Damien, I've seen comments all over the web presenting concern regarding the oleophobic coating being removed due to resurfacing. The coating is actually quite opposite from what you have stated. It is not protection from scratches. I guess you could say it is between the glass screen and possible scratching elements (sand, etc.) but it's hardness comes nowhere close to prevent scratch damage from any common element. It is there to repel oil, dust, fingerprints, etc. and to promote an easily to clean screen (much like the properties and purpose of the clear coat of paint on your car). Start research here... Lipophobicity If the coating is scratched, the method of eliminating the scratches is to buff down the affected surface to meet the depth of the scratch. Therefore, you will wear away the coating due to resurfacing; this is a given with any buffing project. Although, I did just find a possible way to reapply the coating once the screen is resurfaced... Hydrophobic and Oleophobic Cell Phone Treatments...
I've owned an HTC Evo 4G for years and have successfully removed screen scratches from it as well as my iPod using the glass compound from the company below and a glass polishing cloth. TDI-LLC Resurfacing Compounds It usually takes me between 10-15 minutes by means of hand buffing, and probably less with a dremel tool of some sort at a lower speed. Careful with power tools though, do NOT burn the screen; it can happen easily. I have found hand buffing to be a safer method and there is enough compound to repair multiple devices such as iPhones, iPods, Android devices, etc.
After searching and searching some more a while back, I found a polishing compound that has been a huge success for me in removing scratches on my iPod and HTC Evo 4G. I used a glass polishing cloth along with their glass compound and it has worked wonders more than once. I initially tried all of the "creative" ways to remove the scratches (eraser method, alcohol, etc.) but saw little improvement. Here's what they have available... TDI-LLC Resurfacing Compounds If you are finished trying to figure out how to fix the scratches on your device and just want them fixed, I suggest picking up some of their compound. There's enough to fix multiple phones as well.
I have successfully repaired scratches on my iPod and HTC Evo 4G screens using a buffing compound specific to touch screen panels. They have different types depending upon the material that composes the screen so newer products with gorilla glass are repairable as well. Here's what they have available... TDI-LLC Resurfacing Compounds You can find many forum posts regarding different creative ways to make the scratches more noticeable, but I have found their polishing compound to work wonders for me. It ended the my guessing game by simply working.
Yes, agreed. Taking Apple products apart for repair can be risky if you do not know what you are doing. Probably even more so these days with newer Apple products. If the scratches aren't too deep, you can easily buff them out and improve the look of your screen. There are a bunch of junk polishing compounds out there that I have seen many people talk about online but this one worked wonders for me on both my iPod as well as my HTC Evo 4G screens. You might look into it... TDI-LLC Technology - Resurfacing Compounds I hope this is helpful for you in the late future as well as anyone else swinging by this post in the future.
It really depends on the type of material the touch screen is composed of (Glass, Acrylic, Gorilla Glass). I would suggest using a buffing agent that is specific to your type of device screen as to not damage it any further. These guys have it broken down by screen type so you might look into what they have or something similar from another manufacturer. TDI-LLC Technology - Glass, Acrylic, Gorilla Glass Compounds Hope this helps.
True, a buffing tool will assist in making the process more efficient. If you are looking for a specific buffing compound for your glass, these guys might have it. TDI-LLC Technology - Glass, Acrylic, and Gorilla Glass Compounds It looks like they might be onto something in the arena of removing scratches on touch screen panels with different kinds of materials such as gorilla glass. A little late here but I hope this helps someone else that comes across this post in the future.
Always use a screen protector and if it is a good one, you will barely notice it is there. I have always loved the screen protectors from Screenguardz. Compared to the ones at Best Buy (forget which brand but they were stickier feeling), they are extremely smooth and the anti-glare is great. Here's their link... ScreenGuardz But, if you already have scratches in your touch screen since you didn't have a screen protector there in the first place ( duh, :D Just kidding), you might check out the different compounds from these guys. It looks like industrial grade stuff or something of the sort. Check it out here... TDI-LLC Technology - Resurfacing Compounds
A screen protector is always a good idea. But, if it's already scratched, you might check out some compound from these guys to fix your touch screen panel scratches. It looks as though it might be some sort of industrial grade stuff or something. Glass, Gorilla Glass, and Acrylic Compound Set