[Nexus 4 Accessories] Uh60m Pilot:
I like to review accessories on XDA. After reading the rave reviews concerning Clarivue screen protectors I decided to contact them for a review unit. Alex from Clarivue was nice enough to send me one of their 4 way privacy screen protectors for the Nexus 4.

I have always been a fan of matte screen protectors. I have a Tech Armor Matte screen protector on my Nexus 7 and love it. I would rather sacrifice a little screen quality in order to avoid the hassles of screen glare and fingerprints. What I have learned over the years is that there is a big difference in price, quality and screen degradation between manufactures of matte screen protectors. With a price of $19.99 at www.clarivue.com the Clarivue LG GOOGLE NEXUS 4 4 WAY PRIVACY SCREEN PROTECTOR is far from the cheapest on the market. While many companies have yet to make accessories for the Nexus 4, history shows most of the competition will price around the $6.95-$11.95 range. So my question is what makes this screen protector worth the extra cost and should I buy a privacy protector over a standard anti-glare?

At first look this privacy screen protector resembles a regular matte finish. (Please see the picture below of my clarivue screen protector alongside my nexus 7 Tech Armor matte protector.) You can see it has multiple closed layers and it has a little bit of a rippled look when viewed with the screen off. My finger still moves smoothly over the surface. The finish has an anti-fingerprint layer helping to prevent smudges when you touch the screen. In a stark contrast to the $4.95 screen protectors, the Clarivue privacy protector comes with a clear protector for the rear of the device. In my opinion, this is a fantastic idea and I am surprised more manufactures have not adopted this. The combination of a privacy screen for the front and a clear screen for the back is only logical and still allows you to showcase the design on the rear of the Nexus 4. Packaging for the screen protectors was top notch. In addition to the attractive packaging from Clarivue, it was also placed in a bubble wrap package to insure it was not damaged in transit. Shipping time took 5 days via USPS.

The fit and finish of this protector set is amongst the best on the market. The film is actually the thickest I have ever experienced with a screen protector. Due to the curved edge of the Nexus 4’s screen, Clarivue was not able to build the screen protector from edge to edge. As a privacy screen protector it did lead to an interesting design flaw. When viewing the screen protector from the side, light actually slips around the sides of the screen protector. The anti-glare, anti-fingerprint layer works very well. Viewing angles were interesting. Please review the screen shot below. When viewed from a 45 degree angle the screen is still clearly visible and I was able to read the information clearly (First picture after up close screen shots). I have also posted images of an 80 degree angles. Please note that the screen information can still be seen. This was the same when viewed from the top and bottom as well. Another note is that with a privacy screen protector installed the notification light is very hard to view. Keep this in mind if you use this on a daily basis.

The screen degradation on the Nexus 4 with the Clarivue Privacy protector installed is substantial. I will be the first to admit that this is my first experience with a privacy screen protector. From my research I knew the protector would decrease clarity. I was not aware of the black lines that create a grid network across the screen. It does not lead to a pixilated look that can sometimes be present in matte screen protectors. It almost resembles looking at an extremely clear screen through a chain link fence. In comparison to a matte screen protector, the Clarivue privacy screen protector does cause a larger decrease in screen clarity and light passage. I have also noted a decrease in initial touch sensitivity with the screen protector installed. Initial touch will register at .50+ and scrolls will register as low as .34. I have noticed multiple missed presses after installing the protector. Despite the decrease in sensitivity I am actually impressed at how little it changed the normal responsiveness based on the thickness of the material.

Clarivue sells the Privacy Protector with a stated scratch resistant coating. In order to test this was wanted to see how the protector stood up against a set of keys. I performed the standard key to screen scratch test. I am shocked to say that the Clarivue screen protector performed FANTASTIC! Using light to moderate pressure I was only able to get one micro scratch what is not viewable with the screen on. Great job Clarivue! I would definitely trust this screen protector in a pocket or purse with keys and other objects. This is important when you think about the cost knowing that the screen protector will last for the foreseeable future.

In final, my impressions of the Clarivue Privacy Screen Protector are that it has top of the line quality and great packaging. The screen protector does not completely black out the screen when viewed from an angle, and it does cause a noticeable decrease in screen quality. Would I recommend this privacy screen protector for $19.99? No I would not. I am however considering getting their version of the matte screen protector. The ultra-clear back they sent me is beautiful, however it is a fingerprint magnet. I think that for $14.99 for two anti-glare protectors the quality is worth the cost. Clarivue was nice enough to provide us with a 10% discount code for reading this review. At checkout please use: ten2013. It is valid until 30 June 2013.

If you would like to purchase one of Clarivue’s Nexus 4 screen protectors you can do so at their website: http://www.clarivue.com. Additionally Clarivue has asked that if you like their products please “like” them on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clarivue-Screen-Protectors/99840540072.

I hope this review has helped a few of you picking your screen protectors. This might help save a few bucks if you were wondering the benefit of a privacy screen protector vs matte. Please hit the thanks button if this helped. See the pics below and let me know if you have questions.