Apple iPhone displays were always fairly fragile — from the first iPhone all the way through the iPhone 11 Pro Max. For the iPhone 12 Pro Max and, of course, the newest iPhone 13 range, Apple started using a new display technology developed in conjunction with Corning: Ceramic Shield. Ceramic Shield mixed Nano Ceramic crystals into the display glass, which Apple says makes the newer iPhones four times more resistant to damage from drops than older models.
Regardless of whether that theory holds over time — and Apple swears it does — with that much screen real estate, you should probably do something to protect that vast expanse of glass. Slapping a screen protector on your iPhone never hurts. We scouted a variety of screen protectors from reputable manufacturers at various prices, and some even come with extra added privacy and health-related features. Here are some of the best iPhone 12 Pro Max screen protectors.
This is a great midrange iPhone 12 Pro Max screen protector made from tempered glass with a 9H hardness rating, which is durable enough to protect your phone's screen from drops and shocks. As a bonus, it incorporates an underlying anti-shatter film, so even if you drop it from a substantial height, it shouldn't break into pieces. Despite its ruggedness, it offers a 95% light-penetration ratio, making it highly transparent as well as responsive. Another nice addition is the inclusion of a twin-pack of camera lens protectors, which gives your iPhone's camera extra insurance against damage.
This comprehensive iPhone 12 Pro Max screen protector from Tech21 features toughened glass with an anti-scratch finish, so it should withstand punishment and abuse before showing visible signs of wear and tear. It also has an antimicrobial layer, which helps to reduce bacteria and microbes by up to 99.99%. The protector is thin and fully compatible with MagSafe accessories. The pack includes an alignment applicator for easier installation.
As the name implies, the PanzerGlass is tough, with its high-tension, chemically reinforced 9H tempered glass capable of enduring everyday impacts and accidents, including extreme hazards. Thanks to the anti-shatter film, excessive impacts may cause the glass to crack but not shatter, so it’s safer than other glass products. Extra features include a privacy filter, preventing people from looking over your shoulder on the subway. It also includes an oleophobic coating for repelling smudges and an antibacterial layer for killing germs. Even though the protector is pretty sturdy, its thickness measures only 0.44mm, making it especially discreet and functional.
Whitestone Dome is mostly known for making extremely strong protectors that cost more than the competition. This item, however, is a little different since it offers high-level protection at a fraction of the usual price. The trick here is that the protector is not actually real glass, although it feels just as smooth while also being almost as hardy. Its use of composite materials means it’s a little thinner than the usual Whitestone Dome protector, making it highly transparent and responsive. It’s sold in a pack of two and comes with an easy alignment tool.
If you’re willing to spend for the ultimate protection, this Gadget Guard screen protector is for you. It uses five different integrated layers, including a fingerprint coating, hybrid flex layer, and cap sheet. Together, they’re designed to ensure neither the screen nor the protector will shatter or chip. It’s also made to be anti-glare and scratch-resistant — the edges even provide a bit of impact protection. With all that, you may not feel the need for a case at all, but the protector is still slim enough to support a variety of cases without affecting touch sensitivity.
An affordable Belkin option, this screen protector offers a little bit of everything. The tempered glass ensures your iPhone 12 Pro Max stays free from annoying scratches, while the biocidal disinfectant microbial layer can help reduce bacteria up to 99% on the screen’s surface. One of our favorite features is the privacy filter, which helps shade the screen when viewed at an off-angle and helps to keep others from spying on what you’re doing, no matter where you are at. The screen protector is also designed to help guard against impact if your iPhone happens to drop.
This triple-strength tempered glass shield can handle up to 5 kilograms of pressure for extra added protection against drops, bumps, and all kinds of impact. It’s precisely cut for this specific iPhone model to facilitate easy Face ID unlocking, and it ships with a cleaning kit and installation frame, making it easy to install.
This Spigen screen protector comes in a two-pack, providing tempered glass durability rated at 9H hardness and paired with oleophobic coating added in for extra fingerprint resistance. It features an easy-to-use auto-alignment kit for application onto the iPhone’s glass surface, and if you have another Spigen protector to use, the kit will work for it as well.
Chemically reinforced using a double ion-exchange process, this tempered glass protector from Belkin claims double the impact protection of standard glass protectors. It has also been treated with lithium aluminosilicate (LAS), which makes it particularly scratch-resistant and durable, so it’s unlikely you’ll crack it. While it is one of the toughest protectors you’ll find anywhere, it’s also very slim at only 0.29mm.
If you want to keep your iPhone’s surface sanitary, check out OtterBox’s Amplify Glass with Antimicrobial Technology. Co-developed with Corning to emphasize scratch resistance as well as proprietary antimicrobial attributes, this protective shield features EPA-registered antimicrobial tempered glass that shields your screen from damage and infectious microbes. It also features numerous anti-scratch properties for clarity, plus you can pair it with any Otterbox case.
The Supershieldz three-pack is constructed from high-quality tempered glass for maximum scratch, drop, and bump protection. Its 2.5D rounded-edge glass offers comfortable handling and eases pressure on your fingers and hand — which is handy with a phone as big as the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It features 9H hardness and a nearly 100% clarity of view. Its hydrophobic and oleophobic coating reduces the occurrence of sweat and fingerprints on your screen.
The AmFilm is a reasonably priced tempered glass screen that will do the job of covering your iPhone 12 Pro Max’s vast display area while still accommodating most cases. It’s ultra-thin at 0.33mm, but it’s a reliable partner for your capacitive touchscreen. Durable and scratch-resistant, the surface has a hardness of 9H and is topped with an oleophobic coating to reduce fingerprints. This product comes in a three-pack that includes the protectors, installation tray, wet wipes, and dust removal stickers.
The InvisibleShield Glass Elite+ is made with ion exchange technology and aluminosilicate glass, which the company touts as its strongest screen protection, coupled with anti-microbial properties embedded in the glass. It also features ClearPrint oil-diffusion technology to mask fingerprints. The anti-microbial tech promises to kill up to 95% of human coronavirus and up to 99.9% of Staph and E. coli surface bacteria. Ion exchange technology increases surface compression for hardness and scratch resistance. The Glass Elite+ surface has a smooth, silky finish, similar to your phone’s screen.
Jackie is an obsessive, insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app fanatic, her specialties include cross-platform hardware and software, art, design, photography, video, and a wide range of creative and productivity apps and systems. Formerly senior editor at Macworld and creativity editor at The Next Web, Jackie now writes for a variety of consumer tech publications.
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