NIMASO Trivia: True or False – Will keys scratch your phone display?

Doesn't it sound familiar to you that "Don't keep your keys and smartphone together, because the keys will scratch the smartphone display"?

But can keys really damage your phone's display?

NIMASO staff conducted an investigation into this.

Is your display stronger than a key?

Many smartphones currently on the market use Corning Gorilla Glass as the display material. Gorilla Glass's Mohs hardness is listed as between 6 and 6.5. Meanwhile, the key material is primarily iron, which has a Mohs hardness of around 4. Other commonly used materials, such as gold, silver, and aluminum, all have a Mohs hardness of up to 4. This means that sharp metal objects, such as gnats and metal knives, have a hard time scratching a smartphone display.

So, is there no need to put on a glass film?

It's true that metal objects we use every day can't damage a smartphone display, but sand on the ground can. Sand is made of quartz and has a Mohs hardness of 7. Therefore, Gorilla Glass, which has a Mohs hardness of 6, can be scratched by sand, which has a Mohs hardness of 7.

In other words, the main role of a glass screen protector is to protect the display if you accidentally drop your smartphone. Metal objects like keys and knives won't scratch the display, but if they're left in contact with the screen for a long period of time, they can cause minor scratches.

So, be sure to apply a glass film.

NIMASO produces and sells four types of glass screen protectors to meet the diverse needs of our customers. For those who care about image quality, we recommend our glossy screen protector. For those who want a smoother user experience, we recommend our anti-glare screen protector. For those concerned about eye health, blue light blocking screen protectors are the best option. For those concerned about being seen by others, we recommend our privacy screen protector.

Recommended smartphone film products:

Is the smartphone body more susceptible to damage than the display?

The exterior of smartphones currently on the market uses tempered glass on the front and back, and glossy metal on the top, bottom, left, and right. Therefore, it can be assumed that metal objects with a Mohs hardness of 6 mentioned above are likely to scratch the metal parts of smartphones with the same Mohs hardness.

In an experiment by YouTuber Jerry Rig Everything, both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max were scratched with a sharp metal object.

Image from Jerry Rig Everything video.

So you need to put a case on your iPhone.

In recent years, smartphones have become available in a wide variety of colors. It seems that more and more people want to enjoy the colors of their smartphones and use them without a case. However, as mentioned above, the metal objects we use in our daily lives can damage the iPhone body.

If you want to protect your iPhone while still enjoying its color, we recommend a clear case.

NIMASO's clear case is made of soft TPU material and highly transparent tempered glass. The top, bottom, left and right sides are made of soft TPU material for easy attachment. The back is made of highly transparent tempered glass, which enhances the glossy finish.

Another thing that's often forgotten is the lens. iPhones use lenses made of sapphire, but it's not a natural stone; it's artificially grown. Therefore, like natural sapphire, the iPhone's sapphire lens doesn't have a Mohs hardness rating of 9. This means that the iPhone lens can be scratched by sand and other objects. Furthermore, YouTuber Jerry Rig Everything discovered that the iPhone lens has a Mohs hardness rating of 6, meaning it can be scratched. It's important to protect your iPhone lens, too.

What I recommend here is a lens cover.

The NIMASO lens cover is a popular item in 2021. It uses 9H tempered glass with high transmittance, ensuring that the camera function of your iPhone 13 is not compromised.

Tips

The key will not scratch the display, but it is likely to scratch the metal parts of the smartphone.
To effectively protect your smartphone, use a glass screen protector and case.