Updated
Updated · India Today · Sep 21
Apple Hardware Chief Urges Users to Skip iPhone Protectors as Ceramic Shield 2 Claims 3x Scratch Resistance
Updated
Updated · India Today · Sep 21

Apple Hardware Chief Urges Users to Skip iPhone Protectors as Ceramic Shield 2 Claims 3x Scratch Resistance

3 articles · Updated · India Today · Sep 21

Summary

  • Tom Marieb, Apple’s new VP of hardware engineering, said iPhone screen protectors make his “skin crawl,” arguing they undermine the front display Apple works hard to design.
  • Ceramic Shield 2 is the reason: Marieb said Apple balanced scratch resistance with long-term wear resistance rather than maximizing one trait, aiming for durability over years of real-world use.
  • Apple says the glass delivers up to 3x better scratch resistance than the original Ceramic Shield and can simulate 5 years or more of use within weeks of testing.
  • The material debuted on the iPhone 17 line in 2025 and now ships on the iPhone 18 Pro models and the outer screen of the upcoming foldable iPhone Duo.

Insights

With Apple condemning screen protectors, how will the upcoming $1,999 iPhone Duo foldable survive the brutal reality of daily drops?
If Apple's new glass is tough enough to ditch screen protectors, is this a subtle push toward buying AppleCare+ instead?