amFilm Screen Protector for Google Pixel 2 XL

Protecting your smartphone with cases and screen protectors may be a standard regimen for people who are prone to dropping or some way or other dropping them. I’ve previously reviewed several cases for the Google Pixel 2 XL. I have here a review of the amFilm Screen Protector.

In general, there are two types of materials used in screen protectors: plastic film and tempered glass. The latter costs more, but I almost always recommend them because they feel so much better to use. Being made of real glass, they feel similar to the actual smartphone’s screen, and your fingers glide over the surface much more easily. Considering the amount of swiping and pinching required in our mobile user interfaces, going with tempered glass is almost a given for me.

This amFilm’s screen protector is made of tempered glass. Instead of an all clear glass, amFilm’s glass has black borders around the actual display area. It’s supposed to help you align the glass better, though I personally don’t find that more helpful. Nevertheless, the black areas matches the black glass bezels of the Google Pixel 2 XL perfectly, so they do not affect the look of the smartphone.

Tempered glass is hard and inflexible. To this end, given the curved edges of the Google Pixel 2 XL’s screen, the amFilm’s screen protector is noticeably curved at the edges. It’s not just the 2.5D or 3D effect where the top surface tapers toward the bottom surface, but you can see that the bottom surface actually curves downward. This does mean that the amFilm’s screen protector offers full edge-to-edge protection. It just stops short of the edges by a minuscule amount to not affect cases, or be affected by cases, if you want to use them.

With 0.3 mm thickness, the tempered glass does add a noticeable and visible layer to the screen surface, though only if you go looking for it. In normal use of the smartphone, you won’t notice the tempered glass there, particularly since it actually feels just like the original glass on the Pixel 2 XL’s screen.

I do find the amFilm’s screen protector slightly more reflective than the original glass on the Pixel 2 XL. It made me conscious of the screen protector being there, but after a few days of use, I’ve gotten used to it.

Application of the amFilm screen protector is relatively simple. amFilm provides a microfibre cloth, a wet wipe, a dry wipe, and several sticky tapes to lift off stubborn specks of glass. Do note that only the edges of the screen protector are adhesive. The rest of it has no adhesive. The transparent glass area is covered by hundreds of microscopic transparent dots which, according to amFilm, mimics the contact of your finger on the screen. This guarantees the screen protector application will be bubble free and have no halo effects on the edges.

This amFilm Google Pixel 2 XL Tempered Glass Screen Protector 3D Curved with Dot Matrix for Google Pixel 2 XL is available from Amazon (affiliate link) for US$12.99.

Conclusion

The amFilm screen protector for Google Pixel 2 XL offers excellent and full protection for the device’s screen.

Pros:

• Curved to reach the edges of the screen
• Compatible with protective cases
• Glass is smooth and easy for fingers to slide on
• Easy application

Cons:

• Slightly more reflective