While I was reviewing Zagg’s InvisibleSHIELD Glass screen protector for this very review piece, the unthinkable happened: I dropped my iPhone. Now this wasn’t the typical drop where my phone slides off the bedside table onto the carpet, or even one of those situations where I have to stomp the brakes and my unsecured device careens into the dashboard of my car. No, this was a crazy, one-in-a-million, comedy of errors sort of drop.
As I hastily gathered dirty dishes after Sunday breakfast in my free hand, my other hand, which held my 5s, wavered. In a single instant my iPhone tumbled straight down and directly onto the lip of my jumbo-sized Incredible Hulk coffee mug. The good news was that the cup was empty. The bad news was that, while the tempered glass of this protector is only 0.4mm thick, use of the InvisibleSHIELD Glass limits the style of case you can use on your treasured phone (specifically eliminating those with rigid overhangs already covering the device screen), and the plastic bumper my iPhone was wearing didn’t quite absorb the shock of its head-on Hulk collision.
The end result? Well, the InvisibleSHIELD Glass, once ultra-clear and silky-smooth, was badly chipped, and a long, thin crack had begun to spider across its surface. My phone, on the other hand, remained completely unharmed. The best part is, as I made a point of registering my Glass via the Zagg website, I was able to take advantage of their lifetime replacement guarantee.
I simply logged into my account, quickly filled in a form concerning the nature of the incident and provided my mailing and credit card information. I was charged $5.99 for postage, and my replacement arrived within a week. Zagg helpfully reminded me that I was required to return the original, damaged product within 60 days of making my replacement request using the included envelope – a specific step that discourages abuse and keeps the warranty intact for future replacements. (Failure to do so results in additional charges for the full retail price of the InvisibleSHIELD Glass, $34.99.)
This second Glass installed just as beautifully as the original, and I once again feel I have the freedom to take my iPhone out in sexier, minimalist cases – as opposed to the hardier all-over designs I typically favor – content in the knowledge that next time I drop my iPhone and shatter my tempered glass screen cover I’ll be able to get a quick replacement for a pittance. And trust me, there will be a next time.
Review materials provided by: Zagg
If you want to test out the best glass impact protector on the market, let me know:)
You’re lucky. Or privileged since you write for Geek Dad. My Glass InvisibleSHIELD has started peeling itself off after only 4 months. So lifetime warranty? Not possible, the option wasn’t even there in my account page for this item (yes, it’s registered). Almost a week after complaining, the button is there now . . . that leads to a message indicating a replacement is not available. Customer service stated they’re backordered. So I cannot even ORDER a replacement?! Fail. However, I CAN place an order for a NEW one right on their website, and they’re “in stock” and available to ship TOMORROW. This is how lifetime warranty scams operate I guess. And if it ever comes to them actually fulfilling the warranty, $6 shipping is not going to happen – that cost cannot be justified considering all this delay and run-around.
I agree with Joe. I’ve had my invisible shield glass for less than a week, and somehow it spidered in my pocket. I don’t keep my keys in that pocket, so I don’t know how it happened. Less than a week. I go to claim my lifetime replacement only to be greeted by a $6 shipping for USPS…really?! That’s enough money to cover the cost of the product, shipping, and it probably even turns out to bring in a slight profit.
Unacceptable. If it was truly a good product that they backed, they could afford to ship this out cheaper. They can’t because they will be replacing a lot of them. All the time, collecting more profit under the guise of “lifetime replacement.” I will be finding a different screen protector, this company made a bad choice with the “glass” version.
How can you tell it was the unviable shield glass cracking and not the screen?
I just spent about an hour and a half trying to get this damn thing on my iPad. My house is clean, the area where I tried to install it is clean but little hairs just kept appearing under the glass. And one would think that for $50.00 they would give you a piece of cloth bigger than 3″x 5″. That may be fine for a phone but not for an iPad. The cost was high, but the inconvenience is really annoying. Plus, this is the first time that I’ve bought a screen protector and they wouldn’t put it on for me in the store. The first one I brought home was cracked, like someone stepped on it, so another trip to the store to replace it.
I think for the bigger screens you’re better off going into a hermetically sealed chamber so nothing gets under the glass. As soon as traffic clears, I’m taking it back to the store, 3rd trip. Don’t do it.
Ive bought numerous Zagg shields. Awesome. While 5.99 is a lot for replacements, I still buy them and register. Several have needed replacing but that’s cheaper than a new $150 screen. I buy mine from Best Buy. They put them on for free, including replacements. One time, they did mess it up and they grabbed another from the shelf and put that one on. That’s service!