I assumed that the author was thinking about screens 10 years ago, which didn't have oleophobic coatings yet. So fingerprints and smudges built up in layers really fast and made it hard to read the screen.
Yes, especially the junky plastic screens that would also get all scratched up. And plastic screen protectors that would get scratched, bubbly underneath, and had no effective oleophobic coating.
The modern Gorilla Glass screens and coatings used on iPhones and other devices are so magical in comparison to those early cheaper smartphones.
