Apple banning sale of iPhone Screen Protectors in its stores?

According to a number of rumors from Apple fan websites and from a few Apple store branch owners, it seems they will discontinue selling the popular film screen protectors for the iPhone, iPod, and Mac.

[movements]

That's not cool

[Uncle Rico]

Sucks. Im buying a 3GS after being fed up with my BB, but im kinda disappointed that they are gonna stop selling the protector since I have a tendency to be rough with my phone screens. Ill just have to check another retailer.

[ThanatosDMC]

Maybe they'll come out with one of their own?

[deafwing]

... as if we all go to the "apple" store to by screen protectors. They can ban it all it they want but I'm sure third parties will continue to make the protectors under a different name.

I guess apple wants our screens to get all crappy looking to warrant an iphone 4 purchase?

[WhittO]

there really isnt much need unless you arent going to take care of it.

I have had my 3GS since last July and there isn't a singe scratch on the screen, not even the small 1s you get in the sun and I use it fully each day.

If you drop it on a concrete floor, a plastic screen protector isn't going to help much at all.

I don't see the point in getting covers to prevent scratched surfaces, because you will never see it anyway if its put in a cover day 1, I'm only going to buy a cover when mine has scratches to hide...

[butterfinger]

This article is stupid. They are making it sound like Apple is doing something bad here, but there is absolutely no point in having a screen protector on an iPhone or iPod Touch. The screen is virtually scratch resistant. http://www.youtube.com/watc... The sale of these screen protectors is a total rip-off, and I feel bad for anyone that has bought one. All they really do is make it easier for dirt to collect on the edges of your screen and under the protector.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Yeah, for the most part you don't need screen protectors on the newer touch phones. However, I just like to put them on for the peace of mind.

For the most part you can't tell they are there....

[silvacrest]

i totally dissagree with both of you, i had a iphone and its not scratch proof, although that youtube vid is impressive my own experience with the phone shows a different side, there is a reason why people selling them on ebay mention if they have scratches or not

if anything the protector is dirt cheap so nothing really lost there and it actually keeps dirt off the screen as well as fingerprints

and lol @ protectors being a scam, their not exactly high value items and you can get two for £1.50 on ebay

"If you drop it on a concrete floor, a plastic screen protector isn't going to help much at all.

I don't see the point in getting covers to prevent scratched surfaces, because you will never see it anyway if its put in a cover day 1, I'm only going to buy a cover when mine has scratches to hide..."

lol, first, a back cover would protect against falling damage, assuming it fell on its back, no one said a screen protector would prevent falling damage, why you even mentioned it, i dont no

second, people put on protectors day one so the screen is immaculate for resale among other obvious reasons, if you would only buy a protector after scratches appear then LMAO

also the way the iphone is built means dirt cant collect around the edges (atleast mine didn't) although phones like the nokia 5800 would easily collect it

[WhittO]

I said to prevent from damage from dropping it because that's why most people buy them (from my experience), or putting in pocket with keys etc (lol why people would do that anyway! but it still wouldn't make much difference unless hard).

Only the latest iphone has scratch & finger print resistant screen (oleophobic coating). Since older models (3G) never had this, might be why it had more scratching for you.

My point is, why get cases and screen protectors, to stop scratches (goal to be for it not to look crap), when the covers make a good looking phone, look really bad anyway, might aswell wait until it looks crap with scratches then get a screen to hide them?

Unless wanting to prevent damage? like I said, in which case not going to make much difference at all (unless hard case which most aren't).

Point in having ugly bulky cover to hide scratches and to keep phone looking new - when you cant even see it to tell if its new anyway?

However, if you are planning to re-sell then yes, you would prob take more care and buy lots of cases etc, so I understand that point.

Also, having a case leads to a number of problems like increased heat etc.

[silvacrest]

you're generalizing a bit are you not? why is anyone gonna buy a ugly case? i bought a sleek black and silver case which looked awesome

its not like manufacturers make cases only for aesthetics, their main job is to protect and they do their job, i dropped my iphone on concrete, the case didn't even get damaged never mind the iphone

have you had a case not do its job or something? otherwise i dont get where your coming from, like i said my case did do its job

again, resale is a BIG reason to get a case/protector anyway

i would put on a nice looking case and protector day one so i wouldn't be hiding anything

lol no need to "buy lots of cases", one back case, one screen protector is all i had and needed

[WhittO]

Yes, I know there are nice looking cases out there but most the 1s I have seen myself are people that have the cheap silicone 1s that make the iphone look really crap haha and are pointless.

But ye, not all are bad and they can help sometimes, I have had one of these: http://www.play.com/Mobiles...
Wasn't bad but I dropped my iphone down the stairs (haha almost jumped after it) and the damage was done inside because of force etc, not on the case itself, so cases only go so far.

Anyway, going on about this way too much haha, just wanted to give my opinion and you either like cases or you don't, I just happen to prefer the original look/casing.

[silvacrest]

okay fair enough, i'll leave it at that

[travelguy2k]

anti glare screen protector, and the last half without. I have many scratches on the screen because of when my phone is in my pocket with my keys.

[butterfinger]

I love how selective you are. The iPhone is made so that dirt CAN'T collect around the edges? Well, I have to disagree with you, because that has not be my personal experience with it (see what I did there?). You can go on and on about how cheap screen protectors are on eBay, but the fact of the matter is people aren't going to go to eBay first to buy them, they are going to go somewhere like Best Buy where the protectors start at $14.99 for ONE! If that isn't a scam, I don't know what is. http://www.bestbuy.com/site...

@travelguy2k - Why on Earth would you put your cell phone in your pocket with your keys? By doing that, you make it very clear that you are either lying or don't give sh!t about the phone to begin with.

[SKUD]

"Some of the speculations include the problem of film application to the screen. Many times, consumers put on the film but end up have a few air bubbles or ripples, obviously causing it to look imperfect. Since the application process is so difficult"

What a joke.

[ryhanon]

I suspect this may be due to screen protectors interfering with the light sensors on the front of the phone. The light sensors are there so that when you're on a call and hold the phone to your face, the screen goes dark and disables touch controls so that you're not pushing buttons with your ear. The problem is that the screen protectors, when not applied correctly, leave a bunch of tiny air bubbles between them and the glass - this often interferes with these light sensors which causes the phone to get confused and leave the screen dark with touch functions disabled even after you've taken it away from your face.

This has been a very common and widespread issue with the iPhone since launch, it affected me for a long time as well until I learned it was the screen protector causing the problem. To be honest, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

That said, the way around this issue is to cut a small corner out of the top left of the screen protector so there is no chance of any bubbles obscuring the light sensors (as that's where they're located on the phone).

[tudors]

I was thinking how did I miss that, funny thing is there are many clock projectors and I think something like that in a ipod with reasonable resoltion and 500+ lumins would be great.

[dredgewalker]

Im curious why Apple would ban the protectors since the glass is only scratch resistant not scratch proof hence my ipod touch has the screen protector.

[sonnyz]

I remember seeing a video online of a guy scratching his iPhone screen with a razor blade, and it left no scratch. I always tell people that the screen protectors are a scam.

[butterfinger]

whatever scratches your iPod/iPhone screen would easily go through any screen protector out there.

[spunnups]

What a stupid idea. It says banning sale in its stores but i've seen these in Best Buy as well. This is not good PR at all.

[Mr_Showtime1]

It's to do with the high amount of returns they recieve from these. It's just not wroth the hassle for them to have to deal with so many customers who applied it incorrectly and now want a refund or a replacment. The margin of profit was more than likely just not worth the trouble.

[griffis007]

This article reads like it's anti-Apple, specualting that apple are trying to "squeeze more out of customers" or "rip them off"

Juvenile crap.

[no_more_trolling]

apple stuff is so not over priced

/s

[Fatal Blow]

Well i got one from apple store when the iphone 3gs came out got that with the iphone 3gs no problem at all

[bjornbear]

if something breaks your iphone or itouch screen, i doubt a screen protector would help =/ they are meant to be SUPER resistant

my bro broke his, and he had a screen protector =/

[JJFNIGHTS80]

Scratch and break APPLE.