Boxwave Cleartouch Antiglare Screen Protector for PSP
Boxwave.com
Price: $10.95
Rating:

Along with the many known products from Boxwave are their Cleartouch Screen Protectors. Unlike most screen protectors, the Cleartouch are meant to last a very long time and use the idea of you buy one and it lasts a long time. This is a much different idea than most of the other screen protectors you see in retail stores that will give you a 12 pack for the price you are paying for one Cleartouch. It can be hard to get used to this idea since you are paying 10.95 for 1 when other companies sell upwards of 12 for the same price, but trust me on this, the Cleartouch is well worth the extra money.

Packaged very nicely in a retail package, we received the Cleartouch AntiGlare version. This version can cause some distortion and is not totally clear (if you want totally clear you can go with the Cleartouch Crystal), but it does make it so you do not have that mirror type finish on your screen that the PSP tends to have. In the package you will find:

• Soft Lint Free Cloth
• Screen Protector itself
• Squeegee

The Lint Free Cloth is for taking the dust and dirt off your screen before applying the screen protector and for after you have the screen protector on. For the PSP I found it also worked great to clean off the grease and finger prints on the black finish (which tends to collect LOTS of finger prints).

Unlike other screen protectors, the PSP version is not a perfect rectangle, and it does not cover the whole front of the PSP. Instead, it has two straight sides, and then the two sides towards the buttons/controls have a slight curve. There also are two half moon cutouts to go around the square button and the one side of the D-Pad. They are different sizes, so the screen protector does have only one way that it can go on (the larger half moon is for the D-Pad, the smaller is for the square button). The top and bottom are the straight sides and they line up PERFECTLY with the edge of the screen, so you need to be careful when lining it up to make sure you cover the screen.

Applying the screen protector is a tricky task for the inexperienced. But this protector is no harder than any other screen protector you will buy. In fact I almost tend to think the Boxwave protectors are a bit easier to apply since they are a bit thicker (since they last longer and are of higher quality), and thus do not curl on themselves like cheaper protectors will. Here is my method for installing the protector on the PSP (you can of course do as you feel fit, but this is what I found worked best).

1. Wipe down the whole front of the PSP with the lint free cloth. Try to make it so there are no dust specs on the screen area.
2. Peel back just a bit of the backing on the screen protector at the bottom edge.
3. Line up the bottom edge of the screen protector with the bottom edge of the PSP's screen
4. Get out the squeegee and begin using it to slowly wipe and smooth the protector on to the screen IN SMALL INCREMENTS, do not try to put the whole protector on the screen and then wipe out the air bubbles, it will NOT work well.
5. As you are wiping the screen protector onto the screen, remove the protective backing as you go.
6. Once on the screen, check for air bubbles and wipe them out using smooth, even wipes using the squeegee.

Once this was complete, I had pretty much zero air bubbles and I was very happy with the look. The protector protected the full screen of my PSP, and also has a very nice look to it.

Now, you may be wondering about the AntiGlare vs. Crystal and which is best for you. I have used both (even though this is just a review of the AntiGlare), and personally I think it all comes down to where you use your device the most. The antiglare really helps if you are in well lit areas where you usually find your self looking into a mirror (this happens quite a bit if you are using the PSP Screen alone or with the Crystal Protectors). But, the antiglare does degrade the quality a bit and can soften the image. The most noticeable is the whites where you tend to see a more dirty white. Crystal on the other hand looks the same as the PSP without a screen protector at all. It is great if you will be in darker areas where you have had no problems with the normal PSP screen. My personal choice for me is the Antiglare as I have gotten used to it and I mostly play in well lit rooms that tend to glare on the normal screen.

Overall I feel that the Cleartouch for PSP is a must buy. Whether it be the Antiglare or Crystal, both are very well made and meant to last. You may be only getting 1 for the price that you can get 12 packs of cheaper protectors, but this 1 will outlast all those 12 and save you the troubles of reapplying protectors every few weeks.

Pros:

• Great Reduction of Glare
• Made to last
• Easier to apply than cheaper protectors

Cons:

• Still a screen protector and some will still have problems putting it on
• Price can seem like a lot for 1 protector

Thanks to Boxwave for the review sample!