Last year I wrote about the Invisible Shield screen protector for my original iPhone. As many point out the iPhone, iPod touch and new iPhone 3G’s hardened glass surface is scratch resistant.
But it’s not smear resistant, and that’s the real reason I dig the Invisible Shield. So I was thrilled when the company sent me the updated version, which fixes something that irked me about the first one: The open circle around the Home button.
The new one closes the circle for a nicer finish – and also introduces two new flaps at the top and bottom of the shield that totally buzz-killed my first and second attempts to achieve the kind of perfect fit I attained with the original.
The flaps overlap the top and bottom metal edges, with little spurs on either side to allow for the device’s curvature. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the top or bottom flaps to completely seal, and blister/bubbles appeared in both tries.
Frankly I don’t see the point of the flaps in the first place, and when another set arrived I trimmed off the flaps and spurs with a sharp chef’s knife, which allowed me to achieve a nearly perfect fit.
I say nearly because I didn’t quite trim enough from the top flap and some of it extended beyond the glass. I trimmed most of it off without removing the shield, and I’m happy with the final result.
As mentioned in my original review, the Invisible Shield gives the screen a “watery”-like finish that I personally prefer to pure glass, and the fact that I don’t see smears will have me recommend it – though I also recommend you trim those pesky flaps and spurs so you achieve a perfect fit the first time around.
Hey, how much of the flaps did you cut off and does it still cover the entire phone after cutting it off?
Hi there. I sliced flush across the bottom and top so it lines up perfectly with iPhone glass display without reaching over to top or bottom edges. Note: The material is SUPER strong and you need a very sharp knife or, better yet, I suggest you use a ruler or other straight edge to hold down the shield and then cut with an X-acto or similar razor-sharp tool. Good luck, and thanks for taking the time to comment. Joe
I just applied mine to my 3G last night. The process is an OCD nightmare – I have microbubbles, my corners look like hard wrinkles, and there is a solid centimeter of exposed space running the perimeter between the front shield and the back shield.
I fell in love with this product before I bought it – I’m so angry that I couldn’t get it on perfectly.
Hey Sorry to hear about the not so perfect fit Ashley…I just ordered mine a few days ago…after reading all of the nightmarish times people had in installing the sucker…I maybe having second thoughts…however, Iam now prepared to endure it…hopefully it works out for me. I am still going to love it untill it proves me otherwise…ha!
I’ve just installed mine. The front is easy enough, but the back is extremely time consuming. I thought I’d leave a helpful hint.
The corner’s didn’t seem to fit, and the taper near the base on the back caused massive issues. However, carefully continuing to try applying the shield eventually works. As it dries it seems to shrink onto the phone, and the corners fit much more snuggly 🙂
Just installed mine yesterday – for me there were air pockets on the back corners that just didn’t seem to want to go down, nor did the flaps that wrap around the top corners. So I kept holding them down but that didn’t work either. But as Fred indicated, as it dries, the Shield and starting clinging onto the phone and when I held the air pockets and flaps in place, they finally “adhered” to the phone.
This was my fourth Invisible Shield application to an iPod device – I love the product.