Saturday, June 19, 2010

Review: Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard

I recently reviewed a Seidio Innocase II Surface case for the HTC Evo 4G Android smartphone and gave it a thumbs up. But the Innocase only protects the body of the phone. What about that beautiful 4.3" screen? Enter the Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard:


Now, I have to say, I am typically not a "screen protector" type of guy. I have tried a few of them in the past on other phones, and was never happy with the feel, or worse yet, the way it changed the look of my phone's screen. The only thing worse than using a phone with an orange peel screen is using one made by a different kind of fruit all together (see what I did there?)

So I didn't have very high hopes for yet another screen protector when I received Seidio's Ultimate Screen Guard. But the fact that it didn't require any liquids or other adhesives to stick to the screen got me curious, at least.

Features
The back of the package lists several features for the Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard.


These are:
  • Made from quality, Japanese materials to resist scratches or tears [Ok, so far so good]
  • Only 0.1mm thin [Excellent]
  • Designed precisely for your device for a perfect fit [Yup]
  • Advanced material adheres to screen without glue or messy liquids [Bingo]
  • Anti-glare and anti-fingerprint finish (Anti-Glare Model Only) [Mine was not this model]
  • Enhanced clarity without reducing touch sensitivity [See below]
  • No orange peel and rainbow marks [See below]
  • Simple installation with included cleaning cloth and application card [See below]
Enhanced Clarity without reducing touch sensitivity
This screen protector is hard to see, which is a good thing. It is very thin, yet feels very durable. Does it enhance the clarity of my screen? Meh. Not really. It doesn't really make it LESS clear, either. But I can certainly vouch for no loss of touch sensitivity. It's as if the thing isn't even on your screen. It doesn't quite feel like the naked screen, but it's certainly better than any of the previous screen protectors I've tried. Less drag than a Zagg, for sure. Which is a good thing.

No orange peel and rainbow marks
Definitely no orange peel effect. Smooth as silk. A+ there. I do see some rainbow marks, however. Not permanently on the screen, mind you, but the fingerprints that do accumulate on the screen sometimes show a slight rainbow effect at certain angles. Wipe it off and it goes away, but they will come back. It's almost like the finger oils start to group on certain parts of the screen where you swipe. The screen protector I was sent was NOT the Anti-Glare/Anti-Fingerprint version, so perhaps that is not an issue with that model. And this is not really an "issue" since a good wipe clears it up, but it needs to be said.


Simple installation with included cleaning cloth and application card
Ok, first, I have to let it be known that I am notoriously bad at putting on screen protectors. Always have been. I inevitably get dust under them, bubbles, hair, whatever. Always. It's probably a skill that I simply lack, but installing the Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard was no different. Granted, I did not follow the directions exactly, which is obviously my problem, but I got tons of dust between it and the screen. I ended up having to wash the back of the screen protector a few times and let it air dry completely before trying again. But I finally did it successfully. I can't ding Seidio for this...the instructions are simple and should take no more than 5 minutes. This is all me.

What's comes with it?
The Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard comes in a little plastic envelope that includes the screen guard itself, an application card with instructions on it, and a microfiber cloth to clean your screen before applying the screen protector.


The screen protector is in its own protective bag and consists of a piece of plastic with the Evo screen shape cut into it.


You have to peel off the bottom and slowly roll it onto the screen while peeling it off the backing. This is the part I missed. I peeled the whole thing off at once then tried to apply it. Don't make that mistake.

Feel after some use
I've had this almost two weeks now and there are honestly times I forget it's on. Combined with the Innocase, it's almost imperceptible. My only gripe, and it's minor, is the little rainbowing I mentioned above.

Pros

  • Very thin
  • Little drag, feels natural
  • You can tell it protects the screen, so there's a feeling of comfort having it on.
  • Easily removable. Just use sticky tape on one corner to lift it off the screen and it comes right off, cleanly. Easy to reapply.
Cons
  • Slight rainbow effect from fingerprint smudges
  • It feels great, but still not QUITE like the naked screen.
Conclusion
This is the best screen protector I have ever used. It's the first one I have ever forgotten was on my screen, and the fact it doesn't use liquids is a huge plus for me. Is it as good as the naked screen? Nothing ever is, but this comes very close.

If you want a quality, hardly noticeable way to protect your Evo's gorgeous screen, I recommend trying the Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard.

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