Nanostate Onyx Review

[bizack]

I received my Nanostate Onyx https://nanostate.co/product/onyx/ today. I did not receive this for free in exchange for an unbiased review. I paid the 50 bucks and also had the, ummm, interesting order experience (to their credit, it did arrive in CA from the UK in 5 days once we got the shipping issues out of the way).

I finished applying the three coatings about two hours ago. It is indeed perfectly clear and doesn't change the look/feel of the Jet Black iPhone. You would have absolute no idea that there was any coating of any sort on your phone. I hear this about skins often (especially on here), but you can most definitely tell when a skin is on a phone. This stuff... invisible.

If you're not familiar with the installation, you can watch the video here:

While applying, it does 'fog up' exactly like the video states. Yes, it's a bit unsettling at first. But after waiting 4-5 minutes you wipe the coating off and the surface is back to normal. You do this a total of three times.

As stated, the coating doesn't adhere to Sapphire, Glass, Plastic, etc. The coating wiped right off my camera lens, the Apple logo, etc (it only adheres to the Jet Black finish).

Some tip and tricks:

• Apply in a well ventilated area. This stuff smells like a combination of nail polish and model airplane glue.
• Place your iPhone on a lint-free cloth of some sort. It will be face down and moves around while you rub the solution on/off.
• Wash your hands between coatings. I have no idea what's in this stuff, but I suspect it's not great for your skin.
• Try and cover all parts of the phone that are Jet Black (back, sides, top, bottom).

Some things I wish were different about the product:

• A bit more solution. It does say it's good for a few coatings - needing to be re-coated every 6 months. The bottle is very very small and even wasting one or two droplets is going to cost you. The supplied amount will probably last about two years.
• Better and larger cloths. Since you're using these to clean the phone and rub the solution on/off, a larger cloth would be ideal (and one that doesn't shed little pieces of lint - I ended up using my own).

As for the most important question - does it work? Well, I'm not going to take a 9H pencil to the back of my phone, but I'll report back in about a week and let you know if there are any micro abrasions (this is a new phone, so I do have a reference point of zero abrasions). I keep my phone in my back pocket, away from keys, coins, etc (I also keep that pocket relatively lint free). I'll use/treat it like my iPhone 6s Plus (no case, not babying it but also not dropping it, sliding it across concrete, metal etc).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'll be Macrumors' Tim Ferriss of Jet Black iPhone protection.

 

[MrXiro]

As for the most important question - does it work? Well, I'm not going to take a 9H pencil to the back of my phone, but I'll report back in about a week and let you know if there are any micro abrasions (this is a new phone, so I do have a reference point of zero abrasions). I keep my phone in my back pocket, away from keys, coins, etc (I also keep that pocket relatively lint free). I'll use/treat it like my iPhone 6s Plus (no case, not babying it but also not dropping it, sliding it across concrete, metal etc).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'll be Macrumors' Tim Ferriss of Jet Black iPhone protection.

You are a brave man!

Thank you for your service and risking scratching your new baby in the name of science!

 

[blaine07]

Subbing... I'll be surprised if this stuff lives up to claims.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

All you have to do is look up reviews for the car application. I'd be surprised if they were the exact same solution that is being marketed for a different application at a much lower volume. They are basically ripping customers off by giving you a few drops for a phone.

It probably does work to some degree, but I would not want to be handling this on a daily basis. It was not formulated to touch your skin all day long (hands, then eyes, nose, mucus membranes).

https://www.amazon.com/Carpro-Cquar...75914347&sr=8-3&keywords=nano+ceramic+coating

 

[bizack]

All you have to do is look up reviews for the car application. I'd be surprised if they were the exact same solution that is being marketed for a different application at a much lower volume. They are basically ripping customers off by giving you a few drops for a phone.

It probably does work to some degree, but I would not want to be handling this on a daily basis. It was not formulated to touch your skin all day long (hands, then eyes, nose, mucus membranes).

https://www.amazon.com/Carpro-Cquar...75914347&sr=8-3&keywords=nano+ceramic+coating

Would be interesting to hear what @nanostate has to say about this. I'd like to know as well.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

Would be interesting to hear what @nanostate has to say about this. I'd like to know as well.

They've been suspended from this forum from what I understand, for behaving less than professionally. But it's pretty clear these guys are not chemists and did not invent this compound.

It even has the same blue bottle.

 

[bizack]

They've been suspended from this forum from what I understand, for behaving less than professionally. But it's pretty clear these guys are not chemists and did not invent this compound.

It even has the same blue bottle.

They did at least use a clear bottle! Have to admit, would be pretty comical if this were the case. If this does prove to be true, and there's no damage to the coating (I will give it a week), well, we have a cost efficient way of protecting the Jet Black finish (if that's your thing). I'll email them and see what they say (asking for some level of specificity).

 

[newbish]

Very interested for the follow-up results of this product!

The Cquartz product linked above has this in its note: "CQuartz can be applied to virtually any surface: glass, wheels, plastics, leather, and rubber."

Compared to the Onyx which seems to not cling on the camera lens. Not sure if they are exactly the same, but if it is, then yes we have a more cost efficient way!

Can I ask roughly how many complete applications would the Onyx bottle provide? 5? 6?

 

[rperalta]

I received my Nanostate Onyx https://nanostate.co/product/onyx/ today. I did not receive this for free in exchange for an unbiased review. I paid the 50 bucks and also had the, ummm, interesting order experience (to their credit, it did arrive in CA from the UK in 5 days once we got the shipping issues out of the way).

I finished applying the three coatings about two hours ago. It is indeed perfectly clear and doesn't change the look/feel of the Jet Black iPhone. You would have absolute no idea that there was any coating of any sort on your phone. I hear this about skins often (especially on here), but you can most definitely tell when a skin is on a phone. This stuff... invisible.

If you're not familiar with the installation, you can watch the video here:

While applying, it does 'fog up' exactly like the video states. Yes, it's a bit unsettling at first. But after waiting 4-5 minutes you wipe the coating off and the surface is back to normal. You do this a total of three times.

As stated, the coating doesn't adhere to Sapphire, Glass, Plastic, etc. The coating wiped right off my camera lens, the Apple logo, etc (it only adheres to the Jet Black finish).

Some tip and tricks:

• Apply in a well ventilated area. This stuff smells like a combination of nail polish and model airplane glue.
• Place your iPhone on a lint-free cloth of some sort. It will be face down and moves around while you rub the solution on/off.
• Wash your hands between coatings. I have no idea what's in this stuff, but I suspect it's not great for your skin.
• Try and cover all parts of the phone that are Jet Black (back, sides, top, bottom).

Some things I wish were different about the product:

• A bit more solution. It does say it's good for a few coatings - needing to be re-coated every 6 months. The bottle is very very small and even wasting one or two droplets is going to cost you. The supplied amount will probably last about two years.
• Better and larger cloths. Since you're using these to clean the phone and rub the solution on/off, a larger cloth would be ideal (and one that doesn't shed little pieces of lint - I ended up using my own).

As for the most important question - does it work? Well, I'm not going to take a 9H pencil to the back of my phone, but I'll report back in about a week and let you know if there are any micro abrasions (this is a new phone, so I do have a reference point of zero abrasions). I keep my phone in my back pocket, away from keys, coins, etc (I also keep that pocket relatively lint free). I'll use/treat it like my iPhone 6s Plus (no case, not babying it but also not dropping it, sliding it across concrete, metal etc).

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I'll be Macrumors' Tim Ferriss of Jet Black iPhone protection.

Thanks for the review. Why do you need to apply 3 coatings? I thought you just need 3 drops of Onyx but 1 coating.

 

[sharmaswt50]

I gave my brother the Onyx I had as I didn't know it was only for the jet black, he said it does not reduce fingerprints but is easier to clean than before and no scratches so far, only time will tell I guess.

 

[MattZani]

The price they're charging is ridiculous, it's literally a ceramic coating that can be applied to cars.

 

[newbish]

The price they're charging is ridiculous, it's literally a ceramic coating that can be applied to cars.

Do you have a recommended solution? Mind to share? Hope I can protect mine as well.

 

[bizack]

Do you have a recommended solution? Mind to share? Hope I can protect mine as well.

Onyx is working well for me so far but if it is indeed the same as CQuartz, you could give that a try.

 

[rperalta]

@bizak

Do you plan to install the Alienskin or you'll stick with just Onyx?

 

[carrapperz]

I ordered the onyx and alienskin, I’ve applied it and the wrap as well so I can’t say how good the coating is.

I run a car wrapping company and we also use ceramic coatings for over 3 years, 2 brands CQ & Ceramic Pro, this coating is nothing like ceramic coatings, the smell and the density is not the same also ceramic coatings will stick to anything, this does not stick to the camera lens or the apple like the guy said in the review and I had the same result.

It’s easy to spot a ceramic coating, anything you coat will have a very high gloss thats why car owners like it. When I applied it there was no difference, even on a very high gloss finish you would see some difference, it was invisible and looked exactly the same as when i took my phone out the box which did surprise me a little and the coating was on the surface for sure, It possibly looks like a modified hard coating of some kind.

I can see why the guy said it could be ceramic coating because of the blue bottle but my wife has the same bottle and it’s aromatherapy oil so thats just a generic bottle and all ceramic coatings come in different color bottles glass and plastic.The bottle I got was tiny clear glass one and had a dropper attached, very cute and worked really well. Be interesting to see how this goes on and my eyes are pealed.

 

[bizack]

@bizak

Do you plan to install the Alienskin or you'll stick with just Onyx?

Just the Onyx. Don't like skins!
[doublepost=1475986910][/doublepost]

I ordered the onyx and alienskin, I’ve applied it and the wrap as well so I can’t say how good the coating is.

I run a car wrapping company and we also use ceramic coatings for over 3 years, 2 brands CQ & Ceramic Pro, this coating is nothing like ceramic coatings, the smell and the density is not the same also ceramic coatings will stick to anything, this does not stick to the camera lens or the apple like the guy said in the review and I had the same result.

It’s easy to spot a ceramic coating, anything you coat will have a very high gloss thats why car owners like it. When I applied it there was no difference, even on a very high gloss finish you would see some difference, it was invisible and looked exactly the same as when i took my phone out the box which did surprise me a little and the coating was on the surface for sure, It possibly looks like a modified hard coating of some kind.

I can see why the guy said it could be ceramic coating because of the blue bottle but my wife has the same bottle and it’s aromatherapy oil so thats just a generic bottle and all ceramic coatings come in different color bottles glass and plastic.The bottle I got was tiny clear glass one and had a dropper attached, very cute and worked really well. Be interesting to see how this goes on and my eyes are pealed.

The plot thickens. So far I'm liking the Onyx. Whether or not it's some other substance rebottled - I would've never had the time or experience to figure out what would or wouldn't hurt the Jet Black coating. Time == money, so the 50 bucks is still worth it to me. Btw, in response to an earlier comment - the solution doesn't get on your hands once it's dry. There's no residual odor. I'm also not licking the back of my phone, though!
[doublepost=1475987909][/doublepost]

Very interested for the follow-up results of this product!

The Cquartz product linked above has this in its note: "CQuartz can be applied to virtually any surface: glass, wheels, plastics, leather, and rubber."

Compared to the Onyx which seems to not cling on the camera lens. Not sure if they are exactly the same, but if it is, then yes we have a more cost efficient way!

Can I ask roughly how many complete applications would the Onyx bottle provide? 5? 6?

Looks like about 4-5 complete coatings which lines up with their 2 year 'shelf life.'
[doublepost=1475988105][/doublepost]

Thanks for the review. Why do you need to apply 3 coatings? I thought you just need 3 drops of Onyx but 1 coating.

You repeat the process for a total of three times per coating. I suspect the first coating is a primer of sorts. You're putting really really thin layers on. It would be difficult to do in one pass without leaving visual inconsistencies.

 

[ksyu]

Doubt it's the same as car ceramic coatings, that stuff would definitely put a glaze over the camera lens!

I'm just slightly concerned that it needs re-apply every 6 months, which means this substance will rub off onto your hands and potentially onto your face.

 

[MattZani]

When applied any ceramic coating should be flawless, indistinguishable, so it wouldn't effect the camera lens at all. Lenses already have all sorts of coatings on them.

Honestly a bottle of something like Gtechniq is way cheaper and will do the same thing. It has to be applied often as the oils and abrasiveness of your hand will slowly wear it down.

You can buy a majority of similar formulas from Asia, I know a small detailing product company and their generic product is almost identical to most offered. I highly doubt this company had the time or available funds to formulate something that would only apply to a polished anodised surface, and not a coated sapphire lens cover, or metal Apple logo. It's more likely on the less cover at least that some coating on it is stopping it from sticking, rather than the product itself being able to not stick to certain surfaces.

How you can't see that applying an expensive coating then putting a skin over it is completely taking you to the cleaners I just don't understand. Bravo to the company they've made some quick cash based on the fears and desire to protect a finish. A £10 skin or £20 bottle of ceramic coating would have done exactly the same thing though, probably because they are the same thing!

 

[bizack]

When applied any ceramic coating should be flawless, indistinguishable, so it wouldn't effect the camera lens at all. Lenses already have all sorts of coatings on them.

Honestly a bottle of something like Gtechniq is way cheaper and will do the same thing. It has to be applied often as the oils and abrasiveness of your hand will slowly wear it down.

You can buy a majority of similar formulas from Asia, I know a small detailing product company and their generic product is almost identical to most offered. I highly doubt this company had the time or available funds to formulate something that would only apply to a polished anodised surface, and not a coated sapphire lens cover, or metal Apple logo. It's more likely on the less cover at least that some coating on it is stopping it from sticking, rather than the product itself being able to not stick to certain surfaces.

How you can't see that applying an expensive coating then putting a skin over it is completely taking you to the cleaners I just don't understand. Bravo to the company they've made some quick cash based on the fears and desire to protect a finish. A £10 skin or £20 bottle of ceramic coating would have done exactly the same thing though, probably because they are the same thing!

I just applied the coating, no skin. Didn't know about the ceramic coating (although there seems to be conflicting information in this thread), therefore went with Onyx.

 

[bizack]

Well, I can report that two days in, I have a few micro abrasions. I use my jeans to clean my phone off from time to time - that's basically it. So... don't expect this stuff to make your Jet Black iPhone scratch resistant from normal daily use.

 

[newbish]

Well, I can report that two days in, I have a few micro abrasions. I use my jeans to clean my phone off from time to time - that's basically it. So... don't expect this stuff to make your Jet Black iPhone scratch resistant from normal daily use.

Micro-abrasions on the coating or on the phone though. Not sure how you would use a regular tool to verify that, but awesome if you could.

 

[bizack]

Micro-abrasions on the coating or on the phone though. Not sure how you would use a regular tool to verify that, but awesome if you could.

Well, the coating isn't supposed to scratch, so I'm assuming these are normal abrasions. I think between the oil/sweat on your hands and the light abrasiveness of jeans/clothes/etc, the coating probably breaks down pretty quickly. I suspect the Jet Black surface is also quite resilient to any chemicals adhering to it for a long period of time (just a guess).

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

TL;DR: Product doesn't work.

 

[MattZani]

A ceramic coating WILL scratch, it's just a thin hard layer over the top, but it will be easier to clean and protect the finish below. Sometimes people think a ceramic coating has repaired but it's more likely the area around the scratch has worn down to match the scratch depth, similar to when you have scratches machine polished out, they all will slowly.

A skin is the best choice, but if I had a JB I'd try a good few layers of Gtechniq on, but it won't last very long with the constant contact a phone goes under, which is a lot worse than what a car experiences.

 

[Gzalito]

Yup.... just forget any "coating" type protection... all of the options are derivations from the car industry and since a phone is mistreated a lot different than a cars paint (sweat, grease, friction, fingers), it just won't work long enough... stick with a good skin.