[Q] Focus Screen Protector Recommendations

I will need to check out Bodyguardz next time.

Currently I've used Invisible Shield on two iPod Touches and three Samsung Focus', and I have yet to be disappointed. Regardless of what brand you pick, I personally believe the military grade, liquid applicator protectors are the best.

Wanted to add I ordered a set of the Xtremeguard protectors from ebay after reading about them in this thread. Shipped very fast, 3 days from utah to vermont.

Initial impressions / mini-review:

They apply quite differently to the Bodyguardz/Zagg. I found them to be less tacky and more slippery once water was applied. Good for repositioning but took me by surprise when I started to smooth it on and the whole piece slid right off the end of the phone! I have found the Bodyguardz to be just tacky enough to slightly wiggle in to place and then they start to adhere.

Cut is fairly good but not as accurate as Bodyguardz. The coverage is actually so 'edge to edge' that I can actually feel the skin edge on the back of the phone where it's almost overlapping the sides, which I can already tell is going to piss me off as I'm catching it with my hand. The Bodyguardz skins are all cut just a tiny bit smaller than the area you are covering so you don't run in to this.

Also, the pieces intended to cover the sides of the phone were a joke, not even close to the right shape or size. The cut also hadn't quite cleanly separated the skin template from the surrounding material so there were a couple of places I had tiny 'skin tags'.

They've only been on for a few hours so can't really comment on the finished product yet but initial impressions are good. I'm hopeful for a crystal clear and smooth finish once fully cured. I certainly didn't have any problems with bubbles, they went on nice and smooth and were very easy to squeegee the water and bubbles out of.

Overall:
For the price, these are a bargain. If you are OK with getting great value for money at the slight cost of a not quite perfect product then you can't go wrong with these. I'll be very interested to see how these stack up against the Bodyguardz when fully cured in terms of clarity, feel and longevity.

My 2c.

I was wandering around the mall yesterday, looking for a case and screen protector. I have ordered the black and gray case mate pop case, and the Zagg screen protector, but didn't want to wait the 2-4 weeks with the naked phone. Murphy's Law... It'll get dinged or scratched before i get them delivered.

For the life of me, I can't find anything for the phone in my city. As I walked out of the last cell phone store in the mall, I saw a Ghost Armor kiosk in the hall. I went and spoke with them, and they had two focus full body skins left. $30 and 20 minutes later, they had installed the skin for me.

So far I really like the result. No streaks or bubbles, and the screen is still fairly smooth. I am a fan of Zagg's skins. They work, but the screen always feels tacky. I'm liking this skin, as my fingers slide freely over the screen.

I will probably still use the case on occasion when it arrives, but for now my phone can stay sleek and sexy without me worrying too much of scratches. Guess I'll just hang on to the Zagg as a backup skin.

Found a link for the Ghost Armor skins if anyone else is interested:

www*ghost-armor.com/Samsung/Focus.html (asterisk to period for link. Still too new)

You and I are in the same situation Canuck. I can't find anything for the Focus in Vancouver. At best I found myself the Invisible Shield screen guards at a random Rogers Plus store. That's it.

I'm thinking it's hard for Canadians to grab anything but the Zagg shields in stores. I might go check out one of the cheap kiosk vendors in the middle of the mall to see if they have any focus cases.

crecsky said:

I'm thinking it's hard for Canadians to grab anything but the Zagg shields in stores. I might go check out one of the cheap kiosk vendors in the middle of the mall to see if they have any focus cases.

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If you're still looking, the Ghost Armor kiosk is at Chinook on the main level. It's basically located right outside the Telus, Rogers, and Bell stores

Just noticed you were in Calgary, and thought I'd help.

I would recommend Zagg invisible shield. I have had them on my past 3 smartphones. they are awesome.

As for screen protectors, I've bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IMV3PM
Works super fine for me; really invisible, hides light scratches, touch as is original (unprotected) screen. Price is unbeatable too.

P.S. To get installed without bubbles, just precisely follow the installation manual (don't use screen cleaners etc.) BTW, u'll have 5 of them - more than enough to practice

Anti Glare screen protector

Personally I'm using a screen protector I bought from eBay, and I'm actually happy with it.
Anti Glare Screen Protector for Samsung Focus i917 (bought from here - please note no affiliation whatsoever except I bought one)

Here's the description:
This Screen Portector have a effect that make it hard to leave fingerprint on the screen, 90% less fingerprint than the normal screen protector. It is also very easy to clean since is oil resistance. The Anit-Glare effect makes viewing less stressful and sharper image under day light and bright lighting.

Some people might not like it as the surface is just a bit less smoother than a regular screen protector (but that's exactly because of the oleophobic surface), but overall it does have 90% less fingerprints (which I happen to love) and anti glare. Transparency and clarity are excellent.

I can make some photos if there's interest.

I also have a body case but I gave up using it, as it makes the phone bulkier (although it's extremely light). If the back gets scratched I'll just buy another back cover.

I have used MANY types of protectors over the last 7 years and used to opt for the "static" ultra clear type PET protectors. I had to wait for a while on my last phone to get a replacement so I used the one I had from Invisible Gadget Guard and was shocked at how clear it was and never even put on the ones I bought.

When I bought the focus I listened to all the HYPE over ZAGG and spent the money on their product. I was immediately dissapointed with the "Orange Peel" effect. I saw someone on here say if it is installed correctly there is no "orange peel" look. B.S. It was RIDICULOUS.

I turned around and ordered an invisible gadget guard full body protector for the focus and havent looked back. The side protectors may seem to be a bit silly but they do fit well around the buttons. The screen looks FAR better in sunlight than the zagg hands down.

VShield skins

I have tried several different screen protectors for my Focus and have been disappointed by most of them. The Zagg and Skinomi skins were too soft and were easily damaged and dented while being stored in my leather soft lined case. The dents refracted light and were very distracting. The Skinomi skin continued to have small bubbles weeks after installation that I could never get rid of. Both of these skins felt somewhat tacky and I could feel some drag when sliding up and down the screen. They both had a bit of orange peel finish to them that I did not like. The soft material seemed to easily scratch and haze after normal cleaning with a soft cloth.

I decided to try some extremely inexpensive skins from VShield. I got 5 skins for $2.08 plus $1.49 shipping. They are dry skins with a protective cover on both sides. You peel off the back side, place it on the screen and then remove the cover from the other side. It was fairly easy to install. It would be nice to have a clean room for eliminating dust during installation. I had a few dust particles that landed on the screen. I was able to lift the skin and remove the dust with a piece of tape. It fits perfectly. I have no bubbles. It is a harder plastic and does not dent. It is very clear and is barely noticable. I put one on my wife's Focus and she didn't even know it was there. I highly recommend these skins. I got them from Amazon for a total of only $3.57 for 5 skins. The other skins were 4 to 5 times that much for only one skin. Apparently, "You get what you pay for" doesn't always apply.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GRBUSE

RGBell said:

I decided to try some extremely inexpensive skins from VShield. I got 5 skins for $2.08 plus $1.49 shipping. They are dry skins with a protective cover on both sides. You peel off the back side, place it on the screen and then remove the cover from the other side.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GRBUSE

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Using your link, I just got 5 for $3.01. I'm interested in getting a smoother finish to see how it feels. I know the iPhone has a super smooth strong plastic cover that my wife uses, and I'm hoping this is the same material because I really like the feel of hers.

I'm using an invisible shield and i don't really care for it. i have more glare from it and the edges peel up and catch lint. worse use of twenty bucks ever.

Nebor said:

I got the Skinomi. I followed the instructions and still ended up with a lot of bubbles\wrinkles. Also I'm not sure that the "full body" skin is even needed. I certainly can't see how the side pieces are supposed to fit around the buttons and headphone jack anyway.

I give this product a huge thumbs down. A waste of $20.

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I had Skinomi too on my old Droid. I also got that bubbles problem, and the supposed to be "military grade" protector scratched easily.

I have been running for over 6 months now with no screen protector. The display is scratch free. I don't see the need for it.

wildbilll said:

I have been running for over 6 months now with no screen protector. The display is scratch free. I don't see the need for it.

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The screen is Gorilla Glass and even if it's very tough, it can still scratch. Durity of metal (Mohs hardness scale) is at maximum 6.5 (usually, common metals 4-5) while glass/quartz is about 7. That's why Gorilla Glass resists scratching to coins, knives, screwdrivers, cutters, keys etc. However, porcelain, glass, sand, have the same durity as Gorilla Glass. And these will scratch the screen.

Not funny that a sharp knife, scissorts etc can't scratch the screen but a tiny sand particle can, but it's a fact. Keep in mind that you might end up accidentally with dust/sand on the screen and then wonder how did that scratch happen...

And that's exactly why it's important to have a screen protector. Your call, however.

wildbilll said:

I have been running for over 6 months now with no screen protector. The display is scratch free. I don't see the need for it.

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Yeah I had Gorilla glass phones before and always put the phone in my pocket with my keys and it didn't scratch, guess keys aren't too sharp but my GF had the same phone and got scratches on it from keeping it inside her purse. God knows what those GF's keep in there lol

Mate screen protectors looks awesome in apple products. But i don't know is there any mate SP for Focus

aFaridun said:

Mate screen protectors looks awesome in apple products. But i don't know is there any mate SP for Focus

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Search for "samsung focus anti-glare screen protector" on eBay
I'm using one for like 1 year. Most say it reduce fingerprints by 90% and that is correct. I have one like this (and I don't live in States so no advertising )

vulcan4d said:

Yeah I had Gorilla glass phones before and always put the phone in my pocket with my keys and it didn't scratch, guess keys aren't too sharp but my GF had the same phone and got scratches on it from keeping it inside her purse. God knows what those GF's keep in there lol

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I'd worry about knives.

2 years running my Focus sans screen protection and it has ONE scratch. I have (accidentally) dropped it, kicked it, had it in in pockets with keys (even my gun once) put it face down every night on my nightstand. The scratch came only when it fell and slid on asphalt.