Tempered glass or film for screen protection?
The two variants – Tempered glass and Foil – protect your phone, but they differ significantly in material, thickness, hardness, and handling. Tempered glass is made of hardened glass, while Screen protection films mostly of flexible PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) exist. These differences decisively influence everyday use.
What is PET plastic?
PET stands for Polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic that belongs to the polyester family. It is particularly known for its Versatility, Shelf life and Transparency. PET is produced through chemical processes from raw materials such as petroleum or natural gas and is one of the most widely used plastics worldwide.
PET is used in a variety of applications, primarily for packaging, textiles, and film. Here's a breakdown of its uses: **Packaging:** * **Bottles:** This is arguably PET's most well-known application. It's widely used for beverage bottles (water, soda, juice), food containers, and cosmetic packaging. Its advantages include: * **Clarity and Gloss:** Makes products visually appealing. * **Strength and Durability:** Protects contents and can withstand pressure. * **Lightweight:** Reduces transportation costs and environmental impact. * **Barrier Properties:** Good at keeping gases (like carbon dioxide in sodas) in and oxygen out, preserving freshness. * **Recyclability:** A significant portion of PET is recycled into new bottles and other products. * **Food Packaging Films:** PET films are used for blister packs, trays, and lidding films for various food products, especially those that require a clear view of the contents or good barrier properties. **Textiles:** * **Polyester Fibers:** PET is the primary material for polyester fibers, commonly known by brand names like Dacron and Terylene. These fibers are used to make: * **Clothing:** Blended with cotton or used on its own for shirts, pants, dresses, activewear, etc., due to its durability, wrinkle resistance, and quick-drying properties. * **Home Furnishings:** Used in carpets, curtains, upholstery, bedding, and blankets. * **Industrial Fabrics:** Used in ropes, sails, conveyor belts, and other demanding applications. **Films:** * **Various Industrial and Consumer Films:** Beyond food packaging, PET films have a wide range of uses: * **Electrical Insulation:** Used in capacitors and wire insulation. * **Magnetic Recording Tape:** Historically used for audio and video tapes. * **Adhesive Tapes:** The backing for many types of tape. * **Photographic Film:** Used for the transparent base of photographic films. * **Solar Cells:** Used as a protective film. * **Graphic Arts:** Used for printing and display applications. **Other Applications:** * **Automotive Parts:** In some cases, PET is used for exterior or interior components. * **Medical Devices:** Certain medical components can be made from PET. **How it's Used (Manufacturing Process):** PET is typically produced through a process involving the reaction of two chemicals: terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). This creates a polymer that can then be processed in various ways: * **Molding (Injection Molding, Blow Molding, Thermoforming):** This is how bottles and containers are made. The PET is melted and then shaped into the desired form. Blow molding is commonly used for bottles, where a preform is heated and inflated into a mold. * **Extrusion:** This process is used to create films and sheets by forcing the molten polymer through a die. * **Spinning:** For textiles, the molten PET is pushed through tiny holes in a spinneret to form fine filaments (fibers), which are then spun into yarn. The widespread use of PET is due to its excellent balance of properties, cost-effectiveness, and its significant recyclability, making it a sustainable choice for many applications.
PET is a All-rounder and is used in many areas of everyday life. Here are the main areas of application:
- Packaging
- PET is the main component of Plastic bottles for water, soft drinks, or juices. It is light, stable, and protects the contents from external influences
- Even in Food packaging PET is used for things like salad bowls, yogurt cups, and cling film.
- Textiles:
- PET is used in the textile industry as Polyester fiber Used. Clothing, carpets, and bags often contain PET fibers as they are durable and easy to care for.
- Technical Applications
- PET is used in the electronics and automotive industries, for example, for insulation or components.
- Presentation slides and technical slides:
- PET is increasingly used for high-quality slides used for smartphone, tablet, or screen displays, for example. More on that later.
Why is PET ideal for high-quality display films?
PET has properties that make it particularly suitable for use as a display film:
- High transparency
- PET is a very clear plastic, which offers excellent light transmission. As a result, the image quality and color brilliance of displays remain unchanged.
- Scratch resistance
- PET films are robust and protect displays from scratches and damage.
- Flexibility
- Despite its stability, PET Flexible enough to perfectly adapt to the surface of a display.
- Temperature and chemical resistance:
- PET is resistant to heat and many chemicals, making the films durable and easy to care for.
- Recyclability
- PET films can be recycled after use, making them a sustainable solution.
PET is sustainable because it can be recycled and upcycled.
The sustainability of PET is based on several factors:
- Recyclability
- PET is too 100 % recyclable. Other PET products can be melted down and processed into new bottles, packaging, or films. This saves resources and reduces waste.
- Longevity
- PET products are robust and durable, which means less material is wasted.
- Energy-efficient recycling:
- Recycling PET requires less energy than producing new plastic.
- Lightweight
- PET is extremely light, which saves energy and CO₂ emissions during transport.
Conclusion
PET is a versatile plastic, which is used in numerous everyday applications – from beverage bottles to technical films. PET is particularly suitable for high-quality display films because it is transparent, robust, and flexible. At the same time, PET is sustainable as it can be fully recycled, thus making an important contribution to reducing plastic waste.
What protects a cell phone better in everyday life?
Tempered glass (usually with 9H hardness) protects excellently against scratches from keys or coins, while Plastic film scratches more easily. Real glass breaks and splinters relatively easily. A protective film generally absorbs shocks better and is more shatter-resistant. An excellent compromise is OnScreenThis is a hybrid glass that has both a scratch-resistant hard surface (9H) yet is flexible, does not break or splinter, and can absorb impacts very well with its 0.3 mm thickness.
- High scratch resistanceTempered glass resists deep scratches longer than film. OnScreen® Hybridglass is the perfect compromise.
- Shock absorptionSlides distribute impact energy better and prevent screen cracks.
- Shelf lifeTempered glass stays pristine longer, while foils show signs of wear and tear faster.
- Tensile strengthReal glass breaks relatively quickly because it is hard and brittle. Warning: Risk of injury. Display films and OnScreenHybrid glass does not break or splinter.
Best suited for pockets Tempered glass and hybrid glass better, as it optimally prevents scratches. However, in case of falls, the flexible screen protector and the hybrid glass can be more advantageous. Modern OnScreen® Hybridglass-Variants, such as those from Neoxum, combine the advantages of both systems.
Material, fit, assembly, and edge coverage
Tempered glass (0.3–0.7 mm) feels higher quality but may be less optimal on curved displays. Foil (only 0.1–0.4 mm thick) fits perfectly, especially on camera displays, like a Color Photo Screen Saver Test from the year 2020. Assembly is simple with rigid real glass, but can also be a challenge. Display films and hybrid glass are flexible and are very easy to apply, as the following video shows.
Scope of delivery and sustainability
In most cases, real glass is produced or distributed directly by Asian manufacturers and dealers. Countless offers can be found on relevant platforms such as Amazon. It is not uncommon for Asian dealers and manufacturers to deliver directly to customers in Europe. Whether this is sustainable can be easily figured out by anyone. No – it is guaranteed not to be! Delivering a single pane of glass from China to Germany is a CO2 footprint catastrophe. Unfortunately, suppliers of real glass often include mounting frames that nobody really needs but represent an enormous amount of plastic waste. The mounting frame, the packaging, all of it ends up in the trash!
In contrast, Neoxum delivers its screen protector products directly to the customer from Bavaria. The screen protector manufacturer produces at its site in the Allgäu region, sources sustainably from local suppliers, and relies on renewable resources and recyclable sustainable packaging. The following photos illustrate on the left the scope of delivery from Asia (litter) and on the right the scope of delivery, respectively the packaging, from the display film manufacturer Neoxum. Apart from the transparent polypropylene polybag (far right), no plastic. And even this weighs next to nothing (little material) and can be recycled 100% recycled.
Tempered glass plastic packaging waste
Sustainable packaging screen protector
Optics, Touch, and Fingerprint
All presented solutions offer clear visibility up to a transparency of up to 98 %. Slides remain almost invisible and better retain the natural touch feel, especially for gaming or fingerprint sensors. Thick tempered glass (>0.5 mm) sometimes has the problem that the touchscreen's responsiveness significantly decreases. thinner display films (0.13 mm) and the Neoxum OnScreen® Hybrid Glass (0.3 mm) There are no problems there.
Tempered glass for hardness, film for flexibility, OnScreen® Hybrid glass the best of both worlds
The choice between Protective Glass vs. Film depends entirely on your needs: Do you want the extreme robustness of tempered glass, or do you prefer the flexibility of a film that compensates for temperature fluctuations and still Protection from scratches and bumps offers? If you are unsure, choose the Neoxum OnScreen® Hybrid glass: as hard and scratch-resistant as real glass, yet shatterproof and splinter-free. Tempered glass breaks relatively easily.
Costs, care, and everyday suitability
Screen protectors are inexpensive and can be easily replaced if damaged – ideal for leased devices or budget-conscious users. While tempered glass is more expensive, it can prevent costly screen repairs due to its better impact protection.
- Exchange and repairIf a screen protector is damaged, you simply peel it off, whereas glass must be completely replaced when broken and often shatters in the process. Caution!: Risk of injury
- Fingerprint protectionHigh-quality films generally have better oleophobic properties, whereas glass needs to be cleaned more often.
- ReuseFilms and hybrid glass can be applied multiple times, while real glass often no longer adheres after removal.
- Shell compatibilityThe thickness of glass can cause problems with tight cases, while films and hybrid glass adapt to any case.
Temperature, Enclosures, and Large Formats
The films retain their flexibility between -35°C and +110°C – ideal for outdoor use or industrial applications. Hybrid glass combines soft PET layers with a hard coating, preventing splintering. OnScreen® Hybridglass is very temperature-resistant and robust.
Tempered glass can become brittle in frost, making it less suitable for extreme conditions. For large displays, films are the better choice, as they remain lightweight and offer glare-free viewing.
| Criterion | Tempered glass | OnScreen® hybrid glass | Neoxum display film |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature range | Restricted, brittle at cold temperatures | -30° - 140°C | -35 °C - 110 °C |
| Case compatibility | limited | unrestricted | unrestricted |
| Large-scale deployment, e.g., for monitors, larger tablets, televisions | Not available | up to 24-30 inches | up to 120 inches without restriction |
| Shock absorption | very good (broken and spilled) | very good to good (DO NOT break or splinter) | intestines |
| Scratch guard | Very good | Very good | intestines |
Hygiene and Additional Functions
Special antibacterial films provide mechanical protection and hygiene simultaneously – perfect for medical applications. Neoxum manufactures such solutions to measure for optimal display protection.
Modern glass variants can integrate additional functions like blue light filters, while films are mostly anti-reflective or matte. Oleophobic coatings are standard on good films, and often optional on glass.
Ecologically, films score with minimal packaging waste. Glass with additional coatings, on the other hand, often requires special Care products.
Screen Protector: Decision Guide for Mobile Phone Users
Whether you're interested in a Foil, Protective glass or OnScreen® Hybridglass should be decided depends on your usage behavior, the device, and the environmental conditions. We clearly present the essential differences.
When to use film, when to use tempered glass or hybrid?
If your smartphone frequently experiences drops or heavy impacts, tempered glass protects it9H hardnessGlass protectors (up to 9H hardness) and hybrid glass (9H hardness) are particularly effective against deep scratches and cracks. The thicker glass layer absorbs most of the impact energy.
- For frequent fallers and outdoor users: Combine hybrid glass or tempered glass with a durable case for optimal protection against impacts and scratches – shatterproof thanks to a flexible interlayer.
- For gaming and fingerprint sensors: Thinner Film screen protectors maintain touch sensitivity; thick tempered glass can cause noticeable delays.
- For leased equipment: Protective films can be removed without residue – ideal for frequent device replacement. Ideal protection through OnScreen® Hybrid Glass.
- For industry and harsh environments: Clear OnScreen® Hybrid glass or matte OnScreen® Hybrid glass or also clear screen protector or matte anti-glare screen protector ➡️ We can produce the right screen protector for you – reputable references trust our recommendations and our screen protector products.
Curved Display and case compatibility
Special TPU films adapt perfectly to curved display edges and offer seamless Protection against scratches. Conventional tempered glass, however, usually only protects the flat display surface.
Full-Coverage Glass While it protects all around, it is deutlich thicker and more expensive. This can lead to problems with tight-fitting cases, whereas slim protective films or hybrid glass are practically always compatible.
Fast assembly and sustainability
OnScreenHybrid glass and Neoxum films can be applied easily and without bubbles – often even multiple times with corrections. Glass, on the other hand, requires absolute freedom from dust during application.
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