Recently, I had a heart-attack moment when I observed some scratches on the screen of my N9. I had been very careful with my device, always pampering it and keeping it within the Nokia provided rubber case. But one sleepy night, I just happened to place the device face down on a wooden table for 10 minutes and viola!, I learned that gorilla glass is not really scratch proof.
One possible solution is to polish the glass, but I didn’t want to go that route yet as I suck at DIY and the 2.5D curvature of the N9 is sure to be challenging. So I went the screen guard way. I had bought a cheap screenguard earlier, but since it only covered the extent of the screen and not the complete glass top, the swipe experience was hampered greatly. I removed it within a few days of using. This time, I wanted better.
Enter GadgetShieldz. They have a custom product for the N9 and rather that just a scree guard, it is a SKIN guard. ie, it includes protection for almost the complete surface. I ordered it over ebay and it arrived in just 2 days! It cost me around 300 Rupees (around 6 $).
The applications instructions are detailed and easy to understand, although it will seem intimidating in the beginning. Basically you need a soap solution to dip the film in. The soap solution will temporarily deactivate the film’s adhesive so that placing it would be easier. Wetting your fingers would help avoid fingerprints in the film.
The easiest part to apply was the screen. It was a 30 second business. But the side and back were very difficult due to the sexy curves of the N9. While applying, a lot of bubbles may get formed. See the images below taken immediately after application:
Lots and lots of bubbles!
Looks fugly!
However, after a 12 hour period (keep the phone switched off to give the film time to set), most of the bubbles work themselves out and we get a very transparent and clean look. The phone becomes very glossy to look at, especially the back sides. However, we lose the grippy feeling of the original skin.
Hmmm… the edges are dust magnets.
Most of the bubbles gone.
Also check out the glossy reflective surface!
This was the most difficult part to apply! Took me nearly 40 minutes!
So, in conclusion, I would recommend everyone to get one of these before you scratch the N9’s screen. If you don’t want the glossy look, no need to apply the film everywhere. Just on the screen would be sufficient.
