Apple has spent years making iPhone displays more resistant to scratches and everyday damage, and one of the company’s top hardware executives apparently hates seeing owners cover them up.
Tom Marieb, Apple’s new Vice President of Hardware Engineering, discussed the durability of the company’s latest devices in an interview with TechRadar. While talking about Ceramic Shield 2, Marieb revealed his reaction when he spots an iPhone with a screen protector.
“Personally, when I see someone put a screen protector on their iPhone, it makes my skin crawl, because we work so hard to make beautiful front screens,” he said.
Ceramic Shield 2 was introduced with the iPhone 17 lineup and is also used on the iPhone 18 Pro and the outer display of Apple’s new foldable iPhone Duo.
Apple explains why it has focused on iPhone scratch resistance
Marieb explained that Apple wanted to develop new display coatings capable of resisting scratches without sacrificing their ability to withstand wear over time.
“We very much wanted to develop new coatings that could withstand [scratches], but also make sure that these coatings were wear-resistant as well,” he said.
Apple claimed when Ceramic Shield 2 debuted that it offered three times better scratch resistance than the previous generation.
AppleThe company’s durability work also extends to the iPhone Duo, which introduces a new hinge and folding inner display.
Marieb said Apple spent significant time adjusting the hinge so the device would feel solid when opened, closed or used partially folded. The company wanted closing the phone to feel similar to shutting the door of a high-end car, rather than leaving users with a hinge that feels loose or “floppy.”
“A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into that,” Marieb said.
Apple has also addressed concerns about how the Duo’s display crease could change over time. Marieb said its matte finish helps make changes around the hinge less noticeable compared to a glossy screen, telling users to “hold us accountable to that.”
Apple’s comments on the Duo’s durability come after tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD, shared his first impressions of the foldable.
Brownlee described the $1,999 device as “really fun” and praised its overall fit and finish, but pointed to several downsides, including the unusual shape of the cover display, limitations for left-handed users, and the quality of its under-screen selfie camera.
Despite those concerns, he said the Duo has “a lot going for it” and could appeal to iPhone users who have been waiting to make the jump to a foldable.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
