Screen protector options (Displayschutz)

I have the official screen protector with privacy filter from Fairphone. No surprise: It fits very well. The privacy filter does have a negative impact on the perceived screen resolution, so I don’t think I will order it again if it breaks some day.

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Does anybody actually know why they do not offer a blank screen protector? I’d like to get one, but I don’t want the privacy filter, neither do I want the blue light filter…

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I had the privacy shield one, but it degrades the screen in my opinion. If I keep my FP4, then I’ll go try the blue filter one. It claims to have no negative effect on the screen, but I doubt it. Let’s see.

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I wish they offered a matte one. I used to have one on one of my old phones years ago and it was so nice to use.

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I want to try a protector for a Samsung Galaxy A12/A32, looks like it may fit… Notch in the right place, screen is similar size.
Yes, the A12 screen is slightly bigger, but also it has a slightly taller aspect ratio than the FP4.
Therefore according to a screen size calculator, the FP4 screen is merely 1mm narrower than the A12 screen…
Since the bezels on the FP4 are bigger (especially the top and bottom bezels), perhaps that will balance out and the A12 screen protector will fit on the FP4 more or less?

In all, the FP4 screen is 1mm narrower and 6mm shorter than the A12 screen.
So the FP4 bezels just have to be that much bigger for the A12 screen protector to fit.

The big worry is that the FP4 notch is “deeper” than the A12 notch, which might result in the A12 screen protector covering the front FP4 camera, or even worse, partially covering it.

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I use Brotect Airglass from protectionfilms24.com and I can highly recommend it. It’s a flexible glass screen protector. 5,79 € for 1x, 7,99 € for 2x and 10,99 € for 3x.

When I first ordered it, I realised during the application process that the screen protector was slightly too big, which cased it to not sit flush to the screen (since there is a small ridge around the FP4 screen). I contacted customer service and forwarded my complaint, which resulted in them altering the product and sending me an improved version for free. With these alterations, the screen protector is the perfect size. Thumbs up for a good product, two thumbs up for stellar customer service.

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I am also using a (matte) Brotect airglass screen protector and had/have similar issues. Unfortunately, they were not able to send me an improved version but sent new protectors of the exact same size instead. Hopefully I will also get fitting ones:)

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I ordered some cheap ones at ebay. It fits well and is enough from my point of view. Didn’t feel like spending 40 € on a screen protector … #student

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let us know how the matte one is doing once you manage to get one that fits! I’m definitely interested in getting one.

Regarding the FP3 I can say the privacy filter works OKish, but I find I increase the brightness, and that sort of defeats the purpose, and also costs more battery because of that. Also, its easy to create scratches on it, while the screen itself is gorilla glass, and would’ve survived such scratches. It does degrade the quality of the screen a little bit, too. Given the screen protector is like 50% of a new screen, I’d risk it on a Fairphone (on an other phone, perhaps not!)

I had the same experience with the Brotect. Cut too big.
That being said i also didn’t like the lack of bulk on it. I don’t care how flexible the glass film that i semi-permanently adhere to my perfectly solid and flat screen is. I just want it to be protected. Didn’t feel that way about that slim thingy. I’ll still use it since there’s not that many other options for now but i’d really like a thicker one.

I can’t say for sure if it’s thicker than the brotect, but I ordered the brotect because I got the impression that the brotect was thinner. So perhaps worth checking if the above is thicker?

I just received the BROTECT AirGlass Screen Protector for my Fairphone 4 and here are some thoughts on it and the application process etc.

  • Fit?: The screen protector fits the screen and is cut perfectly. I did not have the issue that it was “cut too big” but I did have to re-align it a few times before it fit perfectly. Its very important to line up the top/bottom edge (whichever you start at) as close to the edge as you can or it won’t really fit within the “lip” around the FP4 screen when you get to the other edge. Side-to-side there is a bit more space to play with, maybe a millimeter. Top-to-bottom is very precise and tight.
  • Case Compatibility?: I have the official “Fairphone 4 Protective Soft Case” and this is fully compatible with the screen protector. Since it grips the rounded edges of the phone it doesn’t wrap over the lip around the FP4 screen, and does not interfere with the screen protector at all, even when taking the case on/off. The lip of the case is also thick enough that the screen/screen protector wont touch the surface if placed screen down.
  • Flush With Screen/Thickness?: The screen protector is thicker than the “lip” around the FP4 screen edges, so it wont “disappear into the frame” when you slide your finger over the edges. This also means the phone will rest on the screen protector itself if placed screen down on a surface. If you use the official “Fairphone 4 Protective Soft Case” this wont be an issue as the lip on this case is far thicker. However, compared to a stiff tempered glass screen protector this one is very thin. I can not accurately measure its thickness but doing some simple testing I estimate between the thickness of 2-3 sheets of regular copy paper, so 0,2-0,3mm.
  • Rounded Edges?: The screen protector does not have rounded edges I think? However, its thin enough combined with the small lip around the FP4 screen that its not very noticeable at all. If you use the official “Fairphone 4 Protective Soft Case” you wont feel/notice the edges at all since the case lip is bigger. However if you prioritize rounded/smooth edges on the screen protector then maybe this won’t be good enough for your needs?
  • Feel/Glide?: I’ve only handled the phone for a few minutes so far with the screen protector applied, but my initial reaction is that it has slightly more friction than the bare screen, so my fingers do not glide quite as easily on it. The finger glide is slightly affected but not to any meaningful degree.
  • Touch Responsiveness?: I have not noticed any change in responsiveness of the touch screen. It still seems just as sensitive and accurate as before.
  • Picture Quality?: I have not noticed any change in picture quality. This is a perfectly clear screen protector with no impact on viewing angles or clarity that I can see. Granted I did not do rigorous comparisons before/after, nor do I have another FP4 to compare with side-by side, but I wouldn’t worry about any impact on clarity.
  • Fingerprints?: As far as I can tell during my limited usage so far this screen protector seems slightly more susceptible to finger prints than the naked screen. Though to be fair I usually don’t pay this much attention to this aspect, so it might very well be placebo effect and I only notice it now because I’m looking for it.
  • Camera/Display Interference?: The lines for the camera/speaker cutout and the cut in general stay within the black border around the screen. The screen protector edge does not cross into the viewing area of the the FP4 screen at all. Nor does it cover any part of the camera, speaker, or other sensors in the top bar that I’m aware of.

Note on “9H” hardness in Screen Protectors
The BROTECT AirGlass has a “9H” hardness rating. Do not confuse this with a “9 rating on the Mohs Hardness Scale”. “9H” is a marketing gimmick used by most screen protectors to intentionally confuse consumers by sounding like the Mohs Hardness Scale. They are different things. I would guess the BROTECT AirGlass falls more between 3-5 score on Mohs Hardness Scale, while glass is around 5. More info at the links below:

To get a true “9 on Mohs Hardware Scale” would require something like a sapphire screen protector. I’m not aware of anyone making these for the FP4 as they tend to be very expensive and reserved for the big brands top-of-the-line models.

However, even with the above in mind I would rather have a tempered glass or “AirGlass” screen protector than nothing. I don’t foresee regular scratches getting through this BROTECT AirGlass all the way to the real screen. And if the screen protector gets scratched its easily and cheaply replaced throughout the phones life, especially if you get the 3x pack and have 2 spares stored away in a drawer for when that day comes.

Film vs Tempered Glass?
The BROTECT AirGlass Screen Protector is a hybrid glass flexible film, not tempered hard glass. Generally a flexible film like this has the strengths of being thinner, better edge-to-edge coverage, and better impact resistance.

Tempered glass or other really hard and stiff screen protectors are thicker by comparison, so stuff like rounded edges is more important. They also tend to have a harder time giving edge-to-edge protection unless they’re more expensive/precision made. They shatter more easily, which is arguably fine, so long as the screen is intact since they did their job and took the hit. Tempered glass can feel better to touch as well, since its basically glass like the original screen. They also offer much higher scratch protection against keys or coins etc in your pockets and generally rank around 6 on Mohs Hardness Scale if they’re good.

So you might want to choose a type depending on what of the above things you value.

Order Info/Model Details
I got the 3x pack from “schutzfolien24” amazon.de shop. This is the German amazon presence of https://www.protectionfilms24.com.

Some more info about the model and order date, for those worried about it being “cut too big” and want to ensure they get the “updated version” that is cut appropriately:
Name: 3x BROTECT AirGlass Glass Screen Protector for Fairphone 4
SKU: 3843162 / 131221
EAN: 4066208117243
My order date: 12 December 2021
Link:

I think the “131221” part of the SKU number might be the date it was cut? It would fit well if they are cut when ordered, since it shipped on this date.

Hopefully this big write-up was useful to some looking for a screen protector and considering the BROTECT AirGlass. If you have any questions about this particular screen protector let me know and I’ll see if I can answer them.

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I bought the original Fairphone 4 blue light screen protector and it broke after 4 hours on the display. I didn’t drop the phone (nor did I try my new hammer on it…).

Very dissappointing! I will check out the alternatives in this thread - thanks for posting these!

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that was an expensive fun for 4 hours :frowning:

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I would #contactsupport as I doubt that this is normal

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Due to the fact that the glass is slightly thicker than the frame, the glass stands a little over.
Did you have the FP4 lying on the glass on a glass table?
That happened to me once with my old Nexus4.
The glass shattered due to the different temperatures.

Thanks, I did, I’m waiting for a reply (it has only been 3 days since “the crack incidents” and reaching out to the support).

@AlphaElwedritsch : No, but I have to point out that I am an incredibly clumsy person and might not have handled the glass careful enough when assembling it. I will treat the next one with superduper raw-egg-care!

And - Offtopic: By the way, I am new here and really happy about receiving such helpful and kind recommendations and answers! Have a great weekend! :sunflower:

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Hi Casukarut,

In my opinion the blue screen protector works fine. But if you want to protect the screen, don’t bother to buy it. I dropped my phone accidentally and the screen is already broken under the protector :frowning: . Maybe because the device is so heavy.

Kind regards
Willeke

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I’m impressed by the brotect airglass screen protectors mentioned above. They fit the screen like a glove.

The only thing I want to say is that I was able to scratch the scrap pieces that came with them very easily. I used a scalpel, and with moderate to heavy pressure it made deep scratches that felt more like cutting. I felt as though with more pressure I could go all the way through.
I don’t know much materials science, so I can’t say as to why this happened. Several options spring to mind:

  • They aren’t actually glass.
  • They’re poorly tempered glass.
  • The glass is so thin that the scalpel was actually grinding through via brute force, not merely scratching.

I feel as though the last one is more likely, but if anyone can shine more light on this it would be great!

Overall these screen protectors fit well, are very flexible, thin and unobtrusive, and no doubt will perform well for light duty protection from all pocket scratches and normal drops.

However if you are expecting to drop your phone screen-down on a boulder, I would get a thicker screen protector. :wink: