EFM Screen armour

Gorilla Glass may be tough but its no match for EFM Screen Armour

You have just shelled out $2,369 for that eye-wateringly expensive iPhone XS Max. But EFM knows that no matter how tough Gorilla Glass is, it can scratch and break. You need screen armour and 360° drop protection too.

I am one who has had to fork out a few hundred dollars for a genuine glass replacement. I am now more conscious of the need to protect the glass from pocket scratches and drops. F.Y.I. A genuine iPhone XS Max glass replacement is $518.95 unless you take out AppleCare+. Screen Armour is so much cheaper.

EFM (Australian website here) make a range of screen armour and minimalist’ to uber-leather cases for your iPhone (7 or later) or Samsung Galaxy/Note (8 or later).

EFM Screen Armour

I use a Samsung Note9. I have had it for a few weeks and already here are micro-scratches on the glass just from placing it in my pants pocket. Never, never put the phone and keys in the same pocket.

EFM screen armour

I selected the EFM Screen Armour with a curved edge (website here). There is an iPhone XR/XS/Max equivalent.

Having used tempered glass protectors previously, I was aware that they could result in a loss of touch sensitivity. Fortunately Samsung Note (and iPhone X series) has a special setting for Touch Sensitivity and with the swipe of a button it was as if there was no screen protector there at all.

I guess the moral of that is before you buy any screen protector search for a touch sensitivity feature in the phone settings first.

I was also impressed with the ease of application. EFM provides an applicator plug that slips into the USB-C charge slot and has two locating lugs for the screen. Clean the glass first with the alcohol wipe, remove the adhesive film and locate it on the lugs. Then remove the outer application film. Very simple and accurate.

The Armor Glass rates 9H on Mohs hardness scale – glass is a five and diamond is a ten. It also uses an oleophobic coating to help reduce fingerprints.

GadgetGuy’s take. If you have an expensive device its worth $49 to protect it.

EFM Aspen case armour

For the most part, I have used Samsung’s flip cover case – the one that allows the time to project through the front cover. But I realised that it was not that great at impact resistance. In the few times, I have dropped a Galaxy or Note it has popped out of the cover.

EFM screen armour

This time I selected the EFM Aspen Case Armour. Similarly, there are iPhone equivalents.

It is just a little thicker than the plastic bumper case protector that comes with the Note9. But it handles drops from six-metres and it is D30 protected. D3O technologies use non-Newtonian principles. In its raw form, the material’s molecules flow freely, allowing it to be soft and flexible, but on impact, lock together to dissipate impact energy and reduce transmitted force.

This adds a few millimetres to the Note9 but not much more than the fairly useless plastic bumper case. Power/Bixby and Volume buttons have a rubber bumper buttons to compensate for the thickness. The S Pen, bottom speaker, 3.5mm and USB-C connector have larger cut-outs for easy access.

GadgetGuy’s take. If you have an expensive device its worth $49.95 to protect it.

Other EFM products

If you have an iPhone the Monaco leather RFID blocking case at $79.95 has D30 protection and cash/card pockets. EFM also make a range of Bluetooth speakers, 10W Qi and car power chargers and power banks.

Availability

Online or at JB HiFi, Officeworks, HappyTel, PTC Phone Accessories and selected Telstra and Optus stores.