Tuesday, 2 August 2011

Screen Protector Foils - anti-glare, bad customer service


Just like one of the other reviewers said, the screen becomes worse then the lower resolution iPhone 3G's screen. Applying the protector is somewhat easy. However, even if you put the screen protector perfectly without a dust or a bubble, the protector makes the screen look bad.



If you don't care about how your display looks and just want a cheap, easy to install, anti-glare protector that does the job, then but this. 6 films for $3 is actually amazing.



But if you don't want your beautiful retina display to become worse then the lower resolution iPhone 3G's screen, do not get this. Trust me on this. 6X Reusable Anti-Glare Screen Protector for Apple iPhone 4

Not an easy installation process. They bubble during application. They do seem to protect the screen, but the colors are muted and dull. Would not re-buy. And good thing I didn't spend any more than I did for these. You get what you pay for, I guess.

The product came in a speedy manner, 6 protectors in total. So far I only used one. I know a lot of people complained that they got a lot of bubbles when they applied the screen protector, but I believe they just don't know how to put on screen protectors properly (no offense). I was able to get the product on my phone with 0 bubbles. Most people don't know but the key to this is regular tape and a microfiber cloth.



First wipe down the phone with the cloth, don't use napkins or paper towels because they always leave something behind. Event the microfiber cloth dosen't clean it 100%. After you think its clean, take a piece of tape and dab it all over the front of the screen, because there is debris that you can't see with your eyes which is what causes the bubbles. This should reduce the bubbles by 90-95% Now when you put the film use something flat like a credit card to slowly smooth the film down from the top -> bottom. As you do this you will notice a few bubbles on the way, don't panic! just slowly lift the film back up a bit, take another piece of tape and go over that spot on your phone AND the underside of the screen protector. Sometimes some particles stick to the film itself. The tape is stickier than the film, and should pick up the debris. Dont' be afraid to lift the screen back up. Then just continue smoothing it down with the card till you're finished.



If you happen to accidenlty let go of the film and it goes down, just take a piece of tape and touch it to a corner and that should lift it back up. Also lifting the screen protector up and down won't make it lose its stickniess since the glass is clean. These are just helpful tips and tricks I've learned from applying screen protectors on multiple phones for my family members and friends over the years. Hope this helps!



On a side note, I noticed that this screen protector is a bit more cloudy than my last one, which is why I only gave it 4 stars.

Background info:



I just got the iPhone 4, knowing that it would need some protection because of the glass structure. I bought these screen protectors as well as a OtterBox Defender case. These arrived first (it took 2 days to ship). I have used many screen proctetors for other phones, this is my first time trying with any sort of iPhone or iTouch.



Pros- It shipped fast. It came with 6 for only 3 dollars. It looks as if it will protect from scratches, however I have yet to really test it. I literally just put them on 5 minutes ago.



Cons- It took me 3 tries to get one on that didnt have too many bubbles. I was able to work out the bubbles on the screen itself, but not the ones near the speaker or the home button. The major problem I had putting them on was when I had to take off the second layer. There one side you take off and place it on, it comes with a red tab, and then once it's on, you pull away the blue tab. On the first one, when I pulled away on the blue tab, the whole thing came off, not just the top layer that was supposed to. One the second time, same thing happened again. On the 3rd time, I used a corner to try to peel off the top layer, and alas it came off. However, it started to pull the whole thing off again so, I had to get the bubbles out again. Also, the anti-glare takes away from the beautiful screen. It makes the images blurry. It makes it not glare, but it really makes the screen look worse the the iPhone 3GS.



Conclusion - If I could go back and purchase a different kind, I would. These were not made well, I have never had the problem of pulling off the blue tab and have the whole screen protector come off.



However, it does come with 6, so keep trying. I think I will settle with the could of bubbles that I have. But if you hate any bubbles, good luck with these.

Other reviewers are correct in stating you might use 2 or 3 before you get the application right. The tabs used to peel off from the screen are "iffy". I ended up using two, because the tabs ripped off (without pulling off the plastic protective layer) and when I finally managed to pry the screen out it promptly fell and got covered in dust. Fortunately the second screen application went alot smoother. A useful trick to eliminate bubbles is to use a piece of tape to clean your screen (and screen protector) from all those bits of dust you can't see.



The screen is a little, for lack of a better word, foggy when reading black text on white background, but otherwise not noticable in the slightest, games, and applications still look just as top notch. And honestly the slight fogginess in the text is easily overlooked. The screens fogginess is most pronounced when the phone is off (but who cares? Unless you like your phone to look pristine even when it's not on).



Here's something interesting, I placed the dusty screen cover (from my first attempt) on the back of my phone, just for fun since my case hasn't arrived yet. And wouldn't you know it, I dropped my phone on the concrete. Upon examining the phone it's got a nice ding in the back where it landed on the unsmooth surface. I peeled away the screen protector and nothing! Not a scratch or ding on my phone! The screen absorbed the blow and has a nice dent in it now, but left my phone unharmed. Now I do NOT reccomend dropping your phone, but that's some pretty awesome protection!



If you're wondering about my 4 star rating, I dock half a star for ease of application and half for the slight bluriness.

It's a 3 star rating now, because the "anti-glare" doesn't work at all. Any direct sunlight and the screen is a shiny blur, useless... might drop the star rating further depending. Good protection... but still.....



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Don't like my review? Tell me why not by leaving a comment. That way I know what can be improved upon when writing reviews for you.

Like my review? Sweet! I'll keep on writing this way. - Anti-glare - Iphone 4 - Bad Customer Service - Invisible'


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