death.hilarious
Newbie
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« on: July 25, 2009, 08:13:57 AM » |
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After dropping my Blackberry Tour on to concrete a couple of days after buying it (causing some scuffing of the chrome siding, but luckily no other damage) I decided it was time to look into some protection for the phone. Since I carry the phone in my pocket I wanted to go with something that wouldn't bulk up the phone too much. Anyway I came across clear full-body film protectors that seemed to be a great idea and ordered one off ebay for $18.99 + $5 shipping (I happened to come across invisible gadget guard first, but I assume the Zagg invisible shield is very similar).
I had a lot of reservations, and bought an OEM blackberry rubber skin case as well, just in case. I had three major concerns with the invisible gadget guard. The first was that applying the film would be a nightmare, and it would be next to impossible to get a bubble/dust free application. Once applied I was worried it would be far from invisible and give the phone a cheap saran-wrapped look--making it look immediately worse than standard scratches and wear would. Finally, I was worried about longevity of the product and how it would look over time--would corners start pealing? Would the film tint or stain?
The film application was definitely not fun (especially around the corners). The first piece I applied (on the back plate) had a bubble I wasn't able to get out. However, after a couple of pieces I started to get the hang of it and was surprised at how easy it was. My application wasn't perfect (the pieces didn't line up perfectly in some places and there was a tiny bit of overlap in others), but overall I was impressed at how good it was. I only had one other small bubble in one of the corner pieces, but it was pretty well done if I don't say so myself. I'm not usually very good at installing things like this, so I assume if I can do a pretty decent job, anyone can.
The protector is certainly NOT invisible as advertised. It makes the phone a lot more glossy and the light that reflects off it reveals the texture of the film and not the perfectly smooth contours of plastic. Also, the film seems to pick up more dust (or the added gloss makes the dust more visible, which amounts to the same thing). All this is pretty nit-picky, though. While the protector is visible and doesn't do anything to add to the phone's appearance, in truth it's pretty unnoticeable. Importantly, the film didn't cause any distortion of the screen, though any fingerprints are extra annoying with the film necessitating more frequent wiping. All in all, it's definitely better than the scuffs and scratches it's likely to prevent.
I'm not sure how the product will age, as I've only had it on for a few days. I may post back if I find it's peeling or yellowing.
For now, I'm quite happy with full-body film protector. The film itself seems quite resilient and gives the whole phone an aura of invulnerability. I actually felt compelled to scrape at the phone with a fork--okay I didn't do it too hard and only on the back plate--but that's how confident you'll be in your phone's ability to withstand scratches.
4/5 -- Recommended!
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