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:
- Use a spray bottle with some clean soapy water
- Wash hands, and then spray hands with bottle (stops finger prints)
- Start with the main screen(so that it is protected when you are applying protectors to the back
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- Let your device dry / cure for 24 hours before putting it through its paces.
- 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.)