A screen protector is cheap insurance against the most common phone repair bill there is. But "tempered glass" and "privacy film" solve different problems, and picking the wrong one means re-buying within a month.
Tempered glass is the standard choice for most people. It's a thin layer of hardened glass bonded to the screen, usually rated by hardness (9H is common). It absorbs impact from drops and resists scratches from keys and coins in your pocket far better than plastic film. Installation is easy with most kits including an alignment frame, and bubbles typically clear within a day.
Privacy screen protectors use a micro-louvre layer that narrows the viewing angle, so anyone sitting beside you on a train or behind you in a cafe sees a blacked-out screen while you see it clearly head-on. The trade-off: colours can look slightly dimmer off-centre, and some people find the narrower angle annoying when sharing the screen with someone directly next to them. If you handle sensitive information on your phone in public - banking apps, work email, messages - this is worth the small visual trade-off.
Matte or anti-glare protectors reduce fingerprint smudges and glare outdoors, at a small cost to colour vibrancy and touch sensitivity. Good for anyone who uses their phone outside often or hates visible fingerprints.
Full-coverage vs standard. Full-coverage protectors curve over the edges on phones with curved-edge displays, giving edge-to-edge protection but sometimes interfering with certain cases. Standard flat protectors leave the very edge exposed but fit more case styles without issue.
For most people, a 9H tempered glass protector covers the basics well. If privacy matters for your daily phone use, the slight dimming of a privacy protector is a small price for real peace of mind in public. Check our Phone Cases & Accessories range for tempered glass and privacy screen protectors fitted to current iPhone and Android models.