$18.00 + $3.00 shipping to U.S from Brando's online store
I knew it wouldn't last. The iPad's gorgeous screen was absolutely delectable to use naked – so crisp and clear, so smooth to the finger. But then after just a few swipes, fingerprints would amass on the screen, driving me crazy faster than Flash crashes Safari. I knew I had to get an anti-glare screen protector, just as I had for my iPhone 3GS and nearly every glossy-screened gadget I've owned in the past few years. Initially, I had thought about getting the one from Power Support USA, the same company who made the screen protector I use on my iPhone. Then I saw its price: $24.95 for one screen protector plus $5.55 for the cheapest shipping option. Also, their site warned that they were in such high demand that it was taking more time to fulfill orders than usual. So, I went to see what Brando had to offer instead.
Brando Workshop is a gadget accessories shop in China. They sell a *ton* of items for everything from game consoles to cars. I first heard about them through The Gadgeteer years ago and my first purchase from them was a screen protector for a Sony Clie PDA (an NX-70V in the limited edition gunmetal gray, if you must know) and I was very pleased with it. Brando's site showed they offered both clear and anti-glare screen protectors for the iPad. The anti-glare version costs $18.00 while the ultra-clear version costs $25.00. I'm not quite sure why the ultra-clear version costs so much more (if I had to hazard a guess, it's hard to make a larger crystal clear film without flaws and the production costs are higher) but that didn't matter to me since I wanted the anti-glare version.
I received the screen protector in the
mail about 10 days or so after ordering it. I promptly put it on my
iPad as soon as I had a moment to spare since the fingerprints were
making me insane enough to consider doing violent things to
inanimate objects just to cope. And let me tell you, installation
was a bastard of the first order. This is not Brando's fault,
though – they did not decide that the iPad's screen needed to be
that size and they're not responsible for the dust-free environment
and patience needed to install such a large screen protector.
Aligning a film of that size without getting lint or fingerprints
on it at the same time is not easy.
For those of you who like to see video overviews of products
instead of or in addition to reading about them, here's my video
overview of Brando's anti-glare screen protector for the
iPad:
Fit
I've never received a screen protector from Brando that was cut
crookedly or simply didn't fit, and I was expecting the same with
the one for the iPad. Brando didn't let me down – their screen
protector fits the iPad's screen perfectly.
The protector goes right to the edges
of the screen without spilling over to cover the aluminum
bezel.
The cut-out for the home button is perfectly centered. Of course,
you won't see this unless you install the screen protector
perfectly to begin with (which took me at least 15 minutes filled
with patience, an exceptional amount of cursing as well as some
tape, iKlear cleaning spray, a microfiber cloth, and a can of
compressed air). All I can say is, don't rush the installation and
get everything you need set out before you start. Once you start
peeling the protector from its backing, it's hard to leave it
without increasing the chances you'll get some lint or a
fingerprint on it.
The naked iPad screen before installing the screen
protector
The iPad's screen with the screen protector
installed
Using the screen
protector
I'll be honest here – I was expecting the screen protector to
drastically reduce the clarity of the iPad's screen. It's just so
crisp when naked that I reasoned that any anti-glare protector
would make a major difference. I was wrong. Now, it's absolutely
clear (ha ha) that the anti-glare screen protector is on but it
doesn't impact the clarity of the screen nearly as much as I was
expecting. Here are before and after pictures (taken with my iPhone
3GS - I didn't feel like hunting down my DSLR for these as I was
installing the screen protector).
A close-up of the iPad's naked screen
A close-up of the screen with the screen protector
installed
You see that? Not too much of a
difference, huh?
Conclusion
I rarely rave over products unless they work perfectly, don't cost
too much, and look good to boot. While a screen protector isn't
meant to be stylish, Brando's works perfectly and it cost me less
than the Power Support USA one I had almost purchased instead. If
you need an anti-glare protector for your iPad, point your browser
RIGHT NOW to Brando's site and order one from them. It's definitely
worth it.
(If you're considering one of their crystal clear screen
protector's instead, you may want to check out my review of
Brando's offering for the iPhone that I reviewed here to get an
idea of what they're like. I'd expect the quality and cut of this
version to be stellar as well.)
DISCLOSURE: I purchased this screen protector with
my own money – it was not provided to me as a review unit.
Related
reviews:
DODOcase for iPad
Cimo USA Silicone Skin case
for iPad
Brando
Ultra Clear Screen Protector for iPhone