[Samsung Galaxy Nexus] ashkala:
Hi Guys,

I recently purchased a Galaxy Nexus after spending months in front of the screen just stalking the beautiful device and wishing it lands in my hands. I finally ordered it a few weeks back. Now the next step to feed the OCD ridden alter ego was to protect the spectacular HD screen from scratches and dust. I researched a bit more, putting the quality of the film as priority, going through options to come across international brands like Zagg's Invisible Shield and Armorsuit which got great reviews from everyone in terms of clarity and protection. Naturally, they are not available in India (somehow whatever I want is not) and I was about to order it through ebay's global buy for almost double the price of what our western cousins pay when I came across the name Gadgetshieldz. I traipsed on to their site with absolutely no hope that I will be interested in any Indian brand and it'd be just another substandard product. The site had a nice look and feel and I liked the price they were offering (through ebay it is around INR 350 for the Nexus).

I felt the hole in my pocket left after buying a new phone and settled for the cheaper alternative after reading positive reviews on similar forums.

Ebay -

http://stores.ebay.in/GadgetShieldz

Main store -

GadgetShieldz Clear Cell Phone Covers and Skins | Full-Body Invisible Shields,Screen Protectors

I also Youtube-d for wet screen protection and its application to familiarize myself with the whole process. It involves the use of an already included solution (Zagg) and a Squeegee + lint free cloth (just another name for the cloth you use for cleaning your specs) to take the excess solution out.

1) Zagg Invisibleshield Application

Zagg Invisible Shield Install & Review for the Samsung Galaxy S - YouTube

2) Gadgetshield Installation and review - Part 1 and 2

(its done by a kid so bear with it or mute the audio to just absorb what is happening. Its actually better without the audio )

GadgetShieldz Installation/Review Part 1 - YouTube

GadgetShieldz installation and Review Part 2 - YouTube

3) Review by Mobile guide.

How to install a screen protector perfectly without bubbles or dust! - YouTube

The shipping was fast and through our Indian Postal Service and it reached my hands in the next 2 days. The packaging was nice and secure and I had already learnt that they do not provide any squeegee or solution and you have to arrange that yourself. Now all of this looks like a lot of homework and hassle and most of you would feel to give it a miss. Maybe I am overdoing it a bit here but I think all the effort that goes into this actually adds to the fun and satisfied feeling one gets towards the end.

After going through the instructions for the umpteenth time and reading another review - 1 and 2 I settled for the following.

Final Ingredients :

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I was a bit worried about the solution regarding the water and soap ratio to be used. I must inform that all this hardly matters and you can mix 3-4 drop of mild liquid soap (I used Lifebuoy RED) and 600ml of water. Mix it thoroughly till you get a soapy feel when you dip your finger so that the shield can get a little slippery for readjustment.

The squeegee alternative is a simple card and a credit card will also do.Just make sure it is smooth. The lint free cloth is the microfiber cloth used for cleaning spectacles.

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The application instructions :

The instructions are crystal clear and I personally feel they make the reader feel a little over cautious. The installation is actually simpler and faster. Well most of the settling down depends on the amount of soap used. In the instructions they ask you to soak the film in the soap solution. I found dipping the entire sheet into the solution better.

NOTE

: Keep a track of where the sticky side is :D There were moments when I forgot where the sticky side lies.

When dipping the film in soap solution, if you allow -

more soap to stay on the film = better repositioning options and realignment. Its like setting the mouse sensitivity. This is high sensitivity and DPI. Also this means extra time for settling down.

less soap to stay on the film = faster sticking and drying up. This is like low sensitivity and DPI. The sheet will be harder to move and realign but would settle very fast and dry up faster. I chose this for the screen side as I didn't like the idea of too much soap and water loitering around my earpiece and front camera.

They are the same instructions and installation tips that are found on the main site.

The package includes a film for every possible exposed part of the device which is great but I only used the films for the screen, battery cover and the exposed part beneath the battery cover around the micro-USB port. I must mention at this point that the cuts of the films are precise and beautiful. The whole film feels sturdy and would give you the confidence that your device is going to stay safe and scratch free.

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Cutting the chase here, I could not take the pictures of the phone when it was drying and what I have are the final pictures after 2 days of installation. During the installation and settling down period I was worried seeing a haze on the whole device and some marks that were left behind (I thought them to be fingerprint marks) but the results improved remarkably as time went by and after 4-5 hours the screen looked absolutely clear (and protected of course).

Final Results - Front​

I faltered a bit around this area and the finish isn't exactly perfect but I marked it within the "Acceptable Marginal Error" range and proceeded.

The cut is precise and one hardly notices the film.

The screen looks quite clear and the only thing I noticed is the little dust settlement around the edges.

Taken with Brightness set to full.

The slight error in alignment is visible here but that is not to be blamed on the cuts. Just use more solutions and align to your heart's content.

Now there is a certain orange peel effect that is much talked about in case of such shields. I have taken this picture to leave it to the reader if that's the case because I am not well versed in that topic. As far as I can say, the shield is quite smooth.

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Final Results - Back​

The back cover of the Galaxy Nexus is a bit rough and applying the film there is both easy and a little troublesome. Easy because t doesn't involve working around any sensitive device part and I would advice that you can remove the cover entirely and apply the film. Troublesome because the squeegee doesn't move that freely around that area.

Make sure the film settles down entirely on the back case.

The package also includes film for the area around the camera as is visible.

The shields for every part is absolutely perfect and for this area its almost invisible.​

Final words :

Go through the instructions thoroughly especially if its your first time.Keep all the things ready and within reach before starting. The installation is quite easy and intuitive (the links that I have provided are more than enough for getting it right). Also, some would want to settle for the easier alternative and that is a matter of choice. The shield is priced at INR 350 from ebay and one of my friend (who provided the phone to take the pictures - Galaxy S advance) also got a screen guard applied from the seller itself who charged the same amount. Below are the results and I found the Gadgetshieldz finish to be much better.

Galaxy S Advance - Samsung showroom screen guard

Galaxy Nexus - Gadgetshieldz

Another point to mention is that post application I observed a faint chemical odour emanating from the shield itself. I googled it a bit and found out that these shields are chemically treated and this is not something to lose your sleep about. As of on the third day, this odour has subsided and I am guessing it will remain the same :) I hope the review helps in clearing certain doubts and help my fellow forum members.

Feel free to ask any questions. Requesting more pictures is ok but it depends when I get my hands on another device for taking picture (this one is out of the whole equation now especially after I ended up comparing the finish of its screenguard to mine).

Enjoy!