do it
 

44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,494
Hit my fingernail on the screen pretty hard while trying to pick up my phone. I became curious as to whether or not my fingernail could scratch the oleophobic coating...

Is it so thin to create scratches in the film? or can I expect it to be stronger than a scratch from my finger nails?

Keep in mind, the oleophobic coating is more in line of actually adding protection for smudges and fingerprints, then it is against actual scratches. It’s naturally organic, so it will dissipate over the course of time with usage. If you do scratch the coating, depending on the severity, you likely also scratched the display, which is usually a very fine scratch that you can see under certain lighting.
 

LaynieGorilla

macrumors 6502
Jan 1, 2011
486
29
PA
Mines already has scratches in it and I received nine Monday. Not sure if they came from my earrings when I hit the phone to my ear or front when I my phone slid out my lap to under the steering wheel. Seems like the screen scratches pretty easy compared to older phones to me.
 

HEK

macrumors 68040
Sep 24, 2013
3,547
6,080
US Eastern time zone
Mines already has scratches in it and I received nine Monday. Not sure if they came from my earrings when I hit the phone to my ear or front when I my phone slid out my lap to under the steering wheel. Seems like the screen scratches pretty easy compared to older phones to me.
Gold earrings are softer than the glass but diamonds are hardest substance and will scratch the you know what out of the glass screen.
 

Donnation

Suspended
Nov 2, 2014
1,686
2,083
Mines already has scratches in it and I received nine Monday. Not sure if they came from my earrings when I hit the phone to my ear or front when I my phone slid out my lap to under the steering wheel. Seems like the screen scratches pretty easy compared to older phones to me.

Every year the exact same comments are made. "I think this model scratches more easily than last years."

They are glass, and they will scratch. If you don't mind the micro-scratches then don't get a screen protector. If they bother you I recommend getting one.
 

MichaelColley

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 14, 2014
52
23
Keep in mind, the oleophobic coating is more in line of actually adding protection for smudges and fingerprints, then it is against actual scratches. It’s naturally organic, so it will dissipate over the course of time with usage. If you do scratch the coating, depending on the severity, you likely also scratched the display, which is usually a very fine scratch that you can see under certain lighting.
well for one I have a screen protector. The man at the mall who installed it was the one who took off the plastic from the iphone. So technically I have never touched the display on my iPhone. When I picked it up my nail caught in the portion between the screen protector and the stainless steel.

Fingernails have a mohs hardness of 2.5 where glass has a hardness of I think 5.5 or 6.5. My fingernail could never scratch the screen. Im more worried about the oleophobic coating.
 

DaveOP

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2011
1,600
2,412
Portland, OR
well for one I have a screen protector. The man at the mall who installed it was the one who took off the plastic from the iphone. So technically I have never touched the display on my iPhone. When I picked it up my nail caught in the portion between the screen protector and the stainless steel.

Fingernails have a mohs hardness of 2.5 where glass has a hardness of I think 5.5 or 6.5. My fingernail could never scratch the screen. Im more worried about the oleophobic coating.
I've always been VERY against screen protectors, but my iPhone X had a bunch of noticeable scratches after a year. They were only apparent from a certain angle, which leads me to believe they were in some type of coating, but quite annoying when visible. I put tempered glass on the XS Max before even touching the screen myself this year.
 

LaynieGorilla

macrumors 6502
Jan 1, 2011
486
29
PA
Every year the exact same comments are made. "I think this model scratches more easily than last years."

They are glass, and they will scratch. If you don't mind the micro-scratches then don't get a screen protector. If they bother you I recommend getting one.

Yea, I was just replying to the thread. I actually don’t care if it has scratches, I stopped buying screen protectors years ago. The scratches don’t make or break the phone experience me, especially when it makes for a better experience without the screen protector. It did seem to scratch easier than usual, though.
 
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