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I have never been a fan of screen protectors, they create weird colours on your screen, they're softer than your screen so they scratch from the softest things, and they're a pain to apply. Since my phone doesn't have a screen protector, it does have a few scratches, Gorilla Glass unfortunately doesn't protect against everything. This is where Phantom Glass comes in. They claim it's the last screen protector you will ever need, but is it? It's also interesting that i'm writing a review about a screen protector.
Phantom glass is a Canadian company that is a subsidiary of Proprietary Innovation Inc. The line of screen protectors released under the same name offer protection to many popular devices including phones, surface tablets, regular tablets, and laptops as well as DLSR cameras in the future. They are manufactured using the same Gorilla Glass 3 that is found on your phone/tablet so it offers the same clarity, scratch resistance, and oleophobic coating that makes fingerprints easy to wipe off. What's different with Phantom Glass is that they use a silicon nano-adhesion layer to provide a residue free dry application that also automatically removes bubbles that appear underneath the screen protector. This makes the product super easy to install and can be done in under 30 seconds. The same adhesion layer is also able to fill in micro scratches that may be present on your screen.
Packaging
Since this is a screen protector the packaging is nothing special. It comes in a plastic box which holds the screen protector, a micro fibre cleaning cloth, a wet napkin, and well written instructions.
Installation
The screen protector is one of the easiest I have had to install. You may be wondering why a guy who doesn't use screen protectors has experience installing them, well I have friends who get me to install screen protectors for them so theres that. Moving on, the materials are sorted into steps. Step one is to wipe off the screen with the included wet napkin to remove any oil on the screen. Next is to remove any dust with the included microfibre cloth. Step two is to align the screen protector with your phone and place it on (after you remove the protective film that is). The screen protector sucks itself to the screen by itself but you can help it out by pressing in the middle of the screen lightly. There may be bubbles under it but not to worry, they work themselves out within 24 hours.Performance
I took less care of my phone for one week with the screen protector, after that week the corner of the Phantom Glass wouldn't sick to the phone and bothered me a lot. That could be due to it being stabbed by a key or dust some how getting under it and lifting up the corner a little. A email to Phantom glass and a one day wait for shipping and I was all sorted out thanks to their lifetime warranty. After the smooth warranty claim it went back into my pocket with my keys, box cutter (not the safest place to put it), Flash drives, and whatever else was in my pocket, I ended up with a fairly scratched Spigen case and faint scratches on the screen protector that you can only notice under direct light. Now they dont claim it is scratch proof, only scratch resistant, and Gorilla Glass only claims protection from visible scratches. Now the screen protector is supposed to protect your screen from scratches, so it did it's job well. They also do claim that if you do happen to drop your phone, the screen protector itself will crack instead of your screen. I hit the phone screen with a metal tripod, the corner of my desk, and the window shattering part of my multi tool and that did nothing to the screen.
One thing you may notice is the lack of a hole for the camera. Since it is made with the same glass found on your phone, it does not effect the quality of the camera eliminating the need to punch out a hole.
The screen protector is designed not to interfere with any cases you have on your devices due to its added thickness. I have had no issues with the Spigen Neo Hybrid case or my metal bumper case so they're not wrong. The edges of the screen protector are also rounded so if you dont have a case, you wont encounter any sharp edges.
The screen quality looks exactly the same as it did without the screen protector on. It did not have any of those rainbow streaks you get from cheap screen protectors and doesn't make it fuzzy like matte screen protectors.
The silicone nano-adhision layer does in fact fill in micro scratches, but oddly enough it only filled in 2/3 of the deep scratch on the corner of my phone. Since the screen protector is glass, it does make your screen slightly thicker. The home button on my Note 3 is now recessed instead of protruding but coming in at a mere 0.2mm thick, it's razor thin compared to other glass screen protectors that come in at 0.7mm thick. The protector does not interfere with the S-Pen or the touch experience.
The screen protector is designed not to interfere with any cases you have on your devices due to its added thickness. I have had no issues with the Spigen Neo Hybrid case or my metal bumper case so they're not wrong. The edges of the screen protector are also rounded so if you dont have a case, you wont encounter any sharp edges.
The screen quality looks exactly the same as it did without the screen protector on. It did not have any of those rainbow streaks you get from cheap screen protectors and doesn't make it fuzzy like matte screen protectors.
The silicone nano-adhision layer does in fact fill in micro scratches, but oddly enough it only filled in 2/3 of the deep scratch on the corner of my phone. Since the screen protector is glass, it does make your screen slightly thicker. The home button on my Note 3 is now recessed instead of protruding but coming in at a mere 0.2mm thick, it's razor thin compared to other glass screen protectors that come in at 0.7mm thick. The protector does not interfere with the S-Pen or the touch experience.
Conclusion
While Phantom glass does run a heft price tag of $40 CAD, it has managed to change my view of screen protectors, but I still think the $2 eBay ones are garbage. I did receive my Phantom Glass for free as a review sample, and big thanks to Phantom Glass for that, but I can say that it is good enough to make me buy one myself for my Nexus 7. The glass is precision made for your device so the edges are well hidden, there are still a few noticeable areas such as the speaker but overall it's hard to notice. Phantom Glass stand behind their product, and offers an unconditional lifetime warranty for their screen protectors as well as free replacements if you happen to break it. Phantom Glass is an amazing screen protector and is well worth the price, its ahead of other glass screen protectors and offers amazing support. I would highly recommend it for anyone looking to protect their brand new device or are tired of the scratches on their old device. Phantom Glass is very likely to be the only screen protector you'll ever need. Pick one up yourself at store.phantom.glass or at a retailer near you.
Pros:
- Optically Clear
- Easy to install
- Bubbles work themselves out
- Dry application
- Made of Gorilla Glass
- Unconditional lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Price
- Tiny microfibre cloth
