Screen protector and case: which ones actually save your phone

Every day we replace screens broken in drops, and we see which protection works and which doesn't.

Screen protector

Helps: a good tempered-glass protector covering the whole screen and fully glued (full glue). On impact it cracks instead of the screen, and replacing it costs very little compared with a screen.

Doesn't help: - film instead of glass: fine against scratches, useless against impacts; - glass glued only at the edges: there's an air gap underneath, so the impact passes to the screen; - a protector that's already cracked: it no longer protects, replace it.

Tip: if a protector interferes with Face ID or the proximity sensor (the screen stays on at your ear during calls), it's the wrong size or has a poor cutout.

Case

What matters: - a lip above the screen: 1–1.5 mm above the glass, so a face-down drop lands on the lip; - a lip around the cameras: the camera bump should sit below the case edge; - reinforced corners: most drops land on a corner; - material: soft silicone/TPU absorbs impact better than thin hard plastic.

Thin "pretty" cases protect against scratches but barely help in a drop onto tiles.

Camera

The camera glass often takes the hit in a drop. There are separate protectors for the camera bump, but a case with a high lip is better.

When protection won't help

• A drop in water — see phone fell in water.
• Bending in a back pocket.
• A hard hit on a corner — it can crack even under good glass.

If the screen is already cracked: cracked glass but the screen works. More about repair: iPhone screen replacement.

Read also

• Phone fell in water: what to do in the first 10 minutes (and why not rice)
• Phone dropped in the sea: why salt water is worse than fresh water
• IP68 water resistance: can you swim with your phone?
• Cracked glass but the screen works: can you replace just the glass?