Okay Geek Farm
Apple bans iPod touch and iPhone screen protectors
Ricardo Trejo
For reasons that are yet concrete, Apple seemingly over night decided to ban the sale of those film protectors meant for the iPod touch and iPhone screens. I'm not sure how many of you actually use them, but I've never had any real reason to.
iLounge had this to say on the matter:
In communications with vendors that have been ongoing for "some time now," according to one company, Apple has said that it will remove both film-only solutions from its stores, as well as any case or other accessory that includes film protection as part of its package, such as cases that include film screen protectors. According to sources, the ban will impact all forms of screen film, including completely clear film, anti-glare film, and mirrored film, regardless of whether the purpose of the film is protective, decorative, or both. It will also prevent sales of film for iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. One vendor speculated that the ban is an Apple marketing attempt to suggest screen durability, despite scratches that have damaged both plastic and glass displays of its products for years.
- Charles Starrett, iLounge Senior Editor
iLounge even went analytical and guessed every single reason for why Apple would do such a thing.
The Future Products Theory, from Mike Curtis: “Perhaps products scheduled to be released will no longer be compatible (as in function correctly or up to Apple spec/snuff) with a film on top, and Apple doesn’t want to set incorrect customer expectations?”
All things considered, this seems like the most probable explanation for what has happened—front-facing cameras, different types of touchscreens, or new and better glass is coming on future devices, any of which might have problems with certain screen protectors. So rather than communicating its future product plans to the world, Apple blocks the sale of similar items temporarily as a weird, quasi-warning to developers. The only problem with this theory is that the ban affects a huge number of products that currently exist and are undeniably both compatible with and capable of benefitting from the film; given that May is only months away from the rollout of numerous new products, Apple might well view such a move as an acceptable and short-term consequence. It’s hard to know for sure.
-Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge Editor-in-Chief
For me personally, I got a first generation iPhone back in January of 2007, which has since gone to my little brother when I upgraded to the iPhone 3GS. Both phones' screens have endured and neither of them have any recognizable scratches located anywhere on the phone. Chalk it up to good design on Apple's part or just two guys who take care of their tech toys, but we've never needed those pesky screen protectors. But if you really want need one then you can still find them on eBay.
