Brando Ultra Clear Protector Plus review

By Patrick Robbe

Before you read this review, I must confess that it's a little bit biased, as I've been a happy Brando Protector Plus user for a few years. They aren't the cheapest one available, but IMHO they're one of the best value for the money, as I keep them between 6 to 12 months before replacing them, if not more.

When I read that Brando had released those new Ultra Clear protectors, I contacted him so that I may get one of those for review, and indeed a few days later it was there in my mailbox, which I'm very thankful to Brando for.

At first glance when looking at the packaging, those new protectors claim a very good transparency (99%), so let's find out how good they actually are.

The wrapping around the protector is fine to protect it during transport (a plastic wrapping inside a cardboard protection which also serves as an instruction sheet, and the whole is inside another plastic wrapping, but it doesn't come with any tool (cloth or plastic card) to help cleaning or installing the protector. Also note that there's a single protector in the package, unlike some other brands where the protectors are cheaper but less durable, those can be removed, washed and put back on the PDA a few times.

When you remove the protector from its wrapping, you notice that it comes with two adhesive backings covering each of its faces. One of those is to be removed before installing the protector on the screen, with the just uncovered protector face applied on a perfectly cleaned screen (more on this topic in the next paragraph), while the other backing is removed only when the screen protector is completely installed and smoothed.

Let's face it, installing those protectors isn't 100% fool proof or newbie-friendly. First of all, you have to make sure that your PDA's screen is perfectly cleaned (i.e. no sweat or fingerprints, or even dust on it). For that, use your favorite method (alcohol spray, lint-free cloth, then maybe a small brush to get the rebel dust away (screen facing downward so that gravity helps getting rid of the dust). Then you have to make sure that dust floating in the air won't get trapped between the screen and the protector (and this is easier to say than to do!). The best trick here is to go in the kitchen (next to the kitchen stove where you'll be boiling water in one or many pans to create as much vapor as possible, or in the bathroom with a very hot shower running in the bathtub, again to create some water vapor in the air. This helps a lot getting rid of flying dust, and can be used regardless of the protector brand you're trying to apply on your PDA. Just make sure that you don't drop your PDA in hot or boiling water! ;-)

Now, with some experience, you can manage to put the protector without trapping either air or bubbles inside, and you can have a look at the result by turning on the PDA.

I must say that I was particularly impressed by the transparency of those screen protectors. Having used the regular "Protector Plus" for some time with various PDAs, I was getting used to the screen becoming slightly fuzzy and the colors slightly dulled after applying the protector, but with those new Ultra Clear protectors, it's really hard to tell the difference with/without protector when it comes to transparency of the protecting layer, and crispness of the colors. Just have a look at the two pictures below, the first one shows my Treo 600 without any protector, and the next with the Ultra Clear protector applied. You'll have to trust me on that one, as for me I can't see any visible difference on the pictures, and the human eye (at least mine) doesn't detect much more differences between the two!

Without screen protector...

With the Brando Ultra Clear protector

So, is the Ultra Clear protector the ultimate screen protector? Well, it all depends from your personal taste and skills. By skills, I mean that if you're able to install it without getting bubbles or dust beneath the screen protector (it really spoils the overall effect, but it's easy to avoid this if you're a bit careful, it just takes a bit to manage it on the first attempt!), then you'll certainly love it. As far as taste is concerned, well, some people don't like getting glares and reflects while looking at their PDAs, so they might prefer the regular "Protector Plus". Those who don't mind glares will find that this Ultra Clear protector provides a splendid transparency and unaffected colors, and good protection as well. Just make sure to keep a lint-free cloth in the vicinity if you're like me (i.e. if you have sweaty cheeks and use the Treo like a mobile phone) to remove the smudges on the screen, and you'll enjoy weeks of unobtrusive screen protection on your Treo 600!

Those protector can be ordered directly from Brando's website for US$13 (including shipment fees anywhere in the world) and you might ask your local shop if they carry it, I've seen Brando Workshop accessories in a couple of shops during my travels.