Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best so far.
Reviewed in Canada on February 12, 2024
I wanted an easily installed glass protector that covered the entire screen to prevent dust from gathering around the camera and edges.
I had used the LOCA adhesive Whitestone Dome on my last phone, but the lengthy and complicated process allowed dust to sneak in, and the glue didn't go right to the edges, which left some visible bubbles. Because the process was so difficult, it also made me want to avoid it again, so I was hesitant to remove the protector after it eventually cracked. I wanted to try something this time with a faster, easier installation.
I ordered the Spigen and ESR tempered glass products along with this one, and the Whitestone was the best choice for me.
The Spigen comes with the protectors fitted to a plastic guide tray, which leads to a quick and easy installation but leaves too much empty space around the edges, and some users had poor alignment of the protector even with the plastic frame to guide it. The edge gaps were a dealbreaker for me.
The ESR comes with an installation guide but does not have a complete alignment frame with a screen protector attached like the Spigen and Whitestone, so you need to be more careful when installing, which leads to more time and the possibility of dust or air bubbles getting underneath it. Dropping the protector onto the phone from one of the edges can cause bubbles in the middle compared to the protectors with installation frames that have you push down in the middle of the protector first, which pushes bubbles to the outer edges. I also did not like the thick black border around the edges of the ESR.
Whitestone has the protectors fitted into easy-to-install plastic guides like the Spigen, but it's a larger glass that covers more of the phone. My phone is currently in the Spigen Optik Armor case, and the protector is extremely close to the case edge but not so close that it would be at risk of touching the case and lifting off. The installation was super fast, so I had absolutely no dust under the protector, and the alignment was perfect. I followed the arrow diagrams on the installation guide, and the only bubbles I had were right in the corners and were easy to push out. I wonder if those who ended up with bubbles in the middle didn't follow the instructions on where to push first. If there's a dark border on this protector, I can't see it. It honestly looks the same size as the original screen, although it is more reflective, but the other options are reflective as well. The only option with anti-reflection is the Samsung film protector, but it's useless for impact protection.
Fingerprint registration was not easy immediately after installation, but it worked about 80% of the time after a few minutes. It continued to improve until it worked almost every time, so I re-registered my prints, and it seems perfect to me now. All glass screen protectors seem to affect fingerprint recognition, but perhaps they all improve over time. Be sure to enable the touch sensitivity setting in the display options, as it is designed to help with this when using screen protectors.
This new Whitestone EA protector is working perfectly and looks great. Without the complicated installation, I'll be more likely to replace it immediately if it cracks or becomes badly scratched. The only feature I would have liked is an anti-reflective coating, but until that happens, this is the best option I've found so far.