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Apple Stores Now Offering Belkin Screen Protector Application

Because of the slight curve of the iPhone 6 screen these glass screen protectors don't fit all the way. There is a sliver of screen still exposed. Its awful. Don't waste your money. The ONLY screen protectors that fit all the way are the cheaper $10 (pack of 3) ones from Verizon.
 
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So why not make the screens in this fashion in the first place if there is legitimate value in it:

"Belkin's Invisiglass screen protector is made from an ultra-thin, flexible glass that absorbs shock and is shatterproof while preserving the natural feel of the iPhone. The Anti-Glare screen protector reduces glare to improve visibility in bright light while also protecting the iPhone display from damage."

Or is the thought that you scratch up this screen protector and replace it every few months to get that new and perfect looking screen?
And there are two screen protectors that you choose from, Invisiglass and anti-glare. So only one helps with glare and only the other helps with shock absorbtion? Hmm, doesn't seem great.
 
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Gudi said:
Wait, are you saying Apple will offer a service to drill a hole in your iPhone 7 to add back headphone jack?
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haha. I would like to see the numbers for people who use the headphone jack when charging. I can see doing that with an ipad, but it's probably much lower on the iphone.
 
ignatius345 said:
Cool message: "our screens aren't tough/scratch-resistant enough without a 3rd-party addition."

This is pretty weak stuff. If the screen is lacking in some respect (toughness, scratch-resistance), then improve the screen.
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Your criticism comes off as pretty weak stuff. Apple's screens meet standards for withstanding normal usage. Some people are clumsy or use their devices in ways that increase the likelihood they'll get damaged if dropped. For those people (and for the ones who just want to protect their expensive devices agains misadventure), screen protectors make sense.
 
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Going to be interesting what happens if you find that there are bits of fluff or specs under the protector.
If you are paying for a big branded protector and it's being fitted by an Apple employee at an Apple store, then one must assume it's either perfect or take it off and try again.

Yes?
 
Piggie said:
Going to be interesting what happens if you find that there are bits of fluff or specs under the protector.
If you are paying for a big branded protector and it's being fitted by an Apple employee at an Apple store, then one must assume it's either perfect or take it off and try again.

Yes?
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Shouldn't happen since the Belkin machine cleans the screen before putting on the protector.
 
Recently I've been using MediaDevil glass screen protectors on a couple of devices. Half the cost of Belkin and they were easy to apply. 9H hardness and I don't notice them. So far so good.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
BUT protectors are $5 for 3 pack on eBay all day long. And it's not brain surgery to correctly apply them.
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If you've got a secret, clue me in, but for an iPhone, getting a screen protector applied that is aligned, dust, and bubble free is a chore. On an iPad? It's a major hassle.

The last screen protector I last bought was purposefully designed / purposefully cut to not provide edge to edge screen coverage -- they cut just a fraction, maybe a millimeter, off the perimeter of screen protector so that you could use the cell phone case as an alignment guide. Which I thought was really genius.

Clean the screen of your iPhone to perfection, slip it into your phone case, pull the bottom layer off of the screen protector, slide it up against the top of your phone case and align it with sides of your phone case, then gently press down to apply. Perfect alignment in one step. No dust or air bubbles, since I wasn't fighting to get the alignment even half decent.
 
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If affordable, I might give it a try. My protectors have saved the iPhone's screen's bacon on numerous occasions. Maybe this will become a selling point when upgrading; protected by Belkin.
 
I'm laughing at the things Belkin and Apple will do to make people believe that these screen protectors are better than the others out there. Which i would add, are available much less expensive than from apple store.

Of course there are risks of errant dust, but... if your smart you can figure that stuff out.

but of course if you enjoy spending $25 for a screen protector and a person in a nifty apple shirt to install it, go ahead and be mesmerized by the new sales pitch.
 
Cool idea, but too bad everything Belkin makes is cheap garbage. Probably literally the last company I would buy anything from for my device, except maybe Cinder.

Really odd Apple supports this, since as mentioned it's like admitting that they need screen protectors on their phones. I remember a time when you could only buy anti-glare protectors at the store for this reason.
 
If these are GLASS screen protectors then they are really worth it. The one I have is made of very then glass so the feel of the screen is identical. they can protect from a moderate drop to the ground. Those plastic protects don't do much and have the feel of plastic.

Question: Why not install the glass covers at the factory or simply make the glass 0.5mm thicker so that it can withstand a drop to concrete.

If Apple were to offer an iPhone model that was both water and drop to sidewalk proof I wonder if people would buy it for an extra (say) $100. That $100 is double the price of a good case. I bet it would sell.
 
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ChrisCW11 said:
I thought Steve Jobs nixed screen protectors for iPad's and iPhones in the Apple store because he wanted Apple to focus on making people realize they use premium quality materials that won't scratch or break under normal use unlike the cheap crap their competition uses. Now you need an Apple genius to install a screen protector on your new phone.

Tim Cook is slowly eroding the Apple brand into a "common" company that will be a shadow of its former self in 5 years. 2015 was the year Apple's success peaked and 2016 is when people start to realize the Jobs "effect" is over and Apple is truly under new management and lacking forward vision.

In just a few months Tim Cook has crippled the iPhone brand as a product that requires an ugly case to improve battery performance, takes lousy blurry photos, and needs a screen protector to prevent it from scratching or breaking. No wonder sales have slowed down considerably.
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You thought wrong. Apple has been selling screen protectors in their stores for a long time. Long before Jobs died.

Most people don't spend their days over analyzing what happens when Tim Cook farts. They just use their phones, and go about their day. Almost everyone I have ever known or seen with an iPhone puts a case on it. Does that somehow cheapen the brand because they're not indestructible? I have no case on mine, and I don't worry about it. But most people put a case on their phone before they leave the store, and a whole bunch of them put screen protectors on their phones. Did you read the article about Zagg paying $100 million for Mophie? They didn't print that money. Tim Cook didn't tell them to buy screen protectors.
 
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puma1552 said:
Cool idea, but too bad everything Belkin makes is cheap garbage. Probably literally the last company I would buy anything from for my device, except maybe Cinder.

Really odd Apple supports this, since as mentioned it's like admitting that they need screen protectors on their phones. I remember a time when you could only buy anti-glare protectors at the store for this reason.
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I did forget in my post that anything BELKIN is hit and miss. Most of the time miss.
The few products I bought broke after about a year, so yes probably cheap components etc.

There is nothing to admit for Apple. You can go with or without.
Apple cannot forsee how people treat their phones or what accidentally will happen.

I am not blessed with perfection like some who use their iPhones without protective cases etc.
just too clumsy and I work with it in my shirt pocket, bending down forgetting it's in there.
Put in thepocket with keys etc.etc. I drop my phone.

My iPhones always have a rough life, so at the cost of that thing the screen is a must for me and price not an issue. ( I plan to only put a screen on once)

People also forget that if you apply one of these every once in a while you don't get enough practice.
A person in a store who does it several times a day is of course better than average home klutzes.
 
jonnyb said:
That's exactly how I do it - even down to the little pieces of tape. As a result, I'm brought iPhones from all over my company to put colleagues' screen protectors on. Once you've got a method down, it's so easy to do over and over again.
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It is. I learned about turning the A/C off from a random tip I read somewhere—possibly on these forums. The tape tricks I learned from a genius the Apple Store in Leawood, KS. He was able to remove the screen protector on my old iPhone and transfer it perfectly to my new iPhone in a matter of minutes. Granted they don't have the air off there, but he was really fast with the tape and placing it and the new iPhone just had the plastic peeled off so it was perfectly clean. Doing both of these methods makes it perfect every time—even on the iPad.
 
mdntcallr said:
but of course if you enjoy spending $25 for a screen protector and a person in a nifty apple shirt to install it, go ahead and be mesmerized by the new sales pitch.
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For you and I, it's easily a challenge we're capable of accomplishing. However, make no mistake there is definitely knowledge and skill needed to apply them -- which means hassle.

At $25? I'll deal with the hassle for an iPhone. For the average person, I wouldn't criticize them. But, it is pricey. So I'd expect most would continue to skip the screen protector.
 
31 Flavas said:
If you've got a secret, clue me in, but for an iPhone, getting a screen protector applied that is aligned, dust, and bubble free is a chore. On an iPad? It's a major hassle.
Click to expand...

Never had a problem myself. 5 iPhones, 4 iPads, numerous family devices. I buy a 3 pack on eBay or Amazon. If the iDevice is new I take it to the bathroom which is the most dust free room in the house b/c no windows. I open the device, remove the temp factory screen wrap and quickly place the screen protector on as even as possible. Then I use a credit card and push all the air bubbles out. Once I'm satisfied I remove the film on the screen protector and done.

If I'm replacing a screen protector I take it to the bathroom and remove the existing screen protector. I then clean the screen with electronic screen cleaner solution and a microfiber towel. Then I open a screen protector and use the sticky side to blot the iDevice screen to pick up micro dust. Once done I open another screen protector and place it on and finish same as with the new iPhone application.
 
rdlink said:
Another great tip that I learned a few years ago was to find the smallest bathroom in your house, turn the shower onto hot, close the door and let it run for about 10 minutes, until the room is very steamy. Then turn off the shower and apply the protector in the bathroom. This will help to keep dust out from underneath the protector.
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I've heard that but haven't tried it. My bathroom is almost notorious for being dusty, lol, so I stay out of there! I imagine you also have to make sure the steam gets down to the counter top level so you can work. Otherwise it's just stirring up the air even more. But from what I've learned studying meteorology , water usually condenses around dust or dirt particles so I'm not sure how well it would work in practice. Might be easier to remove the spots, however.
 
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DUCKofD3ATH said:
Shouldn't happen since the Belkin machine cleans the screen before putting on the protector.
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Not exactly, the machine doesn't clean the screen. Its the usual microfiber cloth and then tape over the screen to remove the dust and lint. Then they place the protector in the machine, and then your phone.
 
You won't pay someone 15$ an hour to give you food but you will pay someone 15$ an hour to put screen protectors on your phone.....gee wiz....(Yes I know they do other things too but this will slow down service in Apple Stores.)
 
Lobwedgephil said:
Not exactly, the machine doesn't clean the screen. Its the usual microfiber cloth and then tape over the screen to remove the dust and lint. Then they place the protector in the machine, and then your phone.
Click to expand...

That's not what the article said:

Using the machine, the employee will clean a customer's iPhone display and then apply the screen protector directly in front of the customer.​
 
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