In today’s smartphone market, there are really only two “prestige” product lines: the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy. Which one you choose will depend on what you value more. Do you prefer Apple’s white glove customer service and walled garden approach to software? Or do you prefer Android’s open approach and versatility?
In the current iPhone generation, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the biggest, with the most generous display. It also has a more powerful camera with stability controls and brighter colors. And the case is made from surgical-grade steel, not aircraft-grade aluminum like the base model iPhone. But the iPhone 14 Pro Max is expensive, and you’ll want to protect your investment. A tempered glass screen protector is practically mandatory – even better if it doubles as a privacy screen.
We’re about to review four of the best screen protectors on the market. If you don’t want to read the full guide, here’s a quick summary:
- The MagGlass Privacy+ Guard offers the most coverage. It even protects your selfie camera lens.
- The Ferilinso Privacy Screen Protector has an oleophobic coating. It does a fantastic job of resisting fingerprints.
- The PDDKISS Colorful Privacy Screen Protector sports a blue light filter. If you’re on your phone before bed, it’s less likely to keep you awake.
- The Ailun Privacy Screen Protector is only 0.33mm thick. It can fit under virtually any phone case.
Want to learn more? Let’s get started!
MagGlass Privacy+ Guard for iPhone 14 Pro Max
MagGlass is a well-known manufacturer of smartphone screen protectors. In fact, we recently reviewed their privacy screen protector for the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and it was one of our favorites. So when it came time to review iPhone 14 Pro Max screen protectors, we decided to go back to the well.
The MagGlass Privacy+ Guard for iPhone 14 Pro Max is a broad, wide cover. It covers your entire display, from edge to edge and from bottom to top. You’ll still have to be careful when orienting it, though. There’s a tiny cutout at the top for the speaker, and it won’t fit properly if it’s oriented the other way.
You might think that this would be problematic, since the glass is covering your sensor and selfie camera. However, that area of the screen protector doesn’t have any privacy tint. It won’t interfere with your sensor, and the color in your selfies will be bright and clear.
From a privacy protection perspective, this screen cover is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the side view protection is outstanding. Move more than about 20 degrees off center, and the image will quickly start to fade. On the other hand, it doesn’t work as well along the vertical axis. You’ll have to move pretty far off center before the privacy tint starts to kick in.
As for hardness, we had no complaints. The tempered glass has a rating of 9H, which is the highest rating available. Furthermore, MagGlass offers a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. If the glass does break, you can file a claim and receive a free replacement.
Ferilinso iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector
The Ferilinso iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector is also made from 9H tempered glass. But instead of a solid surface, it has small cutouts for your sensor and selfie camera. This ensures maximum image clarity and reduces the chance of sensor malfunctions. Then again, it also leaves your selfie lens exposed.
On the plus side, your main camera lenses will be protected. The package includes a back cover, which protects all of your rear lenses. This cover sports black rings around your lenses, which prevent light from bleeding through from the flash. You’ll be able to get good quality pictures, even with your flash turned on. Not only that, but the kit is actually a three-pack, so you can outfit the whole family. And as an added bonus, you can order it for the iPhone 14 Plus or Pro.
The glass has an oleophobic – or oil-repelling – coating, which is designed to prevent fingerprints from collecting. In turn, this helps to prevent dust buildup, since dust likes to stick to oils. As a result, it’s easy to keep your phone clean and maintain good visibility. That is, unless you’re off to the side. At an angle of 28 degrees, the screen goes dark pretty quickly.
PDDKISS Colorful iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector
The PDDKISS Colorful iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector is designed to cover the front of your phone. It has cutouts for your sensor and selfie camera, and the tempered glass boasts a hardness rating of 9H.
The privacy protection function works about as well as the Ferilinso protector’s. At an angle of 28 degrees, the image suddenly fades to black. This keeps your phone safe from prying eyes. That said, the glass is designed to allow more light to pass through when you’re near a 90-degree angle. As a result, you won’t have to turn up your brightness as high as you will with other privacy covers. Your phone battery will thank you.
In addition, the PDDKISS glass filters out blue light. This does a couple of things. To begin with, it reduces eye strain, which is important when you spend a lot of time on your phone. It also doesn’t keep your brain awake the same way unfiltered light does. If you’re using your phone before bed, you’ll have an easier time falling asleep afterwards.
Ailun Privacy Screen Protector for iPhone 14 Pro Max
The Ailun iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector has an established track record. A while back, we reviewed their Steam Deck screen protector. It made an impression on us, and we’ve kept them in mind when looking for other screen protectors.
This is a complete kit, with both a front and rear camera cover. The front cover has a narrow cutout for the sensor and a small circular one for the selfie cam. The back cover covers the entire rear lens area, with cutouts for the flash and sensors. Around each of the lenses is a black ring, embedded into the glass. These rings absorb any light that’s diffracted through the glass from the flash. As a result, there won’t be any glare or unwanted shine.
The 9H tempered glass is very strong, and can withstand a significant amount of abuse. Not only that, but it’s extraordinarily thin. At only 0.33mm, it can fit under virtually any phone case. And even at that thickness, it does a reliable job of privacy protection.
How to Install an iPhone Screen Protector
There’s no single way to install all iPhone screen protectors. Different protectors will have their own designs and requirements. That said, here’s a broad overview:
- Clean your screen. Use an alcohol wipe or wet cotton ball to remove any grease or fingerprints. Wait a minute for the residue to dry, then follow up with a microfiber cloth. This should leave your screen completely clean, so you get the best possible adhesion.
- Carefully remove the film on the back of the glass. Try not to touch the sticky area – you may leave a fingerprint. Similarly, try not to touch it to other objects, since it will weaken the adhesive.
- Apply the protector to your screen. Start from one edge, and carefully press down, working your way towards the other edge. Ideally, you should work out any bubbles as you go along. It’s important to align the first edge carefully before you start pressing down. Otherwise, you’ll have to reapply the protector. Some screen protectors come with an installation jig or frame that makes this process way easier.
Remember, every screen protector is unique. Read the instructions before you start!
How to Choose the Best iPhone 14 Pro Max Screen Protector
Before we wrap up, let’s address the elephant in the room. Why is it that you’d choose one screen protector rather than another? The first step is to find one that fits your phone. If it’s too small, there will be bare spots. If it’s too big, it will be impractical. And if it has the wrong form factor, it may not even stick properly.
But even amongst properly-fitted screen protectors, you’ll have a ton of options. Here are some other things to keep in mind when you’re shopping.
Glass Thickness
If you’re looking for the most possible protection, it would be intuitive to look for the thickest glass. To be fair, there’s something to this. Thicker glass is more durable than thinner glass. But once you get thicker than paper-thin, you start to see a diminishing return on investment.
Furthermore, thicker glass will make your touchscreen less responsive. At a certain thickness, using your phone can become altogether impractical.
As a result, it’s best to look for glass that’s on the thinner side. In today’s market, that will fall somewhere between 0.3mm and 0.4mm. Any thinner and the glass becomes too fragile; any thicker and your touchscreen performance tanks.
Glass Hardness
Glass hardness is important for obvious reasons; the harder your glass, the more abuse it can handle. That said, most tempered glass screen protectors have a hardness rating of 9H. This equates to roughly a 7 on the Mohs hardness scale – somewhere between steel and titanium. That’s as hard as you’re likely to see absent further advancements in materials science.
Privacy Protection
Besides keeping your screen physically safe, you also want to be safe from prying eyes. That’s where privacy protection comes in. Glass that has been polarized in a particular way will only allow light to penetrate from certain angles. By engineering their glass correctly, manufacturers can make your screen invisible from the side.
Most screen protectors will have a viewing angle of between 20 and 45 degrees to either side. Beyond that, and the glass will not allow light to pass through. That said, these angles are variable. If you turn up your brightness, the viewing angle will be wider. Turn down the brightness, and it will be narrower.
Extra Features
If you’re going to install a privacy screen protector, why not look for one with bonus features? A matching rear camera lens cover can keep all the glass on your phone safe. Or you can choose a blue light filtering screen cover to take the strain off your eyes.
Final Verdict
As you can see, these are all worthwhile screen protectors. But which one is the best choice for you? Let’s quickly recap what we’ve learned.
We started by reviewing the MagGlass Privacy+ Guard for iPhone 14 Pro Max. This privacy guard provides fantastic coverage, and even protects your sensor and selfie camera. We were less impressed with the privacy performance, which leaves much to be desired along the vertical axis. That said, you get excellent side-angle protection, along with a lifetime warranty.
Next, we examined the Ferilinso iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector. This protector comes in a three-pack, and includes a rear camera lens protector. It also boasts an effective oleophobic coating, so keeping it clean is a breeze. You can even order it for your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Plus.
The PDDKISS Colorful iPhone 14 Pro Max Privacy Screen Protector was third on our list. It’s most notable for its blue light protection, which is great for anyone who uses their phone before bed. However, it also lets through more light than most privacy screens. If you want to maximize battery life, that’s a useful feature.
Last but not least, we looked at the Ailun Privacy Screen Protector for iPhone 14 Pro Max. This is another two-part protector that covers both your display and your rear lenses. At 0.33mm thick, it’s compatible with any smartphone case you could think of, without compromising the privacy protection.
Meet Ry, “TechGuru,” a 36-year-old technology enthusiast with a deep passion for tech innovations. With extensive experience, he specializes in gaming hardware and software, and has expertise in gadgets, custom PCs, and audio.
Besides writing about tech and reviewing new products, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and photography. Committed to keeping up with the latest industry trends, he aims to guide readers in making informed tech decisions.