The OnePlus 6T is like any other smartphone today in that its screen needs protection. Even though the device sports Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for screen protection, it’s still susceptible to scratches and damage. Fortunately, the company ships the phone with a factory-installed screen protector film, which is also certified to work properly with the phone’s in-display fingerprint sensor. However, you can now buy the official tempered glass screen protector for the smartphone, which is available on the OnePlus India e-store for Rs 990.
The presence of the optical in-display fingerprint sensor complicates the ability to use screen protectors, since the sensor is essentially a camera placed under the screen that captures your fingerprint and matches it against the model saved on the device.
Aftermarket screen protectors can potentially hamper the ability of that camera to properly read your fingerprint, therefore negating a key feature on the phone. Therefore, OnePlus only recommends use of the official pre-installed protector on the OnePlus 6T, and the new tempered glass option is certified to work with the in-display fingerprint sensor. However, OnePlus does recommend re-configuring your fingerprint on the phone once you’ve installed the tempered glass protector.
The advantage of a tempered glass screen protector is that it is thicker, and inherently more durable than a typical plastic film protector. The increased thickness means that any scratches on the surface are unlikely to affect the actual screen, even if the damage on the protector is deep.
WATCH: OnePlus 6T Hands On
A tempered glass protector also offers a bit more protection to the screen from drops or hits, usually taking the damage on itself. OnePlus 6T buyers will now be able to install one of these on the device, and not have to rely on the pre-installed film protector. The official option covers not only the screen, but also the slim non-screen space below it. It has a distinct gap at the top for the notch, to allow the front camera to remain uncovered.
