SGP Ultra Optics screen protector

[icecrystal23]

I received the SGP Ultra Optics screen protector yesterday. Previously I tried a wrapsol ultra. I liked the wrapsol, but I didn't install it well and there was no recovering it.

Installation:
Installation of the SGP was a breeze. It's a dry install and the cut is pretty precise. I didn't get the film aligned perfectly (it's a bit off to the left), but there is enough space in the cutouts to allow for imperfection like this. (I will update with photos later.) I got one tiny piece of lint underneath which was easily removed with the provided "dust removal stickers" (regular old tape works just as well, too). Overall the installation took me about 5 minutes.

Texture:
The texture is actually quite smooth to the touch. I really like it. The film does make a strange zipping sound when you swipe your finger across it. It's pretty quiet, though, and you don't really feel it. So unless you are in a completely silent room, you don't really notice. I've also found that the zipping sound is worse depending on the direction or angle of the swipe; it probably is worse when you're swiping against the grain.

Clarity:
The clarity seems pretty good for an anti-fingerprint type film. However, I must confess I can't attest 100% to the clarity of the screen. I've had my iPad 2 replaced twice, and the one I currently have seems to have the lower-quality display that some have complained about. So even before installing the Ultra Optics film, my display was a little fuzzy. With that said, I don't think it's gotten much fuzzier with the addition of the Ultra Optics film. I would say the clarity is probably at least 85-90% (way better than your typical anti-fingerprint film).

Another thing I noticed was the film seems to make the white-balance a little more yellowish. It makes it feel more like looking at paper than an LCD somehow.

Anti-Fingerprint properties:
I've only had the film on for about half a day, but so far it is proving to be fingerprint resistant. I can provide a better update on this after a few days of use, so check back for that update.

Disclaimer: I searched for a thread about this, but only found general threads about SGP or anti-glare protectors and not one for this particular screen protector in the iPad forums.

 

[blimey]

mine makes a distinct noise(subtle) navigating. at an angle, after using it for 2 days or so, you'll see the smudges. it is some what hard to clean even using micro fiber cloth alone. it is easier with a solvent.

 

[gigemzach]

Do you have any pictures?

 

[PadJunkie]

Hard to install

I just attempted installation of an SGP Ultra Optics film for iPad 2, with unfortunately not-so-good results.

I'm not a screen protector expert, but I'm not a klutz, either. I've installed a couple of the Power Support anti-glare films on iPad 1s with no problems. The problem is with the cleanup procedure for the motes of dust that inevitably creep under the film during installation no matter how religiously you prepare and clean the screen beforehand.

With Power Support's film, you can back off a bit on the laydown and touch a piece of tape to the location of the dust speck to lift it off the screen protector. You then lay that area of the protector back down again, this time with no dust. Works great.

The instructions for Ultra Optics are similar. In fact, they even provide some tape strips for you. However, the tape doesn't actually seem to lift the dust from the adhesive backing of the screen protector. In my installation I had three dust specks (or perhaps two specks and a manufacturing flaw; it's a little hard to tell), and none of them could be remedied using the tape method. I tried SGP's tape a couple of times and then some Scotch tape, but neither had any effect.

So now I'm out 30 bucks with nothing to show for it. $35 seems outrageously high for the Power Support HD film for iPad 2, but I guess I'll be running back to Power Support like a whipped dog.

For those who haven't installed one of these protectors before, the issue is not so much the dust specks themselves but the fact that they create a visible air bubble that's much larger than the dust speck. Usually it's about 4mm in diameter or so.

 

[f1restarter]

I was going to go for the Power Support screen but they charge way too much so I went for the SGP and I'm glad I did. I chose the Ultra Crystal since I did not want to mess up the great iPad screen quality. It took me a while to get the screen aligned right but it was so well worth it. The SGP UC screen is just pure quality and very clear, you can't even tell it's on the iPad. I was really surprised to notice how easily the fingerprints would wipe off the screen, much easier than naked iPad screen for sure.

All in all I'm really glad I went with SGP and the Ultra Crystal version. For those that don't want the fuzziness that comes with Anti-Fingerprint or don't use the iPad outdoors that much, I would definitely recommend the SGP UC.

 

[gigemzach]

I'm having the issue deciding between Power Support and SGP. I don't wanna pay the outrageous cost and shipping, but some say Power Support is worth it. Decisions suck...

 

[WilliamG]

Just reviewed all the SGP screen protectors on my site. Wasn't too impressed, to be honest. Site is in my sig. Feel free to read/yell/complain as always.

 

[f1restarter]

Just reviewed all the SGP screen protectors on my site. Wasn't too impressed, to be honest. Site is in my sig. Feel free to read/yell/complain as always.

Well if my tablet screen protector had huge bubbles like in the review, I wouldn't be impressed either! I was also struggling with the dust issues at first until I went to the bathroom and turned on the hot shower so the steam would reduce the dust issue and it really worked. Also a can of air does wonders and after about 5 mins I had the Ultra Crystal aligned perfectly. IMO the SGP UC truly does the iPad's screen justice.

 

[newbiemacguy128]

If anyone is interested, I can post some pics of the SGP UO. Did a fairly good job of installing mine.

My thoughts:
Its kinda a mid-point between anti-glare and just a plain clear one. You can still see grease spots from your fingers when you touch it, but not nearly as bad as a naked iPad. So you don't get complete anti-fingerprint. Also, you don't get the huge reduction in clarity from a traditional anti-glare. So its a trade off.

Other notes:
- Zipping sound when running your finger across it...it doesn't bother me. I don't even notice it anymore.
- Rainbow effect from fluorescent lights overhead...it's less of a distraction then when my iPad was naked. The iPad is easily useable if I don't focus on the lights.
- Gives me peace of mind.
- Because of the anti-fingerprint nature of the screen shield (although not complete) I end up just wiping my iPad down once a day instead of 30x a day.
- Clarity wise, its above average for non-clear screen shield types.
- Yes, you can see thin black lines running diagonally on a white screen. This hasn't really bothered me. Might be an issue for some. They are pretty faint...

 

[icecrystal23]

Just reviewed all the SGP screen protectors on my site. Wasn't too impressed, to be honest. Site is in my sig. Feel free to read/yell/complain as always.

Your review seems very one-sided. I understand that reviews are based on opinions, but yours just seems quite biased against screen protectors.

Some of us like the anti-fingerprint properties of the Ultra Fine and can deal with the reduction in clarity. For example, I have the SGP Anti-Fingerprint on my iPad 1. It's even worse than the Ultra Fine when it comes to clarity, but it really is great at being anti-fingerprint. My Dad used to make fun of my "fuzzy" screen, but after using it for a few days he decided that he actually preferred the reduced fingerprints over the screen clarity.

Also, screen protectors are not nearly as difficult to install as you suggest. It just takes a little practice. The last 3 protectors that I have installed (two iPads and an iPhone) have had 2 or fewer dust specs. The dust specs were easily removed with tape resulting in near-perfect installations (alignment is never perfect, but easy to get good enough). The installations took less than 5 minutes.

 

[WilliamG]

Your review seems very one-sided. I understand that reviews are based on opinions, but yours just seems quite biased against screen protectors.

Some of us like the anti-fingerprint properties of the Ultra Fine and can deal with the reduction in clarity. For example, I have the SGP Anti-Fingerprint on my iPad 1. It's even worse than the Ultra Fine when it comes to clarity, but it really is great at being anti-fingerprint. My Dad used to make fun of my "fuzzy" screen, but after using it for a few days he decided that he actually preferred the reduced fingerprints over the screen clarity.

Also, screen protectors are not nearly as difficult to install as you suggest. It just takes a little practice. The last 3 protectors that I have installed (two iPads and an iPhone) have had 2 or fewer dust specs. The dust specs were easily removed with tape resulting in near-perfect installations (alignment is never perfect, but easy to get good enough). The installations took less than 5 minutes.

Hardly biased, unless having a feeling about something is a bias, in which case all my thoughts are biased. It's clear I don't like screen protectors, because they don't really work in my experience. Unless they can be applied absolutely perfectly, they're not necessary in today's world unless you are EXTREMELY harsh on your electronics. I used them on every device I owned some years ago, from my Dell AXIM X50v to my Nintendo DS etc. I even managed to get some of those protector applications down perfectly. But there just doesn't seem to be a need in today's electronics world. You pay so much for a glass device and an IPS display with the iPad/iPhone 4. Why cover that screen with a film?

 

[newbiemacguy128]

Hardly biased, unless having a feeling about something is a bias, in which case all my thoughts are biased. It's clear I don't like screen protectors, because they don't really work in my experience. Unless they can be applied absolutely perfectly, they're not necessary in today's world unless you are EXTREMELY harsh on your electronics. I used them on every device I owned some years ago, from my Dell AXIM X50v to my Nintendo DS etc. I even managed to get some of those protector applications down perfectly. But there just doesn't seem to be a need in today's electronics world. You pay so much for a glass device and an IPS display with the iPad/iPhone 4. Why cover that screen with a film?

Why does a screen protector have to be applied absolutely perfectly? Yes, I admit to agonizing over dust under my screen protector, but at the end of the day I think to myself...when is a naked iPad COMPLETELY spotless with no dust on it? An anti-glare screen cover, even with dust on it has no more or less dust on it then a naked iPad (unless of course you applied it horrendously, be reasonable here).

My opinion (aesthetics wise):
Antiglare screen shield > Dirty naked iPad screen.
Antiglare screen shield < Completely clean iPad screen.

As the iPad screen (naked) is almost NEVER completely clean, antiglare is worth it to me.

As for the usefulness of screen protectors...I use anti-glare/fingerprint because it makes it more useable for my purposes. Sitting on campus under bright lights gets annoying, and there isn't a BTO anti-glare option.

I know UO isn't complete anti-glare, but I tried it because of curiosity and it worked out just fine.

 

[icecrystal23]

Hardly biased, unless having a feeling about something is a bias, in which case all my thoughts are biased. It's clear I don't like screen protectors, because they don't really work in my experience. Unless they can be applied absolutely perfectly, they're not necessary in today's world unless you are EXTREMELY harsh on your electronics. I used them on every device I owned some years ago, from my Dell AXIM X50v to my Nintendo DS etc. I even managed to get some of those protector applications down perfectly. But there just doesn't seem to be a need in today's electronics world. You pay so much for a glass device and an IPS display with the iPad/iPhone 4. Why cover that screen with a film?

It's biased since you're giving it a bad review based on your general dislike for screen protectors. You aren't saying if the product is effective or not; you just don't like it. The SGP protectors generally do a good job at protecting the screen (from scratches) as well as whatever else they advertise (fingerprint reduction, anti-glare, etc).

I think screen protectors are still necessary, because even gorilla glass can be scratched by everyday use. And anyone who cares about resell value will want to ensure their screen is pristine.

If your comments were about screen protectors in general, there would be no bias. But since it's about a product and you have bias against the product's category to begin with... It's hardly a fair assessment of the product itself.

 

[PadJunkie]

You pay so much for a glass device and an IPS display with the iPad/iPhone 4. Why cover that screen with a film?

This seems to be Apple's official position as well, and to tell the truth, that's the part of this that irks me.

As delivered by Apple, the iPad screen is a seizure-inducing nightmare of glare. As covered by an anti-glare screen, it's a fuzzy, prismatic, or black-diagonal-liney mush. Wouldn't you expect people to have strong and idiosyncratic preferences among these options? I just don't understand the "nothing to see here, move along" party line...

 

[WilliamG]

It's biased since you're giving it a bad review based on your general dislike for screen protectors. You aren't saying if the product is effective or not; you just don't like it. The SGP protectors generally do a good job at protecting the screen (from scratches) as well as whatever else they advertise (fingerprint reduction, anti-glare, etc).

I think screen protectors are still necessary, because even gorilla glass can be scratched by everyday use. And anyone who cares about resell value will want to ensure their screen is pristine.

If your comments were about screen protectors in general, there would be no bias. But since it's about a product and you have bias against the product's category to begin with... It's hardly a fair assessment of the product itself.

We will have to agree to disagree. I reviewed each protector fairly, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses based on "my" perspective and, in a worldly sense, "your" perspective. I definitely did point out each protector's strengths and weaknesses. That's why at bighugenerd we're careful to point our our perspective on things, while definitely respecting your perspective. Not everyone's going to agree with our perspective, and that's fine with us!