Does The Samsung Galaxy S23 Need A Screen Protector?

Samsung's Galaxy S23 series devices are among the very best Android smartphones that money can buy, but how durable are their displays?

Samsung's all-new Galaxy S23 series devices are among the best Android smartphones that money can buy, but do they need screen protectors? Buying a phone can be a complex decision, with buyers often considering many factors before coughing up the cash. Some factors that influence people's buying decisions include good cameras, a high-quality display, a fast processor, ample storage, a long-lasting battery, and more. But another factor that's just as important for many shoppers is durability.

A durable phone not only needs to have water and dust resistance but also a strong build and a tough display that can withstand scratches and scrapes. Thankfully, all three devices in the Galaxy S23 series come with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection that helps them withstand minor scratches. Victus 2 is Corning’s latest display protection technology that the company claims can help smartphone displays survive "drops up to 1 meter on surfaces replicating concrete" under controlled conditions. The company also says that it is tougher than aluminosilicate glasses from other manufacturers. So the new Galaxy S23 devices seem to have their bases covered when it comes to display protection.

Related: Is The Galaxy S23 Waterproof? What Samsung's IP Ratings Mean

So, does the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection mean that the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra do not need additional tempered glass or flexible TPU protection? Well, the answer is both yes and no, depending on how the phones are used. Folks who are careful with their phone and rarely drop it from their hands, can get away with not using a screen protector. The same applies to people who are careful enough not to carry their phone in the same pocket or purse compartment as abrasive objects like keys, loose change, or metallic tools. The native protection on the phones should be good enough against minor scratches and scrapes.

However, for people who are prone to dropping their phones often, or folks who handle them more roughly, it pays to have additional protection. Durability tests showed that while some of the S23 series phones are tougher than the S22, they’re not completely impervious to damage — especially the vanilla S23. Allstate Protection Plans put the phones, including the S23, through a series of drop tests from 6 feet high, and the base model did not fare well. When dropped on its face, the S23’s screen shattered enough for there to be raised and loose glass. A drop on its back from 6 feet damaged the frame, cracking the phone’s backing.

For such cases, getting a tempered glass screen protector can literally mean the difference between retaining a pristine display even after multiple bumps and drops, and a shattered screen that could take a small fortune to repair. That said, standalone screen protectors are not designed to protect phones from multiple drops from significant heights on hard surfaces. So smartphones could still end up with a shattered screen if they're dropped on concrete or asphalt, with or without a screen protector. The best way to safeguard the Galaxy S23's display is through careful usage, irrespective of whether it has a screen protector or not.

Source: Samsung, Allstate Protection Plans

Kishalaya has almost a decade's worth of experience in tech journalism, having written thousands of news, guides, features, and reviews for multiple American, Canadian, and Indian blogs. As a senior writer at ScreenRant, he covers everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies to virtual reality, and electric vehicles to space. Entertainment to him means 90s sitcoms, such as Fresh Prince, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Friends, That 70s Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. He loves dogs, sports, and pizza (in that order) and can listen to The Doors, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses all day long. He also loves watching cheesy 90s sci-fi/disaster movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Twister, Volcano, Dante's Peak, etc.