They’re both called a “pro” phone, but the slight differences in the shelf may mean some older screen protectors will work on the iPhone 14 Pro, but not all.

With new models of the iPhone arriving for 2022, you might be thinking about accessories to keep the phone in a nice and shiny condition. There are the obligatory cases which can help reduce damage to the back and sides, but there are also screen protectors, which are all about reducing damage to one of the most important areas: the screen. Iphone 12 Front Screen

A broken screen is one of the worst costs you can swallow in the iPhone world, and in the iPhone 14 range, the cost isn’t exactly insignificant. You’ll find replacing the screen on the iPhone 14 Pro could cost $549, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has an estimated cost of $619 in Australia. Yikes.

With prices like that, ponying up for AppleCare could make sense, but so, too, could installing a screen protector. With one addition, your screen is protected from the hard drops and obvious scratches. Now the only question: which one?

To save money, it wouldn’t be totally surprising if you considered one of last year’s iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max screen protectors. After all, the screens are the same technical size, even if the notch and shelf has changed. So how does that affect things?

Frustratingly, the answer is maybe, but also probably not. It really depends on how the old screen protector is designed compared to the new screen. Much like the situation with iPhone 13 cases on the new iPhone 14 models, you’ll need to consider your phone and the accessory carefully.

Remember, the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models have no notch — they have no shelf, it’s all screen — so if you use a screen protector where the notch and shelf have been cut out, you won’t be protecting the entirety of the screen. In fact, you’d miss out on half of the Dynamic Island, which might see the cut-out for the notch carving a line right through it.

Trying to match an old screen protector to a new iPhone without the shelf — basically going from iPhone 12 or 13 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro — isn’t as easy as picking one of the shelf and hoping for the best. Some will be better than others, and not just because you’re talking about plastic versus glass.

Looking through our review stock, we found iPhone 13 Pro screen protectors that included the cut-out for the notch on that model, which when used with the iPhone 14 Pro would clearly leave a top bit of the screen exposed.

One model from Zagg was exactly like this, and left a section of the screen exposed. As we predicted, the shelf cutout was basically drawing a line through the Dynamic Island, leaving one part exposed to scratches, and a bit of the screen with it.

However, not were like this. While Zagg’s variation wouldn’t be suitable for the iPhone 14 Pro but may be totally fine for the standard iPhone 14, we found an EFM screen protector that covered the entire screen, and that looked like it would be a good match, while Belkin’s recent screen protector also covers it perfectly.

It all comes down to this: If you find a screen protector that is all screen with no notch, you may find that fits your new iPhone 14 Pro totally fine.

It’s a similar problem with the 6.7 inch edition of the iPhone 14 Pro, because while the screen size is more or less the same, the lack of a notch and shelf on the 14 Pro Max means screen protectors may look different.

Check the design on the box label carefully. If you’re buying a screen protector for a phone with no notch like on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’ll find a screen protector made for a phone with the notch — like the iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 13 Pro Max — will leave a portion of the screen unprotected.

In short, look for screen protectors without the notch or shelf cut out. Find one like that, and it should fit. Alternatively, skip buying the older screen protector and consider the new one for your new phone.

Going the other way, a new screen protector for the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max should work for owners of both the 13 Pro/Pro Max line, and even the 12 Pro/Pro Max models before it.

New screen protectors will have a cut out for the camera and True Depth technology used for Face ID, but because screen protectors are clear anyway, they shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

Alternatively, we’d consider using a screen protector from either the iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus on an older Pro or Pro Max model. The 6.1 inch on the iPhone 14 should line up with the 6.1 inch screen of the Pro, while the 6.7 inch screen on the iPhone 14 Plus should be the same dimensions as the screen on the 6.7 inch iPhone 12 Pro Max and 13 Pro Max, providing something else to work with.

One of Australia's well regarded technology journalists working out of Sydney, Leigh Stark has been writing about technology for over 15 years, covering phones, computers, cameras, headphones, speakers, and more. Stylising his middle initial with an emoticon, he aims to present tech in a way that makes it easy for everyone. While he founded Pickr in 2016, Stark's work can be seen in other publications including The Australian Financial Review, Popular Science, and many more. His award-winning podcast "The Wrap" can be found weekly, and his most recent podcast "Your Tech Refresh" can be heard weekdays on your favourite podcast platform. Meanwhile, listen out for his voice on radio via ABC Brisbane and ABC Canberra, with his face also seen on TV's Nine. For more on this, check out Leigh Stark's most recent media appearances.

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