I can honestly say the screen protector on my phone has saved my screen more than once.For the life of me I’ve been wondering why anybody needs a screen protector. Been using touchscreens on vehicles, phones and endless machines at work for 20 years and never had issues with any getting scratched. At the very worse fingerprints which easily wipe off with a few swipes using a microfiber towel. Just about every touchscreen I use seems almost indestructible and virtually scratch proof to normal use.
And the matte screen protector on my 12" display significantly cuts down on glare, which is worth it for me.
I've also seen several smartphones that didn't have screen protectors that had wear patterns on the screen from typing in keyboard or using unlock code.