There are a variety of methods for protecting your iPhone 4 and minimizing the issue of “death grip”. For the first months with my current iPhone I used a Clear-Coat film on the front, back and sides. Like other similar products, Clear-Coat is a semi-permanent film that goes on wet and then, when dried all but disappears. It is still what I am using to protect my iPad’s screen. All of the semi-permanent films have one big downside for me, they feel the tiniest bit tacky when sliding your finger across the screen. It isn’t bad but it is something you will notice if you go that route.
That’s why I was happy to try out SGP’s products. Most recently I have had the Steinheil protective films on my phone and I’m quite impressed.
Unlike “wet” films that require spraying a liquid on the film and/or the phone when applying them, the Steinheil goes on “dry”. It is more akin to a decal than anything else. You clean your phone, pull back part of the film, apply it carefully and then slowly pull back the remaining portion of the film and place it on the phone. It is actually among the easiest applications I have done.
If applied carefully the screen film is all but invisible. The same goes for the back, although I quickly went back to using the SGP Leather Guard that Larry applied for me in July.
I have kept the screen protector on my phone for the last two weeks and am impressed by how durable it is. In the past I found that “decal-style” screen protectors would pull up and start bubbling after a short time. I have not found this to be the case.
Perhaps the best thing about the SGP Steinheil EX Ultra Series to my mind are the protective films for the stainless steel band that rings the iPhone 4. It applies easily, is all but invisible and it does a great job of protecting the stainless steel from scratches. It also happens to work fine with Apple’s bumper and many (but not all) other cases.
The result is my current favorite way to protect my iPhone– an SGP Leather Guard on the back, an SGP Steinheil screen protector and side films and a black Apple bumper.
Finally I am impressed by the fact that the full body protection set came with two of everything. The Steinheil Ultra Crystal screen protector did too. That makes SGP a far better value than many others that are currently available.
You can order the films directly from SGP on their web store. Their products come with a 30 day money back guarantee and a lifetime warranty.
MSRP: Full Body Protection– $21.99; Screen Protector– $13.99
What I Like: Easy to apply; High quality materials; Two of everything in these kits; Great dealing with the company (these were sent for review but I have purchased numerous items from them directly)
What Needs Improvement: Nothing. If you are looking for protection in this form SGP has some great options