It’s rare to purchase something that will actually increase the value of your smartphone, but there’s one item that offers more value per dollar than any insurance plan: a screen protector. The thin piece of plastic or glass could save your fancy-pants iPhone X from a fall that would leave it shattered into countless pieces. Even better, it could boost your device’s resale value a few hundred bucks.
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Make Extra When You Sell Your Phone
Not all screen protectors are created equal. To figure out which one you’re most comfortable with, look into the pros and cons of each type.
Plastic screen protectors are thinner and more flexible, but offer less protection from serious falls. Glass screen protectors are thicker, but can withstand a bit more wear and tear compared to the plastic counterpart. Some have features like oleophobic coatings, or are made of stronger, tempered glass.
Of course, plastic screen protectors are cheaper and you can expect to pay anywhere from $2 to $10 for a pack of two or more. Glass protectors will run you a bit more, anywhere from $10 to $50 depending on the type you prefer. The more expensive it is, the more likely it’s got features like increased impact resistance or an oil-resistant coating.
The investment will be worth it in the long run, so you may as well go for broke and get a high-quality one.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/10/dont-buy-the-pixel-2-xl-until-google-sorts-out-its-display-problems/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/xcksa9gasjlmmgaut8aj.jpg” title=”Don’t Buy The Pixel 2 XL Until Google Sorts Out Its Display Problems” excerpt=”If you’re mulling the Pixel 2 XL for your next smartphone upgrade, you may want to think twice, or at least put your decision on hold for a few days. Early versions of the device could have a hardware flaw that causes permanent damage to the screen.”]
Time marches on and eventually you’ll have to (or want to) get rid of your smartphone. You could, of course, sell it, but the resale value for phones depends heavily on the condition they’re in. As you can guess, phones with perfect, scratch-free screens can net you more cash than those with scratches, deep cuts, or, broken glass. But how much more cash?
To see how much a broken screen can affect your smartphone’s resale value, I used US smartphone resale site Gazelle and asked about the resale value of a 256GB iPhone 7. In perfect condition, Gazelle offers $US340 ($445). Not the most money, but hey, enough to ease the pain of buying an iPhone X.
In good condition, you’ll get $US305 ($399). But if your phone has a cracked screen, that $US305 ($399) drops to $US120 ($157). That difference of over $US200 ($262) is basically a list of 200 reasons you should outfit your phone with something like a screen protector. And while these prices are in US dollar, they should give you an idea of what you can expect
Comments
2 responses to “How You Can Save A Few Hundred Dollars With A Screen Protector”
I think this needs the rather large caveate that you should still absolutely treat your phone as if it doesn’t have a screen protector.
First up, remember that screen protectors are really for protecting your screen from scratches not impact. They do of course add impact protection, it’s just that by their very nature of being nice and thin, they can’t add a whole lot.
For impact protection you need to be using a case with raised sides that cover the corners of your screen – what is commonly called a bumper style case.
Screen protectors really do come into their own with scratch protection. If you don’t have a flagship phone, you really do need a screen protector for this reason, but even the high end screens can get scratches in the right conditions. For example your iphone or Samsung galaxy is unlikely to get a scratch from keys in your pocket, but when you drop it enough force can be applied to scratch it.
Impact. The problem is that people usually decide to buy a screen protector and always use one or don’t. So the people who drop their phones and they don’t break, proclaim either the screen protector saved it or that they’re useless
Truth is they save a little. You are adding a barrier. But you’re not adding a big one. People often imagine that the ground has to smash its was through the screen protector to get to your screen, it doesn’t. It’s about energy, and how much energy reaches your screen through the screen protector. They will do their bit, but quite often there was just too much energy already, or you’ve dropped your screen a few times before and it’s weak.
The biggest problem is they very, very rarely cover the corners. That’s the weakspot and where nearly all fatal impacts happen.
Use a screen protector, but don’t believe the hype is basically the advice. Generally I say use a glass one because the plastic ones scratch something awful and turn out to be a bit of a false economy if you keep buying new ones when they scratch, especially now glass ones are so cheap.
But if you really want to save a few hundred dollars, please. Use a bumper case with a raised front edge. They’re a little thicker, but they do save.
Source: former Genius Bar employee that’s repaired literally hundreds of screens.
One of the best, and most thought out, comments I’ve ever read. And too true.
Never worked for Apple, but have used a screen protector and bumper style case since I first picked up my iPhone 4. I’ve never looked back and also been able to on-sell my iPhone every two years.
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