A thin piece of plastic (screen protectors) don't prevent the screen from shattering from a fall, just scratches in the screen, which the Gorilla glass does perfectly without distorting the color/hindering the screen sensitivity.
A case is made to absorb some of the impact force that would normally shatter the screen.
I suppose it's a technicality, but really cases don't 'absorb' force nearly as much as they 'distribute it'. That is, generally there are two types of shock distribution. The first is 'over time' and the second is 'over a larger surface area'.
Your car's suspension work 'over time' (that is instead of ALL of the force being transmitted fom the wheel to the frame to you over less than a thousandth of a second, the force is instead spread over a tenth to hundredth of a second) it whereas a hard hat works 'over a larger surface area' (instead of the 2x4 hitting you on edge with 500psi over the area of impact, it is distributed over a larger area reducing the pressure to 50psi).
The same goes for screen protectors. If you have the 'soft' ones that are as flexible as (say) scotch tape, then there is not much distributive quality to the screen protector in prevention of shattering. A 'hard' screen protector such as the (e.g.) Seido screen protectors would at least assist in prevention of screen shattering *SOME*.
The the actual amount of protection is likely minimal.
To actually get a reliable, tested answer, a large number of phones and screen protectors would have to be subjected to abuse in a standardized way... Stories of "this guys' phone survived with (out) a screen through this or broke because of that are pretty much meaningless.
This is simply because there are imperfections in any manufactured screen (making some more likely to shatter than others) AND abuse causes microfractures over time and eventually they lead up to a 'straw' breaking the camel's back.
What we don't know in most of these stories about how a phone with a screen protector or case was dropped and broke ANYWAY is... how many times was the phone dropped before that (or other abuse)?
Now keep in mind that I had neither case nor screen protection on my last smart phone for it's entire two year life. And no case for the last 9 months on my inspire (TPU case is actually usable and it cost all of 1.60 delivered).
Would a screen protector (or case?) have made a difference for me? No. Why? Cause my phone didn't break*!
BUT if it HAD broke, I'd be wondering if it would have survived if it had a case or screen protector.
So, YES screen protectors (the rigid plastic type) WILL make a difference, but is it enough of a difference to justify using them? Who knows. If you're going to go without a screen protector... at least Gorilla Glass has your back on this phone.
Wul
*Keep in mind that I am careful with my phone and don't work in an environment (night stocking, construction, whatever) that is abusive. My phone always gets a pocket to itself (right front).
