I’m trying to get away from the bat belt look, so when I bought my iPhone I didn’t get yet another geeky belt holster like I’ve used on every cell phone I’ve owned over the last thirteen years. I planned on just putting it in my pocket but despite seeing videos of brave souls attempting, with little success, to deface their new iPhones on opening day I was still not comfortable with a naked $600 phone bouncing around in my pocket rubbing against change, keys and other implements of destruction. I still wanted something to protect the pristine beauty that is iPhone. (Let me know when I’m over the top…) I didn’t want a traditional case because they add bulk to the phone.
invisibleSHIELD is a plastic shield that covers the front, back and sides of the iPhone leaving holes for buttons, speaker and mic. From the website:
“Originally used to protect the leading edges of military helicopter blades from wear and tear, the invisibleSHIELD has now become the leading brand in handheld device protection. Precision cut to cover the entire body of the Apple iPhone (including the vulnerable corners), the invisibleSHIELD offers incredible scratch proof protection. Ordinary screen protectors just can’t match the strength, the protection, and the durability of the invisibleSHIELD.”
They offer a “Lifetime Replacement Guarantee” (For the invisibleSHIELD, not the iPhone).
The invisible shield is a little tricky to install. The screen cover is straight forward, a flat piece of plastic on a flat piece of glass. I’ve used screen covers on every PDA I’ve ever owned and the invisibleSHIELD is easier than most because it is applied wet which makes alignment and air bubble removal simple.
The back cover is a wrap around and despite being applied wet like the front cover, it’s more difficult to align properly because you can’t fold down the sides until the back is set. I had difficulty getting the cutouts for the buttons aligned, and it’s still a little off now that it’s dried and set up.
Minor installation difficulties aside, I think it’s a great product. It’s been riding around in my pocket for a few days now and so far it works as advertised. My keys don’t scratch it. I’m pretty sure I could damage it with a knife, but that’s not the point. The plastic is a little tacky so the iPhone doesn’t feel like it will slip out of my hand, something I worried about with the bare phone. Since the iPhone screen uses capacitance, not pressure, I thought the plastic film on the front glass might degrade the sensitivity of the touch screen. It doesn’t. Touch seems to work just as well as on the bare glass. Also smeary fingerprints aren’t as obvious, and the plastic adds a bit of matt effect so annoying reflections are reduced. If I do have any problems with I’ll document them here, but so far I’m happy.
This review was unsolicited. Other than being a customer, I have no relationship with invisibleSHIELD.
