Thanks to those from iRequest I had the opportunity to test the foils Power support for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. I received from them a front/back installation kit for iPhone 4 and a set of anti-glare foils for iPhone 3G/3GS, but in the case of foils for 3G it was only a kit for the terminal screen. Probably few of you have heard about the Power Support company considering that in Romania InvisibleSHIELD, Alien Surface and 3M foils are the most sought after. I have to admit that I was a little reluctant about the quality of these foils because the installation is done by sticking the foil directly on the screen, but in the end I think that these foils are undervalued in Romania.
My impressions of these Power Support films will mainly focus on the differences compared to the Alien Surface and InvisibleShield kits that I have used for a long time before. We start with the installation method, which at Power Support boils down to removing the film from the packaging, cleaning the screen, removing the protective film and carefully applying it to the screen. Your only concern is to align the foil perfectly on the terminal and not to leave bubbles in the middle of the screen. Although the manufacturers claim that the bubbles disappear by themselves, unfortunately on my terminal the bubbles remained in the corners of the foil and show no signs of retreating, so be careful.
Well, once you have installed the foil, you will probably think about the impact it has on the way the images are displayed on the screen or the way the touchscreen responds to your commands. Although InvisibleSHIELD and Alien Surface "steal" a good part of the magic of the Retina Display, the Power Support foils are not inferior either, but in their case the image quality is a little better. No matter how clear the film you put on your terminal is, the quality of the images will suffer, but Power Support has the least impact on the quality of the display of the iPhone 4 terminal, compared to the other 2 previously mentioned brands. Regarding the sensitivity of the touchscreen, you have nothing to fear because your terminal will respond just as well to commands.
The first 2 images below are with the foil on the display, the last 2 are with the foil removed.
Ok, I saw how it affects the screen, but how does the film look on the surface of the screen, is there that "orange effect" like in the case of Alien Surface or InvisibleSHIELD films? Fortunately, no, these foils are matte, they do not have that generic "orange peel" effect, and the interaction with the screen itself is more pleasant. Initially, you will have the impression that you are getting your hands on a cheap plastic material, but with time you will probably get used to the texture of the foils.
InvisibleSHIELD and Alien Surface foils with a "regeneration" function, that is, when the foil is subjected to a blow, it will regenerate to a certain extent and cover part of the scratch, blow, etc. With Power Support foils, there is no problem of such regeneration, the manufacturers do not specify such a thing, but the foil itself is strong enough to protect our terminal in the same way as an Alien Surface/InvisibleSHIELD foil. I consider that the lack of such a system is a minus, but in terms of protection, you don't have to worry.
In the iPhone 4 package I received: 2 films for the front screen, one film for the back screen, installation instructions plus 2 films with which I could test the installation process. The foils for the screen were: one HD specially made for the iPhone 4 Retina Display which should not affect the display at all and two crystal which are practically a normal version of the Power Support foils. In the package for iPhone 3G/3Gs I received: 2 anti-glare foils, installation instructions and a foil with which to test the installation process.
In the manufacturer's specifications, it is mentioned that this type of film protects the terminals from scratches, bumps, dust, does not retain oils from the fingertips and does not leave traces when removed. After peeling off, there was absolutely no trace left on the screen of the terminal, but there was a little dust and traces of "fingerprints" on the screen, so you can expect something like that.
In conclusion, I would prefer Power Support foils in favor of InvisibleSHIELD or Alien Surface because they are much easier to install, offer the same protection, there is no "orange peel" effect and they affect the quality of the images displayed on the screen less. These 4 things for me are very important because immediately after applying the foil I was able to use the terminal and in the case of the other 2 brands you have to wait around 12 hours before using them, if you want the foil to be glued well. In the case of the liquid installation process, there is a risk of that liquid entering the terminal (as a friend of mine suffered the other day), so Power Support has a big plus because it does not use this process. Finally, the films are very difficult to peel off, much harder than in the case of the other 2 brands, although the installation is done by simply placing the film on the screen.
With Power Support, I don't like the feeling you get when you use the screen or when you hold the terminal in your hand, and I don't like that there is no regeneration technology.
I recommend Power Support in favor of Alien Surface or InvisibleSHIELD for those mentioned above, but of course the choice is yours. The price is the same for these foils, so it is up to you whether you want to test the Power Support brand or not. I am satisfied with the foils, I say they are worth trying at least to get an idea about them. iRequest sell these foils through some auctions on okazii.ro but soon they will be available at several resellers of Apple products in Romania.
