All iPads Struggling, screen protector or no screen protector? (Apple Pencil)

[macdogpro]

I have been using a matte screen protector since I got my ipad and man watching media on it is horrible. Also, I need to keep my ipad at 85-90% brightness otherwise it feels too dull. I want to remove it but its so much easier to write with the protector on. I think my ipad had coating issues since day 1 since some spots were slippery, but i just "owned up" and got a screen protector. Thinking about it, I should have returned it and re-ordered it but I didnt want to wait 2 months or get a refurbished device through replacement.

What’s the brand of your matte screen protector?
I think the quality is differ from one brand to another.
I use SwitchEasy, and I don’t find problem using regular brightness on my iPad Pro. It does not darkens the screen.
Also there‘s no grainny nor rainbow effect on it.
Glare is significantly reduced.
The only downside is reduced contrast and clarity which in given time, I can get used to it.
Something I would expect and trade from finger print oils and screen glare when using naked screen.

 

[Natzoo]

What’s the brand of your matte screen protector?
I think the quality is differ from one brand to another.
I use SwitchEasy, and I don’t find problem using regular brightness on my iPad Pro. It does not darkens the screen.
Also there‘s no grainny nor rainbow effect on it.
Glare is significantly reduced.
The only downside is reduced contrast and clarity which in given time, I can get used to it.
Something I would expect and trade from finger print oils and screen glare when using naked screen.

I bought PaperLike and really wished I did research on the product before purchasing, it is a total ripoff. Would take it off and purchase another one but it was $40. Might try SwitchEasy or Icarez once the time comes to replace the protector, since going "naked" isnt an option for me without replacing the Ipad.

 

[macdogpro]

I bought PaperLike and really wished I did research on the product before purchasing, it is a total ripoff. Would take it off and purchase another one but it was $40. Might try SwitchEasy or Icarez once the time comes to replace the protector, since going "naked" isnt an option for me without replacing the Ipad.

Ah that’s too bad, I too almost fell for it. Totally rip-off for what it is.
Yeah iCarez should be worth look into. Many good recommendation.

 

[Mahasamatman]

I left them off on my 10.5 and 11 inch iPad Pro’s but have fitted a Megoo glass protector to y 12.9 inch model and really like it. Fittting it was a bit of a hassle - I wasted the first one of the two pack but the second went on fine. Aside from being able to see the line round the screen where the protector is a couple of mm shorter in width Snd height, I can’t tell it’s on there.

 

[darngooddesign]

Subjective question, but which screen protectors feel the best with the Pencil2?

 

[Natzoo]

Subjective question, but which screen protectors feel the best with the Pencil2?

I bet any matte screen protector will feel the best, paperlike feels pretty good but it is too grainy and dulls the screen.

 

[vine-boating]

I've used Anker tempered glass and finally settled on iCarez matte screen protectors. I like them so much I use them on my iPhone now too. I find using the Apple Pencil with this case on - and reading books for hours and hours and hours to be very pleasant. Gets rid of finger prints and glare. The viewing quality isn't significantly effected enough for me to want to remove it. I've used them for years now.

They're pretty cheap - can't hurt to try - if you don't like it - can go right back to the glass. My wife definitely prefers the glass (no screen protector).

Unfortunately they don't see icarez in the UK
I need a screen protector too!

 

[vine-boating]

No screen protector is the best viewing experience, however, although you won’t scratch the glass by normal usage, if you use the ipad outdoors or you have plenty dust indoors, the dust particle might scratch the glass from swiping it with finger or Pencil. I recommend use protector. Not to mention the glass is finger oil magnet. Looks gross.

For Pencil usage, I like paper like matte film protector. It gives me more precise control.
Just don’t buy the overly expensive original “PaperLike” protector. They’re expensive and easy to get scratch.
Buy well known matte screen protector brands. I personally use SwitchEasy. Many suggest iCarez. ESR also an okay product many says. Also avoid the really cheap ones.

Yes matte screen protector reduce contrast and clarity significantly, but I get used to it in no time. Much better than glarry and oily screen previously on naked screen.
Matte protectors also said to wear off the Pencil tip faster, but they’re cheap anyways.

I’ve heard people said removing screen protector also removes the coating, but my guessing is they use cheap protectors with cheap adhesive, hence, avoid cheap products.

I don’t like glass screen protector for drawing, the slight gap makes the touching less accurate for detailed drawing.

How was the switch easy protector? Thinking of buying it...

 

[vine-boating]

Ah that’s too bad, I too almost fell for it. Totally rip-off for what it is.
Yeah iCarez should be worth look into. Many good recommendation.

I want the icarez one but sadly it's not in the UK. Only Amazon US.

 

[macdogpro]

How was the switch easy protector? Thinking of buying it...

As I wrote on post #26, it’s pretty good. No complaints.
Recommended for Pencil usage.

 

[vine-boating]

As I wrote on post #26, it’s pretty good. No complaints.
Recommended for Pencil usage.

Has it got any scratches? that is one of the criticisms of the paperlike screen protector - it scratches like crazy

 

[macdogpro]

Has it got any scratches? that is one of the criticisms of the paperlike screen protector - it scratches like crazy

Mine hasn’t got any apparent scratches.
But I use my Pencil not too often, only for occasional drawing and scribbling with light to moderate strokes.

It does shows some light marks from using smart folio cover. The inner side of the cover collects dusts and leaves light marks when in contact with the screen protector. Might as well leaves marks due to friction, not particularly sticking dust.

 

[vine-boating]

Mine hasn’t got any apparent scratches.
But I use my Pencil not too often, only for occasional drawing and scribbling with light to moderate strokes.

It does shows some light marks from using smart folio cover. The inner side of the cover collects dusts and leaves light marks when in contact with the screen protector. Might as well leaves marks due to friction, not particularly sticking dust.

Ahhh I see
I guess its impossible to not get scratches on matte protectors....plus I will be using the smart folio cover as well so its inevitable. I would get the icarez which has a lot of good reviews but they dont sell it in the UK.
What do you clean the screen obviously with the protector on with? Can you use a screen cleaner on matte?

 

[macdogpro]

Ahhh I see
I guess its impossible to not get scratches on matte protectors....plus I will be using the smart folio cover as well so its inevitable. I would get the icarez which has a lot of good reviews but they dont sell it in the UK.
What do you clean the screen obviously with the protector on with? Can you use a screen cleaner on matte?

Yes I believe so. Matte screen protector will eventually scratched due to the surface material nature.

I would suggest try to use SwitchEasy, not that expensive if you turns out don’t like it.

I just use microfiber cloth. Haven’t tried using screen cleaner.
But many suggest using damped cloth as well.

 

[ParaShot]

I'm still going back and forth about screen protector but one thing bothers me is that is it true that you damage the screen coating when you apply screen protector and take it off if you don't like it? I know OP has asked this but I couldn't find any solid responses. Or did I miss it by any chance?
Now I'm using bare glass. I'd love to try some matte finishes but if it's going to hurt the screen I wouldn't try it. Any suggestions on this topic?

 

[sparksd]

I'm still going back and forth about screen protector but one thing bothers me is that is it true that you damage the screen coating when you apply screen protector and take it off if you don't like it? I know OP has asked this but I couldn't find any solid responses. Or did I miss it by any chance?
Now I'm using bare glass. I'd love to try some matte finishes but if it's going to hurt the screen I wouldn't try it. Any suggestions on this topic?

I have removed screen protectors and don't believe that the screen coating was damaged.

 

[Starscape]

I've been using my iPad Pro 9.7 for almost 4 years now, every single day with with the pencil, without a screen protector and I don't have any scratches whatsoever. I think using a screen protector will detract from how the pencil feels in use.

 

[Starscape]

One thing though that I would like to add here is, I was always from the No Screen Protector Camp till the time I applied one on my 11" iPad Pro there are certain pros & cons of having it. It definitely gives you the peace of Mind, No Scratches, No Finger Prints on the screen You are 100% relaxed that your iPad is safe with normal usage, but on the Flip Side (I maybe nit picking here) But I do feel a reduction in screen display quality by about 10%-15% So if one is ok with it, there is no looking back.

The iPad was designed to be 'safe' without a screen protector in normal use. If the screen protector really reduced the quality of the display by 10-15%, then it would seem silly to me to use one. I want to get the full experience of this device that I paid a premium for. I've never scratched the screen in my iPad Pro and that unit is used for many hours every single day, both indoors and outdoors for more than three years now. I will also say that a friend of mine had one of those tempered glass screen protectors on her iPad and she dropped a TV remote on it, which cracked the screen protector. When I removed the broken glass screen protector, small pieces of glass from it breaking definitely left small scratches on the screen.

 

[BigMcGuire]

My wife is a PhD student and used her 10.5 pro for years (hours every day) with the pencil - no screen protector. Screen was fine. Now she's doing it again on her iPad Pro 11.

So I know it doesn't hurt the screen. I just like the feel of the matte screen protector as I write... but more importantly, reading books for hours and hours with no glare at near lowest brightness is the winner for me.

 

[BigMcGuire]

The iPad was designed to be 'safe' without a screen protector in normal use. If the screen protector really reduced the quality of the display by 10-15%, then it would seem silly to me to use one. I want to get the full experience of this device that I paid a premium for. I've never scratched the screen in my iPad Pro and that unit is used for many hours every single day, both indoors and outdoors for more than three years now. I will also say that a friend of mine had one of those tempered glass screen protectors on her iPad and she dropped a TV remote on it, which cracked the screen protector. When I removed the broken glass screen protector, small pieces of glass from it breaking definitely left small scratches on the screen.

THIS! I've had tempered glass screen protectors spider and snap, scratching the screen under them when I've tried to remove them.

I had a 100% perfect tempered glass screen protector randomly spider in front of me while on an overseas flight to another country. Not sure if the pressure had anything to do with it but trying to peel that off definitely left marks. I don't like those things ... they always seemed to spider, crack, chip ... after a year or so and.... the reflectivity was far worse than naked screen.

 

[jmgregory1]

I want the icarez one but sadly it's not in the UK. Only Amazon US.

I wonder why they don’t sell the iCarez screen protectors in the UK? Perhaps they don’t have any kind of distribution agreements in Europe yet. Maybe worth reaching out to them through their website.

 

[Natzoo]

My wife is a PhD student and used her 10.5 pro for years (hours every day) with the pencil - no screen protector. Screen was fine. Now she's doing it again on her iPad Pro 11.

So I know it doesn't hurt the screen. I just like the feel of the matte screen protector as I write... but more importantly, reading books for hours and hours with no glare at near lowest brightness is the winner for me.

I think I will give this a shot again, but not using a screen protector is a bad experience for me since the coating was already uneven. It will get better once I clean the screen with a damp microfiber cloth but goes back to uneven coating once it dries.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I think I will give this a shot again, but not using a screen protector is a bad experience for me since the coating was already uneven. It will get better once I clean the screen with a damp microfiber cloth but goes back to uneven coating once it dries.

My experience (without a screen protector) is that the screen responds differently due to a multitude of factors. Yeah, some uneven coating - but what bothered me more was the hand grease - my pencil would hit patches of that and slip a lot easier than on the clean'er parts of the screen. So I was always cleaning my screen - I'd bring a cloth with me to every class.

The matte screen protector fixed that for me completely. I can use that for a month without cleaning it and it doesn't affect viewability. The feel of the pencil on the screen is far improved. --- Just make sure not to get a cheap one that affects readability too much. (I use iCarez).

 

[Starscape]

I can definitely understand about the need to reduce screen glare with a matte screen protector. I am curious now to try one to see how the pencil feels using it. I won't ever use a glass screen protector though. I think those create more problems than they aim to solve and they seem to be extremely fragile.

I think a lot of folks don't realize just how durable the glass on an iPad/iPhone is. i realize it's a big, smooth surface that looks like it would invite damage, but my iPad Pro has seen extremely heavy use - much more so than the average user - and the screen is still flawless. For example - I am out on the water in the Florida Keys and Gulf a lot for hours at a time and my iPad is always with me. That means it's in constant 90-degree weather, getting splashed occasionally by saltwater, and very often in direct sunlight while it's being used. My iPad doesn't even have a case because I don't like the bulk they add. So, as it's said here - it's totally naked in use. LOL. The aluminum iPad case has a number of scratches and small dents on it, but the screen is perfect. The glass on it is very tough.

 

[Natzoo]

but what bothered me more was the hand grease

Also, so much debris would be attracted to the screen like it was a magnet, and fingerprints were easily imprinted on the device. Now that I think about this, I'll probably stay with a screen protector but will give it a shot without one.