Seidio impresses me with their lineup of quality accessories for our gadgets. The latest edition to their lineup to date is the Vitreo Tempered Glass Screen Protector for the Galaxy S4. The Vitreo has been available for the iPhone 5, iPad, Note 2 and Galaxy S3 so it was nice to finish off the latest and greatest of devices with the GS4.
This was the second time I have put my hands on a shatterproof, tempered glass screen protector. Needless to say I was very interested to see how it was. First impression (the Note 2 Review) was a wow factor with how thick the Vitreo is compared to the every day screen protector. The Vitreo does not bend much.
The preparation before the installation has been my favorite out of the MANY screen protector installations. I have never installed a screen protector that has am alcohol wipe as part of the process, until I met the Vitreo. What I discovered is that the wipe easily clears residue or dust off the screen. The cloth wipe is high quality and compliments the alcohol wipe leaving no lint at all. I have used some cloth wipes and seemed like it left the screen with more dust than prior to wiping. So if anything this was my favorite part of the installation.
The installation is really easy. Simply clean your hands and screen, then proceed to take the first film off and line up the Vitreo with the GS4’s screen. I like to postion myself directly over the screen to get a clear view of the phone so I can aim correctly. I have one finger at each corner and use other fingers to guide slowly down on the screen. I like to use the home button and camera for reference points. Once all lined up slowly place the Vitreo on the screen, press the middle area down to get the adhering going and the push out the air starting from the middle leading to the edge. Then take off the second film and ba-dah-bing-bah-dah-boom!
The Vitreo, even though, raised above the screen a bit still works great with a flip cover style case. The edges do not go all the way to the edge of the phone’s body, which means that most cases will be compatible. Seidio makes the Vitreo to work with their cases. I also tried out a DBA Cases Ultra complete case and it fit perfectly. A Cruzerlite case almost comes flush with the Vitreo’s surface.
The functionality was great. I performed a swiping, texting and drawing test and all the tests worked great. The screen was still responsive and fluid.
Other nice detail is that the screen is literally fingerprint and smudge resistant. I tried to put fingerprints on the screen and I could not see anything when I placed my fingers on the screen. The screen will look great all the time.
Now I am still not brave enough (or can afford to break a device) to fully test out the shatterproof technology. So check out Seidio’s specs and descriptions of the tests they put the Vitreo through. A buddy of mine has the Vitreo installed on the Note 2 and he dropped the phone. The Vitreo saved his screen. The Vitreo has a hairline crack but is only noticeable at certain angles and the screen is still as responsive as if it was not broken.
Get the Vitreo Here
