iPhone Invisible Shield Review

invisible shieldI scratched the screen of my iPhone a bit on my keys, and resolved to get a screen protector. I purchased the Invisible Shield from amazon.com for about $12. I followed the directions closely, and almost immediately noticed a reddish discoloration, and some subtle mottling - not bubbles but subtle irregularities in texture. I also noticed that the touch sensitivity of the screen was reduced. On two occasions keys that I did not intend to press were pressed and held - and it was the backspace key (which resulted in the loss of two fairly long text messages). Last night I removed the Invisible Shield. The difference was remarkable - my iPhone screen was brighter than it had been in 3 months, and the touch screen deliciously responsive. It was like getting a new iPhone.

I estimate that the cost to produce what is essentially a sticker has got to be very small - less than $1, which makes the asking price of $12 very high. (products of this nature are generally marked up by a factor of 5 or 6 - 12 is very high).

Given all of this, I cannot recommend the Invisible Shield. Given the pace of technological progress, it is better to endure the occasional scratch and eventually replace the device, especially if the usability of the device is reduced by that protection. I think that my iPhone's screen can last 4-5 years if I can manage to avoid putting my keys in the same pocket as the phone!

This is a photo of the removed Invisible Shield, clearly showing the reddish discoloration. Frankly, against the white napkin it looks much more dramatic than on an iPhone.



1 comment:

diverdan said...

I ordered the invisishield for my new Blackberry Bold and paid the $24.95 plus an extra $37.00 or so for overnight shipping. Almost $40.00 extra!!! I paid the exorbitant shipping because I am going out on a tug boat for a month and wanted the protection for my phone. I ordered the invisishield on Tuesday and here it is, Friday, and have not received my order. I called Zagg, the company who sells the invisishield, and was told, "Oh, yeah, well it takes a couple of days to process your order." So I want everyone to know NOT to pay for overnight shipping!! Ain't gonna happen. I can't really review the product as I haven't gotten it yet. By the way, the guy with whom I spoke on the phone made no attempt at mitigating my ire at paying almost twice the product cost for shipping that didn't take place, he also seemed like he was perturbed at me for calling and asking what was taking so long and wanted me to hang up so as not to have to talk to me anymore. Quite unsatisfactory service.