The first thing that I thought to myself when we were receiving a review unit for a screen protector is whether it is worth reviewing one. I thought about it and well it probably makes more sense than any other accessory we review for smartphones these days and that has got to do with the fact that the touchscreen is arguably the most important component of our smartphone. It serves as the medium through which we communicate, create and consume content on our devices. Without the screen, essentially the phone is useless and its kind of like the windshield on a car. So it makes perfect sense to review a screen protector especially for a flagship product such as the Samsung Galaxy Note5 whose screen is all the more impressive. So lets go ahead and check out the Olixar tempered glass protector.
Clarity and Quality
There are so many different choices out there in terms of screen protectors that it becomes hard to choose one. The primary purpose of a screen protector is to prevent the screen from scratches and in some cases even breakage. Despite most phones using Gorilla Glass 3 or 4 or some other form of branded protection, the hard reality is that no matter how carefully you use your phone, scratches are bound to happen. Sure if you are using a review unit, you want to see how resistant the screen is against scratches so we don’t use protectors. But on a personal device, the user always wants to keep his/her device in the best condition possible. That’s where a screen protector comes in. But which protector do you get? A plastic or glass, dry installation or wet installation.
Well, most users go for a regular plastic protector since they just want basic protection from scratches and while that works well, the downside is that the protectors themselves do get scratched easily and after a while will require you to change it for a newer one. The other issue is that the clarity of the screen gets degraded since the plastic isn’t of as high a quality as the glass used on your smartphone. The quality difference becomes all the more apparent when you use it with a higher quality display such as the one on the Note5. I personally was using a regular plastic protector for around 3 weeks before I shifted to the Olixar and the quality difference was immediately apparent. Sure, the plastic protector did get scratched by the time I changed it but even then I could tell that the clarity was better.
Apart from that, the feel that you get from a glass protector mimicks the original feel of your screen itself. Plastic protectors don’t feel as smooth or good to swipe and use as compared to glass protectors and the Olixar feels every bit as good as the original glass on the Note5. There isn’t much of reflection and the colours and contrast remains really good.
Installation and Fit
The Olixar tempered glass is available for a wide range of smartphones and they are designed specifically for that particular smartphone. The cutouts on the one for the Note5 were really precise and as a result was easy to align and install. In fact the installation process was much easier than most plastic protectors since the protector itself doesn’t flex or move around as much especially when you are trying to get the bubbles out.
Since the Note5 has a 2.5D curved glass up front, the screen protector doesn’t extend all the way to the edges though but it does cover the majority of the front glass and keeps it safe from scratches. There is a bit of added thickness since it is glass and the protector comes upto the same level as the physical home button. However, there are cutouts for the home button, earpiece, front facing camera and sensors to make sure that their functions aren’t impaired. The protector hasn’t come off nor have any bubbles appeared since the time I fitted it onto the phone.
Sensitivity and S-Pen Input
Some glass protectors do cause issue with sensitivity especially when the phone is charging but the Olixar doesn’t have that issue. every input is just about as sensitive and easily recognized as the screen would without protection. In case you are wondering whether the S-Pen input is affected by the glass then again the answer is no. The S-Pen works perfectly fine as well with the tempered glass protector.
Scratch Protection and Toughness
Unlike plastic screen protectors, the Olixar tempered glass protector is really scratch resistant. In the two weeks that I have been using it, I haven’t observed any scratches on the screen yet and I haven’t made any changes to the way I use or carry the phone. By this time, most plastic protectors would have plenty of hairline scratches at least largely due to the phone going in and out of pockets especially ones made out of denim. I did unfortunately have an incident where I dropped the phone and the phone fell onto the floor and the protector was fine. Note that I did have a case on as well so that would’ve taken most of the impact but in my past experience, the glass protectors do absorb the impacts and in most cases they do crack but manage to keep the glass below perfectly safe and the Olixar should be no different.
Conclusion
The Olixar Tempered Glass protector for the Samsung Galaxy Note5 costs GBP 12.99 or Rs 1081.49. That is a bit high for a screen protector but is relatively cheap for a glass protector especially if you compare it to the equivalent from Spigen which costs almost twice that amount. The price is perfectly reasonable for the kind of quality you get and spending a bit more on a screen protector could save you a lot of money if you compare it to getting an actual screen replacement especially for a product like the Note5. If you are looking to protect your screen from scratches and falls without having to sacrifice the clarity and the feel, then this protector is definitely worth it. You can buy it from MobileFun and they have worldwide shipping.