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Screen Protector Shootout – InvisibleShield

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In the final (and long overdue) round of the Screen Protector Shootout, I take a look at Zagg’s InvisibleShield line of screen protectors. The video is below with the written review after the jump.

Round 8: THE FINAL ROUND!!!

Zagg InvisibleShield

 

Summary:

Pros:

Very good screen protection. It’s at least twice as thick as the other screen protectors

Excellent coverage. Corner to corner sizing was spot on. Best fitment of the test units.

Lifetime warranty allows for replacements to be sent if the InvisibleShield ever fails. At $25 + shipping, this is a GREAT deal.

Cons:

Hands down the most difficult to install. Uninstallation was quite difficult as well.

Writing feel was below par. The screen protector is very thick, and it’s quite soft, so writing resulted in a sticky and uneven unpleasantness.

Even though it’s really thick and really resilient, it didn’t withstand the stress test very well. The screen protector still showed scratches under extremely heavy use.

In the last and final round of the GottaBeMobile Screen Protector Shootout, I take a look at the InvisibleShield line of screen protectors. InvisibleShield is well known for their small-device screen protectors, namely iPods and iPhones as well as PDAs and PPCs. From their excellent customer service to their lifetime warranty on their products, Zagg’s InvisibleShield should be a formidable contestant.

Initial Impressions:

The InvisibleShield comes in a tube and includes a spray bottle of application solution, a squeegee, and instructions. The screen protector itself is very thick and looks to be of very high quality. This screen protector is by far the thickest of any tested. Since active digitizers can operate a few centimeters above the screen, I don’t foresee any issues for how thick the screen protector is. For touch-only screens or for dual active/touch digitizers, it might be an issue in desensitizing the touch functionality.

Installation:

Wow, what a chore. This was by far the most daunting, most involved, and most difficult screen protector installation I have tested. It is a wet installation process, meaning both the screen protector and the screen needs to be sprayed down during the process. From there, it’s tricky to get the fitment perfect. It took me a bit of time, but InvisibleShield provided a perfect fitting screen protector.

Preservation of Luminosity:

The InvisibleShield isn’t exactly crystal clear. It does have a texture to it but does not introduce any speckling. It does diminish a little of the crystal clear’s glare. In no way does it affect the luminosity of the T2010, although after a couple of days’ worth of usage, it did pick up quite a bit of smudging that interfered with the crispness of the screen. There were a few hairline scratches from the factory that ran perpendicular to the direction of how I was applying it, however.

Writing Feel:

This area is where the InvisibleShield fell flat. On my T-Mobile Wing, the InvisibleShield is great. Because of the small writing area, I didn’t notice how awful the inking experience would be with a large active digitizer. On the T2010, the InvisibleShield offered a very tacky, sticky, and unpleasant writing experience. It was definitely the least pleasant of the bunch.

Outdoor Viewability:

The InvisibleShield was great outdoors, both under shade as well as in direct sunlight. I can’t describe it in words, so check out the video to see how it does. The T2010’s screen is very bright and its outdoors performance is great. The InvisibleShield didn’t detract from this quality at all.

Screen Protector Removal:

Just like the installation process, the removal process was also quite a chore. The adhesive used during the installation process really set in and it was the most difficult to remove of all the screen protectors out there. Be careful when you take it off to hold down the screen itself. I almost lifted my plastic cover right out of the bezel. In fact, the InvisibleShield dislodged a bit of the original screen layover on the T2010. Luckily, I was able to simply push down on it with no detriment to screen quality.

Conclusion:

The InvisibleShield proved to be a mixed bag. On the one hand, the protection it offered was absolutely phenomenal. Those demo videos of them trying to puncture a hole into their product is true. It’s that tough. On the other hand, the thickness of the screen protector negatively affected the inking experience. If you’re a heavy inker, you might want to skip on InvisibleShield. The installation process was quite difficult as well. I had a lot of reservations about spraying down my screen with a liquid in order to install the screen protector. Uninstalling the screen protector proved equally as difficult. For $25, I think InvisibleShield has a solid product for normal laptops, especially considering their lifetime warranty. For us inkers though, I think there are better options out there.

 

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Kip

    11/19/2008 at 4:59 am

    Well, i tried it! It does take a nerve of steel. I tried a redo on the install and totally screwed it up!
    100% replacement. Except on the install! You screw it up on the in stall! It's your deal. So i guess i'm Screwed now
    Hint! : Don't do it. I hear there is easier methods. Just as good! And it took a month toget! Another suck bits it.. : (

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