iPhone Screen Protectors

iPhone screen protectors are one of the most important iPhone accessory you should buy. They have one simple and important purpose which is to protect your iPhone screen from scratches.

The iPhone display is the most important piece of hardware in your device from a user stand point. You control your iPhone by moving your fingers on the iPhone touch screen and run iPhone applications to do multiple tasks.

All the interaction with your iPhone is going to be through the iPhone touch screen. Therefore, it is very important to take care of your screen and protect it.

In fact Apple knows and understands how important the iPhone screen is, and therefore, they designed it with strength in mind.

The iPhone screen is specially designed from high strength glass, which theoretically is scratch proof. From Apple perspective, it is not necessary to add an iPhone screen protector because the iPhone screen is already designed against scratches.

I found this below youtube video interesting. A couple of guys aggressively scratch an iPhone 4 screen. The result is no scratches at all and without any iPhone screen protection. If you watch this video, you might probably remove your iPhone screen protectors right away if you have one, or you might consider not adding an iPhone skin or a protection at all.

I personally still cover my iPhone screen even knowing that it is scratch proof. It only takes one accident or incident to have this little tiny hair scratch that would ruin your iPhone experience. You simply can't fix a scratched glass and I don't want to take this chance.

I also think that the iPhone 4 retina display is 100 times better without a screen protector, it just feels, touches, and displays better without any screen protectors or skins.

If you decide to go with a screen protector for your iPhone, then you should consider some basic things in the this protector. It is very important to select an iPhone screen screen protector that doesn't reduce the performance and visibility of your iPhone display specially the beautiful iPhone 4 retina display.

I tried several iPhone 4 screen protectors, and realize that there are expensive ones, and cheap ones that you can buy online. There are several things in an iPhone screen protector that you should pay attention to.

iPhone Screen Protection Requirements:

1- The touch and feel of the iPhone screen protector should be smooth and transparent. It should be smooth and oily, nut sticky and rubbery. Also you don't want a screen protector that attracts dust which could also be annoying.

2- Thickness of the iPhone screen protector is also important. I have had both thick and very thin skin protectors. Be careful of the thick ones.

3- Clarity of an iPhone 4 screen protector is the most important requirement. It should be very clear and there shouldn't be any noticeable difference when you look at the screen with or without a screen protector. The iPhone retina display can be greatly affected with cheap iPhone skins.

4- Reflection and grain when you look from the side should be minimal. Most iPhone screen protectors tend to reflect light, but this light reflection should be minimized and the textures should be very smooth.

The best way to find out how smooth the texture or grains of an iPhone screen protector is to set the iPhone on a table and then while it is turned off look from the side to see if the screen protector has any reflection, and if it has any waves or textures. The surface of the iPhone skin should be as smooth as possible.

5- The installation of an iPhone or iPhone 4 skin should be easy. Those thick iPhone screen protectors are difficult to install and align. Watch this youtube video of a difficult to install screen protector where you don't have control of aligning the iPhone skin. Once it is on, you can't fix it!.

Some screen protectors brands come with a special liquid that simplifies the installation process. Watch the below youtube video to see how easy it is to install some iPhone screen protectors with the use of a special liquid.

You simply spray this liquid on both faces of the screen protector, and then lay on the iPhone screen which will be floating, and can be easily adjusted to the perfect position. Once it is lined up perfectly, you can squeeze the screen protector from bubbles and liquid using the supplied squeegee.

Best iPhone Screen Protectors:

There are two good brands available for the iPhone, iPhone 4, and for almost any smart phone available. Invisible shield by Zagg, and the Ghost Armor.

Other screen protectors have a two step installation process. First, you have to remove a layer of the protector to expose a sticky surface which is then stock on the iPhone screen. Then, you peal another layer which expose a clearer screen protector surface or skin.

Since the iPhone 4 has two glass sides the front and the back, some of those screen protectors provide shield to both iPhone 4 front and back and even to the metal sides. You can buy a kit that has all the iPhone protected.

I personally need the front screen only, because the back and sides are already protected by an iPhone case. If you carry your iPhone or iPhone 4 without an iPhone case, then it is best to cover both the front and back iPhone glasses.

Invisible Shield HD:

Zagg's new Invisible Shield HD for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S is simply the best iPhone screen protector I have seen. It is like having nothing on there. The feel is much improved, and there no reflection or wavy appearance as was seen on the normal invisible shield. The HD version is more expensive, but I think it will make your screen much clearer.

Conclusion:

It is interesting that you can never find an Apple Screen Protector for the iPhone or iPhone 4. Apple designed the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S screen scratch proof made from high strength glass. However, like many others, I don't want to take the chance of scratching my screen. Therefore, it is recommended to buy an iPhone accessory that protects your iPhone screen.

I tried several types of iPhone screen protectors. None of them is really satisfying. The Invisible Shield is one of the best one I tried, but it is still not perfect. The Invisible Shield HD was dramatically improved that it is the best one around for the iPhone retina display.

Depending on what you want from a screen protector, the price could vary. You can find very cheap screen protectors that start at $0.99 from several online stores, and you can find some really expensive ones that are up to $20 per piece. If you want to just protect the screen from normal use, I think a mid range priced screen protector with perfect transparency should be sufficient.

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