Comparison: Clearfreak vs. Phantom Skinz

[agent0014]

It was mainly the notification bar and the back arrow that has been getting to me. Plus some of the little things. Like when playing the Robo defence game, and sometimes when switching between screens.

Wait you mean I'm not crazy? I finally put the skin on my phone last week (after doing my boyfriend's over three week prior) and I could swear my back button doesn't work as well. I got really concerned that I got water somewhere and turned on the phone too soon after... but I can't imagine that it would only affect that area of the screen... so the screen protector definitely affected your back button?

 

[Th3sandm4n]

It was mainly the notification bar and the back arrow that has been getting to me. Plus some of the little things. Like when playing the Robo defence game, and sometimes when switching between screens.

Ah, okay I thought my phone was just going slow as hell when switching screens and back, but it makes more sense this way (I hope its just the sensitivity at least)

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Wait you mean I'm not crazy? I finally put the skin on my phone last week (after doing my boyfriend's over three week prior) and I could swear my back button doesn't work as well. I got really concerned that I got water somewhere and turned on the phone too soon after... but I can't imagine that it would only affect that area of the screen... so the screen protector definitely affected your back button?

The back button is definitely affected for me as well, I just have to press more deliberately to make it work. So you're not alone. But it's not a deal breaker for me. I'd much rather have the protection.

 

[agent0014]

The back button is definitely affected for me as well, I just have to press more deliberately to make it work. So you're not alone. But it's not a deal breaker for me. I'd much rather have the protection.

I'm with you, just feel a lot better knowing it's related to the skin, I didn't hurt my phone with water damage. And really I've found that I don't necessarily have to press harder, just more right where the actual arrow is, so more precisely I suppose.

 

[CriticalCritic]

@Agent
Yeah, the back arrow has been working much better since removing the skin. I just hate that I have to choose between operation and protection

Ah, okay I thought my phone was just going slow as hell when switching screens and back, but it makes more sense this way (I hope its just the sensitivity at least)

Well, I was experiencing two things when switching screens. The first was that I often had to attempt more than once to drag over to the next screen. Eliminating the skin has eliminated that issue.
The second problem I was experiencing, was a stutter when swapping screens. Ever since I upgraded to ZE8.2 and uninstalled my app killer, it has been smooooooth.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Try this method out to test the skin sensitivity effect: labs.moto.com

I tried it out with my Phantom Skin and it is very straight / smooth. I'm pretty happy that the test confirms the screen is not severely diminished by the skin.

 

[Radical-J]

Ya I feel you on the sensitivity bit, but I don't mind it as much. It really only bothers me on the notification bar, I have to press it a bit harder to get it down it seems.

Start your finger drag at the top of the phone (above Sprint logo finger touching plastic/speaker holes)and drag down. Don't try to catch/get it exactly where it's at...FWIW

 

[CriticalCritic]

Try this method out to test the skin sensitivity effect: labs.moto.com

I tried it out with my Phantom Skin and it is very straight / smooth. I'm pretty happy that the test confirms the screen is not severely diminished by the skin.

Yeah, it definitely does not cause severe issues, but I stand by that there is noticeable difference when you remove the skin.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Yeah, it definitely does not cause severe issues, but I stand by that there is noticeable difference when you remove the skin.

I'm not saying I don't believe you, but the difference is livable for me, and a lot of others I would think.

Without the skin, things like grease and oils get attracted much more easily to the touchscreen. When I was playing with the Hero / Moment at the Sprint stores, the oils from all the people playing with phone made it almost impossible to use.

I used my shirt to wipe away the oils but it was still tough to use because the oils tend to stick to the screen. With the screen protector on, the oils don't stick as much for some reason and I can wipe it off much easier. So oils just don't accumulate as much. Add scratch protection to that and there's a huge advantage to having a screen protector.

There's a trade-off whether you use a screen protector or not, and for myself the screen protector is definitely superior to not having one.

 

[CriticalCritic]

I'm not saying I don't believe you, but the difference is livable for me, and a lot of others I would think.

Without the skin, things like grease and oils get attracted much more easily to the touchscreen. When I was playing with the Hero / Moment at the Sprint stores, the oils from all the people playing with phone made it almost impossible to use.

I used my shirt to wipe away the oils but it was still tough to use because the oils tend to stick to the screen. With the screen protector on, the oils don't stick as much for some reason and I can wipe it off much easier. So oils just don't accumulate as much. Add scratch protection to that and there's a huge advantage to having a screen protector.

There's a trade-off whether you use a screen protector or not, and for myself the screen protector is definitely superior to not having one.

I completely agree. I just wish I could get the best of both worlds

 

[Zumaki]

I'm with you, just feel a lot better knowing it's related to the skin, I didn't hurt my phone with water damage. And really I've found that I don't necessarily have to press harder, just more right where the actual arrow is, so more precisely I suppose.

I don't push harder, I just kind of linger for a moment on the button press if it isn't sensitive to the first tap. Its a noticeable loss of sensitivity, but not a dealbreaker... but then again, I don't play games on my phone where i'd need to touch a lot on the screen and need it to work right then.

 

[evilbeef54]

Still loving my phantom skinz as well I don't have to press any harder than I do on my wife's moment which doesn't have a cover, it looks great and is barely noticable

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Still loving my phantom skinz as well I don't have to press any harder than I do on my wife's moment which doesn't have a cover, it looks great and is barely noticable

Best of all I've decided I don't want / need a silicone shell or hard snap-on shell, so it keeps the form factor as natural as possible. I just stick the phone into a leather iPhone case when not using it. I love my Phantom Skinz.

 

[CriticalCritic]

You know... I didn't realize until recently how much oil this screen collects. The phantom skinz really helped with that.

 

[pizzachef]

You know... I didn't realize until recently how much oil this screen collects. The phantom skinz really helped with that.

Thanks for bringing that up. I was starting to get annoyed at how much the phantom skinz gets smudged, but I guess its better than the bare screen. The Hero screen was better somehow, has some fancy coating.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Thanks for bringing that up. I was starting to get annoyed at how much the phantom skinz gets smudged, but I guess its better than the bare screen. The Hero screen was better somehow, has some fancy coating.

Actually the Hero screen was just as bad at the store, the units I played with. They all love to stick to oils.

 

[agent0014]

it's the material the screens are made of. Moment has an all-glass screen which is very resistant to scratching but collects oils like a mother. Hero's screen is plastic, gets less oily but is less resistant to scratches. At least this is what I recall reading back when I was deciding between the two. My sources may be off on this, of course... but comparing them in the store I recall observing that this is quite possibly the case.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

it's the material the screens are made of. Moment has an all-glass screen which is very resistant to scratching but collects oils like a mother. Hero's screen is plastic, gets less oily but is less resistant to scratches. At least this is what I recall reading back when I was deciding between the two. My sources may be off on this, of course... but comparing them in the store I recall observing that this is quite possibly the case.

Actually the Samsung Moment screen is plastic as well. Look at top of the screen, it's cut in a curved shape. Very hard to do that with glass, much easier to do with plastic.

 

[Mw182006]

Thanks for the write-up. FYI - Phantom has a coupon code 'winter33' going on right now.

 

[agent0014]

Actually the Samsung Moment screen is plastic as well. Look at top of the screen, it's cut in a curved shape. Very hard to do that with glass, much easier to do with plastic.

Ah you're probably right then. Just a different plastic, seems very scratch-resistant.

Then again maybe that's just me being my hopeful self, lol.

 

[CriticalCritic]

Actually the Samsung Moment screen is plastic as well. Look at top of the screen, it's cut in a curved shape. Very hard to do that with glass, much easier to do with plastic.

Under a magnifying glass it looks like an unpolished 45 degree bevel to eliminate the possibility of cutting the skin on the exposed edge. Though that could be done with either glass or plastic...

Edit: However, it's not only unpolished, but also horizontally striated. Meaning, it's not molded that way, nor is it a straight diagonal cut. Suggesting that it's less likely to be plastic.

 

[flu13]

I just got the screen only protector from Phantom Skinz. Installation was easy, but as it's drying, it looks awful, so I'm not sure I did it right. It's not air bubbles, it just looks cloudy and mottled.

 

[Zumaki]

I just got the screen only protector from Phantom Skinz. Installation was easy, but as it's drying, it looks awful, so I'm not sure I did it right. It's not air bubbles, it just looks cloudy and mottled.

Did you maybe use too much soap? not squish out the water underneath? The pics I have of the application were from about 15 mins after setting it up.

 

[amberb53]

I applied the screen on ps last night as well. No mottling (sp?) But I do have some vertical lines running through it. Not noticible unless u hold it a certain way. I'm hoping I get used to it.

I just got the screen only protector from Phantom Skinz. Installation was easy, but as it's drying, it looks awful, so I'm not sure I did it right. It's not air bubbles, it just looks cloudy and mottled.

 

[flu13]

Did you maybe use too much soap? not squish out the water underneath? The pics I have of the application were from about 15 mins after setting it up.

Maybe. I might give it a few days and try again if it doesn't start looking better. I put the Invisible Shield deal on my wife's Palm Pre and it took a few days to really look invisible.