Have you ever sat on a plane catching up on email, Facebooking (yay inflight WiFi!), or watching a movie, only to realize that the guy sitting next to you was stealing glances at your screen? If you believe that the items on your phone are meant for your eyes only, then you need an OtterBox Alpha Glass Privacy Screen Protector.
Everything you need to keep inquiring minds out of your business is included in the $34.95 kit: a cleaning wipe, a microfiber cloth, and the tempered glass screen protector.
I was sent models for both Kev’s space gray (black face) iPhone 6 and my gold (white face) iPhone 6 Plus. I’m glad that I had both color iPhones on hand, because the appearances once installed are strikingly different on each, and it’s something you should be aware of.
Installation consists of wiping down the phone’s screen with the wet wipe, then buffing it out with the small microfiber cloth. You peel off the side that has the red label attached, and hold it over the clean screen, lining it up with the Home button and the ear speaker. If you get the alignment off a bit, carefully pull the protector back up (slowly, steadily), and you should be able to realign it as needed. Once happy with the protector’s placement, I like to run a credit or ID card over the protector while the top plastic is still on it; it just pushes out any bubbles that might be there.
Peel off the top layer of protective plastic, and et Voila! One perfectly installed glass privacy screen protector.
The cutouts are aligned so that there is no interference with any of the buttons, sensors, or speakers on the front of the device, and as you can see, the darker protector blends in beautifully on a black-screened iPhone.
Here’s my white iPhone 6 Plus without screen protection of any kind installed.
And here it is with the OtterBox Alpha Glass privacy screen protector installed. It’s a bit obvious that the protector is on there, but I’ve learned that the benefits outweigh any perceived cosmetic disadvantages.
Here’s my screen as seen through the privacy screen protector; yes it may seem a tiny bit less bright than usual, but there is no real sacrifice to screen clarity or viewability …
… until you try to look at my screen from the side, that is!
From about a 30º angle or so, nothing on the screen can be seen except total darkness. In fact, the only reason you can see anything on this screen is because I tried to take the picture from an angle that would show that the screen was actually turned on — not just dark.
As you might expect, the OtterBox Alpha Glass is perfectly sized to work with OtterBox cases, like this Otterbox Commuter Series; there is no lifting or gaping when the phone is in a case.
The screen protector also works well with non Otterbox cases, such as the Orbino Pantera I recently reviewed for the 6 Plus and the LUNATIK SEISMIK for the iPhone 6.
The extra benefit of adding the glass screen protector to your phone is that it is protective; the tempered glass will help keep your device’s screen pristine, and it will guard against bumps and face-down drops, which are reasons why I like glass screen protectors to begin with.
At first it might not seem like that big of a deal if people can see what’s on your screen or not, but nosey people looking over your shoulder are violating your personal space and privacy! We are crammed like sardines onto planes, busses, subways, even into classes, and often the details of our entire lives are on our phones. Why take the chance of sharing any of that personal information with a stranger? If you are going to protect your device’s screen with a tempered glass protector anyway (which I highly recommend), using one that adds privacy for a few dollars more seems like a no-brainer.
The OtterBox Alpha Glass Privacy Screen Protector retails for $34.95, and it is available directly from the manufacturer. The non privacy version is $29.95.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Easy to install; provides immediate privacy from prying eyes; no problem seeing the screen from straight on; works well with just about any case
What Needs Improvement: You may not like the way the darker privacy screen protector looks on a white iPhone, but the protection from that nosey-Rosie sitting next to you is a good trade
Here’s some more info about the OtterBox Alpha Glass Privacy Screen Protector (right-click and open link in new tab to enlarge).
