Screen protector replacement

[Philippe Lemay]

In my adventures, I've acquired a 2G iPod Touch and a WiFi only iPad. I heard all the stories about notorious scratches on touch-screen devices so one of the first thing I did when I got them was to head to my local Futureshop (a well known computer distributer), and have them wrapped in protective cases and protective screens.

(I forget what brand I picked, it was either Zagg or Belkin)​

I figured that it would be a good idea to keep the colours bright on my iPad (because I was hoping to use it for photos and video) so I picked the bright+clear plastic. For the Touch I picked the anti-glare. I know now that the anti-glare is by far the better choice. I can still see all of the colours perfectly well on my touch, and I've found I can even read off of it outside on a sunny day. The iPad's screen is so shiny I often find myself looking at my own reflection, caused only by the ambient light in my room. So yea, I'd like to swap my current iPad screen protector for one of the non-glare variety.

Another reason I want to replace the protective screen is because the guy at Futureshop botched the job... it took a while for me to find it, but there is a bubble on the top-right of the screen. It's not that noticeable, but I expected a professional job for the 40$ extra I paid for them to install it (that's over 80 dollars for the screen protector + the installation).

My big problem is that the screen has been on there for several months by now, I worry that the glue holding it in place may have dried into a... cement, and I'm not sure if it's safe to remove. I'll take it to a computer store tomorrow (not Futureshop...) and have them look at it, but I wanted to know what you guys think.


Also,
I find it hilarious that the Apple Store doesn't sell screen protectors, and has no experts capable of installing them. It seems to me to be a pretty freaking crucial accessory! Oh, and is it possible to replace the screen if it ever got seriously scratched/damaged? Is it expensive?

 

[Surely]

I've never scratched any screen on any iDevice that I've owned. And I'm not super-anal about taking care of them either.

1st gen iPhone: owned for 1.5 years
3GS: owned for 1 year
iPhone 4: owned since this summer
iPad: owned since it launched. I used a screen protector on it for a couple of months for anti-glare purposes, but I've since taken it off (it ruined the clarity and sharpness of the screen).

No scratches on any of the above devices.

I really don't understand how people are scratching their screens. Are you putting a handful of sand in your pocket along with your iPhone?

Apple doesn't sell screen protectors anymore because they don't feel that they are necessary.

 

[b.c.]

...Oh, and is it possible to replace the screen if it ever got seriously scratched/damaged? Is it expensive?

yes, it's possible to replace the front glass of the iPad (note, the front glass is part of a separate assembly in front of the actual LCD display itself).

not sure if Apple will just replace the glass for you, or what it would co$t through them. but you could always do it yourself (not for the faint of heart, however). the replacement parts not cheap either, e.g. $149 for the front display assembly including frame & touch digitizer at ifixit

p.s. not sure about other brands, but the powersupport films are easily removeable and don't leave any residue.

also, even if you're not worried about scratches, an antiglare film has these valuable added benefits, IMO:
1) much easier to use the iPad outdoors - without annoying reflections
2) screen is much, much less of a dust and fingerprint magnet. I found before hand my iPad in the Apple case collected a crazy amount of dust around the edges, and constantly needed wiping for smudges. no more, with an antiglare protector.

p.p.s. I once dropped my iPhone onto a sidewalk (without a case, but with screen protector). it landed flat, LCD-side down. the bezel got scratched and the screen protector was mangled so at first glance I thought for sure I'd broken the LCD. but amazingly the glass underneath the protector was still perfect. luckily the impact was flat and not at more of an angle...

 

[Philippe Lemay]

I really don't understand how people are scratching their screens. Are you putting a handful of sand in your pocket along with your iPhone?

Apple doesn't sell screen protectors anymore because they don't feel that they are necessary.

I take very careful care of my iPad, actually. I never take it out of the carrying case (which has a flap to protect the screen), and I try and wash my hands before sitting down to use the device. I had heard somewhere that tiny flecks of sand stuck on fingertips could cause scratches. I mean... I do work in a warehouse, but I never take it to work.

The scratches are actually very small, but through constant use of the device you end up spotting them. The first one I found was the week prior to getting the protective screen installed (that annoyed me quite a bit). Since then I've found many more scratches, again tiny ones that you really have to look closely to see, but they are there. Thankfully these new ones are on top of the screen protector.

All in all I'd say the set up is fine, except for that blasted bubble.

Lol,I went to the Apple store today. They replaced my buggy 90$ earphones without question, but when it comes to a 40$ screen protector they throw their hands up in admittance of defeat.

At least the girl I spoke to was honest with me, she pointed to the bubble and told me that was the exact reason why they don't do it. They can't guaranty that the result will be perfect. So it's not so much a case of the technology not being necessary, as much as it's a technology that's still not at all easy to use. Even for the "experts".

 

[Nhwhazup]

I take very careful care of my iPad, actually. I never take it out of the carrying case (which has a flap to protect the screen), and I try and wash my hands before sitting down to use the device. I had heard somewhere that tiny flecks of sand stuck on fingertips could cause scratches. I mean... I do work in a warehouse, but I never take it to work.

The scratches are actually very small, but through constant use of the device you end up spotting them. The first one I found was the week prior to getting the protective screen installed (that annoyed me quite a bit). Since then I've found many more scratches, again tiny ones that you really have to look closely to see, but they are there. Thankfully these new ones are on top of the screen protector.

All in all I'd say the set up is fine, except for that blasted bubble.


Lol,I went to the Apple store today. They replaced my buggy 90$ earphones
without question, but when it comes to a 40$ screen protector they throw their hands up in admittance of defeat.

At least the girl I spoke to was honest with me, she pointed to the bubble and
told me that was the exact reason why they don't do it. They can't guaranty that the result will be perfect. So it's not so much a case of the technology not being necessary, as much as it's a technology that's still not at all easy to use. Even for the "experts".

The saying goes, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." if it is safe to remove your current screen protector then go for it. The Power Support screen protectors are top notch quality and pretty easy to install with a little patience. I put two on my iPad and another on my iPhone with all three being perfectly aligned and with no dust or bubbles underneath. I originally put on the anti-glare, but for me, I didn't like it. So I replaced it with the clear. PS has a video which shows exactly how to put it on and how to remove any dust particles. I steamed up the bathroom first to settle any dust in the air, let some of the moisture escape and then did the installations. Really was quite easy.