The Product
I've had this since day one, but I didn't use it because the pre applied screen protector on my 8T lasted longer than usual. With previous devices, the pre applied screen protector would scratch like crazy or start to peel off from the sides within a week. This time that was not the case which is why I'm so late with this review lol.
The Content
Here's what you get inside the box.
- Screen protector
- Applicator tool (the white plastic bumper)
- Scraping tool
- Microfiber cloth
- Dust remover sticker
- Instructions
The Details
I love OnePlus attention to detail and design. They put a lot of time and effort into things like this and I really appreciate that they do. The OnePlus logos on the microfiber cloth and the scraping tool 😍. The micro fiber cloth allows you to clean your device with ease before applying the screen protector. Once applied, if there are any bubbles you can push them out easily with the scraping tool. The shape and design of the scraping card is shaped in such a way that you get proper grip and it's pointy enough that you can press out those bubbles from the corners very easily without any struggle. I've always thought the Applicator tools were cool even after applying the screen protector. I'd use it randomly and pretend I had a pre production device like you'd see at CES or random OnePlus YouTube videos. I know, I'm a fan boy lol. 😂
The New Screen
And we have the screen protector itself. The first thing I noticed was it covers the front facing camera. Unlike most screen protectors where they do various cutouts, OnePlus found a way to completely cover the punch hole which is something I really like.
The Old Screen
The camera cut out in the pre applied screen protector was always getting dirty and cleaning it was always a bit of a hassle. With the way OnePlus designed the tempered glass screen protector, I don't have to worry about that anymore. This got me curious, how did they do this?
The Secret
I decided to peak on the underside of the screen protector to see what was going on under there. It turns out the glass covering the camera is thinner than the glass covering the rest of the screen. And it is like this for one reason. Camera quality. Covering the front facing camera with a full adhesive screen protector would effect the quality of the pictures taken with the front facing camera. Indenting the screen protector from the inside detaches the screen protector from the camera and the black rim applied around the cut out nullifies the rainbow effect of the cut glass and prevents any of that adhesive from seeping into that cut out and messing with the picture quality.
The Selfie
I didn't want to scare you guys with a selfie of myself so I hope the Green ranger will suffice lol. I took this picture with the front facing camera. As you can see the picture quality is perfect.
The Good
Back to the screen protector. The black rim applied to the camera cutout is not noticeable when viewing the screen head on. But the second you move or tilt the phone a little bit....
The Bad
...you get this ☝️😟. This is the only weird thing about this screen protector. But like I said earlier, they did this for various reasons. Because of those reasons, I'm okay with it. I'd take a screen protector like this, that completely covers the display and camera over some junk with a crappy cutout that gets dirty and grimy and also gives off a horrible rainbow effect. Like this one 👇
The Competition
This screen protector my wife got from the T-Mobile store since the T-Mobile variant doesn't come with a pre applied screen protector. What OnePlus did with their tempered glass screen protector design is far superior to everything on the market right now.
The Look
Another thing I'm impressed with is how thin this screen protector is. I've been using OnePlus tempered glass screen protectors since the OnePlus 3T and this is by far the thinnest one they've made. The reason why this is important is because this improves the overall feel of the phone. To compare this with the last phone I owner, the OnePlus 7T, that tempered glass screen protector was so thick, that you could feel the bump and separation from the original screen to the tempered glass when swiping up, or from the sides and edges.
The Feel
With how thin the screen protector is now, swiping and scrolling is so smooth and seamless. It feels like there isn't a screen protector there at all.
The Compatability
We all know that OnePlus screen protectors play nice with OnePlus cases. It's nice to know that the OnePlus 8T screen protector also plays nice with my Spigen cases. This lead me to compare the two screen protector designs since my wife and I both have the same case.
The Design
The picture speaks for itself.
The Precision
Here I'm showing you guys how well designed and precisely cut the OnePlus screen protector is compared to the competition. OnePlus is so far ahead of the game is with this, I find it laughable.
The Benefits
This picture right here is to show off how beneficial the black lining is to the design of the screen protector. The rainbow effect on the edges diminishes the quality of the display. And as weird as the black lining is around the front camera, if it weren't there, the display would suffer from a circular rainbow effect and potential quality issues with the front facing camera.
The Conclusion
Overall I can tell you guys that this is the best tempered glass screen protector that OnePlus has ever made. From what they did to cover the front facing camera, to how thin they made the screen protector, to the silky smooth feel on my fingertips, this is a must have for all OnePlus 8T users.
By Antonio_Luis