Of all the components of a smartphone, the screen is often the first one to get damaged. Personally, I'm not a big fan of screen protectors. While the technology has improved of late, early exposure to the bubbles they trap soured me on the experience years ago. Then a new company caught my eye.
Screen Skinz makes a tempered glass screen protector for most iPhones, starting with the iPhone 14. The company can etch the screen protector with a design that is visible when your screen is off, but disappears when the screen turns on. They offered to send a sample, and I requested one engraved with my YouTube channel's logo, "Benefit of the Doud" (see below).
Screen Skinz uses the same "wet wipe/dry cloth/dust sticker" installation process as other screen protectors do. That's always been a challenge for me, but on the first try, I got it to lie flat and bubble free.
The etching is very light, so as not to obscure the screen when it's on. If I viewed the screen at an angle when it was off, I could clearly see my logo, which is pretty cool. With the screen on, I didn't see the logo all – except faintly on a mostly white screen, such as a Google search page.
A compromise is likely inevitable here. Because the etching has to be light, you really do need to look at the right angle to see the design. It isn't bold enough that you'll casually see the design while your phone is resting on a table.
Image quality, as well as functionality such as FaceID, taps, swipes, and touches are unaffected. That's worth mentioning, because low-quality screen protectors can affect phones in a negative way.
Read more: How to Extend the Life of Your Phone
This screen protector is compatible with the iPhone 17 – the model I installed it on. The thing is, this is the first year that Apple introduced the Always-on Display (AOD) to the entry-level iPhone model. With AOD enabled, you can't see the etching. That's not really Screen Skinz's fault, but it diminishes the product appeal.
I would much rather have the AOD than the screen etching, but I understand that's a personal preference. Turning off the AOD will save you a fair amount of battery, after all, so many people probably won't have it on to begin with. If you're one of those people, Screen Skinz adds a bit of fun to what is otherwise a generic smartphone accessory.
You can pick one up on the Screen Skinz website or on Amazon with pre-etched designs, including NFL teams and Hello Kitty. Most versions sell for $39.99 which is not a bad price for a tempered glass screen protector, but you can certainly find others (without the etching) for cheaper.
[Image credit: Adam Doud/Techlicious]
