Oh man, you are speaking my language. I’ve been through exactly this struggle—I went through four different protectors on my 15 Pro before I finally found the sweet spot. If you want to avoid those annoying micro-scratches without turning your phone into a brick, forget the random multipacks on Amazon. They use cheap glass that loses its oleophobic coating in about two weeks, and then you're just scrubbing fingerprints all day. I’ve settled on these two because they actually hold up against keys and sand:

• Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Tempered Glass
• Honestly, the application tray is the only reason I don't go insane trying to align the edges perfectly. It’s thin, the transparency is top-tier for selfies, and it feels exactly like the native glass.
• ESR Armorite Screen Protector
• If you’re really worried about hard impacts, this stuff is rated for a higher weight load. It's shockingly smooth, though a tiny bit thicker than the Spigen. Quick tip: wipe your screen with an alcohol swab and then use a piece of scotch tape to dab every single speck of dust off before you drop the protector on. Any tiny grain of sand trapped underneath is what creates those annoying bubbles or pressure points that crack later on. Anyway, bottom line is, stick to the reputable brands—they really do use better chemical tempering processes.

This comes up a lot. Honestly, just grab the Belkin UltraGlass 2 Screen Protector if you want the best scratch resistance. It’s pricey but the oleophobic coating actually lasts... unlike the cheap junk.

@Reply #2 - good point! Look, before you drop money, listen: do you keep your phone in a pocket with loose change, or are you around grit and metal filings all day?