True grit: any device that uses a stylus for input is at risk of having its screen scratched. A stylus can get a piece of grit embedded in its tip that scratches the glass or plastic screen every time you use it. Screen protectors are your best defense, and cost much less than replacing your device's screen. There are a variety of protectors available, from inexpensive Radio Shack throw-aways to low-tac adhesive stick-on's to no-stick versions that slide under the screen frame. Whichever flavor you choose, your screen will be protected from damage. They are well worth the relatively small investment.

I can see clearly now
I received two sets of screen protectors from Exim for my Kyocera 7135 SmartPhone. One was marked as their new clear version being released in 2004. The other set had a very slight frosted look.

After throroughly (I thought) cleaning the screen and Grafitti area, I peeled off the backings and applied both protectors. The Grafitti area protector was slightly undersized and went on easily with no problems. The protector for the screen was slightly oversized and it was a wrestling match to get the sticky plastic film to fit and tuck the edges under the metal screen frame. If I had it to do over, I would have trimmed the protector to just a hair smaller than the screen.

Once applied, the Exim protectors work great. They are crystal clear and very easy to write on with the stylus. So far they have resisted any scratching and they seem smoother and more durable that other protectors I have used.

During the above-mentioned wrestling match, I managed to get a few tiny grains of flotsam beneath the screen protector which caused few small bubbles. Fortunately these are virtually invisible when using the device head-on; they can only be seen from an angle. So the message here is if you are working with screen protectors that are adhesive, even the low-tac kind, you must make sure your screen is clean-room clean. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Photos of transparent screen protectors would seem oxymoronic. I rate the Exim products 4 out of 5.

OUR RATING: 4 of 5

Dan Wolfson is a Project Manager for a southern California comunications technology company as well as a freelance writer and photographer in San Diego. His work has been published in Time, Life, USA Today and the South China Morning Post.