Greetings Castaways, Mike Price here, @Grumpy in slack and @pricemy115 in the discord chat during the live show. A few weeks ago on show 786 Alison shared her newfound love of the Diamond Dog tempered glass screen protector, even if the bubbles under the screen still vex her, so I thought I would share a review of a screen protector of a different sort. But first, the problem to be solved.
With each new revision, our devices get more and more expensive, and they also tend to last longer and longer. So protecting them is certainly a good investment to help ensure a long and useful life. Certainly with the cost of some of the new phones rivaling that have a decent laptop, a relatively inexpensive screen protector is a smart addition. However, what about that screen on your wrist? If you are anything like me, the screen on your watch takes a greater beating than the phone and could definitely use some robust protection.
And for an extra challenge, with the new watches using more of the screen, protecting those glorious rounded corners and not cutting off the edges of the image is a must. Before delving into the review, however, let’s review Alison’s criteria for success regarding screen protectors. First, it doesn’t feel creepy or annoying. It feels like the original glass. Two: no bubbles under the screen without needing Dave Hamilton to pay you a visit to install the screen protector for you. Three: the screen responds as though you are on the original glass. Four: it doesn’t look bad. There are no scratches, a milky, hazy look to the protector and there are no noticeable edges. And five, that it actually protects the device when something bad happens.
With that, let’s take a look at the Armor Suit Military Shield for Apple Watch (armorsuit.com/…). You can find these on Amazon in packs of six for about $9 US. I won’t delve into all the gory details of the installation, but we’ll say that it is more challenging and time-consuming than a typical tempered glass installation on a phone. The Armor Suit folks have a great video for the installation and I highly recommend watching it each time you need to apply one of the shields.
A few highlights to note from the video. First, spray your fingers and both sides of the sheet. Second, plan for enough time to do the install. The Shield needs to set for approximately 15 minutes before adhering to the curved edges of the watch face. Third, it is recommended to allow the shield to sit overnight before being put into service.
So how does the Armor Suit Military Shield for Apple Watch hold up against Allison’s success criteria?
Well, it definitely does not feel like the original class, so no win here. While the installation can be a challenge if done correctly, there are no bubbles and no visits from Dave Hamilton required. While the feel is different, the screen response is not. The shield does not impede the touch sensitivity of the watch in any way whatsoever, including Force Touch.
The shield is crystal clear, and since it wraps around to cover the curved edges, you almost can’t even see that there’s a screen protector at all. And according to the manufacturer, the shield is equipped with self-healing technology, which will help eliminate minor scratches and dings that the film may pick up over time.
After whacking my watch against doorframes striking hard enough to take off paint and working on my car and other machinery where the face is getting scratched up, the watch and shield continue to look flawless, even on the curved edges. I should also note if the shield has picked up any scuffs or paint, they can be easily cleaned up with a little isopropyl alcohol and gentle cleaning.
So all in all, I would have to give the Armor Suit Military Shield for Apple watch a big thumbs up for protecting my watch. But I should also note that there is a downside. You might think that the six-pack I mentioned was a lifetime supply. But this is simply not the case. Since the shield is not tempered glass and since the film is fitted to protect the curved edges, the shield does not last as long as it’s tempered glass brethren.
My experience has been that usually after about eight weeks of normal wear, I will find one of the corners starting to peel up. if caught early enough, you may be able to repair that corner. But eventually, it will start peeling more. I can usually put up with the loose corner for another week or so before needing to replace the shield. Looking at the manufacturer’s website, they also have protectors for the entire body of the watch, but I haven’t had any experience with those. I hope this review helps you to keep all your beloved tech well-protected. And if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me in the slack community.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai