Database Develop

Best screen protector? . And don't recommend whitestone dome (i will explain why)

So got my shiny new Note 8 week ago. Also with that got the Whitestone Dome screen protector and alcantara case.
Tried to install screen protector:
1st. attempt: The screen lined up incorrectly from the bottom, tried to "lift it up to the position" just created more airbubles and the glue poured out from the sides.
After cleaning my Note 8 with the alcohol swipes, (It was a mess to try to clean the phone AND the glass screen protector)
2. attempt with the second bottle of glue..... There was a dust particle on the glue itself. Great.
Wait for a week to mobilefun to ship me another one. (while doing so i was "dry- practicing" to get it 100% correct this time)
3. attempt was a charm.... until.... when the glue spread there was 2 small air bubbles... Take the second bottle and "tap" the small air bubbles away. (while doing so being extremely nervous about that the screen protector might move or great new bubbles). Managed to get the bigger one out but there was the small one... Didn't get that out.
Light up the UV light and call it a day. Only problem is now there is small air bubble that is pretttty distracting to say the least.
So, now i am with 50€ in my account from the order. (Because i demanded that they refund me this horrible product). I am left to choose new screen protector.
My options that i have read:
- Rearth invisible defender - The problem with this is that there is "snowfall" effect and the screen is too damn sticky (according to reviews)
- IQ Shield - The problem with this is that the S-pen (according to reviews) leaves trails to the TPU protector. Because it's so soft and it will not cure overtime.
-Zagg invisible shield - Unresponsivnes and the fact that it has "raimbow" -effect on the screen.
New one that i just founded out about:
-Powerpeak Base- According to this guy (Install Jimmy is Promo's "Base Screen protector for Samsung GALAXY S8 & Note 8 here) Its pretty good. Might be ad though... Does any of you have experience on this?
The whitstone does have pretty good responsiveness and all that good stuff. But the problem is the installation and even when i tried to be 100% accurate with the installation, it still greated air bubbles. And the fact that there is a HUGE risk that the glue when cured can cause damage to the screen.... More specifically if you manage to cure the glue when the glue is over the earpiece... you are ****ed with your 1000€ phone.

I am doing the poor mans whitestone. LOCA glue and cheap amazon tempered glass. Took me two tries to get it right. So with two screens and glue, out $20. I did buy a UV lamp for dual use. My phone and girlfriends nails. I had the ZAGG on my S8+, didn't like it at all, unresponsive. But i bet if you glued it on with LOCA it would be good.

Bullitt3309 said:
I am doing the poor mans whitestone. LOCA glue and cheap amazon tempered glass. Took me two tries to get it right. So with two screens and glue, out $20. I did buy a UV lamp for dual use. My phone and girlfriends nails. I had the ZAGG on my S8+, didn't like it at all, unresponsive. But i bet if you glued it on with LOCA it would be good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sort of guy, who can easily mess things like that up... So not going to risk it.

Galaxy Note 8 Screen Protector [2-Pack][Not Glass], Yootech [Case Friendly] Galaxy Note 8 Wet Applied Screen Protector BUBBLE-FREE for Samsung Galaxy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756DBXWP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_xFOJgXZGMrAdo
This one seems a little less rubbery imho.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

DAvid_B said:
Galaxy Note 8 Screen Protector [2-Pack][Not Glass], Yootech [Case Friendly] Galaxy Note 8 Wet Applied Screen Protector BUBBLE-FREE for Samsung Galaxy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0756DBXWP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_xFOJgXZGMrAdo
This one seems a little less rubbery imho.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did check that thanks! Only problem is that i live in EU (Finland) And Amazon will not ship that item to me.... Looked up in Ebay and they will add 20€+ to the original price...
Bummer tho,.

Hello, this is Whitestone.
I am so sorry that you had a terrible experience with our product. Air bubbles can be very frustrating on a new screen protector. We are constantly trying to solve the problem of air bubbles, and the seesaw type has drastically reduced it but not fully eliminated it.
I am very thankful for your patience to give our product three tries before you made your decision and also for a detailed feedback on what became wrong.
Since you have given a lot of effort on our product, we will try and help you out if you are willing to give our product another chance.
Feel free to contact us through here, or our homepage, or any social media.
Again I am terribly sorry.

Base TGSP is a piece of shot
That Jimmy guy sounds like an infomercial

Only use skinomi wet i stall protectors.
Use it before on my note edge 4. The spen did leave marks.
But with the note 8. I dont see any marks. So either the protector is better or the tips are softer

xile6 said:
Only use skinomi wet i stall protectors.
Use it before on my note edge 4. The spen did leave marks.
But with the note 8. I dont see any marks. So either the protector is better or the tips are softer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you forsee it lifting up on the edges? did you get the techskin one that comes in a twopack?

I'm currently going through a batch of clear protection film HD skins on my Note 8. Generally are average, but some dont cover the edges that well or some have too much orange peel, or some are not cut correctly. Typical chinese "dog" turd.
So far. Spigen, coverage is excellent, but suffer from a lot of orange peel. Illumi Shield , coverage is rubbish, one side ( left side ) is cut shorter than the other. But less orange peel.
Amovo front and back clear film, the worst ever. The pikeys didnt even inc a lubrication spray with their aggrssive adhesive film. Secondly the film that you remove to apply was stuck like gorilla glue to the actual film. You know, the tab that say "peel here first" and " peel here last".
I dont care less for the glass crap for curved screens, but in search of a half decent clear film currently. The search continues...

Limeybastard said:
I'm currently going through a batch of clear protection film HD skins on my Note 8. Generally are average, but some dont cover the edges that well or some have too much orange peel, or some are not cut correctly. Typical chinese "dog" turd.
So far. Spigen, coverage is excellent, but suffer from a lot of orange peel. Illumi Shield , coverage is rubbish, one side ( left side ) is cut shorter than the other. But less orange peel.
Amovo front and back clear film, the worst ever. The pikeys didnt even inc a lubrication spray with their aggrssive adhesive film. Secondly the film that you remove to apply was stuck like gorilla glue to the actual film. You know, the tab that say "peel here first" and " peel here last".
I dont care less for the glass crap for curved screens, but in search of a half decent clear film currently. The search continues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking at IQShield and Skinomi right now but don't have enough info to decide on one or the other. Would love to hear about your experiences with other non-TGSPs and if you ever come across one you would recommend.

KBeckett said:
I'm looking at IQShield and Skinomi right now but don't have enough info to decide on one or the other. Would love to hear about your experiences with other non-TGSPs and if you ever come across one you would recommend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im primarily using and trying non glass type films, similar to the stuff used to protect car paint protection. My background includes being able to apply paint protection film on cars so these are all from the same mold that I have been trying. BTW, heat of a hairdryer will aid in adhering the curved edges once applied- slight tip.
I have not tried IQShield yet, sorry. So far the Spigen one fitted well coverage wise,but their film is very aggressive in the orange peel front,
I might try Skinomi next, but I have heard they cut their films short to save a few bucks.
Lets liase and share our experiences with these type of films, cheers.

Thanks for all of you for the help and responses.
Yes the IQshield and Skinomi are on the top of my list... They are around 20€ including shipping to Finland from Ebay. A bit expensive but lets see....

Im currently using IQshield version 2 (case friendly) for about a week now.
I've done a lot of wet install before so i know what to expect using this type of screen protector. Its been a week now and so far no lifting on the curve part of the screen. it is smooth to touch, sensitivity is normal and very good. Im using a VRSdesign slim case and it works well, all corners fitted very well.
I also used skinomi before and if i remember it right IQshield is more smoother than skinomi in-terms of orange peel feeling. The only problem that is s-pen will leave marks when used with this kind of screen protector. (i tried it at the very bottom and its still have mark after a week)
I can give this IQshield a 7.5/10 score. LOL

YesThisIs said:
The whitstone does have pretty good responsiveness and all that good stuff. But the problem is the installation and even when i tried to be 100% accurate with the installation, it still greated air bubbles. And the fact that there is a HUGE risk that the glue when cured can cause damage to the screen.... More specifically if you manage to cure the glue when the glue is over the earpiece... you are ****ed with your 1000€ phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the tip of placing painter's tape over the speaker. I covered the speaker enough to not interfere with the glass. It worked great! I do have three small bubbles after two tries but can't see them unless I try. My wife's has one bubble in about the same spot as mine. The lower left corner about 1/3 up the screen where the curve starts. There a number of ways to avoid the creation of bubbles. I couldn't say them all because I'm not an expert in LOCA glue and it's properties. Experimentation is the only way to find out.

Whitestone Dome Glass said:
Hello, this is Whitestone.
I am so sorry that you had a terrible experience with our product. Air bubbles can be very frustrating on a new screen protector. We are constantly trying to solve the problem of air bubbles, and the seesaw type has drastically reduced it but not fully eliminated it.
I am very thankful for your patience to give our product three tries before you made your decision and also for a detailed feedback on what became wrong.
Since you have given a lot of effort on our product, we will try and help you out if you are willing to give our product another chance.
Feel free to contact us through here, or our homepage, or any social media.
Again I am terribly sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am glad that you have started beeing more on forums and social media. I want to thank you for sending me a new one. Now i am waiting for it. Hope this time works.

To be honest, it will be difficult to actually get most tempered glass protectors to stay on this curved glass.. Its a pain and it sucks because I would actually like to get one. I just ordered the whitestore myself..., but they wont be in stock again until the 30th...
I got the PowerPeak Base and it is utter garbage. I lost atleast 30% touch sensitivity and then it just eventually slid off of my phone from me trying to swipe so hard. The middle actually dried up and there was nothing holding the middle to the phone.
I despise the wet installs. They are too soft and will leave indents as you said.. So really its either try tempered glass protectors until you find the one you want, go with indents and wet installs, or just go no screen protector like me!
I have the wet install spigen ones but I tbh would rather go with no protector than use them.

I ordered and installed this on my Note 8 : https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B074G1W2RC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Along with a Spigen Tough Armor case. It seems to work well and no real screen sensitivity issues either.

twistanesh said:
do you forsee it lifting up on the edges? did you get the techskin one that comes in a twopack?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get the case friendly 2pack. And havent had problems with lifting.
Had my note 8 since sept 8 and been caseless and no lifting.

Anyone planning on using a cheap protector with LOCA glue needs to check the strength of the LOCA. Some have reported they were not able to remove the protector after using some LOCA glue.
I had 3 attempts at the Dome Glass myself. The first one I got had a broken bridge. I could not get the glue in the right spot. Whitestone refunded me. I bought the next set from Amazon. Everything was perfect until I peeled the plastic off the back of the protector. There must have been a fleck of dirt near the side. I did not see it as I did not have enough light.
I sent the second one back to Amazon and just had to pay return shipping. With the third one I took a different approach. I used a totally level counter top in the bathroom. I ran the shower with hot water for about 10 minutes so the whole bathroom was steamed up. This kept the dust down. I cleaned the phone screen and when I removed the plastic from the protector, it somehow grabbed another piece of dirt. Due to the extreme lighting, I saw it and removed it before installing. It installed perfectly with no dust/dirt or air bubbles. I did the first cure with the UV light then took it out of the jig and wiped the sides, top and bottom with an alcohol pad. I then did the final cure. Not one ounce of glue seeped out. I did not protect the speaker or anything else. If this is done perfectly, this is the absolute best protector available IMHO. The problem is anything short of a perfect install will drive many of us with OCD crazy.
On Monday we traded in my Mothers iPhone and she went with a Note 8. The Dome Glass arrived today. This time, perfect install the first time. I wish Whitestone would include 2 pieces of glass per package since this is the most expensive Note 8 protector. Their CS is a bit slow but they did take care of me in the end. It's a bit of a ripoff to sell the kit for 49 but then only sell the glass and one tube of glue for 39. The refill pack should be 15-20 at the highest.
After a week, none of my edges are lifting at all. Some may be using cases that are not compatible. My protector does not touch my case at anyplace. I think cases that touch the protector have a good chance of raising the edges. Even if the case looks fine after install, if grabbing it makes the case touch the glass, it will eventually lift and get bubbles.

Otao Tempered Glass Screen Protector - Note 8

Received my OTAO Tempered Glass for my Note 8 Today. The Product arrived quickly and was packaged well.
The Package Included : (1) Installation Tray, (1) Glass Protector, (1) Cleaning Cloth, (1) Alcohol Wipe, (1) Sticker for dust/lint removal,
(1) Instruction Card W/Photos, (1) Thank You Card with Contact info for OTAO.
You can purchase them from here : https://www.amazon.com/Tempered-Pro...=1517931940&sr=8-3&keywords=otao+glass+note+8
The un-boxing was fun, was able to lay out everything and see what all came with the product, packaging felt premium and was well tailored to a Note 8 customer. The process to get the tray over device and screen protector on was slightly awkward and honestly if you have a steady hand you could install it without the tray IMO. I used the tray and the protector was installed perfectly center and square so at least there was 0 risk in getting it crooked or anything.
I was really worried about going to full glass protector on a infinity type screen. The curved glass has been hell to cover with anything but liquid glass (that provided 0 real protection) and not interfere with touch / operation.
The screen protector has glue 360* around the glass so there is not any movement or feeling of it being loose or poorly seated. I read other reviews where the glass had become loose or cracked and I can attest that this should NOT be the case. The only way its breaking is a drop or accident that resulted in a good bit of force onto the screen/glass. This protector IS case friendly as well, I tried it with my OtterBox as well as my UAG and neither case lifted or pushed the screen protector in any way!
Overall im really glad I tried the OTAO branded protector, as all the others do NOT have a 360* seal or the ability to work with many cases on the market, and OTAO has both and a really good price!
Check out the photos i took so you can see what to expect! The case in the photos is the UAG Clear Smoked Case btw!
Pros:
Actual Tempered Glass @ a Fair Price ( Under 15$ Shipped )
Has adhesive around the entire glass ( 360 sealed )
Touch response was unaffected / no gaps or air
Cons:
Tray is a little awkward to use, I would say try to do it without if you feel comfortable.
Adhesive around edges seems to be grabbing some lint / hair over time, kinda annoying
Screen has "Dot Matrix" and is slightly visible and certain angles.

Photos
Photos

I had one like this, another brand, it broke easy. So my question is, did you break it yet?

Mine popped off in 3 days

onlyatbenco said:
I had one like this, another brand, it broke easy. So my question is, did you break it yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not break it, i had it on my device for 30 days, it was really a decent glass protector, but like me2151 said i did notice the adhesive wasnt nearly as strong as i would have liked.
Otherwise it was a nice all glass protector.
I did not like i could see the dot matrix, and the installer tray was garbage.
Otherwise at the cheaper price compared to the white dome, and seeing people complain about it at 60$ + , its worth the investment for a cheaper one that may last 1/4 of the time but be easily replaced and nearly 1/6 the cost.

I'm on my second one. Not because it broke, but because it popped off when I dropped my note and I got dust beneath. Finally changed it yesterday after weeks with the dust. I know I prolly have micro scratches. I really like this one. But, oh well...

Interesting thoughts.
I am getting a new Note 8 tomorrow and this is in my shopping cart. I have been wondering about this as I have heard traditional screen protectors don't work well on the rounded glass.

dtaylorr said:
Interesting thoughts.
I am getting a new Note 8 tomorrow and this is in my shopping cart. I have been wondering about this as I have heard traditional screen protectors don't work well on the rounded glass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how did you like the OTAO screen protector?
Sent from my Galaxy Note 8 using XDA Labs

Question Will rear camera protectors damage the painted area on the S21 Ultra when trying to remove them?

Just wondering the sticky residue from a camera protector would damage the painted surface of the rear cameras on the S21 Ultra?
Jerryrig shows that this painted surface scratches pretty easily and just wondering if using a camera protector is a good idea or not?
Seen several people saying that camera protectors are hard to remove from the Ultra, broke, cracked and damaged the painted area trying to remove.
Have the Whitestone dome ones coming and think I'll hold off installing these.

felloffthetruck said:
Seen several people saying that camera protectors are hard to remove from the Ultra, broke, cracked and damaged the painted area trying to remove.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking at the customer reviews for the LK, ESR, Spigen, and amFilm S21 Ultra camera screen protectors and I did not find anyone complaining about the damaged painted area when removing the protector. Where did you find these comments? I found some complaints about the blurriness of the photos, though.

aslg said:
I was looking at the customer reviews for the LK, ESR, Spigen, and amFilm S21 Ultra camera screen protectors and I did not find anyone complaining about the damaged painted area when removing the protector. Where did you find these comments? I found some complaints about the blurriness of the photos, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seen several different ones on Amazon reviews. Here is one from the AmFilm camera protectors:
Avi lupo
1.0 out of 5 stars Unless you want to ruin your camera DO NOT BUY
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2021
Color: BlackVerified Purchase
These things are near impossible to take off. I misplaced mine and wanted to try reapplying a new one. While attempting to take it off it shattered into a million piece by piece, while still being glued onto my camera. Wanted to protect my camera but instead I had it scratched by the shattered protector. Took me over an hour to get it completely off, and by then the damage had already been done BUYER BEWARE

It already has a built in factory lens/camera protector. Nothing else other than a good case with a raised cam module guard is needed.
My 10+ is nearly a year and a half old. I live in a desert town; wind, sand, dust and grit. Zero damage to the plastic factory cam protector.
I use a Zizo Bolt case with a raised cam guard (do not use a case cam hole as a finger grip to take it out of your pocket!).
All I do is avoid touching it except to clean it occasionally with a dry microfiber cloth.
Just keep your fingers* off of it and you'll be fine.
They're replaceable anyway...
*dry finger/palms are abrasive. Enough so as to be able to polish glass. Any grit or sand on your finger can easily mar the surface.

I agree that the amfilm has very, very strong adhesive. It was hard to remove but thankfully it didn't crack and the paint didn't come off.
It caused condensation due to the gap between the protector and the lens glass so I had to take it out. And if you do want a camera protector, make sure the are cutouts for the camera holes. Kinda negates the protector but I suppose that's if you want to protect the metal frame.

I posted in the other thread, but mine shattered because of the adhesive and caused light scratches on the metal.
It's different from past generations since these camera bumps are metal. Old tempered glass adhesive isn't strong enough and they're using stronger stuff.

felloffthetruck said:
Just wondering the sticky residue from a camera protector would damage the painted surface of the rear cameras on the S21 Ultra?
Jerryrig shows that this painted surface scratches pretty easily and just wondering if using a camera protector is a good idea or not?
Seen several people saying that camera protectors are hard to remove from the Ultra, broke, cracked and damaged the painted area trying to remove.
Have the Whitestone dome ones coming and think I'll hold off installing these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possible, I do not know these products.
But as some one else said, the glass itself very probably don't need protection. The aluminium though, yeah.
I plan to get a dbrand skin which is just a sticker that will cover the metal part, and a case as well for when on a trip (remember those?) and such.
In my opinion, that should be enough.

I bought the whitestone protector, didn't think about taking it off...

felloffthetruck said:
Seen several different ones on Amazon reviews. Here is one from the AmFilm camera protectors...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! If I understood it right, the scratches on the aluminum camera housing were not caused by the strong glue but by the glass shards (glass is harder than aluminum).
I was thinking to protect just the camera housing with a dbrand camera skin. The black carbon fiber skin looks very nice on the phantom black S21 Ultra. It is also very cheap.
Did anyone have any issue removing dbrand skins from a metal camera housing?

These things are close to difficult to take off. I lost mine and needed to have a go at reapplying another one. While endeavoring to take it off it broke into 1,000,000 piece by piece,if you want while as yet being stuck onto my camera. Needed to safeguard my camera yet rather I had it but if you want to paint the mobile you can also use floor paint to paint the mobile and scratched by the broke defender. Took me more than an hour to get it totally off, and by then the harm had proactively been done Purchaser Be careful....

DaniellaAmato87 said:
These things are close to difficult to take off. I lost mine and needed to have a go at reapplying another one. While endeavoring to take it off it broke into 1,000,000 piece by piece,if you want while as yet being stuck onto my camera. Needed to safeguard my camera yet rather I had it but if you want to paint the mobile you can also use floor paint to paint the mobile and scratched by the broke defender. Took me more than an hour to get it totally off, and by then the harm had proactively been done Purchaser Be careful....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See my above post. The less you screw around with the builtin factory protector the better off it will be.

Question S21 Ultra camera lens scratches

Hello Everyone,
Been using the S21U for 2 weeks now and I have recently noticed micro scratches on the lens element!
The phone is in transparent TPU case since day 1 and I have hardly went outdoors. I traded off my S20+ and the camera bump didn't had a single line from 10 months of usage.
Has anyone encountered this? Maybe others can have a closer look now at their devices.
Any insights, suggestions on what needs to be done or can be prevented will be welcome!

Really sorry to hear that. Just out of precaution, I have placed a whitestone dome glass protector on mine, just because I dont want to experience anything like that with a EUR1300 phone. Not that much expensive and you get two protectors in the box.

shetty08 said:
Hello Everyone,
Been using the S21U for 2 weeks now and I have recently noticed micro scratches on the lens element!
The phone is in transparent TPU case since day 1 and I have hardly went outdoors. I traded off my S20+ and the camera bump didn't had a single line from 10 months of usage.
Has anyone encountered this? Maybe others can have a closer look now at their devices.
Any insights, suggestions on what needs to be done or can be prevented will be welcome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how was it scratched? only from keys?

Be very wary of scratching this phone. I recently figured out that the S21 Ultra supposedly does not have the same Victus glass design as the Note 20 Ultra... It has a slightly modified form of Victus that's much, much thinner (as it's covered by another, easily scratch-able glass material...and so the cameras might be like this too)... So instead of being resistant to most micro-scratches, they are actually easier to get and become permanent immediately on this phone (learned this by scratching my display with denim jeans - no metal/button contact) =(.
I'm just assuming that they're doing this to increase their glass repair jobs... Granted, Apple has been doing this with their iPhones for an extremely long time now... But hey, Samsung has started acting kinda like they're the Apple-like company of Android, lol.

im sorry, but you what?
you scratched glass with jeans?

I'm a stainless steel fabricator do I'm in the worst possible job for scratching phones so have the screen and camera protected, ESR TPU for the front and LK glass for the camera, don't even notice they are on at all and only coast 20 yo-yos for both

The lenses don't scratch easily, but depending on what you do during your day you might end up with stuff in your pockets that will do it. There are a lot of glass protectors for the cameras out there for the S21U, for example in the US you can get a 2-pack from Spigen for $12, and a bunch more that are even cheaper.
If you get one, get one of the blacked out ones, You will get artifacts in your photos from the flash/AF light as they get channeled across the glass of the protector if you don't; learned that one from using clear cases over the years.

Are you sure the lenses are scratched or the camera bump? Because the camera bump is not made of glass! It's metal and the darker colors of phones will be a horrible one, especially phantom black!!

That's not the lense. It's a factory protector.
May have been marred during assembly.
Don't sweat as it can be replaced if needed. A very slight may no effect the images at all but because the otherall area is so small it might. Protectors are a waste of money; it -is- the lense protector!
Any added optic elements will degrade the image.
It's possible to polish out micro scratches with a clean, dry finger tip by rubbing back and forth on glass or antireflective coatings. Takes at least 30 minutes or more... if it really bugs you. Yes dry callus is abrasive and hard enough to polish glass.
Likewise even the smallest amount of grit, sand etc rubbed against it by your finger can marred it.
Don't use that opening in the case as a pickup point.
It can also be marred by improper cleaning. Only use a clean dry microfiber cloth. Wet it a little if need be. Ordinary cotton cloth will eventually cause scratches owing to unseen debris it picked up. Seen many a pair of glasses made of glass scratched like this. Grit stinks into the microfiber material away from the surface being cleaned helping to protect it.
My 10+ lense protector is plastic. I live in the desert. I occasionally clean it but only with a microfiber cloth the same way I treat high dollar optics. No damage after a year and a half.
Just use a good case with a raised cam guard.

blackhawk said:
That's not the lense. It's a factory protector.
May have been marred during assembly.
Don't sweat as it can be replaced if needed. A very slight may no effect the images at all but because the otherall area is so small it might. Protectors are a waste of money; it -is- the lense protector!
Any added optic elements will degrade the image.
It's possible to polish out micro scratches with a clean, dry finger tip by rubbing back and forth on glass or antireflective coatings. Takes at least 30 minutes or more... if it really bugs you. Yes dry callus is abrasive and hard enough to polish glass.
Likewise even the smallest amount of grit, sand etc rubbed against it by your finger can marred it.
Don't use that opening in the case as a pickup point.
It can also be marred by improper cleaning. Only use a clean dry microfiber cloth. Wet it a little if need be. Ordinary cotton cloth will eventually cause scratches owing to unseen debris it picked up. Seen many a pair of glasses made of glass scratched like this. Grit stinks into the microfiber material away from the surface being cleaned helping to protect it.
My 10+ lense protector is plastic. I live in the desert. I occasionally clean it but only with a microfiber cloth the same way I treat high dollar optics. No damage after a year and a half.
Just use a good case with a raised cam guard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey thanks man for the reassuring reply!
As I said in the post, Its barely been 2 weeks and I didn't even travelled much, put it in jeans with keys, coins etc. It was lying dormant with little use.
On close inspection in direct sunlight / outdoors. I saw lines which are underneath the lens glass and not on the surface.
I just don't want the image quality to suffer and plus the service center sucks (experience in dealing with S20+)
Not sure if they will acknowledge it or tag it as a user handling damage.
What are my options?

nightoooo said:
Are you sure the lenses are scratched or the camera bump? Because the camera bump is not made of glass! It's metal and the darker colors of phones will be a horrible one, especially phantom black!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The lens area only, the bump I know is metal and it is intact.

shetty08 said:
Hey thanks man for the reassuring reply!
As I said in the post, Its barely been 2 weeks and I didn't even travelled much, put it in jeans with keys, coins etc. It was lying dormant with little use.
On close inspection in direct sunlight / outdoors. I saw lines which are underneath the lens glass and not on the surface.
I just don't want the image quality to suffer and plus the service center sucks (experience in dealing with S20+)
Not sure if they will acknowledge it or tag it as a user handling damage.
What are my options?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's on the internal side there's no way you did. Make sure you specify that if returning it.
If it's on the inside without direct inspection it's hard to tell if it's on or into the glass.
It may simple be a smear albeit a hard to remove smear.
Either way shoddy assembly. Having put together thousands of display assemblies I was always careful that the internal surfaces were spotless.

They are selling camera protectors on aliexpress. However, they are not exactly sticking to the actual lens as they are slightly deeper. That basically would create s small gap between the camera lens and the protector. I would assume it MIGHT slightly degrade quality in some cases. Not sure but it may be worth trying out.

I solved all these problems I bought
Galaxy S21 Ultra Case with Camera Cover,S21 Ultra Slim​
https://www.amazon.com/Polycarbonate-Protective-Shockproof-Upgraded-Samsung/dp/B08RRTLX71

shetty08 said:
Hello Everyone,
Been using the S21U for 2 weeks now and I have recently noticed micro scratches on the lens element!
The phone is in transparent TPU case since day 1 and I have hardly went outdoors. I traded off my S20+ and the camera bump didn't had a single line from 10 months of usage.
Has anyone encountered this? Maybe others can have a closer look now at their devices.
Any insights, suggestions on what needs to be done or can be prevented will be welcome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I solved all these problems I bought
Galaxy S21 Ultra Case with Camera Cover,S21 Ultra Slim​

oraned said:
I solved all these problems I bought
Galaxy S21 Ultra Case with Camera Cover,S21 Ultra Slim​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had one of these on my note20u ugliest case ever! But yeah it did its job of protecting.

blackhawk said:
If it's on the internal side there's no way you did. Make sure you specify that if returning it.
If it's on the inside without direct inspection it's hard to tell if it's on or into the glass.
It may simple be a smear albeit a hard to remove smear.
Either way shoddy assembly. Having put together thousands of display assemblies I was always careful that the internal surfaces were spotless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey man,
this smear or minute lines on the inside or whatever is really bugging me!
My experience with samsung support (In my region and India) hasn't been good in the past. They all act as fools who recommend factory reset via their tool for every issue.
My question is will samsung own this or pass on the blame to me as improper handling or usage marks.
I just don't want the already botched up image processing to suffer further.

shetty08 said:
hey man,
this smear or minute lines on the inside or whatever is really bugging me!
My experience with samsung support (In my region and India) hasn't been good in the past. They all act as fools who recommend factory reset via their tool for every issue.
My question is will samsung own this or pass on the blame to me as improper handling or usage marks.
I just don't want the already botched up image processing to suffer further.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung phone support sucks, real bad.
You can send it in as it's clearly their fault but that will take a lot of time.
Remove back cover and clean or replace if need be. Make sure you have the OEM adhesive strips needed to reassemble it. The replacement lense protector is held on by an adhesive strip*.
It may be easier to get the whole OEM rear panel assembly.
If you do it yourself use heat carefully/evenly and take as long as it takes to carefully pry it open without breaking it. A small amount of isopropyl alcohol can be injected to help break the adhesive seal.
*it maybe replaceable without taking off the rear cover but that maybe hard or impossible to do without marring the cover.

adamlee2012 said:
Keys/coins couldn't scratch the glass anyway. Physically impossible as the glass is harder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sand will easily scratch it. The OP stated that the marks are on the inside, an assembly blunder.

satanatos said:
Really sorry to hear that. Just out of precaution, I have placed a whitestone dome glass protector on mine, just because I dont want to experience anything like that with a EUR1300 phone. Not that much expensive and you get two protectors in the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got the Whitestone lens protector myself it's pretty awesome stays on REAL well and adds a bit more sexiness to the already sexy camera bump

Accessories Questions about Screen and camera protector and also about cases

Hi!
I will be receiving my Ultra on Tuesday and was wondering if its for sure that the USA version does NOT have a pre-applied protector.
I am planning to buy one if that is not the case.
Also, for the rear cameras, I normally buy tempered glass protectors. Is it recommended for this phone or do you have other suggestions?
I bought a case that has the sliding part to cover the camera for when I am going out and one with a kickstand for when I am home so maybe I do not need to bother with protecting the cameras?
Any feedback is welcome.
Thanks!

The case needs raised guards on all sides of the display and around the cam protector which is integrated into the rear cover. It's replaceable and not easily scratched if you avoid direct contact with it. Clean with a dry microfiber cloth.
The case is the primary defense.
The display protector is to prevent scratches from sand and grit.
On my Note 10+ I've used the Zizo Bolt case and Gorilla IQ Sheild for over 20 months with no damage in spite of close to a dozen drops onto concrete from 2-4 feet, including corner hits, face plants and end over end multiple impacts.
It works.
Many cases claim to be mil spec but are not. Worse the mil spec they cite is a drop onto plywood covered concrete. Not even directly onto concrete. Concrete doesn't normally have
plywood covering it in the real world
That mil standard is meant to test for drops inside military transports. Good if your an airman who spends most of your time in the air.

shaolin95 said:
Hi!
I will be receiving my Ultra on Tuesday and was wondering if its for sure that the USA version does NOT have a pre-applied protector.
I am planning to buy one if that is not the case.
Also, for the rear cameras, I normally buy tempered glass protectors. Is it recommended for this phone or do you have other suggestions?
I bought a case that has the sliding part to cover the camera for when I am going out and one with a kickstand for when I am home so maybe I do not need to bother with protecting the cameras?
Any feedback is welcome.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I too didn't get any pre-applied protector, so I bought one from Gadgetshieldz and using it for 2 months now. This screen protector looks good and premium but I can't say there are no scratches, minute scratches occurred but they are not bad. You can also try it out, I'll drop the link below.
Mobile Skins & Wraps | Screen Guards | Screen Protectors | Phone Covers | Gadgetshieldz India
Mobile skins & wraps, phone covers, screen guards & body protectors for Phones, Laptops, Tablets, MacBooks. Proudly Made in India. Buy Online. Ships Worldwide.
www.gadgetshieldz.com