Apple banning film screen protectors from its stores?
updated 11:20 am EDT, Wed March 17, 2010
Company said to be talking with vendors
Apple is allegedly in the process of removing screen protectors from its retail stores and online outlet, according to iLounge. An unnamed company claims Apple has been disclosing the policy change to various vendors. Film-only products will reportedly be banned, along with any cases or other accessories that include film in the same packaging.
The sources suggest the ban covers any type of screen protector, such as mirrored layers or anti-glare film, along with any similar decorative products. The purge extends beyond the wide range of iPhone accessories and also includes products for MacBooks, iPods, iPads and iMacs.
One vendor believes Apple may be removing the film as part of a marketing move designed to boost the perceived durability of device displays, although the company has yet to provide any official confirmation or explanation.
An effort of pretense
03/17, 11:34am reply
Matte is far better than glass in most situations, but Apple just wouldn't admit that the glass if deeply flawed, much like the glass found on the iMac and MacBook Pro.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
They will have their own...
03/17, 11:46am reply
Screen Protector I bet. Something called iCover, iSee, iC, iFinger, iSmudge, iClear, iReflect, iScreen, iDeSmudge, iCE, or my " i " favorite - iPut all iScreen Covers Out of Business :-)
We will have to start to peel them off each time we have a problem and need Apple to look at it.
Really i ?
ScottG
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2005
iPhone
03/17, 11:47am reply
Matte vs glossy isn't an issue on the iphone. Glass is a much better substance on that device since it's far more scratch resistant than plastic. Yes, glass shatters and plastic doesn't; but scratches are a more frequent occurance than shattering. Also plastic screen protectors scratch more easily and thus need to be replaced often. Perhaps this is an environmental decision.
Arty50
Mac Elite
Joined: May 2000
Why, Apple, why?
03/17, 12:05pm reply
This isn't an environmental decision. Otherwise, Apple could be doing a lot more to force vendors to have more environmentally friendly packaging.
This reeks of "someone at Apple hates screen protectors" which is the stupidest reason to remove a product from shelves.
But in the end, who cares. I bought my matte screen protector from Radio Shack. I find it feels nicer to my finger tips, it's easier to read in some situations, and I freak out less is my son smudges jam on the screen.
guytoronto
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
Meh.
03/17, 12:23pm reply
I bought a pricey film screen protector from the Apple Store and removed it from my iPhone a couple weeks later and haven't been sorry after eight months of ownership. No scratches whatsoever and the glossy screen seems nicer and clearer than the lustre the film had. By the way, I surprisingly also haven't had much of an issue getting used to my new shiny MacBook Pro screen. I was close to ordering the matte option, but with the brightness and clarity, it's seldom noticeable.
facebook_Howard
Via Facebook
Joined: Mar 2010
this is news?
03/17, 12:27pm (1 reply) reply
What's next, "Steve Job's takes a piss"?
RoosterJuice
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2010
iCover My A
03/17, 12:29pm reply
How's that for Apple's own product name?
Environmental my a**. Just remove all the fancy plastic wrapping on all Apple products and you'd save tons of solid waste from being produced in the first place. Those stupid caps for adapters, too.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
environmentalism? It's a lie.
03/17, 12:32pm reply
We custom-ordered MacBook Pros back on the last day of February 2010. They were shipped with 10.6. Talk about wasted time and electricity. The inventory glut is causing such out-dated contents on a NEW product. Instead of taking care of it by re-imagine the disks before they are installed, they pushed it to the consumers.
Waste of energy.
Waste of time.
Who is paying for it? The consumers, of course.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999
Huh?
03/17, 12:56pm reply
So you're upset because Apple didn't open the box and go through the effort of re-imaging the drive so you didn't have to click OK when software update popped up?
Just so you realize, many of the common custom configurations are actually pre-built and pulled from when customers order them.
bjojade
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2007
Don't be silly
03/17, 01:01pm reply
When a product has been sitting on the shelf, I understand.
Well, you probably conveniently picked what you want to read. I did say CUSTOM BUILT 2/27/2010, so why should I get disks that were imaged back in October?
The whole point is that someone made incorrect projection and the factory ended up with too many disks with OLD information. No effort was done to load it with current files. More than four months old information on a newly-ordered (zero shelf time) unit is inexcusable.
Paul Huang
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Sep 1999