I ordered a mirrored screen protector for the Nexus One from Ebay to test. I am not a big fan of mirrors or mirrored phones, but I do like the idea of the display lighting up through the mirror like something out of a James Bond film.

Screen turned off , Mirror effect visable

Screen turned on (Full Brightness)

Review:

• The protector was very easy to install and did provide great protection to the screen. If it is your first time fitting a protector then check out an installation video on Youtube.
• The Mirror effect works very well (see photo 1), in fact it works too well. Even at full brightness it is extremely difficult to see through the screen in a bright environment (It is like using a projector on a white wall on a sunny day)
• Photo two shows how hard it is to see content behind the display.
• The Nexus one uses an AMOLED screen and one of the benefits is that unlike a LCD the blacks are not back-lit. This stops any dark text or images being seen through the protector.
• The mirrored screen protector lasted about 30 minutes on the phone before it got replaced with an anti glare screen protector.
• It has been reported that the silver mirror surface can look worn very quickly.
• Finally the mirrored screen really really shows finger prints. Your phone will look dirty / grubby all of the time.

To summarise this does not work on the nexus one, so do not waste your money.

If you want to see the screen in action see the video below:

If you got the latest and greatest iPhone, Nexus one or other popular electronic gadget then you will want to keep it scratch free. I feel the iPod and iPhones are designed to scratch easily (the rear not the screen) so that you are encouraged to update your device from time to time, and it also lowers the resell value of the device.

There is a booming business in covers for your devices, but they tend to make your device bulky and change its shape. If you want to appreciate the design gone into your Nexus One / iPhone etc then you do not want to lock it away in a cover.

The solution is to wrap your device in a clear durable material that does not scratch easily. This is called a full body shield, or a full body wrap. It is normally comes in 2 – 10 different sections and must be applied with a soapy water. Currently there are 5-10 different manufactures competing for your hard earn money.

Check out my reviews for the Zagg Invisible Shield , and the BSE (BestSkinsEver.com) protectors for the Nexus One phone.

Some great tips when applying your protectors:

1. Use a spray bottle with some clean soapy water
2. Wash hands, and then spray hands with bottle (stops finger prints)
3. Start with the main screen(so that it is protected when you are applying protectors to the back
4. Once a piece is fitted move it to the correct position and leave it dry for a few minutes, this increases the “tackiness” before moving onto the next piece.
5. If you are fitting a section that is on a curve then hold the plastic over the curve in the correct position and get a hair dryer on a cold setting to speed up the drying time (2 mins should be fine), if you do not have a hair dryer then use the palm of your hand to hold the section in place. The warmth of  your hand will speed up the process.
6. Get a roll of Teflon tape. Once you have some pieces in place I recommend wrapping your device in Teflon tape. This helps hold the corners down, is flexible and is easy to remove. Keep your device wrapped in Teflon for at least 20 mins, or ideally overnight. Do not apply the tape until the plastic has stopped slipping around (or else it will move your protector around)
7. Let your device dry / cure for 24 hours before putting it through its paces.
8. If your screen looks fuzzy (mine did with the BSE protector) then give it 24 hours for it to dry and cure, the next day my screen was crystal clear (well apart from two specks of dirt that I missed.)

Review of the Best Skins Ever (BSE) protector for the Nexus One :

After the Zagg Invisible Shield I ordered the Best Skins Ever protector It is meant to be less rubbery feeling for the screen etc and it was the cheapest of the protectors.

Cost: $10.50 delivered to France from the bestskinsever.com online store

Unlike the Zagg that comes in ten separate sections, the BSE comes in only six pieces. As this was my second time applying a skin I was more prepared and more careful applying it.

The package was an envelope with a copy of my invoice and two pages with the cutouts on them. The invoice recommends that you visit the following link for instructions

http://www.bestskinsever.com/blog/index.php/application/

The instructions could be improved. A spray bottle with a mixture of water and some liquid soap works best. Basically you spray your hands, peel off the piece, spray the piece and apply it to a clean phone.

Good things about the BSE Skin:

• There is a slight rubbery feel to the device which makes it harder to slip out of your pocket
• Its half the price of the Zagg protector
• Fingerprints on the device / screen are greatly reduced.
• The individual sections of plastic are not obvious, it just looks like a gloss version of the nexus one.
• The screen feels a lot smoother then the Zagg screen, in fact the difference is as if you took the zagg screen protector off.
• Excellent joins and corner protection.

Bad Things about the BSE:

• You must supply your own spray bottle, or a bowl will also do.
• Limited instructions

You can buy one here: (FYI I do not profit from this sale)

Some great tips when applying your protectors:

Do you have any comments or tips that you want to share? What is your experience with this protector?

Review of the Zagg Invisible Shield for the Nexus One :

The Zagg was my first full body shield fit for a mobile phone. The Zagg Invisible Shield comes with a lifetime warranty, so they will replace your shield if it gets torn etc. I choose the Zagg protector as my Macbook Pro is currently covered in it.

Cost: $23.98 from the Zagg Ebay store

It comes in ten separate sections to put together on the phone. I made the mistake of trying to put them all on within a few minutes of each other. The kit comes with a sponge applicator to help you moisten the pieces prior to fitting. Zagg do have excellent instructions on their website along with videos to help you. I recommend that you watch them prior to application.

Good things about the Zagg Shield:

• There is a rubbery feel to the device which makes it harder to slip out of your pocket
• Fingerprints on the device / screen are greatly reduced.

Bad Things about the Zagg Shield:

• It has a strong orange peel effect
• The rubbery feel adds a bit too much friction to the touch screen which reminds you of nails on a chalk board, or a squeaky clean feeling of a just washed plate.
• It comes in too many sections (10 is way too many, it just adds more joins and more chances of corners to come undone over time)
• The corner protection has been done better by competitors
• After a week of use I am noticing dirt creeping under two of the corners.

Summary review of the Zagg Invisible Shield phone protector:

I feel the Zagg product is over priced, comes in too many sections and is not suitable to be placed on a touchscreen. It is more then twice the price of the BSE protector. I would not recommend it for the Nexus one.

Some great tips when applying your protectors: