When it comes to protecting mobile devices, many people immediately start thinking about cases and how to protect their phone from bumps, bruises and drops. Something that a lot of people don’t think about is how to protect their phone from scrapes and scratches. There are many screen protectors out there that claim one size fits all, or that you can easily cut your own, but this is simply not the case. Each phone has its own unique elements that make using a generic screen protector difficult or plain impossible. Seidio has sent over some of their Ultimate Screen Guards for the Nexus 4 for us to take a look at so let’s get started!
Product Name: Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard – Crystal Clear (For LG Nexus 4)
Review Sample Provided By: Seidio
Written By: Brennon
Packaging
The packaging for the Screen Guard for Nexus 4 is very simple and minimalistic. While the actual packaging was shipped inside of a padded manila envelope, its size and shape is such that it could easily just be tucked into a regular letter sized envelope and shipped. The actual packaging is just a think clear sleeve which is holding the actual screen protector and a piece of paper that has some information on the front and back.
On the front we can see yet another woman staring off the side of the packaging looking at something that we are unaware of. Seriously, what is it with all these women? They really don’t have anything to do with the product, and I don’t mind them using it as a marketing ploy, lots of companies are doing it, but WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING AT!? I might have to write someone about that. Also on the front we can see a small sticker that says For Use With Nexus 4, this says to me that they make multiple different screen protectors and just place the proper sticker on the proper protector for shipping.
On the back we can see a shot list of features as well as some installation instructions. On the bottom it gets a bit confusing. The company Seidio is from Houston Texas, the product is manufactured in Taiwan, but the material is from Japan. A lot of different locations are coming together to make and deliver this product to our door, let us hope that all the efforts and contributions were worth it.
Installation
The installation instructions are clearly laid out for us on the back of the packaging. It is a fairly simple process, but clearly it isn’t foolproof, because a fool such as me was able to muck it up. The great thing about the Ultimate Screen guard is that it is a static clinging protector. This means that it clings to the Nexus 4 without glue or any other form of adhesive. This is particularly awesome because when you mess up the initial installation you actually get multiple chances. If I had messed up the application with another protector, I would have been out the cost of the protector and had to try it again. With the static cling of the Ultimate Screen Guard however, I was able to clean the phone off, clean the screen protector off and give it another go. The next couple of installations were a bit more complicated as I didn’t have the extra piece of plastic that shipped with the Ultimate Screen Guard, but after some careful work I was eventually able to apply it in a manner that I deemed acceptable and was able to get on with the testing.
Performance
As far as performance goes, I was tempted to recommend the product even before testing it simply because it existed. Neither my local T-Mobile nor my local Sprint store carried Nexus 4 screen protectors, which was odd, especially for T-Mobile since they carried the phone. Now, there are a range of solutions online, but many of them are rather expensive, starting at around $30 and ranging down to $15 or so. The other issue is that I have never heard of any of these companies, and granted I had never heard of Seidio until I saw some of the reviews on LanOC and reviewed one of their products myself. It’s tough to jump into a purchase with a company you’ve never heard of, and let’s be honest, Amazon reviews aren’t the best of quality. After all, they don’t have a Fildy.
Something I touched on earlier that sort of reflects on the performance is the installation. The fact that it is a static cling product is a tremendous plus. I failed at using their simple installation process and had to reapply the screen protector. With other products that use a glue adhesive, I would have likely been out the cost of the protector, but with the Seidio Ultimate Screen Guard I had no worries since I could try again.
Once it was installed, the screen felt incredibly smooth. So smooth in fact that it felt identical to the glass beneath it. Before using this screen protector I was using the cheap one that shipped with it and I had no complaints, but after using this product, I honestly don’t know if I could go back to the other one. The Ultimate Screen Guard is so smooth that you can’t even really feel it, with my other screen guard I could definitely feel some friction, but didn’t notice it until I started using this one.
One last thing that I want to mention is the design of the screen protector as a whole. The protector is just the perfect size. The sides of the Nexus 4 kind of curve down a bit, so a screen protector any bigger would have some issues staying on. There is also a bit cut out on the corner for the front facing sensor. I haven’t experienced it myself, but have been told that on other screen protectors, that if that sensor is covered, even though it is clear it causes issues with the phone. The final thing I want to note is the section cut out for the front facing camera, which is an expected touch, but also very welcome.
Overall and Final Verdict
Overall I think the Seidio Ultimate Screen Protector for the Nexus 4 is a great product. The design is perfect and it fits the phone, including the cut outs for the camera and front facing sensor. The size of the screen albeit small fits the phone pretty well and has no issues with the curves on the side that other covers supposedly have issues with. The texture feels just like the glass of the actual phone and is incredibly smooth and the fact that it uses static cling and can be replaced when a dunce like myself manages to mess it up is an incredible upside. With the overall design of this particular cover and quality that Seidio has managed to put out, it wouldn’t surprise me if all of their covers from the Ultimate Screen Guard line were of the same quality. At only $10 for one and $15 for two, the product is incredibly well priced and I would say a must own for any Nexus 4 owner.
One last thing I wish to add, that had no bearing on the review of the product is that Seidio has a great RMA policy. I actually ordered the incorrect cover off of their Amazon store, opened it and realized it was the wrong one. I asked about a return policy and immediately got an RMA number and instructions on how to return it. Even though they were able to take up to 50% of the purchase price out for a restocking fee according to their, and Amazons rules, they took nothing and refunded my whole purchase price, kudos to you Seidio.
