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Shields and screenprotectors experience topic

shadownet

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There are many topics in this forum about screenprotectors and shield. That's why I decided to make one topic on this subject based on my experience. I've used protectors for the Xperia X1 and the iPhone, i've used the following:

Screenprotectors
Brando UltraClear My experience with the Brando's are very good. They are easy to install as they don't use glue, but some kind of static energy, I don't know what it is exactly. Due this, they can be reapplied by peeling them off and reapply them. And you can even clean them with water. This is also a disadvantage, as the protector can move a little around the screen and can be lifted up by sharp objects.
Color distortion due the brando is negligible and in my opinion the brando's have a nice feel to them, which is of course quit important for a screenprotector.

Ebay I've had some experience with these protectors, and while they are cheap, I'm not a big fan of them. They feel cheap and there is too much resistance while touching the screen. I also have my doubts about the protection, especially with sharp objects penetrating the protector, but I have no experience with that. Color distortion depends on how you apply the protector, I have seen some people with some vague lines on the screen due these protectors.

Martin Fields These appear to be the best protectors but I have no experience with them. Please post your experience so this can be a nice overview topic ;)

Shields
StealthGuards This is the shield/screenprotector i use at the moment. The problem with shields is that over time, the small parts (in my case the side of the phone) tends to get loose. That happened to my Zagg shield which I originally bought for my Desire. Since I didn't want to spend $25,- again I browsed around the internet and found this alternative. They are incredibly cheap (Free + shipping, so around $2,-) and hard to beat at that price. The feel of the screenprotector isn't as nice as from the brando. But it's better then the Zagg and good enough for all day use.
The protection you get is very good, every part of the phone is protected by some plastic looking and feeling material. The StealthGuards offers the same protection as the Zagg, and scratches automagically restore as long as they aren't too deep. So you have a lot of extra protection without the bulk and at a low price. Disadvantage could be that your phone gets more glossy. For a matte phone like the desire this isn't something i'm happy about, but you can order matte shields for a small price (which I didn't btw, so I'm not sure how that will look). Also you can't reapply them as they use some kind of glue. Personally I didn't have any problems peeling them off (no glue left on the phone, or easily removable).

ZaggIs more or less the same as the StealthGuard, but more expansive. You do get 2 year warrenty and free replacement for that price, and I guess it's more scratch resistant but with normal use the SG is sufficient for me. I've scratched both with my keys and didn't see much difference. They have more resistance then the SG and I wasn't a big fan of using the Zagg as screenprotector so i ordered a Brando. Installation is better then SG, as SG doesn't even provide instructions or the installation fluid (but you don't need it really, I just pushed it on the phone and it sticked).


Conclusion
On a low budget I recommend the StealthGuards, as they are dirty cheap, offer way better protection then the cheap ebay protections and feel better. If you have some more money to spend I would go for a SG + Brando UltraClear combination. This is primarily for the feel on the touchscreen, which I like a lot on the brando. Maybe the MF is better, but I can't recommend it as I personally never used one.
If you have a lot the spend you could look into the Zagg, but you will definitely want another screenprotector alongside the Zagg, which makes it even more pricy. I guess it's protection is better then the SG, but I doubt you'll need it.

This is all based on my personal experience I had with these products, yours can be entirely different and if so, please post it below. I will update this post if users provide useful descriptions on there phone protections.
 
Stenheil Ultra Clear - Absolutely useless, just like any old screen protector of eBay.

Stealth Guards - Good and cheap but ha lines on screen.

Xtreme Guards(eBay) - very good and pretty cheap.

Beat Skins Ever - Waiting for them to arrive will update post when they do, hopefully will be the best ones.

Conclusion: avoid Stenheils' at all costs and try the others as they are all relatively good!
 
Excellent summary. Job well done! I have been using the stealthguards product since getting my iPhone 4 last august. I have replaced it once on this time for the same reason - various cases getting under the film and lifting in. If I have to pay a few dollars for new film every six months I am please.
 
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