Why I regret skipping a case and screen protector for my Pixel 10 Pro

The Google Pixel 10 Pro has been my go-to Android phone since late August, and since then, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every second with it. The cameras are exceptional, the software is great, and the built-in magnets have ruined me for phones without them.

Unfortunately, after three months of daily use with the Pixel 10 Pro, it’s already picked up some pretty noticeable wear and tear — specifically, a deep scratch on the display that’s annoying me to no end.

It’s a big, unsightly scratch, and it all could have been avoided if I had just used a case and a screen protector.

Looking at my Pixel 10 Pro’s display, there are actually scratches all over it. However, most of them are very light and only visible when the display is off and I’m looking at the screen under an overhead light. I also can’t feel them at all when using the touchscreen. These are the types of scratches I expect to see on any phone after a few weeks of use, let alone three months.

The problem is a deeper series of scratches around the middle of the screen, which you can see in the photos throughout the article. It looks like a small circle of scratches, including one line that extends down the glass a bit.

Compared to the other scratches on the screen, these are significantly deeper. Not only can I easily see them when the display is off, but they’re (unfortunately) most noticeable when it’s on, creating a distracting rainbow behind them, especially against a white or light-colored background.

The worst part is that I can feel the scratches. Any time my fingernail slides against them, I can distinctly feel it moving against the rough/jagged scratch lines — and I hate it every single time.

Has this impeded how I use the Pixel 10 Pro? Has it made the phone any less capable or functional? Of course not. But it is absurdly annoying. I see and notice those scratches every time I turn the phone on, and I imagine I’ll continue to do so for as long as I have it.

Now comes the million-dollar question: How exactly did this happen? Did I abuse my Pixel 10 Pro?  Did I drag it across concrete or try an at-home JerryRigEverything durability test? No, nothing like that. In fact, I can’t point to a specific instance where I think these scratches occurred.

I will say that I haven’t babied my Pixel 10 Pro. It’s gone through normal, everyday use over the last few months, and there have been a couple of drops here and there. However, whenever I’ve dropped the phone or it’s slid off my desk, I’ve checked to ensure there wasn’t any serious damage. And not once after any of these incidents did I notice these horrible scratches — they just sort of appeared one day.

I think that’s the most frustrating thing about this. If I could clearly point to one drop or accident that caused these scratches, that would be one thing. But to not know what caused them has been maddening.

Compounding that feeling is also one of frustration with myself. I prefer to use my phone without a case or screen protector. I don’t like the bulk that a case adds or the feeling of a screen protector on top of the display — I like using phones as is.

However, that obviously increases the risk of scratches like this, and this time I paid the price.

If I could go back to the B.S. era (before scratches), I’d probably do things differently. There’s no shortage of great Pixel 10 cases out there, many of which aren’t annoyingly bulky. And with so many high-quality tempered glass screen protectors available, there’s really no excuse for me not to use one.

I write all of this not to dog on the Pixel 10 Pro or suggest it has a durability issue. Something came into contact with the display to scratch it badly, and the result would have almost certainly been the same no matter which phone I was using.

Instead, I write this as a cautionary tale of my foolishness. Don’t be like me! There are so many Pixel 10 accessories, many of which are really affordable, that could have prevented this from happening. And that’s true for virtually every Android phone. It takes just a few dollars to buy a case and screen protector, and in doing so, you don’t have to worry about permanently damaging your phone like I have.