Courtesy of the gentlemen from iShield.ro I had the opportunity to test the Alien Surface film for iPhone 4. When I first heard about Alien Surface I was very reluctant about its ability to replace the well-known InvisibleSHIELD kit and after reading the reports in this topical I was quite confused about purchasing a replacement for InvisibleSHIELD. The foil from Zagg ma dissatisfied right after I installed the iPhone 4 kit, so I was looking for a replacement, and Alien Surface seems to be doing its job well for now (but I'm only on the 2nd day after installation).
First impressions
At first glance, Alien Surface does not differ much from InvisibleSHIELD, at least as long as the foil is still attached to its packaging. In the Alien Surface package you will find the same accessories as in the package offered by Zagg for InvisibleSHIELD, so you will already be familiar with the installation procedure if you have used the kit distributed by Zagg.
Content of the package
As I said above, the Alien Surface kit includes the same things as the InvisibleSHIELD kit:
- phone foils;
- tube with special solution;
- installation instructions;
- a card for removing bubbles.
The foils (front/back) included in the Alien Surface package are indeed a few millimeters smaller than those included in the InvisibleSHIELD package, I don't know why, but the impact on the terminal's protection capacity is minimal. Those missing few millimeters can only be seen when inspecting the sides of the terminal and represent a very small surface of the screen/case, so their absence is not a reason to give up on the purchase of this kit. The side foils for iPhone 4 are identical in size to those available in the InvisibleSHIELD kit, so they will have the same effect as those included in the previously mentioned kit, that is, they will not solve the problem of touching the antennas and losing the signal.
The installation process
Although some of you said that the Alien Surface foil is difficult to install, well I can tell you that I installed it even easier than the InvisibleSHIELD foils put on my phone. The material from which the Alien Surface foil is made is different from that of the foil produced by Zagg and allows the easy removal of most of the "bubbles" formed on the surface of the screen, moreover, the remaining "bubbles" disappear faster than with InvisibleSHIELD foils. 12 hours after installation, 80% of the "bubbles" left on the phone have disappeared, and after 24 hours I have 2 more "bubbles" on my face that are ready to break.
The solution included in the spray tube has a rather pungent smell, similar to spirit, but it does its job wonderfully and the film adheres without any problem. I saw that some of you complained about the foil coming off, I can't comment on that for now, but I doubt that it will come off in the next few days.
Alien Surface film quality
One of the biggest complaints about the InvisibleSHIELD kit was represented by the reduction in the quality of the image displayed on the iPhone 4 screen, and you all know about the reduction in touch sensitivity, not to mention the "orange peel" effect. Alien Surface is made of a different material, 20% clearer and it shows!! The difference between the 2 foils is noticeable with the naked eye and I'm glad that I installed the Alien Surface foil because I can finally enjoy the quality of the "retina screen". The foil doesn't seem to affect sensitivity, at least not as much as InvisibleSHIELD, but I've only had the foil on the phone for a day so I'm subjective for now. The "orange peel" effect is also present in the Alien Surface film, but to a lesser extent than in InvisibleSHIELD, but it was to be expected considering that these films must protect the phone from scratches.
Unfortunately, the Alien Surface film that comes mounted on the phone screen also has a disadvantage that I don't know if it only applies to me, if the film needs some time to sit properly, or if it's simply the way it is. Although the quality of the image is good, the colors are visible very well, however, the foil creates a "dirty" effect on the screen. It's not something disturbing and noticeable in any menu, but it looks as if I put a wet finger on the screen and walked it over its entire surface. The film only has one day, so I am subjective in this regard as well and I will come back with details in the following days.
conclusions
I enjoy the opportunity offered by iShield to test the foil Alien Surface because I had the opportunity to test a quality foil, although the company itself was somewhat unknown until a few months ago. For now, I can say that Alien Surface is a replacement for InvisibleSHIELD and it is worth buying it instead of the film from Zagg because it offers the same protection, for the same money, but it does it while maintaining the quality of the screen image and the sensitivity of the touchscreen.
Alien Surface would be 15% more resistant than other films of the same type, but unfortunately I did not manage to test this aspect of the film.
You can purchase the Alien Surface film from ishield.ro for 85 lei here.
