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Lightning Review: Keeping Your iPhone? Clear Armour Apache-Grade Scratch Protector Reviewed (B.S. Alert)
Posted by Sean Fallon at 10:30 AM on June 10, 2008
The Gadget: Case-mate's Clear Armour film for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPod classic (80GB and 160GB) or BlackBerry Curve protects against scratches using a military-grade Scotchgard film from 3M.
The Price: US$19.99
The Verdict: Yes, yes, we know that the 3G iPhone is here, but if you are anything like me and on the fence about upgrading, Case-mate's Clear Armour will do a good job of protecting against scratches while preserving the natural beauty of your original iPhone, iPod or Blackberry Curve. However, there is some major bullshit involved with their advertising campaign that put me off. First of all, Clear Armour is the exact same film Zagg has been selling for years under the name Invisible Shield. The only real difference is that Case-mate has tried to differentiate by relying on gimmicks like throwing a Blackberry Curve 8300 wrapped in Clear Armour into a blender to demonstrate its durability. As Giz reader Shaun and others pointed out in the comments on the original Clear Armour post, it appears that the Blackberry used in the demo is absolutely caked in this stuff.
The other issue I came across involved the application of Clear Armour. The video on the site makes it seem as though it is easy to pull the film off the backing before applying--but the reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, using my gigantic man-hands I managed to tear off the portion of the film that covers the top of the phone on both sets of rear films. All I can say is that it is a good thing that each set of front and back films comes in doubles, because you will probably need them both to get it right. In retrospect, I probably should have used a pair of tweezers or an X-Acto knife to ensure that I got the film off in one piece.
Again, the technology behind Clear Armour is great. I mustered up enough courage to scratch my keys along the back of my iPhone and it came away completely unscathed. However, if you were foolish enough to put your phone into a blender wrapped in a single layer of this stuff, I can guarantee that it would not survive the beating. That having been said, my advice is to stick with Invisible Shield. They offer a lifetime guarantee on their product, they protect a wider range of devices and they are already taking pre-orders for a 3G iPhone version. [case-mate]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
halfshafter
Posted 10:57 AM 10/6/08
F that S!
I have the Power Support Anti-Glare film on my iPod touch and it couldn't be better. Simple as pie to apply too.
Turns out they offer it for the iPhone as well, so forget that sticky, messy, orange peel-effect garbage!
[www.powersupportusa.com]
halfshafter
Wess
Posted 10:57 AM 10/6/08
Did blend tech take over youtube and giz for marketing now?
Wess
thechansen
Posted 10:54 AM 10/6/08
eh I use a vaja case and the crystal blah blah blah anti glare protector, mostly because I like the matte surface and no finger prints/less face grease.
thechansen
discounteggroll
Posted 10:52 AM 10/6/08
my iphone has been scratch free and in new condition since I got it refurb'd in September (no protection used). Every other naked iPod I have had ended up looking rather shitty after about 6 months
with that said, I think every "shied" for the iPhone is pure gimmick. My iPhone held up well on both sides without any protection*, and I plan on remaining that way until the cold, painful end
* referring to my iPhone and not my personal lifestyle, of course...
discounteggroll
jkr2
Posted 10:50 AM 10/6/08
engadget covered this like a week ago. I mentioned as well as others that the second demonstration had 3 videos put together for the blending action. This looks like the same video, but I don't want to bother to rewatch it again.
jkr2
myasir
Posted 10:48 AM 10/6/08
I like the invisibleshield on my iphone. It has turned a little yellow from age and is collecting dust and pocket lint in some of the corners but it makes the phone less slick and I'm less worried when I put it on hard surfaces. It's easier for me to hold the phone without fear of losing grip of the damned thing with the shield on it. The only downside is that my finger doesn't glide across the screen as well since it's kinda rubbery. Overall, a good product.
myasir
waza
Posted 10:36 AM 10/6/08
it's like being new couch and put plastic all over it ... or a drape over it, to "protect it"
but ... if you protect something, it is for it to look nice when you show it ... so if your protection is ALWAYS on, you won't be showing it ... (i know i'm not expressing myself too well)
waza
Kaiser-Machead is in your Macbook Pro!
Posted 10:35 AM 10/6/08
Sounds like a decent casing for something like my iPod video. 1 year running and scratch free!
Kaiser-Machead is in your Macbook Pro!
Ken_Darrow
Posted 10:32 AM 10/6/08
I think I'll just get a clear screen shield and leave the iPhone naked. Keep it in my pocket on vibrate mode at all times. :-)
Ken_Darrow
halfshafter
Posted 11:09 AM 10/6/08
@thechansen:
Isn't it wondrous? Why i could rub my touch against the sides of my nose all day long and there still wouldn't be a smudge on the screen. I don't know how they do it, it's a Christmas miracle!
halfshafter
DeadWriter
Posted 11:05 AM 10/6/08
FYI, some authorized Apple resellers will apply this for free if you buy it at their store. There is a local Apple seller in my city that does that- so if they screw up- it's their dime.
DeadWriter
DeadWriter
Posted 11:02 AM 10/6/08
I had the Invisible Shield on my first iPod nano and it was great- it looked so good that it was stolen. I replaced it with n iPod touch with no case, and only grip tape on the back. It still looks good. I think I am done spending money on cases.
DeadWriter
thechansen
Posted 11:02 AM 10/6/08
@halfshafter: Yeah! That's the stuff!
thechansen
originalgermy
Posted 11:34 AM 10/6/08
I have the invisible sheild on my 4th gen iPod and it works as expected but after a couple years the edges start to gather crud and peel back a bit, but for a 3 year old ipod that I carry in my pocket with keys etc. it is still scratch free.
originalgermy
Ryanraven
Posted 11:25 AM 10/6/08
does it stop bullets and prevent against dents? NOOO
Ryanraven
drunknbass
Posted 11:28 AM 10/6/08
these films suck.. they start to leak the glue adhesive out the edges after a little while and it looks like grime from your hands but it isnt. and they arnt totally clear. i actually paid more for this crap a while ago and had it installed.. biggest waste of $
drunknbass
AllThingsWireless
Posted 10:41 AM 10/6/08
THat's an 87xx series BB, not the Curve. The curve should have a ball thingie in the center. Anyways, that BB version deserves the blender minus that phone condom ::shudder from past experience with that phone::
Here's an idea: WHY DON'T THEY MAKE THE WHOLE DAMN PHONE OUT OF THAT CRAP!?!?!?!
AllThingsWireless
jkr2
Posted 6:07 AM 11/6/08
so i see this article and a few others have been brought back from limbo.
jkr2
lpranal
Posted 6:28 AM 11/6/08
If anyone cares, or wants to buy this from their local sign shop in bulk, it's called scotchCAL, not scotchGUARD. I used to work at a sign shop, and the vinyl people'd hook me up with copious amounts, so you might try seeing if they have any scrap pieces
[products9.3m.com]
lpranal
justinpe
Posted 6:12 AM 11/6/08
I don't think I'll be holding on to my 1st gen iPhone for too much longer. Put it on craigslist right after the keynote for $250 thinking I could wait a month for the new one. I got about 30 responses within 20 minutes or so. I have since raised the price to $350 and am still getting a few calls/emails, but am reluctant to give it up because I will be without an iPhone for a full month. I am thinking that the 1st gen iPhones will continue to bring good money until they figure out a way to jailbreak the new firmware. Also, besides the people who want to use an iPhone outisde ATT, there are those that simply want a first gen iPhone and they have been nearly impossible to find for the past several weeks. So if youre gonna sell it, do it now before the demand goes down in a month.
justinpe
infmom
Posted 6:41 AM 11/6/08
Just get a nice Gelaskin instead.
infmom
graphx
Posted 7:07 AM 11/6/08
oh boy... if i ever see someone with this case, they are for sure getting jumped.
[www.case-mate.com]
graphx
justinpe
Posted 7:58 AM 11/6/08
@indigoed:
I don't think any promises were made/broken. The only promise that WAS made was a 3G iPhone, so considering everything else, I would say that they certainly exceeded their promise. I think what happened is you read into the hype waaay too much.
justinpe
indigoed
Posted 7:36 AM 11/6/08
Psst, has anyone noticed that the iphone 2.0 is more like the iphone 1.0002???
Promised the world, and been given Siberia! Dont get me wrong, I have nothing against Siberia, it's just not the world, thats all.
www.indigoed.com
indigoed
lpranal
Posted 8:09 AM 11/6/08
@graphx: Further proof that wealth and taste / intelligence are NOT mutually inclusive
lpranal
graphx
Posted 9:00 AM 11/6/08
@lpranal: tis true.
graphx
illseeingeye
Posted 9:58 AM 11/6/08
@indigoed: Have you been waiting all day to type that arbitrary observation or something? Couldn't hold it in for a thread where that would be pertinent? I think maybe you just WANT people to think that.. Instead we're just 'noticing' how Apple has wised up and made a great phone very reasonably priced at $199.
illseeingeye
KJA
Posted 10:40 AM 11/6/08
Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't this posted a while ago? I swear this was taken down and posted again today to make a comment about the iPhone 3G.
KJA
eleazar
Posted 11:21 AM 11/6/08
I'm definitely going to pick up the Invisible Shield for my iPhone 3G. Does anybody know of a good belt clip that works with the shield? I don't want to have to put a case over my invisible shield just to get a holster (the case/holster combos). Any help would be greatly appreciated!
eleazar
The Brain
Posted 2:58 PM 11/6/08
I've been using a I.S. since they came out. It's incredible stuff and my screens always look perfect. I don't think you can hold it against them that you can't blend your phone with it.
The Brain
jackbrown
Posted 4:32 PM 11/6/08
"Military-Grade" is such lame marketing-speak. It's totally meaningless and yet it sounds bad-ass, so it always comes off the press release and into the write-ups. If I was a Gizmodo editor I would ban it.
jackbrown
maven2k
Posted 12:58 AM 12/6/08
I have Invisible Shield on my Zune and my LG8600. That stuff is awesome. My shiny cell phone still looks shiny new like the day I got it and my dog chewed the leather case off my Zune and there wasn't a mark on it. About the installation, though, it's not that hard, but all the little tiny piece for the cell phone one are a little nerve wracking.
maven2k
royeiror
Posted 6:02 PM 12/6/08
off topic, that BlackBerry 8700 is tough, it lasted a lot without the shield.
royeiror
vinnyr
Posted 6:09 AM 11/6/08
Isnt the iphone screen already coated in something that makes it resistant to scratches. I saw a video on youtube of a guy rubbing keys against his iphone screen and it didn't seem to scratch it.
I would be worried about putting that plastic layer on my iphone, im afraid it will break the screen when i take it off
vinnyr
JTWrenn
Posted 6:15 AM 11/6/08
wow can't wait to blend my treo
JTWrenn
brandizzle01
Posted 11:05 AM 10/6/08
but will it blend?
i guess not....o_O
brandizzle01