Customer Reviews

InvisibleSHIELD for the Apple iPhone 3G (Full Body)

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

Before you believe the reviews that say the Zagg Invisible Shield is worthless, READ THIS REVIEW.

Before purchasing the Zagg Invisible Shield for my Samsung Impression, I read ~100 reviews on this product. I read about the good, the bad, and the ugly. So I purchased the Zagg with skepticism and moderate expectations. I felt it was worth a try because I wanted to protect my investment, and because I tend to be hard on my electronics (my video iPod looked like it had done a tour in Afghanistan until I used Applesauce, but that's another review). I was willing to live with a less than 100% perfect install if need be, because I would rather have some slight aesthetic imperfections rather than have irrevocable scratches on my device's touch screen.

When I received the kit, it included: the die cut shields for front and back, the squeegee, the Shield Spray (just water with a small amount of surfactant, per the Zagg website), and instructions.

Installation:
1)Before installation, I re-read the instructions, and watched the videos on the Zagg website and some on You Tube as well. If you aren't willing to do this, don't bother. This product is ultimately awesome, but not idiot proof. If you're not willing to do your homework, buy something other than this.
2)I cleaned my device with a lint-free cloth, making sure all fingerprints and smudges were gone, and turned it off.
3)I laid it on a hand towel, then proceeded to wash my hands well.
4)I laid out the die cut pieces and decided to start with the front, because it was one solid piece, rather than 2 pieces like the back. I then punched out the front piece from the template to make it easier to peel off.
5)I sprayed my fingers with the Shield Spray and carefully peeled up a corner. Re-sprayed my fingertips. Then peeled off the whole piece, holding it carefully by one corner, and sprayed the piece front and back.
6) I carefully (CAREFULLY!) laid the piece down on the front, and aligned it as best I could before letting go.
7) I found that if you don't press down, you can reposition the piece by CAREFULLY peeling it up and moving it. DON'T PRESS DOWN UNTIL IT IS PERFECT.
8) I then took the squeegee and, starting in the middle, worked my way to the edges, pressing out the water as I went and using a paper towel to soak it up along the way. I addressed larger bubbles by carefully peeling up and re-squeegeeing. In my experience, smaller bubbles (1/8 in. diameter or less) will be OK, larger than that should be addressed by peeling and re-squeegeeing.
9) Only when the front was down and squeegeed did I press down the sides and corners, using the "palming" method described on the Zagg website.
10) I repeated this entire process for the back.

These next steps are possibly THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS in the whole process, and I think that this is where people get frustrated, peel the Zagg off the device in disgust, proclaim it an inferior product, and write a bad review.

1) BE PATIENT. Your device WILL look like crap immediately after application. You will have bubbles (small ones, if you are careful, but they will be there). You may also have shadowy-looking areas. The Invisible Shield may not look clear. You WILL be tempted to peel it off in disgust. DON'T.
2) BE PATIENT. Don't turn the device on or use it. LEAVE IT ALONE. I can't stress this enough. Zagg recommends 12-24 hours, and this is for a reason. There is much more water under the shield than you might think. The water needs time to evaporate and the shield needs time to "settle". I turned it on and began light use after 24 hours.
3) BE PATIENT. It might even look worse the next day. Mine did. Don't give in. Don't touch it, lift it, peel it, try to stick bubbles down, etc.
4) BE PATIENT. In the instructions, Zagg says it may take 2-3 days for the water to evaporate and for the Shield to adhere properly. The bubbles WILL settle out and disappear as it cures. Cloudy areas WILL clear. By day three, it looked FANTASTIC. You can only tell on very, very close inspection that there is a shield on the device. And it performs just as advertised. I've been throwing it in my bag for days now, and it looks totally pristine.

In closing, don't bother installing the Zagg unless you are willing to read the instructions, follow them, and be patient. It may take several days to achieve the final result, and if your device isn't worth that amount of time, then just get a case of some sort or resign yourself to the scratches you will inevitably get.

But take the negative reviews with a grain of salt--the Zagg Invisible Shield is worth every penny!

The Invisible Shield is not difficult to apply, as much maligned as it is as reviewers contemptuously describe its application. Spraying the front screen on both sides allows you to easily place and move the protector into perfect position before it dries. Drying only takes a few minutes, so setting it immediately is key, as well as squeegeeing the excess air/bubbles and fluid off.

Once applied, the screen protector gives the phone a plastic feel, which feels safer to the touch, but less smooth. It resembles an orange-peel and distorts ever so slightly the colors of the screen with the natural lines of the plastic shielding. At a tilted angle, it is hardly noticeable and the trade-off for the small amount of distortion is acceptable as your iPhone feels more protected.

The one real problem I have is that the screen is slightly less specific in discerning between keyboard strokes and more difficult to type due to the increased sensitivity -- yes increased -- of the screen. Before application, cleaning the screen with the lint-free cloth provided by the iPhone would not register as touching the screen; after application, the cloth must be double or triple folded to inhibit registering your finger movements above the cloth. When you type on the keyboard, you must lift your finger higher to differentiate between hitting different keys and simply holding your finger on the keyboard and dragging it to another key.

PROS: Increased protection, feels more secure in your pocket, won't scratch your screen, fairly simple to install

CONS: Orange-peel screen, slight color distortion, plastic feel, less specific registering of movements on the iPhone, more sensitive to general finger touch

I recommend this product

The dilemma with any iPhone protector is making it work for the variety of circumstances you want to use the phone for. Holsters, while keeping your phone readily accessible, don't prevent scratches when you take the iPhone out. Rubber cases, while providing protection, tend to prevent the iPhone from fitting in a dock.

Invisible Shield, on the other hand, is thin enough to not interfere with docking, while providing good scratch protection. It's clear, so your iPhone's style isn't hidden and you can use Invisible Shield with, say, a holster at the same time!

It's a great solution for those who want to protect their iPhone from scratches, but still allow the phone to fit into accessories designed for its original size.

There are a few drawbacks, however. First, while providing good SCRATCH protection, Invisible Shield doesn't provide good IMPACT protection. Second, while Invisible Shield covers the iPhone better than any other clear protector I've used, it doesn't cover 100% of the phone's surface are (more like 98%). Third, Invisible Shield's installation is fairly difficult to get right (at least not without ripples forming on the corners).

If you deside to purchase this protector, however, I have a few installation tips listed below.

********** INSTALLATION TIPS ******************

1. As the instructions say, spray your fingers with the included spray before working with the film to prevent fingerprints.

2. Note that there are two thin strips of film on the top and bottom of the front film sheet. Apply these after you apply the rest of the back film.

3. When working with the rounded edges on the back of the iPhone, keep in mind that you want to have the film taught in the correct direction to avoid ripples from popping up. You can pull the edges taught by either peeling a still-wet edge back and gently pulling it the right direction when reapplying it, or by firmly rubbing the edge/corner outward with your thumb.

Film that is not taught will result in a ripple around on a nearby edge, while film that is taught in the wrong direction may result in a ripple in a nearby nook or corner.

Work (quickly) with the film edges and corners until no ripples immediately pop up after you press them all down.

4. Even after doing your best with pulling edges and corners taught, you're still going to have little ripples that want to pop up along the corners of the iPhone. It might take a minute for them to manifest themselves, but they will come.

Therefore, here's the best tip I can give: use saran wrap to hold the top and bottom edge of the film down while it dries.

When you have your installation mostly smooth (no bubbles, and no ripples that don't stay pressed down for more than a few seconds), then tear off two small pieces of saran wrap and tightly stretch one piece across the top edge of the iPhone and one along the bottom.

If the saran wrap is stretched correctly, it will hold the errant ripples down along the rounded corners while the adhesive drys permanently.

Try to leave the saran wrap on for 24 hours if possible as it takes time to dry.



Following the above tips, I managed to install my Invisible Shield such that I can't even tell it's on! There are no visible bubbles or ripples anywhere!

I wish the same for you if you buy Invisible Shield, as it's a bit of a delicate operation.

Good luck!

I hate adding bulk to my phones, so I decided to purchase the invisible shield. I got the one which protects both the body and the screen.

Applying it on the body was extremely difficult. Another reviewer gave a pretty thorough review about the difficulties, and I concur. The corners where the iphone curves makes it especially tough. My corners have major folds in the invisible shield, which is not very sightly. In fact, I'm thinking about just pulling it off and saying good riddence because of the poor appearance of the folds in the corner, some bubbles I couldn't get out, and some misalignment. Oh, I don't want to forget that it's nearly impossible to align perfectly because its super sticky once you get it on your iPhone.

Well, I said fine.. at least I'll like the part that covers the screen. Should be easy enough to put on since it's a perfectly flat surface. Well, I do have to say that it was much easier to put on. Alignment is not perfect, but I can live with that. Well, the problem with the front cover is apparent when you start using the touch screen. The invisible shield has a tacky feel, so your finger doesn't glide over it smoothly. This causes obvious problems since the iPhone is all about the touch screen. For comparison, I also have a first gen iPhone which also has a clear protector for the touch screen, and it is much much smoother.

I do love the idea of it though.

Alright, so I've been a Zagg-head for about a year now, and I will probably remain a follower of their products for years to come. Here's why:

Like most iPhone owners (3G and 3GS), the first thought that comes to mind, shortly after swiping the credit card at the AT&T store, is..."How am I going to prevent scratches?!" For 200 dollars and an extra $30 dollars a month, you want to make sure your phone is well shielded from scrapes, bumps, and the like.

Application:
This area seems to cause the most unrest and dislike of the product. I admit, it is legitimately a pain in the butt to install, but it is not impossible. In actuality, if you just take the time to sit and carefully follow the directions, YOU WILL BE FINE!

Wash your hands, apply the liquid included on your fingers, try to work in as dust-free environment as possible (give the table a good wipe with the Swifter), and above all, DON'T LET THE STICKY PARTS TOUCH EACH OTHER.

Once applied, your iPhone is SAFE! Really, I demonstrate to friends and family by rubbing my phone on the asphalt, rubbing the screen with my keys, etc...all of which does absolutely nothing to the phone!

Usage:
I'm the type that doesn't like third-party cases, etc. This shield was perfect for me in that I still get the feel of the iPhone in my hand with the added protection. Other cases are fine too, but I prefer the texture and density of the material from Zagg.

Really, if you are worried about applying the shield, don't sweat it. Just take your time and don't let your nerves get the best of you...it really isn't that hard to do!

It does leave a definite orange peel affect on your screen. That I can deal with though, because the film is so thick that I expected as much. The sheild may not scratch (mine hasn't yet), but it does get stretch marks on the screen. Not much better than scratches IMO. The film also has a tendency to stick to your skin a bit at times, not much...but just enough to be annoying. That little bit of tackiness of the screen is what I'm assuming cause items in your pocket (or purse) to put strech marks in the screen. And then there is Zagg's "lifetime free replacement warranty." Yeah, each screen protector is free, but you have to pay $4 shipping each time you need a replacement...absolutely absurd. And it doesn't end there, you need to mail your old one back to them.

The plastic screen shield was almost beyond my ability to put on straight, even after watching the video and following the instructions very carefully. It sticks like mad to everything (fingers, phone, particles of dust in the air). Once I had it on, air bubbles and trapped dirt made the result very disappointing.

The next day I peeled it off, lathered on more solution (worrying if that was safe for my phone) and managed to get it on without too much by way of dirt or bubbles. As promised in the directions, remaining bubbles vanished on their own within a day. The result is a bit crooked, a bit harder to operate than the unprotected screen, and has a bit of dirt trapped underneath, but mostly I'd call it acceptable and it does seem quite sturdy.

Today I decided to put on the body shield. Despite my best efforts, it ended up crooked, with bits of bunched up plastic around the cutouts. I tried twice, then balled it up and tossed it.

Another concern about skin tight plastic is heat - my iPhone seems to run quite hot, depending on the application, and I'm pretty sure it won't dissipate heat as well with the full body shield.

All in all, I've decided to go with a rubber case that I can pop on and off as needed.

This is not difficult to apply, you just need to read the instructions prior to putting this on. Have patience. I have one on my iphone and one on my itouch and both work beautifully, no interference with performance. They seem a bit expensive.

We bought these for our iPhone 3Gs and had them applied at BestBuy. I dropped my phone and got a scratch that I was SURE made it through to the screen. It didn't! There was a visible tear in the shield but it did not scratch the iPhone screen at all. This product comes with a lifetime warranty, so register it on [...] and that way you can have it replaced for free. Also note, I applied my free replacement myself and had no trouble at all, so going to BestBuy might not be necessary. Great product, well worth the cost.

I first purchased this product a year ago for my LG Dare and loved it! After switching to my iphone 3GS last month, I purchased another shield. The older LG Dare kit came with a spray bottle full of solution and flexible rubber squeegee which allowed me to slide the shield around until it was in the proper position and effectively squeegee the excess solution out. In fact, this is the system demonstrated in a "how-to" video on Zagg's web site. However, the iphone kit came with a sponge soaked in solution and a rigid card. I couldn't get the solution dispensed evenly or in a large enough amount which resulted in the shield sticking, forcing me to peel it back off and reposition it several times over, ultimately resulting in visible debris being trapped under the display shield. The rigid card would not mold to the round edges and would catch and gouge the shield resulting in numerous stretch marks, gouges, etc. The final result looks terrible! The lower-cost, inadequate application tools now supplied has made a once outstanding product unacceptable.