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Invisible Shield screen protectors are best known for being made of a material created by the military to protect helicopter blades from wear and tear.
If it can protect a helicopter blade, you would think it could protect my glass iPhone display effortlessly, right?
Eager to test an iPhone Invisible Shield’s durability for myself, I e-mailed Shield Zone and asked if they’d donate one of their screen protectors for me to review, fairly and honestly.
They agreed. So I received the ShieldZone package 4 days ago and applied the Invisible Shield to my iPhone right away. I considered how easy it was to apply, its attractiveness, and of course, its ability to withstand scuffs and scratches.
See how it fared in my iPhone Invisible Shield review after the jump:
Invisible Shield for iPhone Reviewed
The contents of the Shield Zone package included:
- 1 front and 1 back InvisibleShield film
- 2 bottles of ShieldSpray solution, to activate the Invisible Shield adhesive
- a squeegee for removing air bubbles
- an Apple-like Shield Zone sticker
To apply the Invisible Shield, you spray both sides of the film with ShieldSpray and then plop the screen protector onto your iPhone’s display.
The instructions tell you to do this in a lint-free area. I cannot emphasize this requirement enough. Even in a clean environment, I found it very challenging to keep at least some lint out from between the shield and the iPhone display.
It’s not feasible to remove the lint after the Invisible Shield has already been applied — trust me, I went through an entire ShieldSpray bottle trying. So I tried a different strategy.
Because the film can be removed and reapplied, I removed it and, instead of using ShieldSpray (which seems basically like a soap & water solution), I held the screen protector under the faucet and rinsed it well with tap water, getting rid of all the lint.
After letting excess water drip off the film, I had no problem applying it to the iPhone display.
The included squeegee works well for ironing out most air pockets. The instructions say to give any remaining “microbubbles” 2-3 days, but after nearly 4 I’ve still got a small, centimeter-wide cluster of speck-sized bubbles.
If you’re a nit-picky person, tiny microbubbles like these might drive you nuts, but the less obsessed will find they’re barely noticeable. The air bubbles are most apparent when you’re in an application with a white background (scrolling through Contacts, for example), where they appear as tiny light-gray specks. This was just my case, though; you might get lucky and not have to deal with bubbles at all.
While my bare iPhone display used to be a visible mess after even the shortest tasks, fingerprints and smudges on the InvisibleShield are far less noticeable.
Because of the film’s rubber-like texture, there’s a trivial amount of added resistance when you move your finger across the touchscreen. The difference is negligible, though, and certainly not enough to impair the iPhone’s touch sensors.
One benefit of the Invisible Shield’s rubbery feel — particularly on the back — is that it gives you a better grip on the iPhone, making it less likely that you’ll drop it.
Both the front and back films fit the iPhone precisely. The Invisible Shield is actually not invisible if you look closely, but most people who come across your iPhone probably won’t notice it’s there.
Invisible Shield for Back of iPhone
The back Invisible Shield film was, as opposed to the front, a challenge to apply. Initially, I had trouble getting the edges to stick to the rounded corners of the iPhone. The best way to do it, I discovered, is to hold down the film on each corner for about 30 seconds. After doing that, the back film stuck well and didn’t become undone, even after lots of time in my pocket.
Tip: If you have an InvisibleShield and can’t get rid of annoying air pockets around the edges of your iPhone, simply lift up the edge and add a drop of water to the Invisible Shield. Then hold down that part of the film for 30 seconds in the position you’d like it to stay.
Once you’ve got the back shield on correctly, you’ll be amazed at how well it conforms to the iPhone’s rounded edges.
Invisible Shield – Durability Tests
To test the iPhone InvisibleShield’s durability, first I swiped it vigorously with a key.
Then I used a knife.
No visible scratches.
iPhone’s glass display is pretty scratch-resistant on its own, according to a recent PC World experiment, but because the Invisible Shield is hardly noticeable, it may be worth buying simply for the peace of mind.
I’ve replaced my Incase protective cover with the Invisible Shield because it’s nice to be able to enjoy my iPhone’s sleek look and feel, which most iPhone cases don’t allow for.
Click to see the InvisibleShield on Amazon.
Overview – iPhone Invisible Shield Pros & Cons
What’s good about the Invisible Shield?
- Protects against scratches
- Conforms well to iPhone; hardly noticeable
- Adds no bulk to your phone
- Makes smudges less visible
- Gives you more grip on the iPhone, so you won’t drop it
What are its downsides?
- May trap some microbubbles
- Hard to keep out lint
- May not protect against impact damage
- A little pricey at $25 for front & back films
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NOT recommended…
Bought InvisibleShield for iPhone… might be suitable for the non-touch-screen surfaces of phones, may actually improve grip as this product has a sort of rubbery almost slightly gel-like/tacky feel, it is not smooth/hard/glossy like in the Zagg website ’simulated’ pics of phones. Totally unsuitable for any touch-screen surface as it makes your finger sort of stick and stutter, often causing the device to think you are pausing during swipe motions, which is interpreted by the phone as a different command (e.g. on the iPhone, when trying to simply scroll, it often turns options on or off, executes commands, or goes into repositioning apps, etc). That to me, makes it the wrong product. Other than that, the look is like food-wrap cling film, sort of slightly mottled, uneven texture, not like a hard smooth plastic. It was quite a pain to apply (compared to other products), and the use of the included applicator fluid helps greatly (and is absolutely necessary) but also gets liquid into the mic/speaker (if they are on the surface the film is applied to), possibly damaging the phone (not covered by warranty).
As for the amazing claims of ’scratch proof’, maybe sort of… though it may prevent major/big scratches (like a bullet-proof vest), there are little micro scratches/scuffs left which are visible when viewed at an angle or in certain light – even their plastic applicator card left a few micro scratches during installation. Claims of ‘hardly visible’, it is clear, but it’s obvious there is a plastic film stuck on the device (looks like the protective film they put on glossy surfaces to package new products) – if you view the screen at perfect 90 degree angle, it’s fine, but tilt it a little and the plastic is very noticeable and makes the screen look ‘dirty’ and slightly dull, no more smooth/clean glass look. As for warranty, the warranty shipping/handling charge was half of the original purchase price of the product I had. Just get the protector film sold in Apple stores (here they only carry one type, choice of glossy or matt), better in every aspect (price, look, feel, general protection, application), and don’t always believe advertising.
I have had the invisible shield on my ipod nano for about 2 years and it has been great. No discoloration, scratches, etc. I would definitely buy another.
Bought the Invisible shield for 11$ on sale, front install was easy back was hard but came out looking bad, although there was already a scratch on the invisible shield it looked great, I emailed Zagg, and they replied by saying they are shipping me a new one for free
( no shipping charges as well) I believe there customer service is top notch
Bought the Invisible shield for 11$ on sale, front install was easy back was hard but came out looking GOOD**(said bad in original post), although there was already a scratch on the invisible shield it looked great, I emailed Zagg, and they replied by saying they are shipping me a new one for free ( no shipping charges as well) I believe there customer service is top notch
I installed this on my ipod 5th Gen MYSELF…although it was VERY easy, I am a little tiny bit off on the back where it comes together. I have no bubbles or lint and it has not changed color on me. I followed the directions and it was a breeze to put on. I’m extremely pleased and I fully intend on getting my iphone done. Since the screen is so large, I will pay to have it put on the iPhone. This is the best product EVER.
my personal opinion is that invisible shield is absolutely horrible. it lifts easily after about a month or two. it traps alot of dust and lint, and no only that, it yellows over a period of about a month and a half. leave it on there for a while, i dare you, then pull it off about a month and a half later and it is DISGUSTINGLY yellow!!!
My local mall had a kiosk set up and were selling these an had a professional to install it. I purchased the full body for my iPhone for only $35 and he did it in 5 minutes with no bubbles and no lint. If you plan on purchasing this products see if there are any local stores or kiosks that could install it for you.
I’ve had invisishield on my LG phone and on my Ipod touch. Love them. It was tricky to get it lined up on the ipod back… but like others… spray the the shield a ton so it slides around easier and then just hold the corners in place until they stick well.
As for discoloring… I had one of the films turn black/purple and emailed zagg/invisishield. They said its lifetime replacement guarantee… I sent it in and got a new one in the mail a few days later – can’t remember if I had to pay postage or not… but it was probably a dollar or so. They said that the shield is actually a porous material that will soak up dyes etc from fabrics or materials used in some cell phone cases etc – Black leather cell case was the culprit for mine…
I’ve been installing the invisibleSHIELD on my iPhone 3GS for about 2 months and I find it’s the best iPhone protection I’ve ever used. Though it’s not easy to apply, but I was enjoying the process and I managed to take a few photos during the installation.
I don’t understand how anyone falls for that free replacement thing. I’ve had it for my IPhone and I never got free replacement, having to pay for the replacement does not make it free!
I’ve opted for gadgetshieldz for my PSP and Ipod, its cheaper at under $8 and they don’t promise anything else FREE other than the shipping. Which, surprisingly, turned out to be actually free.
I’ve been using this product for about a year now on my G1 actually, yeah I know it’s not an ipod, but the one from zagg.com has been amazing to me, if you do have a light colored phone like white, the film will get dirty after a while depending on what you do. My brother has a white g1 and is constantly working on cars it turned yellow rather quickly. Zagg.com has unlimited replacements while you just pay the shipping fee which I thought was amazing. When I took the film off my brown G1 to put on the new stuff, there was some yellow in the film but it was very minimal.
Do I need one of those miserable plastic covers over the screen? How easily does it scratch anyway?
DO NOT PURCHASE!
I cannot recommend strongly enough against purchasing this product. I bought it from a kiosk and had it installed by them, and the shield is peeling off the phone four days after I bought it. Between the charges from Zagg to get the replacement shield, and the charge from the kiosk to reapply it, I would have to pay nearly the full purchase price AGAIN to get my “free” replacement. Avoid this like the plague.
here is a link to a picture of my blackberry pearl with the invisible shield applied. http://kiw.is/5y
Evan Yes it does, i had it on mine, its kinda a tight fit though.
and ok everyone who can’t install it there selfs Listen.
GO TO A MALL CART AND GET IT INSTALLED THERE!
Don’t waste your money on the full protection product becasue you will never be able to install it. The cut outs for the side switches on my 3GS did not line up and i culd not get the flaps to stay flat. Did everything suggested and ended up throwing the back shield away in disgust. It has bene two days and the front is now peeling off so I will need to re-install. A joke at $30 but I am now one of the “millions” who have purchased this inferior product.
I was wondering… for those who have a iphone 2g (the first one) does it fit into the dock after the shield is on?
btw im a big fan of the invisible shield. i have had it on my ipod touch, and blackberry. i followed a tutorial on youtube which gave a lot of tips on doing this. the one on my ipod touch has been on for years and its still like the first day i applied it. and the fitting on the blackberry pearl is amazing and a breeze to put on, even tho it is a 7-sticker set.
did you really through it away? uh you do know you can get it replaced, trust me i work there.
Frustration during application. Once applied, it was NOT invisible, but distorted, bubbly, and linty. I was terribly disappointed. Following up on their lifetime guarantee, I went to their website only to learn that they only replace those shields bought on THEIR website, not from retail stores – I think they need to change the packaging for those sold in retail stores to acknowledge this. I threw mine away. Waste of $19.99 at Best Buy.
Holy mother of god–just finished an unsuccessful attempt at self-installation on my 3GS. It was a nightmare and a complete waste of money. YOU ARE FOOLING YOURSELF IF YOU THINK YOU CAN APPLY THIS YOURSELF AND HAVE IT LOOK GOOD. It might be a good product if you have it professionally applied. I’m a patient, coordinated person and every single step was horrible. Pretty frustrated right now.
Alright: if you live in Vegas, LISTEN TO ME!!! there are kiosks in some malls selling this product… Buy it from them because they will apply it PERFECTLY! I went staight from the apple store in the mall to the kiosk to get it on. It covers the whole thing on my 3G S, Terri ( even the chrome edging) cause they include it. It’s 35 bucks (ten for applying it. When they did it, I had no bubbles. The two microbubles on the back (can’t really see with a white one) have dissapeared. I cannot stress how much you should follow my example, cause I’m completely satisfied. Hope this helps.
Yes You could remove it after a year and the phone will look like new! =)
could you remove the protector after a year for example?
This is bad review.
Heres Why:
You CAN NOT fault the product for something that occurred as the result of you not following directions. The small bubbles left were the result of you using normal water on the IS. Normal water is not free of minerals and other impurities that resulted in what you saw. It was your fault, not the company’s.
Well the shield is free with the warranty, you can install it yourself for free. or if you want them to do the labor they charge 10 for the whole this or 5 for the screen.
The discoloration (in fact it even eventually goes brown if left on long enough) is an inherent property of the urethane material when exposed to visible light. Keep it away from short wavelength light (ie ultraviolet for instance) and it should last longer.
At firth you will love it…….then it starts falling off…after a month…..and your phone looks crappy. I have replaced mine 3 times, and I had it installed at the mall at one of their stores. The guys at the store even admit that it comes off, and they will gladly replace it for FREE…….as long as you give them another $10…….now haw is that free?
They replace the product for free, not the labor, you wouldn’t have to pay the $10 if you install it yourself. I just bought a Motorola droid and got the full body shield. About 17 pieces or something like that, it took me only like 30 minutes to do and i didn’t have any problems with it. And the instructions did say to let it dry for 12-24 hours before using your electronic device.
I had my invisible shield applied at a mall kiosk. It cost me $35 total but it was well worth it to have it put on perfectly. No problems whatsoever as described by everyone that had problems applying it themselves. It looks and fits great!I previously had a plastic skin on the back as well as a protective film that I was replacing myself once per month. This has already paid for itself with its lifetime replacement guarantee. And you can be sure I will take it to the mall and have them do it for me.
I actually work at Shield Zone on Utah. and i sell and install shields and the Iphone is the most done phone, it does cover the chrome band on the Iphone. and also for everyone saying it yellows, or peals they offer a LifeTime Warrenty on the shield, so just either send it in to get a new one or bring it to a shield zine. and Yes you can remove it if you want with no damage.
question: if you don’t like it anymore, can you remove it after like a week? i bought one, but im scared to put it on.
installed very easily. i did not spray the screan directly with the solution because the instructions say not to. after three days a colorful film emerged under the gaurd from the touch screen of my htc diamond. shortly thereafter the touch screen stopped working. as soon as i took the gaurd off it started working again. lousy product.
NOT IMPRESSED!
What a nightmare to put on properly – so fiddly. Set aside some serious time to get it partly right. And the screen loses it’s “feel” and your fingers just don’t slide like they used to (or did with my other $5 screen protector that was simple to put on) It’s not invisible, the phone becomes dull and the screen is different, dimmer and marked (by the inevitable wrinkling no matter how small). Every week it looks worse and the corners peel off. I’ll be tearing it off soon – Save your money for a decent back guard and a standard easy apply protector that will do you fine.
i have a week with my invisible shield on my iphone and so far its working great. When i was installing it the front was real easy and da back wasnt quit dat easy but u just have to have patients to keep the sides on to stick. I took eventually about 2 hours to install it but it came out awsome. Hint use ur palms of ur hand to get the side to stick
Great advice Scotty!
I learned a trick for applying the screen lint free when i first got my psp… turn the shower on in the bathroom till the room is nice and steamy… then clean off the screen and apply the shield while in the bathroom, the steamy air doesn’t hold lint. I have done every screen protector this way with 100% succsess
Iv used invisible shield for about a year on multiple products (blackberry, ipod touch). All the products they sell eventually turn a yellowish tinge. Trying to claim the lifetime warranty is just a headache.