This is Part 1 of review for Seidio VITREO Tempered Glass screen protector. http://www.seidioonline.com/samsung-galaxy-note-2-vitreo-screen-guard-p/sptssgt2-cl.htm
I decided to review it in 2 parts. At the current moment I'm not ready to install it yet, so in Part 1 of the review I will go over what's in a box, and how it fits on top of the screen prior to installation. Plus, I took a lot of pictures for you to get a better idea.
My screen protector experience is based purely on dry installs where I typically prefer 3H hardness-rated PET film. I always look at screen protector as disposable/replaceable option because even the best one will get scratches at some point. Typically it won't happen on a daily basis with a regular use, but one of these days when you forget and end up with keys rubbing against your screen protector in the pocket, or while you are yanking the phone out of the zippered pocket brushing against screen protector, etc. Those times call for tempered glass material which is a lot more durable (typically 9H hardness) and more impact absorbing on a direct contact with a screen. And of course, glass will feel like a glass!!! It will cost more, but perhaps will last a lifetime of the phone so you don't have to replace/buy more regular screen protectors. Of course, this is really like a premium luxury option lol!!!
I have read a number of reviews for other tempered glass screen protectors and found one common problem. Its a glass which has less flexibility than a plastic screen protector, and in combination with curved Note 2 glass - a lot of people complain about edges not sticking with their other screen protectors. Furthermore, I noticed some designs use completely enclosed cutout around Home button, and in conjunction with thickness of the tempered glass you will actually need to add a stick-on Home button to raise it up so it doesn't feel recessed. So with all that in mind, I decided to give it a shot to Seidio VITREO tempered glass. To quote their spec:
- High grade tempered glass with a 9H hardness rating prevents damage in the event of scratches and abrasions
- Tapered (rounded) edges provide a premium and more aesthetically enhanced profile for your device
- Engineered to reinforce the strength of the critical points of impact which results in prolonged durability
- Oleophobic coating resists marks and smudges with advanced technology that reduces the appearance of fingerprints
- Designed precisely for your device with slim cut to prevent bubbling around edges
- Allows touch sensitivity and enhances optical clarity
- Easy installation without bubbling and lifting
- Only 0.55mm (0.02in) thin
As I mentioned already, I haven't installed it yet, so can't judge about touch sensitivity, optical clarify, and oleophobic characteristic yet. That will be included in Part 2 of the review (probably in a week). What I can tell you is that it feels very solid, kind of reminds me of thin plexiglass. Edges are rounded/tapered off. It's very lightweight. And it definitely has a VERY slim cut. I mean, it's so slim that it ONLY covers visible display part of the screen. I tried to take close up pics so you can see it. I guess Seidio decided not to take any chances with lifting edges, thus covering only flat part of the screen. In theory that is the only part of the screen where you glide your finger anyway. But at the same time having almost no margin will mean that you have to be VERY careful during install because you don't have any wiggle space. As I read in some other threads, this would be a good opportunity to use one of those suction cups to hold the tempered glass while lowering it down and aligning with a screen. Otherwise if you hold it by the edges with your fingers, you won't be able to align it precisely.
So here you go, pre-install pictures for your enjoyment!!! Feel free to comment if you have experience with VITREO or to suggest tips for tempered glass installation since I'm noob in that area
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OK, for those who cares here are the pictures after the install and few of my comments!
Since this is my first tempered glass install, I actually found it to be easier because with a sturdier piece of glass, versus a typical dry install flexible screen protector, it's easier to hold it in your hands while positioning. Most of the positioning work goes into trying to align it with visible part of the display. Unfortunately, the width of this glass is probably 1mm wider than visible area of the screen so its not an easy task. If you don't have a steady hand or OCD, forget about it lol!!! Looked like the sticky side has some kind of a glue substance. I didn't see much of a bubbles, but noticed what seems to be like "wet" spots. I tried my best massaging it out, but probably at least a dozen still remain. When you put a pressure on it - it disappears, but then it's back. I read enough of the other tempered glass threads to realize that I probably will have to wait a few days to see how it goes. Again, speaking from a previous dry install experience where within minutes I get a perfect sp on contact - it looks to me tempered glass is not for those who want instant gratification. I will wait and see the progress, or lack of it, how these disappear. Will post updates and pictures as well. They just don't look like typical bubbles, but rather wet/glue spots.
About the glass itself. Edges are very nicely rounded off and VERY smooth. While sliding the finger over the edge you feel a very smooth transition. Thickness of the glass is higher than Home button, so the button feels a little bit recessed. Doesn't feel too bad since Home button opening is not enclosed. But if/once there is no wet spots and I decide to keep this permanently, I might consider Home button sticker. But as of now, I don't feel it's necessary. Once display is on, you don't see any wet spots at all. Everything is crystal clear, colors come through like with original glass screen, and it feels like a real smooth glass. S-pen glides smoothly too. Overall touch sensitivity and feeling is like you have an original glass display. Also, doesn't pick up too much fingerprints.
I will post an update and pictures in a few days how it looks, and hopefully those spots will disappear. As I said, they do not interfere with display on, but when it's off - its visible. At this point I will wait and see.
Here are the pictures. I tried my best to get every edge in focus since its not easy with a clear glass.
OK, so here is the-morning-after UPDATE. I run my finger across the screen and every wet spot just disappeared!!!!!! This is a picture of PERFECTION!!! No bubbles, no spots, no lifting edges, just perfect and smooth. The only comment, since it has oleophobic coating, glass feels a little slippery right now which noticeable when you need to press'n'hold while using the phone (like press'n'hold on the link to open in another window of the browser). I believe that will wear off since it's a brand new layer of coating.
Here are the final updated pictures. This one is a KEEPER!!!
I know that the edge of the Note2 glass curves downward near the edges, but having a lip like that with the protective glass would be very annoying imo.
I have no idea what to expect when I install it. I know it's tapered off, so perhaps the transition won't be as bad sliding a finger across the edge? I would have installed it right away, but I have another screen protector (regular PET film) coming my way for review, and I want to install this tempered glass afterwards.
I promise to give you my honest opinion. Just honestly don't know what to expect or even what to compare it to since I have never installed or tried tempered glass screen protectors before. I will leave it up to you guys to read my review and compare it with other reviews in this forum to figure out if it works for you or not. Hopefully pictures can do some justice as well, since those worth thousand words
Also, I do realized it is on a pricey side in comparison to other ones, and someone already mentioned ebay options. But having a previous bad experience with cheap ebay film screen protectors I learned my lesson and would rather deal with brand names. Ebay cheap stuff comes off mass production lines with hardly any quality control.
The pictures look great and show great detail, but personally, I can't justify $40 for a screen protector, no matter how good. I'm very careful with my phones and have never broken or significantly damaged one and I've switched through about 7 phones in the last 5 years so I'm knocking on wood here.
Sadly, most of the "brand name" accessories probably come off the same production line as the cheap ebay stuff, but don't get the fancy name and packaging as the stuff you pay 2-3x more for.
That was a lot of words for a pre-install. Brevity is your friend.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Deleted
LittleRedDot said:
That was a lot of words for a pre-install. Brevity is your friend.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
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Oh, you have not seen everything yet, this was my short review lol! If you want to kill a few hours, read all of my reviews in signature link. You know I get paid per word? lol!
Btw, thanks for insightful reply/comment!
LittleRedDot said:
That was a lot of words for a pre-install. Brevity is your friend.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
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Don't chastise vector for his verbosity! I appreciate how much time and detail he puts into his reviews. It's not like he's a paid reviewer. If you don't like it, move on to something else which doesn't force you to read so much.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
*drops phone*
screen protector shatters glass into my glass screen which in turn shatters
*wtf'd*
Just ordered one. $60 case, $50 screen protector. Sheesh. This is why I work so much overtime!
Hey, I got thick skin Listen guys, I'm not on payroll or invested in stock of these companies. Don't care if you buy or not these products. I'm just here to help. I do spend considerable amount of time on these reviews and typically have a format of lots of "text" and lots of "pictures". I don't mix it together 'cause different browsers/app-forum viewer scale/resize and mess it up. If you don't want to read my view, I always provide a link to a vendors site where you can read a brief summary. If you have a few minutes to kill - read my thoughts about it. And as usual I provide all the detailed pictures to cover every angle - and those worth at least a thousand words If you don't like it, just skip it - no need to complain. If you appreciate my work hit Thanks. If you have positive or negative comment about the product - it's what this forum is for, to discuss our opinion and have civilized conversation!
Check out Post #2 after the original one. I updated with my comments about the install and lot's of pictures how it looks now!!!
Here is a final update of VITREO Tempered Glass install. I picture of PERFECTION!!!!!!!! I also updated my original post for consistency.
Hey, I appreciate the review and most importantly the quality pictures.
I'll throw in my feedback on this thread if you don't mind.
That is once mine arrives later today.
looks good might have to cop one..
Again, great review bro. Everyone else who hates or undermines your reviews are either 1) too lazy to read 2) are jealous that you can afford such things ( even though it's just to share and help others) 3) are trolls. So, don't even pay attention to them. Also, the fact that you handled such comments maturely makes you the better person, my friend. This is XDA - a community to help each other rate/review/discuss everything in a positive manner. You can hate a product, but don't bash an individual (especially one who has nothing to gain by helping you). Everyone has an opinion, but the same message can be said in a kinder, more respectful tone. If anyone wants to bash what I said, feel free, but you'll just prove my point
apallohadas said:
Hey, I appreciate the review and most importantly the quality pictures.
I'll throw in my feedback on this thread if you don't mind.
That is once mine arrives later today.
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Of course, I would be happy if you post your comments!
One thing for install, I actually used provided alcohol swipe. Gotta get screen super clean and remove any oil fingerprint residue. I didn't want to take any chances. Also, I started alignment from top of the phone, just worked better for me. Prior to alignment play around with placement of the glass to figure out how to align it. It will be almost as wide as LCD part of the screen, so you need to get it right. Since I have white Note 2, I could see it better due to contrast with white bezel of the phone. But once installed right, it make it looks nice because the end of the glass is almost aligned with the edge of black LCD/white bezel. Good luck!
opasha said:
Again, great review bro. Everyone else who hates or undermines your reviews are either 1) too lazy to read 2) are jealous that you can afford such things ( even though it's just to share and help others) 3) are trolls. So, don't even pay attention to them. Also, the fact that you handled such comments maturely makes you the better person, my friend. This is XDA - a community to help each other rate/review/discuss everything in a positive manner. You can hate a product, but don't bash an individual (especially one who has nothing to gain by helping you). Everyone has an opinion, but the same message can be said in a kinder, more respectful tone. If anyone wants to bash what I said, feel free, but you'll just prove my point
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Thanks bro, and everybody else for kind words! I do my best to handle my replies maturely lol!!! Sh!t like that doesn't fly in forums where I'm moderating Plus, I provide links of my reviews back to the vendors because they like to read feedback and also comments from other users. XDA-Developers community held in a VERY HIGH respect with every vendor I communicate. I'm not representing vendors, but in some way I feel like I representing XDA community in a face of the vendor. I don't have to sugar coat my review, I try to present facts and support it with pictures. There are too many YT and Blog reviews where every single product is "great" and "must have" and they just read description bullets off vendors website. I'm honestly telling you that tempered glass is NOT for everybody, and its an expensive accessory. But if you decide to go with one then do your homework and read other comments on this forum. It's a big investment and you want it to work right
Also, about being able to afford such things. Just please don't take it in a cocky way, but with amount of reviews I have posted, amount of time I spend on it, and feedbacks I provided back in direct email communication with vendors, I earned their trust and respect to receive review samples. I don't want you to think I have disposal income, and I also don't want you to think that because I review something it's a must have for you to get it. I just want you guys to have as much of valuable info as you can get from my reviews so you can make up your own mind how to spend your own hard earned money. And perhaps save you and vendors hassle and headache of buying and returning it back because you based your buying choice on a pretty photoshoped picture or some blog or YT channel where they only care about number of Likes or Subscribers to build their reputation.
If you guys want to continue this discussion, feel free to post it in my official "vectron" summary review post (in my sig).
vectron said:
Thanks bro, and everybody else for kind words! I do my best to handle my replies maturely lol!!! Sh!t like that doesn't fly in forums where I'm moderating Plus, I provide links of my reviews back to the vendors because they like to read feedback and also comments from other users. XDA-Developers community held in a VERY HIGH respect with every vendor I communicate. I'm not representing vendors, but in some way I feel like I representing XDA community in a face of the vendor. I don't have to sugar coat my review, I try to present facts and support it with pictures. There are too many YT and Blog reviews where every single product is "great" and "must have" and they just read description bullets off vendors website. I'm honestly telling you that tempered glass is NOT for everybody, and its an expensive accessory. But if you decide to go with one then do your homework and read other comments on this forum. It's a big investment and you want it to work right
Also, about being able to afford such things. Just please don't take it in a cocky way, but with amount of reviews I have posted, amount of time I spend on it, and feedbacks I provided back in direct email communication with vendors, I earned their trust and respect to receive review samples. I don't want you to think I have disposal income, and I also don't want you to think that because I review something it's a must have for you to get it. I just want you guys to have as much of valuable info as you can get from my reviews so you can make up your own mind how to spend your own hard earned money. And perhaps save you and vendors hassle and headache of buying and returning it back because you based your buying choice on a pretty photoshoped picture or some blog or YT channel where they only care about number of Likes or Subscribers to build their reputation.
If you guys want to continue this discussion, feel free to post it in my official "vectron" summary review post (in my sig).
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:good: Well said! Also, yeah I didn't mean the affording comment in a negative light. many people have nice things and don't show off. I wanted to outline that you don't do your reviews to show off, but rather inform the good and bad of each item you have.
Related
used the search to no avail.
SOOOO, i was looking for a privacy screen protector for my captivate.
looked on amazon, ebay, some online vendors.
i ended buying one off of ebayer belldandychan and it did a good job of limiting the viewable angle of the screen BUT, a HUGE BUT, the damn thing was so thick that it rendered the capacitive touch USELESS. the touchscreen was 100% unresponsive with the protector applied.
after exchanging a few emails with the seller, i got my money refunded (spent around 5 USD total) and threw the protector in the trash.
so, if anyone has had any experience with a good privacy screen protector for captivates that doesn't nullify the touch interface of your phone..... let me know!!
also- cost doesn't really matter to me, although i expect to probably pay no more than 10 for a small sheet of plastic.
i'm a little bit shocked there wasn't already a thread about this in the captivate accessory forum. aren't privacy screen protectors pretty vital? i just think it would be reassuring to know i'm the only one who can see what's on my screen, whether it's private personal information, emails, sms. i don't even like it when people on the bus watch me play a game. it's just a little too intimate for me. then again, even riding the bus WITH STRANGERS, who are sometimes dangerous, smell bad, have lice, are sweating like shaq at the freethrow line, etc, is sometimes a little too intimate for me.
waikuk said:
also- cost doesn't really matter to me, although i expect to probably pay no more than 10 for a small sheet of plastic.
i'm a little bit shocked there wasn't already a thread about this in the captivate accessory forum. aren't privacy screen protectors pretty vital? i just think it would be reassuring to know i'm the only one who can see what's on my screen, whether it's private personal information, emails, sms. i don't even like it when people on the bus watch me play a game. it's just a little too intimate for me. then again, even riding the bus WITH STRANGERS, who are sometimes dangerous, smell bad, have lice, are sweating like shaq at the freethrow line, etc, is sometimes a little too intimate for me.
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I can't vouch for the quality or the transmissibility of the light through the privacy screen - but Sammy sells their own 3 pack (clear, mirror, privacy) of screen protectors:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/ET-I897SRPGATT
If you wind up purchasing, please post a review - I've been considering this for the privacy screen myself!
LOL I love how it costs $30 and in the only review for the product on the webpage the guys says Pros: Inexpensive.
Tsk. That's that fake employee review business…
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Although currently backordered, Clarivue has a privacy screen protector.
http://www.clarivue.com/samsung-sgh-i897-captivate-galaxy-s-privacy-screen-protector.html
I have their regular screen protector and love it, but I don't have any experience with the privacy version.
Go to any AT&T store and buy their screen protectors, they are the same as Samsung ones and cost $9.99
I see from samsung site that they have a separate screen protector called "scratch resistant"... well, since when did screen protectors giving being scratch protectants? Isn't it their basic job?
I need a privacy one not just regular finish.
And yes that is a bit redundant
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
NO ONE has used a privacy protector that didn't disable the touchscreen?
ANYONE?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
88EVGAFTW said:
Go to any AT&T store and buy their screen protectors, they are the same as Samsung ones and cost $9.99
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The operative word in the OP is PRIVACY............AT&T does not have the PRIVACY screen protectors.
See signature
Throw your coat over your head... Cuts down on glare and saves battery too...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Sqdnguns said:
The operative word in the OP is PRIVACY............AT&T does not have the PRIVACY screen protectors.
See signature
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Thanks Capt. Obvious
My wife had a mirror screen protector on her captivate for a bit. It too was thick and her back button worked about 5% of the time. She has since taken it off and went back to a standard screen protector. I think you might run into the same issues with most "privacy" protectors.
Dave
Hmmmm
Buy a phone noted for its bright, wide viewing angle screen, Then complain that other people can see.
Maybe you should have got a phone with a smaller dimmer lcd screen
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Well... after what seemed an eternity my Zenus E'stime in Chocloate Brown Case finally arrived from Korea.
Item was ordered on Tuesday 24th May and arrived a fortnight later on the 7th June.
I have now found the time to review the case properly and as such please read below my personal comments on the E'stime Case.
For anyone who wants to get straight to the photo's simply click here.
There you will find no less than 23 photo's taken from various angles and differing examples both with and without the phone.
So... without further ado, let us commence the review....
Packaging [5 out of 5]
The packaging was nothing but excellent.
Extremely well packaged the boxed case had been placed in a waterproof plastic bag that had an enormous amount of internal bubble-wrap applied. You simply could nor tear open this plastic outer case and took several attempts with strong scissors to open.
After finally opening the wrapping I was then presented with a lovely box to next establish my skills at opening.
As you can see from the photo's the box itself is very well presented, clearly the advertisers had done a good job in the marketing of this product, which is always a clear sign that the manufacturers of the case believe in excellence.
Opening the box you then find inside the case and a screen protector.
Now I can not comment on the screen protector as I don't use such items on my screen so sorry, if anyone is expecting me to pass judgment you will have to ask separately.
Quality of the case (include does it mark easily, quality of leather, stitching, overall professional look and feel). [4.5 out of 5]
Just by looking at this case it oozes excellence.
It is soft leatherette style with a semi-hard outer skin (very pliable) and can be opened back on itself very easily.
This makes it easy to hold in the hand as often cases that open from the top simply end up hanging at the bottom and often get in the way.
I find once the case is open I simply bend it all the way back on itself and the result then being the phone appears and feels as if it is in a 'back case' and not a complete case.
The exterior part of the case is shiny and has a soft springy feel to it.
I expect if you apply something sharp it is going to mark this outer skin easily.
It is however very easily cleaned. I dropped a dollop of jam the other day onto this outer brown skin and am happy to report it wipes off nice and easy.
The quality of the materials used are very good and from an initial stance you would easily believe this to be from the finer leather stables.
Stitching is strong and accurate and overall the case has a very professional feel to it. It certainly does not look out of place inside my expensive tan interior vehicle nor on my mahogany desk at work.
General protection (include screen, corners and camera). [4 out of 5]
The phone slotted very easily into the case and once held inside it feels quite well protected.
There are a couple of areas where the case offers no to little protection noticeably at the top of the phone.
Here the only protection is a small bent piece of the case that grasps the phone in place.
Another area is the volume control strip. The phone is exposed not just by the volume controls but all the way to the top.
However, unless you drop the phone on this side where something is sticking up that makes a direct connection with this exposed part the phone is otherwise protected very well on this side.
The bottom is a different story, the case gives complete protection to the phone.
The back is covered well with only the camera and speaker not covered.
The cut-out for the camera is carried out well, fitting around the camera nicely.
When laid flat on it's back the camera is then resessed and as such does not make any contact with the surface the case is laying on.
The speaker grill is nicely added and will stop dust etc from entering into the phone.
I have tried the speaker operation whilst in the case and can not hear any differences in tones are audible quality.
What kind of bulk it adds in reality. [5 out of 5]
Surprisingly it adds very little bulk to the phone.
The case has lovely simple lines which enhance it's slimness.
It fit's in pockets easily and adds little extra in weight or body.
How practical it is to use. [5 out of 5]
Extremely usable. The phone can be placed in and taken out of the case very easily.
Once placed inside it the phone feels securely snug and tight.
How long this tightness stays will be the telling part as it may start to work loose over time... but that would be down to how many times you insert/remove the phone from the case.
Opening the case is done from the top by pulling/prizing open the top cover. It is held firmly in place but again does not take an excessive amount of force to open.
Once open, the front will hang down if left on it's own.
As I mentioned previously, the best way to hold the phone with the case open is to bend the front cover back on itself thus turning the phone basically into a bar as opposed to a case.
This actually adds further protection to the camera and does not interfere with the speaker grill.
Does it build up any heat. [5 out of 5]
Not in the slightest. I was quite surprised to find when the phone is either running hard or being charged there was no heat on the case and no additional heat on the phone.
I checked the temperature of the phones processor and it showed no difference.
Are the holes aligned correctly. [5 out of 5]
Simple answer.... Yes.
Apart from the Volume control where the gap covers more than the switches all other holes are fit exactly to purpose.
As mentioned previously, the speaker hole has a grill that is recessed and provides additional protection.
Does it interfere with the sound, camera, Power, Volume controls, Headphone socket and micro-usb connector. [4.5 out of 5]
Not in the slightest.
To charge the phone you do have to open the front cover, but apart from this all holes as said are aligned correctly and you have complete access to all controls.
Is it easy to remove from the case for phone maintenance. [4.5 out of 5]
Again as mentioned above ~ I have removed the phone several times (purely out of research) and am happy to report the process is simple.
I found the easiest way to remove the phone is to hold the phone in the left hand with the thumb on the base and the second finger at the top. With the right hand place your thumb on the bottom right holder and lift the phone with the left hand.
This allows the phone to be removed easily.
Can the flap be used to act as a stable prop in Landscape mode. [5 out of 5]
Most certainly.
Because the base of the front flap is very pliable it allows you to both bend and twist the front cover back on itself thus using the front cover as a stand for watching movies.
Does the Closure interfere with the operation of the phone. [5 out of 5]
Not at all.
First it in 'Non-Magnetic', so to all those who have concerns as to magnetic properties interrfering with the phone, there are no magnets on this case.
The closure is small and is both tight enough to hold the front cover in place but loose enough to come free with a small amount of pressure.
I personally feel it is the right balance ~ Strong enough to stay closed but loose enough not to end up with the phone flying through the air when you 'SNAP' it open and loose the phone in your hand.
Conclusion
It is a very well made case and will not look out of place anywhere you place it.
Strong enough to protect the but supple enough to allow you complete access and use of your phone.
Is it worthy of the high price-tag it sells by ~ Quite obviously a personnal opinion but I was happy to part with the $44.99 USD or £28.60 it cost at the time of purchase.
The seller I found to be most helpfull. Not only did he answer my messages in a timely manner but provided exact measurements to ensure this particular case would fit the European or thinner Galaxy SII.
Overall Verdict [4.75 out of 5]
Nothing left unanswered..gr8 review..thanks..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Hi Beards
Thanks for posting such a excellent comprehensive review. I'm waiting for my red one to arrive!
Miss Diva
Bought case from market stall for £5 waiting for delivery of review case .
Case arrived quickly despite SK shipping ,I agree with the review .
But in reality its vastly overpriced compared to the two cheap ones i bought .
jje
Got mine yesterday. Love it.
This may be a dumb question but does this case have a belt clip?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
wow·~~~~~nice~~~~!
sumeshd said:
Nothing left unanswered..gr8 review..thanks..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
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Thanks... appreciate the kind words.
Now leave me a vote of Thanks so my Nurses can grab my wallet..
MISSDIVA said:
Hi Beards
Thanks for posting such a excellent comprehensive review. I'm waiting for my red one to arrive!
Miss Diva
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Nice to see you over here Miss Diva.
JJEgan said:
Bought case from market stall for £5 waiting for delivery of review case .
Case arrived quickly despite SK shipping ,I agree with the review .
But in reality its vastly overpriced compared to the two cheap ones i bought .
jje
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It is pricey I agree but that is only against the crop of many cheap case. However, when you compare it with the likes of the Noreve cases and other luxury type cases it then becomes quite good.
lichbane said:
Got mine yesterday. Love it.
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What colour did you get?
kurtkbee said:
This may be a dumb question but does this case have a belt clip?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
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No.... All that came with the case is what you saw in the photos I provided.
82mars said:
wow·~~~~~nice~~~~!
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Yes, without doubt it is a lovely case.
Thanks to everyone who contributed and also to those who gave their vote of Thanks. I know my Nurses will love dipping back into my wallet again...
Beards said:
What colour did you get?
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Got the brown.
thats called a great review. thanks a lot
I'm also very very pleased with this case:
5 by JulesHolleboom.nl, on Flickr
Beards said:
Are the holes aligned correctly. [5 out of 5]
Simple answer.... Yes.
Apart from the Volume control where the gap covers more than the switches all other holes are fit exactly to purpose.
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So the holes are aligned correctly... But they aren't? 5 out of 5?
Beards said:
Does it interfere with the sound, camera, Power, Volume controls, Headphone socket and micro-usb connector. [4.5 out of 5]
Not in the slightest.
To charge the phone you do have to open the front cover, but apart from this all holes as said are aligned correctly and you have complete access to all controls.
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Doesn't interfere with connectors in the slightest but interferes with the USB conenctor. 4.5 out of 5. Why would I want to open the cover just to simply charge the phone? What if I accidentally pull the plug and the phone drops on the floor and breaks? If I bought a case for my phone I'd buy it to protect the screen which it doesn't do when you're charging the phone. I'd give that feature 2 out of 5. Two points for not having to remove the phone from the case to charge it.
Thanks for your nice review though. Apart from the too high scores you gave it was very good and inclusive. I might actually buy this thanks to your review. Though I'd surely cut a hole on the bottom to be able to charge it
Jiia said:
So the holes are aligned correctly... But they aren't? 5 out of 5?
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As I stated, they are aligned correctly.
The Volume keys are aligned, it's just that there is a larger gap on either side of the vol+ & vol- which I clearly explained and my photo's show.
My score of 5 out of 5 still stands.
Doesn't interfere with connectors in the slightest but interferes with the USB conenctor. 4.5 out of 5. Why would I want to open the cover just to simply charge the phone? What if I accidentally pull the plug and the phone drops on the floor and breaks? If I bought a case for my phone I'd buy it to protect the screen which it doesn't do when you're charging the phone. I'd give that feature 2 out of 5. Two points for not having to remove the phone from the case to charge it.
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What I am saying is when using the phone the case does not interfere in the slightest as after all when using the phone the front cover is open.
I understand what you say about the charging USB point being fully covered with no access hole and that is why I knocked 0.5 from my score. To me it did not represent actually using the phone, as such I did not think it needed the score to be lowered by a great amount.
Also, I have provided pictures that show the hole is covered when the front flap is up, that is more important than a score.
My score of 4.5 out of 5 still stands.
Thanks for your nice review though. Apart from the too high scores you gave it was very good and inclusive. I might actually buy this thanks to your review. Though I'd surely cut a hole on the bottom to be able to charge it
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I fail to see why I gave the case too high a score or do you mean two sections were scored higher than they should.
If so I still stand by my scores. Don't forget everyone will have an opinion of these cases. Obviously yours is different to mine but having actually used the case now for some time I am still more than happy with the review and scores I gave.....
... and I did notice you didn't leave a Thank You Vote despite thanking me here, so do I knock a point of your reply.
Cheers for the great review, Beards. I was umming and ahhing about getting one of these, but you've tipped the balance now.
Incidentally, it appears that our phone choices seem to be in synch, like ladies that live together
johncmolyneux said:
Cheers for the great review, Beards. I was umming and ahhing about getting one of these, but you've tipped the balance now.
Incidentally, it appears that our phone choices seem to be in synch, like ladies that live together
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Aye-Up John.... Nice to hear from you again. True... our paths do follow. Put it down to the fact we both have good tastes. That's better than Ladies living together
Yes, you won't be disappointed with one of these cases. It's a great case and I do love the fact that front flap can be so easily pushed all the way back so you don't have to worry about 'the hanging front flap syndrome'.
Catch you later mate.
Mike
Good review. I also have a zenus case (carbon). They are really good looking but you get tired of opening it everytime you take it out of your pocket. I switched to a regular silicone case.
I have just returned my carbon black one as it was so slippery in the hand if fact it was worse than holding the phone on it's own. You don't mention this problem so I assume it's not the case with the brown leather one. Whilst the clip was nice it was a faf to open and close and rubbed on the top of the phone albeit I doubt any damage would occur. I posted a quick review of the Official Samsung flip case which I got yesterday for £15 and find it much better to use but is a bit thicker. I agree that the Zenus case is far easier to get the phone in and out of though the Sammy one is tricky and not something you would want to do often.
Well just got my Carbon black.
Despite the review, i think the case is of poor quality and build !
I was expecting a much better quality product tbh.
Yes its functional and it fits - it just looks cheap !
My misses got one for hers - not got the model to hand for half the price and it blows mine!
Each to their own i suppose.
I would NOT Recommend to anyone.
Looks very nice! could use a whole gallery tho
snout said:
Well just got my Carbon black.
Despite the review, i think the case is of poor quality and build !
I was expecting a much better quality product tbh.
Yes its functional and it fits - it just looks cheap !
My misses got one for hers - not got the model to hand for half the price and it blows mine!
Each to their own i suppose.
I would NOT Recommend to anyone.
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Each to their own... I have no problem with that.
This is the trouble with reviews... they are all subjective and as such open for debate.
That is why I tried to cover as much as I could and produced 23 photos.
I will post this in both Galaxy s3 sections because people need to know. This is a good read to know about their misleading advertising that their employee uncovered (unintentionally?) for me.
I am sorry I do not have any photos, because my camera just cant pick up the issues correctly...
I suggest to stay away from this product. It is not like the original invisibleshield.
It is very smooth, which is better than the original, but IT IS NOT DURABLE! The slightest pressure by my fingernail left an indent that has not gone away. I tried the same thing on my brother's original invisibleshield on his HTC Desire and it would not even leave an indent in the first place. If it flexed a little bit, it would heal itself right away.
My screen looks like I have been using the phone for 2 years! and I BABY the phone. Has always been in a case (which does not touch the screen), never shares my pocket with anything else, is face down in my pocket, hasnt been dropped yet (knock on wood) and have not bumped anything into the screen. I do not use a stylus.
I have had the protector on since June 27th and there are many indentations on the screen! It dents extremely easily and it does NOT HEAL.
I have been going back and forth with a Zagg employee in customer service and I will show the correspondence here, but I will remove his/her name.
ME
I have a new Samsung Galaxy s3 and I am wondering what the difference is between the regular invisible shield and the HD. I bought the HD and have had it installed for about 4 days now. It is very smooth which I like, but my brother has a standard invisibleshield on his HTC Desire and although it is not quite as smooth, it does not show any scratches.
The InvisibleShield HD shows scratches quite easily. I applied very light pressure with my fingernail to the corner and there was an indent. It still has not gone away since 3 days. On my brothers device, there is no indent shown as all with the same amount of pressure from my fingernail.
It seems to be less durable and more prone to damage, yet a higher price.
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ZAGG
Thank you for contacting ZAGG, where we are Zealous About Great Gadgets! My name is Luis and I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.
Thank you for the purchase of the invisibleSHIELD. I'd like to confirm that the HD is a thinner than the original, which helps with the smoothness and clarity. However, due to the same fact, it does not absorb impact or scratches as well as the original invisibleSHIELD. It still has the original's ability to repair itself but it will take longer to do so. Furthermore, we normally recommend not to asses the quality of any invisibleSHIELD until after a couple of weeks from installation, if it was successful. This is because the adhesive is still curing on to the surface of your phone and may be more prone do damage. If the adhesive is disturbed while it's drying, it will most likely stay that way.
I would recommend to allow an extra week to determine whether or not your invisibleSHIELD will need to be replaced, which is very likely due to the curing procedure your invisibleSHIELD has endured. If so, you may place a warranty request to have a new one sent to you.
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ME
I don't really see with what the surface of the screen protector has to do with the adhesive. The indents left in the screen protector are from absolute minimal pressure. I don't see how you are charging a premium for this product when in 2 weeks the screen will look horrendous being covered in indents.
Making it thinner but HIGHLY susceptible to indents is a terrible idea. I have also looked online briefly and I'm not the only one with this issue with the HD.
Zagg is generally known with quality products but this is crazy. A SCREEN PROTECTOR that can't withstand the smallest of pressure/contact/impact. Can you imagine if someone uses a stylus on here? I it would look like an ice rink after a week of crowds skating on it.
This product was not well thought through and I hope it is either redesigned or not made any more. My brand new phone and screen protector looks like I've owned it for over a year. (and I baby my phones. They never share a pocket with anything else, always use a case) for I have no idea how these marks could have even managed to get on there with that being said. I know only one I made on purpose to test it and it's at the bottom away from the screen, but there are many other marks on the screen. I hope it's not the COTTON FIBRES from my pocket making them...
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ZAGG
I am sorry to hear that you feel this way. However, it is unreasonable to compare different products and expect them to perform the same as others when they are in a different category. Different products are introduced to the market to satisfy different customers and provide a wider range of protection products. There will never be a "one-size-fits-all" product from any company.
To further elaborate on the adhesive part, if you were to remove part of the adhesive, you will see a noticeable line/scratch on the bottom (adhesive) side of the invisibleSHIELD because the adhesive has been removed/disturbed/stretched. As mentioned, the invisibleSHIELD is more vulnerable to damage while it is still drying.
We have also been selling the HD invisibleSHIELD for the iPhone 4/4S and iPad 3 (3rd Gen) with great success. In the iPad 3, it is not uncommon for customers to use fine stylus, such as the JOT stylus, which has a fine point.
I believe that the reason why you are not completely satisfied with the invisibleSHIELD you own is because you are comparing it to other products, as stated. However, if you are not happy with it, I would recommend seeking assistance from the retailer it was purchased from and inquiring about their return process.
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ME (latest)
First off I want to address your comment of "There will never be a "one-size-fits-all" product from any company. " I guess you have not heard of SGP? They Flex HD wet applicator is incredibly clear and smooth..and THIN. There are many products that are just as smooth and "glass-like" as the HD, without warping to the slightest contact. Also many other screen protector brands are excellent, from Rearth, to Ghost Armour, and on, and on.
Your interpretation seems to be that, there is no "one size fits all" because your new HD is very weak and you pretty much admitted that when you said, "Thank you for the purchase of the invisibleSHIELD. I'd like to confirm that the HD is a thinner than the original, which helps with the smoothness and clarity. However, due to the same fact, it does not absorb impact or scratches as well as the original invisibleSHIELD."
Also, this insults me even more when you tell me that, " it is unreasonable to compare different products and expect them to perform the same as others when they are in a different category"
I am surely not comparing products in a different category and I'm shocked to even see you write that... They ARE in the same category unless Zagg is magically creating their own category. It is in a wet application screen protector category. ACCORDING TO YOU though, the difference is that... its weaker... because its thinner.
That is even more interesting and let me tell you why.
Here is a link to ZAGGs post on THEIR website - http://www.zagg.com/community/blog/...-for-iphone-and-ipad-with-an-invisible-video/
Look familiar?
"We took the original invisibleSHIELD, improved the clarity, and added a glass-like surface."
Ive spent over an hour searching online through various sources and nowhere does it mention the fact that it does not absorb impact or scratches as well as the original IS. Yes the fact that is is thin is mentioned, but that fact alone should not lead someone to assume that this MORE EXPENSIVE and new product is any WEAKER than the original. If its weaker but clearer/smoother... it should be the same price!
ON SECOND HAND lets take a look at my box for the invisibleshield HD !
"THE invisibleSHIELD HD DELIVERS THE SAME PATENTED, AWARD-WINNING, AND VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE PROTECTIVE FILM AS THE ORIGINAL PATENTED invisibleSHIELD, WITH PREMIUM FEATURES INCLUDING ADVANCED CLARITY AND A GLASS-LIKE SURFACE."
Wow, I may have just stepped on my own toes there, it does not even mention that it is thinner! Also in HUGE letters above that it says "THE ORIGINAL, MILITARY GRADE FILM NOW IN HD"
It says its the SAME FILM as the ORIGINAL, but with PREMIUM features (clarity, smoothness). This is misleading advertising at its best.
Keep in mind I purchased the shield based on reading the box in the store, and now after the fact I am searching online and still doesn't really help ZAGGs case.
What else does it say on the box? SCRATCH PROOF
It also mentions that if its ever damaged, it will be replaced for the life of the product. I think scratches/indents are considered damage and since my first email, this thing has nearly twice as many issues with it now.
I laugh at the same "nano-memory technology" on this packaging which is what you advertised on the original IS as well because NONE of the marks have gone away.
Also, interestingly enough, there is no mention of what you told me, "This is because the adhesive is still curing on to the surface of your phone and may be more prone do damage. If the adhesive is disturbed while it's drying, it will most likely stay that way."
Seriously? You dont mention that to the consumers? So this terrible screen protector will always look terrible now, You want us to leave the phone is a protective box for over a week allowing it to cure? That never happened with the original IS. This is the worst advertising for a product.
This is nothing against YOU because you did not manufacture or create the product packaging and advertising (that I know of), and you did shed some light on the misleading nature of this product for me, but don't tell me this is in a different category and that its not fair to compare to your original IS. Thats insulting my intelligence. I can read the packaging of the product sitting here in front of me that claims, again, ""THE invisibleSHIELD HD DELIVERS THE SAME PATENTED, AWARD-WINNING, AND VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE PROTECTIVE FILM AS THE ORIGINAL PATENTED invisibleSHIELD, WITH PREMIUM FEATURES INCLUDING ADVANCED CLARITY AND A GLASS-LIKE SURFACE."
It CLEARLY says its the same, original film, but with added features. That would mean its in the same category, or if you want to play the category game, it would be in a premium category BASED ON THE PACKAGING AND ADVERTISING since it does not mention that it is weaker.
I was going to just return this to BestBuy and get them to refund the difference and just go with the original invisbleshield, but because of our correspondence which has made me look closer at the brand and its advertising for this product, I refuse to support this product. I will get a refund and purchase a better, wet protector applicator with glass like smoothness, military grade, great clarity, at a better price, and that will not indent like play-doh - and trust me, there are enough choices for this CATEGORY of screen protector on the market.
ps. this is not an isolated incidence, I have a friend who also purchased this and agrees with me.
pps. Your comment about your Apple products - if they have the same HD material that the Galaxy s3 has, I find it hard to believe that theirs arent weak as well. Although at the same time, people I know with Apple products dont really complain about any accessory they buy for them even when they break in the first week or have other faults.
I will be making these issues publicly known and voicing my displeasure with the brand and product.
Thank you and have a good day.
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Well this is an interesting post I just read through the whole thing and I have an Inivsa HD on my SGS3 and I have loved it. I just tried to rape it with my fingernail and it rubbed right out so I don't know where your coming from but if that did happen it would be very frustrating indeed. Where did you buy it from by chance?
Brosa said:
Well this is an interesting post I just read through the whole thing and I have an Inivsa HD on my SGS3 and I have loved it. I just tried to rape it with my fingernail and it rubbed right out so I don't know where your coming from but if that did happen it would be very frustrating indeed. Where did you buy it from by chance?
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I bought it from Best buy and even had them install it.
Because I had them install it, I have 30 days warranty on it, where they will just remove it and re-apply for me if anything is wrong with it.
I will be going and getting him to do that, and if it happens again, refund for me.
Maybe a bad batch came to Canada?
At least you can understand my frustration. It looks like I used a stylus on the shield, and I dont even own a stylus... lol
I thought everyone should know the unadvertised claims for the product at least! Its apparently thinner and weaker, and thats coming right from a Zagg employee!
EDIT: the fact that yours is fine actually frustrates me even more because he pretty much said that its perfectly normal that mine is dented. Which is clearly not true because yours is not. They cant admit a defect in even ONE film?
I had one on my GS2 and it acted the same. Never buy from them again. Over priced and feel horrible.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
wow you pretty much owned them. +++ for this
personally i think under normal usage you will never need a sreen protector. a tpu case is more than enough.
pnda said:
wow you pretty much owned them. +++ for this
personally i think under normal usage you will never need a sreen protector. a tpu case is more than enough.
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Thanks for that comment, I just had to take some frustration out on them. Its not fair to compare their invisibleshield HD to their invisibleshield? haha... come on!
I just like to take the extra step to ensure that if anything sharp comes in contact with the screen, it will not damage it. I put screen protectors on the screens of my digital cameras too.
Well you should be a lawyer or soething,because you sounded very smart lol.
Id end up just telling them to fu** off and want my money back haha.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
ScubaSteev said:
Well you should be a lawyer or soething,because you sounded very smart lol.
Id end up just telling them to fu** off and want my money back haha.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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Haha thanks a lot.
I will be getting my money back through Best Buy anyway, but I needed to say something to these guys about their misleading claims.
Who doesnt want a product that is as good as the original, PLUS smoother and clearer?
Well... if that was only the truth!
I'm not sure why you had such a bad experience, but I love Zagg products. I even have a Droid Razr Maxx with a Gorilla Glass screen with a Zagg InvisibleShield.
Sent from my SGH-I987 using xda app-developers app
[x] said:
I'm not sure why you had such a bad experience, but I love Zagg products. I even have a Droid Razr Maxx with a Gorilla Glass screen with a Zagg InvisibleShield.
Sent from my SGH-I987 using xda app-developers app
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Those would be the original Invisibleshields. My brother has one on his HTC Desire and its great, but this HD one on the s3 is terrible.
Make a tl;dr for this?
Wond3r said:
I bought it from Best buy and even had them install it.
Because I had them install it, I have 30 days warranty on it, where they will just remove it and re-apply for me if anything is wrong with it.
I will be going and getting him to do that, and if it happens again, refund for me.
Maybe a bad batch came to Canada?
At least you can understand my frustration. It looks like I used a stylus on the shield, and I dont even own a stylus... lol
I thought everyone should know the unadvertised claims for the product at least! Its apparently thinner and weaker, and thats coming right from a Zagg employee!
EDIT: the fact that yours is fine actually frustrates me even more because he pretty much said that its perfectly normal that mine is dented. Which is clearly not true because yours is not. They cant admit a defect in even ONE film?
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Honestly man the reliability of there sheilds from batch to batch is horrific. I work at Best Buy and every time I have to install a sheild I will go through at least 3 of them to find one without a defect. Sounds like an exaggeration but its the truth I write off more Invisasheilds than anything else and its not because of me boching the install its because of them seriously having a defect. Once you get a good one though they are pretty nice.
Brosa said:
Honestly man the reliability of there sheilds from batch to batch is horrific. I work at Best Buy and every time I have to install a sheild I will go through at least 3 of them to find one without a defect. Sounds like an exaggeration but its the truth I write off more Invisasheilds than anything else and its not because of me boching the install its because of them seriously having a defect. Once you get a good one though they are pretty nice.
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The guy seemed like he did a good job, he did it right infront of me. So I guess I will try my luck on another one since I wont be paying.
They dont care that you go through that many? How much is Best Buys cost for 1 invisibleshield?
I didn't read most of this thread, or even the OP, BUT, I had an evo lte for a few weeks with the new zagg on it, hated the screen protector. Exactly what OP says about scratches and indents staying indefinitely. After 2 weeks it just looked like crap.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Wond3r said:
The guy seemed like he did a good job, he did it right infront of me. So I guess I will try my luck on another one since I wont be paying.
They dont care that you go through that many? How much is Best Buys cost for 1 invisibleshield?
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No they don't care man they know that most of them are defective. The cost on the HD ones is around $6 if my memory serves me correctly its not bad but still we just send them bag to Zagg.
Very interesting to hear from a best buy guy I'd love to know what kind of defects you're talking about, and so I can look out for them when I go to get mine installed. I have a zagg booth in the mall near me, would you recommend that I get it done there, or at the best buy across the street?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 with XDA Premium
thanks for the heads up to the community. I think market is the cheapest thing to sell, rather than a good resolved product which delivers what it promises. it takes a good lot of effort to check and double check if they sold what they are saying, and i think you've done that for us regarding this brand~
ironically, bad marketing goes twice as far and three times as fast =)
Wond3r said:
I will post this in both Galaxy s3 sections because people need to know. This is a good read to know about their misleading advertising that their employee uncovered (unintentionally?) for me.
I am sorry I do not have any photos, because my camera just cant pick up the issues correctly...
I suggest to stay away from this product. It is not like the original invisibleshield.
It is very smooth, which is better than the original, but IT IS NOT DURABLE! The slightest pressure by my fingernail left an indent that has not gone away. I tried the same thing on my brother's original invisibleshield on his HTC Desire and it would not even leave an indent in the first place. If it flexed a little bit, it would heal itself right away.
My screen looks like I have been using the phone for 2 years! and I BABY the phone. Has always been in a case (which does not touch the screen), never shares my pocket with anything else, is face down in my pocket, hasnt been dropped yet (knock on wood) and have not bumped anything into the screen. I do not use a stylus.
I have had the protector on since June 27th and there are many indentations on the screen! It dents extremely easily and it does NOT HEAL.
I have been going back and forth with a Zagg employee in customer service and I will show the correspondence here, but I will remove his/her name.
ME
ZAGG
ME
ZAGG
ME (latest)
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I can attest to this gentleman's claim!
I bought the same product and had the exact same problem. The material is almost rubber like and gets indented extremely easily. I just thew mine away after a week. Dont buy!
Advantageous said:
I can attest to this gentleman's claim!
I bought the same product and had the exact same problem. The material is almost rubber like and gets indented extremely easily. I just thew mine away after a week. Dont buy!
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I take back all my previous claims the Invisasheild HD on the SGS3 is terrible. I am experiencing the exact same "skating rink" look and feel now after moderate use. I baby my phone like crazy and I get all of these marks on it that will not go away. My sheild was good for the first week as said but now it is like this. Not to mention I went through 3 Invisasheild HD's at my store to find this one and it turned out like this after 2 weeks. I have now gone to the Matt finish Anti-Smudge sheild and couldn't be happier. This is a real problem that Zagg has to look at. I will update with some pictures in a little here once I get my macro lens to work.
@GamerMYJ, the only advantage in my experience is BestBuy isn't afraid to go get another shield and write it off for you, well at least I'm not and it shouldn't be an exception at another store & I speak on behalf of my store in Canada.
I also have this problem my question is though if just the screen protector is damaged or is this actually also damaging my phone screen?
Hi Guys,
I recently purchased a Galaxy Nexus after spending months in front of the screen just stalking the beautiful device and wishing it lands in my hands. I finally ordered it a few weeks back. Now the next step to feed the OCD ridden alter ego was to protect the spectacular HD screen from scratches and dust. I researched a bit more, putting the quality of the film as priority, going through options to come across international brands like Zagg's Invisible Shield and Armorsuit which got great reviews from everyone in terms of clarity and protection. Naturally, they are not available in India (somehow whatever I want is not) and I was about to order it through ebay's global buy for almost double the price of what our western cousins pay when I came across the name Gadgetshieldz. I traipsed on to their site with absolutely no hope that I will be interested in any Indian brand and it'd be just another substandard product. The site had a nice look and feel and I liked the price they were offering (through ebay it is around INR 350 for the Nexus).
I felt the hole in my pocket left after buying a new phone and settled for the cheaper alternative after reading positive reviews on similar forums.
Ebay -
http://stores.ebay.in/GadgetShieldz
Main store -
GadgetShieldz Clear Cell Phone Covers and Skins | Full-Body Invisible Shields,Screen Protectors
I also Youtube-d for wet screen protection and its application to familiarize myself with the whole process. It involves the use of an already included solution (Zagg) and a Squeegee + lint free cloth (just another name for the cloth you use for cleaning your specs) to take the excess solution out.
1) Zagg Invisibleshield Application
Zagg Invisible Shield Install & Review for the Samsung Galaxy S - YouTube
2) Gadgetshield Installation and review - Part 1 and 2
(its done by a kid so bear with it or mute the audio to just absorb what is happening. Its actually better without the audio )
GadgetShieldz Installation/Review Part 1 - YouTube
GadgetShieldz installation and Review Part 2 - YouTube
3) Review by Mobile guide.
How to install a screen protector perfectly without bubbles or dust! - YouTube
The shipping was fast and through our Indian Postal Service and it reached my hands in the next 2 days. The packaging was nice and secure and I had already learnt that they do not provide any squeegee or solution and you have to arrange that yourself. Now all of this looks like a lot of homework and hassle and most of you would feel to give it a miss. Maybe I am overdoing it a bit here but I think all the effort that goes into this actually adds to the fun and satisfied feeling one gets towards the end.
After going through the instructions for the umpteenth time and reading another review - 1 and 2 I settled for the following.
Final Ingredients :
I was a bit worried about the solution regarding the water and soap ratio to be used. I must inform that all this hardly matters and you can mix 3-4 drop of mild liquid soap (I used Lifebuoy RED) and 600ml of water. Mix it thoroughly till you get a soapy feel when you dip your finger so that the shield can get a little slippery for readjustment.
The squeegee alternative is a simple card and a credit card will also do.Just make sure it is smooth. The lint free cloth is the microfiber cloth used for cleaning spectacles.
The application instructions :
The instructions are crystal clear and I personally feel they make the reader feel a little over cautious. The installation is actually simpler and faster. Well most of the settling down depends on the amount of soap used. In the instructions they ask you to soak the film in the soap solution. I found dipping the entire sheet into the solution better.
NOTE : Keep a track of where the sticky side is There were moments when I forgot where the sticky side lies.
When dipping the film in soap solution, if you allow -
more soap to stay on the film = better repositioning options and realignment. Its like setting the mouse sensitivity. This is high sensitivity and DPI. Also this means extra time for settling down.
less soap to stay on the film = faster sticking and drying up. This is like low sensitivity and DPI. The sheet will be harder to move and realign but would settle very fast and dry up faster. I chose this for the screen side as I didn't like the idea of too much soap and water loitering around my earpiece and front camera.
They are the same instructions and installation tips that are found on the main site.
The package includes a film for every possible exposed part of the device which is great but I only used the films for the screen, battery cover and the exposed part beneath the battery cover around the micro-USB port. I must mention at this point that the cuts of the films are precise and beautiful. The whole film feels sturdy and would give you the confidence that your device is going to stay safe and scratch free.
Cutting the chase here, I could not take the pictures of the phone when it was drying and what I have are the final pictures after 2 days of installation. During the installation and settling down period I was worried seeing a haze on the whole device and some marks that were left behind (I thought them to be fingerprint marks) but the results improved remarkably as time went by and after 4-5 hours the screen looked absolutely clear (and protected of course).
Final Results - Front
I faltered a bit around this area and the finish isn't exactly perfect but I marked it within the "Acceptable Marginal Error" range and proceeded.
The cut is precise and one hardly notices the film.
The screen looks quite clear and the only thing I noticed is the little dust settlement around the edges.
Taken with Brightness set to full.
The slight error in alignment is visible here but that is not to be blamed on the cuts. Just use more solutions and align to your heart's content.
Now there is a certain orange peel effect that is much talked about in case of such shields. I have taken this picture to leave it to the reader if that's the case because I am not well versed in that topic. As far as I can say, the shield is quite smooth.
Final Results - Back
The back cover of the Galaxy Nexus is a bit rough and applying the film there is both easy and a little troublesome. Easy because t doesn't involve working around any sensitive device part and I would advice that you can remove the cover entirely and apply the film. Troublesome because the squeegee doesn't move that freely around that area.
Make sure the film settles down entirely on the back case.
The package also includes film for the area around the camera as is visible.
The shields for every part is absolutely perfect and for this area its almost invisible.
Final words :
Go through the instructions thoroughly especially if its your first time.Keep all the things ready and within reach before starting. The installation is quite easy and intuitive (the links that I have provided are more than enough for getting it right). Also, some would want to settle for the easier alternative and that is a matter of choice. The shield is priced at INR 350 from ebay and one of my friend (who provided the phone to take the pictures - Galaxy S advance) also got a screen guard applied from the seller itself who charged the same amount. Below are the results and I found the Gadgetshieldz finish to be much better.
Galaxy S Advance - Samsung showroom screen guard
Galaxy Nexus - Gadgetshieldz
Another point to mention is that post application I observed a faint chemical odour emanating from the shield itself. I googled it a bit and found out that these shields are chemically treated and this is not something to lose your sleep about. As of on the third day, this odour has subsided and I am guessing it will remain the same I hope the review helps in clearing certain doubts and help my fellow forum members.
Feel free to ask any questions. Requesting more pictures is ok but it depends when I get my hands on another device for taking picture (this one is out of the whole equation now especially after I ended up comparing the finish of its screenguard to mine).
Enjoy!
Appreciate the very detailed review and write up. I wish all reviews were done like this
Gadgetshieldz
mendezj666 said:
Appreciate the very detailed review and write up. I wish all reviews were done like this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Just doing my bit to assist my fellow forum members.
Thanks for the review!
I had ordered one too and have it lying at my place for a few days now. Still wondering if I should go ahead with it or not. I do have a cheap screen protector I got off ebay applied to the screen.
Gadgetshieldz
viralbug said:
Thanks for the review!
I had ordered one too and have it lying at my place for a few days now. Still wondering if I should go ahead with it or not. I do have a cheap screen protector I got off ebay applied to the screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go ahead! :good: :good:
This one is better than the one you got besides you will get the satisfaction of doing things on your own.
I jsut followed the "If you want something to be done right, do it yourself." school of thought :angel:
It was my first time but I took it as a challenge and results were good.
Great review OP. It's nice to know that they have a new packaging as well. I used to buy their products before and they came in a regular envelop. That's the reason for the low cost. The only reason I have something else now is because I'm testing another product but I still have my set sitting in my drawer. Thanks again.
Gadgetshieldz
thephantom said:
Great review OP. It's nice to know that they have a new packaging as well. I used to buy their products before and they came in a regular envelop. That's the reason for the low cost. The only reason I have something else now is because I'm testing another product but I still have my set sitting in my drawer. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much appreciated.Yeah in the video reviews the packaging is different indeed. The shield came enclosed in another envelope, yet the whole package was very slim and sturdy. And yes, the low cost is mostly because they do not include a squeegee and a slolution which I found acceptable as it still manages to do the job quite well.
Good review. Thank the guy, this took some time
vnvman said:
Good review. Thank the guy, this took some time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pictures took more time. I was worried I would mess up the details. I think the camera made my job easy. Writing is fun so not much effort there.
Planning to get one of these. But it looks like the screen protector covers up the proximity sensor. So, does the proximity sensor work properly? Have you checked it by installing a sensor app like android sensor box.
jaksau said:
Planning to get one of these. But it looks like the screen protector covers up the proximity sensor. So, does the proximity sensor work properly? Have you checked it by installing a sensor app like android sensor box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it works
Why didn't I read this topic before? I was not able to find this brand while searching for a screen guard so went ahead and ordered Zagg one from ebay global buy - 1000 INR
jaksau said:
Planning to get one of these. But it looks like the screen protector covers up the proximity sensor. So, does the proximity sensor work properly? Have you checked it by installing a sensor app like android sensor box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned above, it does work and it does not affect it at all.
gauravraw said:
Why didn't I read this topic before? I was not able to find this brand while searching for a screen guard so went ahead and ordered Zagg one from ebay global buy - 1000 INR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is alright. How come you got it for just 1000? Last I checked it was for around 1200+change. The good thing about your purchase would be that you will be getting a solution, squeegee and cloth already included in the package. So I guess you can be happy with that This review can be helpful in the application part. Let me know how it goes (if pictures are possible then that is great!)
ashkala said:
As mentioned above, it does work and it does not affect it at all.
That is alright. How come you got it for just 1000? Last I checked it was for around 1200+change. The good thing about your purchase would be that you will be getting a solution, squeegee and cloth already included in the package. So I guess you can be happy with that This review can be helpful in the application part. Let me know how it goes (if pictures are possible then that is great!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know. I woke up one and saw zagg invisibleshield floating around for 1000 bucks on ebay global buy. You're right, it used to show for 1300+ before.
So I applied it and it looks perfect!! I kind of messed up in between but thanks to the solution, took it off and re-applied. It looks just great and as tit says, almost invisible. I'll see if I can arrange pics.
Yeah pictures would be great!
I'm bumping this just because I got an email from them on a 40% discount on all skins. Not bad at all
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Hey XDA!!!!!
We were so happy to see that there's a 2013 N7 section on the Forums. Hopefully a few of your will have heard of our skins, but for anyone who's not familiar, feel free to check out the 400k view, 380 page thread about our Nexus 4 skins over in the N4 section of XDA.
We just completed and launched our offering for the Nexus 7 as of today. We won't bore you with too many details, but here are the key points:
Made in Canada using only authentic 3M vinyl
Guaranteed to not leave any adhesive residue
Supremely precise fit (we measure each skin hundreds, if not 1000+ times before finalizing the dieline)
Genuine textures that reflect the light accordingly and have true depth
Fast, Worldwide shipping for $3, regardless of order quantity
You can mix'n'match front/back pieces at no extra charge using our interactive purchase interface
We love drawing stuff. Ask for a drawing during the Special Instructions section of checkout and we'll hook it up
You can order the skin without the "nexus" cutouts at no extra charge, just write "NO NEXUS" in the Special Instructions. Same applies if you want "JUST THE X CUTOUT"
Pre-orders began today. We'll be shipping them on the 8th so that delivery lines up with the release of our how-to-apply tutorial video. One of the biggest pitfalls of skins is that, regardless of how precise the fit is, it really comes down to how well the skin has been applied by the end-user. We remedy this by offering kickass, high production-value, concise tutorial videos. You can view an example here: http://dbrand.com/subhowto/htc-one.
Price is $8 for the front, $12 for the back. We're in the process of taking mind-blowing photos of the device in every skin style, but you can see some temporary photos by clicking the style of skin you want to preview below.
Red Carbon
Black Carbon
White Carbon
Dark Titanium
Light Titanium
Black Leather
White Leather
True Color Red
True Color Orange
True Color Yellow
True Color Green
True Color Blue
You can buy them now by clicking here.
I'm the official dbrand representative and I'm on XDA all the time, feel free to ask anything you'd like!
I'm going to buy now WOOT WOOT!!!
Hey fembot fancy seeing you here
>^.^< Sent from meow HTC One which is like catnip to me atm
DowntownJeffBrown said:
I'm going to buy now WOOT WOOT!!!
Hey fembot fancy seeing you here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sup DTJB! You own every hot Android device on the planet, don't you lol?
dbrandSkins said:
Sup DTJB! You own every hot Android device on the planet, don't you lol?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
>^.^< Sent from meow HTC One which is like catnip to me atm
Okay... at the risk of sounding like a fanboy... that HTC One application video was probably the most informative and easy to follow video I have ever seen!
---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------
dbrandSkins said:
Hey XDA!!!!!
I'm the official dbrand representative and I'm on XDA all the time, feel free to ask anything you'd like!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like Red. Two questions:
1.) Which would you describe as more "grippy"... the red carbon, or the red true color?
2.) Do you have plans for a red titanium?
Thank you.
We'll also go ahead and answer some questions that we know are going to come up sooner or later:
Q: Do the corners peel up?
A: Absolutely not! We have designed the skin and tested it thoroughly and can guarantee that the corners will never peel or bunch up.
Q: Why doesn't it go EDGE-TO-EDGE??!?!!!! I WANT BETTER COVERAGE!!!
A: As do we, sir-yells-a-lot. The coverage we offer is limited to 5.12mm from the edge (yes.. exactly 5.12mm) for multiple reasons. First and foremost, the soft-touch rubbery material that the N7 is made of does not bond well with the 3M adhesive. This means that if we were to extend the skin even 1 extra millimeter, it would peel up over time. Not only that, but the rounded corner would end up being larger, meaning potential for the corner to peel up easily. The second reason is for the feel. What does that mean? It means that, if the skin were extended any further, the material would give you a sharp feeling on your fingers when holding the device. The coverage we offer makes the skin imperceptible to the touch.
Q: Well, if you're saying the rubbery backside doesn't bond well with the adhesive, doesn't that mean my skin is going to come off over time?
A: Not at all. The Nexus 4 is a similar situation. The material sticks to the device, but (when you're ready to remove it), it comes off so easily that you'll have wondered how it stayed stuck there at all! Because of our precision and thoroughly planned coverage, the adhesive bonds very nicely to the area it covers. Once you're ready to remove, it won't be a death-struggle between the skin and device. The skin will remove and (if the lettering is removed carefully), be quite re-usable.
We'll update this post when necessary with the most commonly asked questions.
UWRF said:
Okay... at the risk of sounding like a fanboy... that HTC One application video was probably the most informative and easy to follow video I have ever seen!
---------- Post added at 05:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------
I like Red. Two questions:
1.) Which would you describe as more "grippy"... the red carbon, or the red true color?
2.) Do you have plans for a red titanium?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha thanks buddy, we take our videos VERY seriously.
1. Because they are made of the exact same substance (100% PVC), one isn't really "grippier" than the other. We'd argue that the powder-coated texture of the True Color Red may give it a slight edge, but then again the weave on the Red Carbon Fiber is equally as grippy under the right circumstances. The great part about our skins is that it leaves enough of the edge (~5mm) exposed so that when you're holding the device, you have just as much grip as if the device were completely naked!
2. Unfortunately we do not. While we would love to offer a Red Titanium variant, we're committed to only offering the highest grade materials on the market. This means that unless 3M puts it in their line-up, we're not able to put it for sale. They don't currently offer a Red Titanium material, but if they ever do, we'll be the first company on it!
Thanks!
I plan on using a tempered glass screen protector once they become available. Do your products work on top of those?
Just ordered. Don't wanna hesitate because I know you guys will be slammed I once people start seeing this thread hahaha. Now the waiting game...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Exciting times 'round these parts. :good:
Ordered that black leather, added a no cutout in there JIC it would be honored
UWRF said:
Thanks!
I plan on using a tempered glass screen protector once they become available. Do your products work on top of those?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed they do!
Also, because people are inevitably going to be purchasing screen protectors, we're going to share the exact size spec of the screen cutout. Many screen protector companies allow users to order a "custom-cut" size. Should you happen to order from one of these sites, order a screen protector that is exactly 95.3x151.9 millimeters. The template is 99.99% complete, but we'll likely make another few adjustments before shipping on Thursday. If we make any updates to that size, we'll let you guys know!
Anyway the front skin can be a one piece screen protector and skin?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Why did I just now find out about you guys? Going to put an order in soon. Too many choices though
michaelg1030 said:
Anyway the front skin can be a one piece screen protector and skin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Logistically, this would be impossible. Clear (screen protector) vinyl and opaque (textured, colored) vinyl are different types of materials. The closest possible solution would be a skin plus a precision-fitted screen protector. We are working on introducing screen protectors, but in order to manufacture transparent protectors, we’d need a 100% dust-free facility. Even a single speck of dust on a clear protector would render it defective. We’re considering opening up a separate warehouse specifically to make transparent protectors, but that’s still at least 6-8 months away. As we stated earlier, there are various companies who offer a "cut-to-size" screen protector option. Should you find and purchase from one of these vendors, make sure the size is exactly 95.3x151.9 millimeters. This size will fit flawlessly within the screen cutout on our skin.
funkyboy1281 said:
Why did I just now find out about you guys? Going to put an order in soon. Too many choices though
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man these look amazing!! my one and only question, does having the skin on the front make the screen size seem different? seems like in the pictures the screen appears smaller with it framed in the skin. probably wont be able to tell untill i see it in person as pictures probably dont do it full justice, but they look amazing none the less, and i will definatly be picking up a back skin!
jimmydene84 said:
man these look amazing!! my one and only question, does having the skin on the front make the screen size seem different? seems like in the pictures the screen appears smaller with it framed in the skin. probably wont be able to tell untill i see it in person as pictures probably dont do it full justice, but they look amazing none the less, and i will definatly be picking up a back skin!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TBH, this issue was present on the old N7, but because the bezel is so much thinner on the sides of the 2013 N7, it really doesn't make the screen look smaller. Looking forward to hearing your feedback (aka relentlessness praise) once you receive it!
Just writing in to support dbrand. Have titanium for N4 and love it!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
I just ordered one for my new nexus 7, these look awesome, cant wait to get it!
Just got my order in.... Cant wait to get it
Sent from my Nexus 7(2013) via Tapatalk 4
Any chance of a special XDA members discount? (he posts hopefully)