XGear Fantom Glass Screen Protector

[SharpBarb]

I recently heard about this glass screen protector and wanted to check it out. I have tried a number of screen protectors (in order): Ringbo Ultimate Clear, SGP Steinheil Flex, Skinomi, XO Skins, Seidio Finger print reducing, and finally the Xgear Fantom.

I have found that there are typically two kinds of screen protectors: soft-silicon and hard plastic.

Visually they have different types of distortion on the display quality, but this distortion is almost always limited to off angle viewing (e.g. glare, haziness). They all typically look good when viewed strait on.

soft-silicon
Pro: Doesn't scratch. Fits edge-to-edge.
Cons: Orange peel surface. Relatively sticky feel

Hard Plastic:
Pro: Smooth surface. Relatively slick feel.
Cons: Lots of glare. Eventually scratches. Fit doesn't reach phone edge (limited to Galaxy Nexus because of curved screen)

Now I've tried this glass protector. I'll just give a quick overview.

As a glass protector I was hoping it would be nice and slick. Unfortunately, like all other screen protectors, the surface isn't nearly as slick as the naked screen. It's better than the soft-silicon, but comparable to hard plastic.

It's like a mirror. Most protectors are reflective. But it's like they didn't use an anti reflective coating.

There is a visible grid of dots on the screen, apparently there to protect the hard coat. It's not visible when viewed directly, so your trading visible glare for glare with dots. Kind of annoying when you do notice them though.

Hard shell cases will probably have a problem with the fit. I have a soft case and it didn't noticeably affect the fit.

The portion of the screen protector that isn't above the display is painted black, except for where the LED, camera, and proximity sensors go. This makes those parts very noticeable. I really like how the LED is practically invisible when it's not on. Not anymore.

It cost $30 USD.


The installation was very easy.

If I had to summarize in one sentence: It's like a hard plastic screen protector that fits edge-to-edge.

I mentioned mostly cons, but all the screen protector have their own cons. I actually do like the screen protector so far. If it doesn't scratch easily, that would be a big plus.

Also, It cleans very easily by just rubbing on your pants or shirt.

Naked Screen

Screen w/ Glass Protector

Close-up

Dots. It was actually very difficult to take a picture of the dots. I had to hold the phone under direct light and hold it just right.

Direct Sunlight. The LED hole casts a shadow.

 

[UncleMike]

The biggest con I've seen with mine is loss of screen sensitivity, particularly on the lower part of the screen where the glass is curved. I would sometimes have to tap ten times or more to get a response from the soft keys, and using the Swype keyboard was very problematic. I'm using a replacement now and it's noticeably better but still has issues.

Many people at XDA (including me) have reported that touch sensitivity is restored by turning the screen off and on again, leading some (including me) to believe the lost sensitivity is a device issue that is being aggravated by the Fantom.

I'm going to give my replacement a week before deciding if I'll continue using it or not. I really want to hold out for Google to fix the sensitivity issue and continue using the Fantom because aside from the sensitivity issue it's really the best screen protector I've ever used.

 

[BobF]

The biggest con I've seen with mine is loss of screen sensitivity, particularly on the lower part of the screen where the glass is curved. I would sometimes have to tap ten times or more to get a response from the soft keys, and using the Swype keyboard was very problematic. I'm using a replacement now and it's noticeably better but still has issues.

Many people at XDA (including me) have reported that touch sensitivity is restored by turning the screen off and on again, leading some (including me) to believe the lost sensitivity is a device issue that is being aggravated by the Fantom.

I'm going to give my replacement a week before deciding if I'll continue using it or not. I really want to hold out for Google to fix the sensitivity issue and continue using the Fantom because aside from the sensitivity issue it's really the best screen protector I've ever used.

I too had the screen sensitivity problem, particularly with the bottom icons (return, home, recent apps). I could restart the phone and the sensitivity would be better, but not as responsive as with my old Steinheil Flex screen protector. The responsiveness would again become less and less until I again restarted. I also found that the glass screen protector added just enough thickness that my Sedio Surface Case wouldn't snap closed. I have the one for the Seidio 3800 mAH large battery, so I can't say that's the case with smaller batteries. My TPU case fit just fine over the glass protector.

I finally took the glass screen protector off and ordered another Steinheil Flex screen protector. I really liked the feel of the glass protector, but the the lack of sensitivity was the deciding factor for me.