Regardless of what Apple says, if you want to keep your iPhone 13 in tip-top condition YOU WILL NEED a screen protector. Here’s our pick of the best screen protectors for iPhone 13 / 13 Pro
Key Takeaways:
- amFILM’s Guide Tray: amFILM’s screen protector comes with a uniquely designed guide tray that ensures perfect alignment during installation, making it virtually error-proof.
- Quality of Glass: The glass used by amFILM is of high quality. Once installed, it seamlessly integrates with the iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro, making it almost invisible, especially when used with a case.
- Front-Facing Camera Coverage: Unlike some other brands, amFILM’s screen protector covers the iPhone’s front-facing camera. However, initial observations suggest that this doesn’t impact the camera’s performance.
- Editor’s Choice: The amFILM OneTouch Glass
- Comparison with Spigen’s Glas.tR EZ Fit: Both amFILM and Spigen offer quality screen protectors with easy-to-use guide trays. However, Spigen’s protector doesn’t cover the iPhone’s front-facing camera, which might be a preference for some users. In terms of cost, Spigen’s option is slightly pricier, possibly due to the additional machining required to leave the camera exposed.
- Total vs. Partial Protection: The main difference between amFILM and Spigen is the coverage they offer. While amFILM provides complete protection, covering even the notch, Spigen leaves the notch exposed.
- Belkin’s Pricing: The Belkin screen protector, while adequate, is significantly more expensive than both the amFILM and Spigen options, making it less cost-effective.
Choosing the best iPhone 13 / 13 Pro screen protector wasn’t easy. We had to test a load of them. And removing one once it is installed isn’t exactly easy, either. But we persevered, testing 15 of the most popular iPhone screen protectors in order to find out which was the best option is right now.
The criteria for testing was simple: the screen protector must be easy to install, it must provide exceptional protection, it must be glass – who wants plastic, after all – and, finally, it must appear, once installed, as if nothing is sat on your iPhone’s screen at all.
All of that sounds simple enough, but only three of the screen protectors we tested managed to fit the bill.
The Best iPhone 13 Screen Protector
Overview: Why We Picked What We Picked
The trickiest part of this test, save for sourcing all of these screen protectors, was actually installing each of them, one by one, and accessing how their specific install procedures differed. And then, carefully, removing them so we could test the next one.
amFILM OneTouch Glass
Out of all the screen protectors we sourced for this test, the amFILM OneTouch Glass was the easiest to install, thanks to its guide tray which, unlike some of the screen protectors we looked at, actually worked as it was supposed to.
amFILM designed the guide tray so that it cannot be lined up incorrectly, leaving zero room for error on your part. I’m always nervous before installing a screen protector, you cannot afford to make any mistakes, so having this foolproof – or idiot-proof, in my case – guide tray was brilliant.
As for the glass, it is quality stuff and once it is installed on your iPhone 13 or iPhone 13 Pro, you hardly notice it is there at all – especially if you’re also using a case. The amFILM does cover the iPhone’s front-facing camera, however, although it does seem to have any effect on the camera module itself. I will be keeping an eye on this though just in case something changes.
Comparing The Best Options: How They’re Different
Spigen’s Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector vs amFILM OneTouch Glass
Spigen’s Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector is a bit of a mouthful to say. But this option is still a very good one. It is about as simple as the amFILM protector to install but it does not provide quite as much protection. The guide tray is brilliant, though, easily on a par with amFILM’s.
Spigen opted NOT to cover the front-facing camera on its protector. This is fine. But if you’re going to use a screen protector, you might as well go for one that provides 100% coverage. And because covering the notch with glass DOES NOT impact its performance, it makes sense to go for complete coverage on your iPhone 13 / 12 Pro’s frontage, not partial.
If you don’t want your iPhone’s notch covered, for whatever reason, go with the Spigen’s Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector. It is just as good as the amFILM option, although it is slightly more expensive, likely down to the fact that it requires extra machining to remove the part that covers the iPhone’s front-facing camera.
Both the Spigen and amFILM use similar quality glass, both include a spare glass cover too, so you can swap the installed one out for a fresh one after 6-8 months of use or if you happen to damage it in any way. The only real difference between the amFILM and the Spigen screen protector is that the amFILM provides total protection, while the Spigen option leaves the notch exposed.
The Belkin screen protector is fine but it is just too expensive at almost double the cost of the amFILM and Spigen options.
It does not provide any better protection and installation isn’t any easier. You don’t need to spend this much money for a good screen protector, so our advice would be don’t – and go with the amFILM option instead. It’s the cheapest and the easiest to install.
Why Glass Screen Protectors Are Better?
You might be wondering why we didn’t include any plastic iPhone screen protectors in this guide? The simple answer to that question is that glass screen protectors are just better – they look better and they’re better for the environment. Everybody should try and use less plastic. And you can start by avoiding plastic on your next screen protector.
Aside from the environmental issues, glass screen protectors look better, do not bubble during installation, and provide vastly superior levels of protection. Plastic is just too flimsy to withstand anything more severe than a scratch from a fingernail, whereas glass holds up nicely to nearly all of the most common things that might affect your iPhone’s display.
For this reason, as well as all of the above factors, the two iPhone 13 screen protectors we recommend the most right now are the amFILM OneTouch Glass and the Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass Screen Protector. Both are inexpensive, easy to install and provide best-in-class protection for your iPhone 13 / 13 Pro’s screen.
But out of the two, we most recommend the amFILM OneTouch Glass on account of its fuller protection (it covers the entire front of the phone, including the notch).
