Droid Turbo First Impressions

[Yeti35]

I've had the Verizon Tempered Glass screen protector on my Turbo since the day I got the phone on release day. No complaints what so ever.

I have it on mine as well and no issues what so ever with it. I removed the one on my Maxx HD and regretted it after I some how managed to scratch that screen. about a year later I also managed to crack it. I never got it fixed since it was of no hinderance while using the phone and it's time was about up.

 

[FoxKat]

My only complaints for the Verizon Flexible Glass protectors (image immediately below), are that it's not Tempered Glass, its edges are sharp (and subject to chipping), and it doesn't have all the proper cutouts. Not to mention it's cut too small, should be longer and wider, and have beveled or rolled edges. In other words, everything...

Just like the cutout at the top right, it should have two more at bottom left and right corners as well since there are 3 IR LED radiators to assist in the motion sensing and hand gestures. The two on the bottom are so that as you reach for your phone it knows before your hand gets to the top. The sensor at the top detects the IR reflection from your hand off the bottom IR LEDs first. By having glass on top, it reduces the effectiveness of the IR LEDs, and also refracts the light slightly changing its angle of attack on your hands, diffuses it slightly as well making it less intense and directional.

Notice the cutouts at the bottom on the Lifeproof Case? Same spots should be cut out on the screen protector.

The one to the right on the one above from Xtreme Guard (which I'm not sure but may be plastic for the front but is certainly plastic for the back), has the dimples for the microphones but is missing the IR cutouts on the top right and bottom corners.

The Skinomi Techskin has the bottom cutouts as seen above, and comes down very close to bottom and meets the edges nicely.

ArmourSuit is the only one I've been able to find in my cursory searches that has all the necessary cutouts (but missing the dimples for the microphones), and is long enough yet it's plastic...

 

[Yeti35]

So what you are saying is the bottom ones really are not working as they should with the screen protector over them? I did try to approach the phone from the bottom and it does not seem to activate the screen at all until I get near the top of the screen. That is something to consider for sure.

 

[FoxKat]

So what you are saying is the bottom ones really are not working as they should with the screen protector over them? I did try to approach the phone from the bottom and it does not seem to activate the screen at all until I get near the top of the screen. That is something to consider for sure.

That is exactly what I'm saying.

Now, it really isn't supposed to activate until you reach near the top anyway, but the question is at what distance above the screen and how far north of center. It will respond better with no screen protection over those IR LEDs, meaning from greater distance above, and also closer to center or not as far north before activating the Active Display.

Also the wave to silence is activated by swipe from right to left better than from left to right, and that's because there are TWO IR LEDs on the right side of the phone, one at the top and the other at the bottom, whereas there's only the one at the bottom on the left. This is I think because most people are right-handed and the motion from right to left is easier and more natural for right-handed people. However that means it's less effective for lefties.

Also, that may be why the Verizon one is too short. Instead of paying for the proper length and the additional cutouts, they may have opted for the less expensive straight cut across the bottom and so shortening will expose those IR LEDs. It's a poor substitute for the proper fit IMHO. Makes the edge of the glass sit just at the bottom of the capacitive buttons and so you feel the glass edge when you hit them. Not my preferred user experience. Same holds true when swiping across the screen and feeling the right and left edges of the glass.

I didn't experience it, but that glass is so sharp along the edges that I wonder if it couldn't actually cut my ear when using the phone if I were to slide it sideways while pressed against my ear...something you do not have to worry about with the beveled or rolled edges of the premium Tempered Glass protectors or the plastic ones.

 

[Yeti35]

Well, I have not cut my ear as of yet, but not to say it couldn't happen. For me the bottom is not much of a concern given mine is in a case and I don't feel that edge as much. I'll let mine on for now and see how things go. I have only had the phone for not even a month yet. Thanks for your insight though and I will keep an eye on things to see how it works out. I know the night i got my phone the one tech at Verizon went through three of those protectors trying to install it on a customers IPhone. She did not even attempt mine and passed me on to another tech that night. Customer was in a serious hurry and was giving her a bunch of flak for taking so long.

 

[iiWoodstocK]

I haven't experienced any issues with Active Display and a screen protector that doesn't have any cutouts for the IR sensors. I still have the plastic cover that is on the phone out of the box that had the white markings for button labels, the headphone jack and the white corner on the bottom right and I haven't had any problems. (Lol, and I've had my Turbo for 3 months) And for the first 2 months, the bottom right was still covered by the white layer, until a month ago when I scratched the white off.

 

[kodiak799]

I haven't experienced any issues with Active Display and a screen protector that doesn't have any cutouts for the IR sensors.

Maybe I'm just not satisfied with the lag/sensitivity. Waving my hand to see the time or if I have messages works well, but the "wave to silence" was never satisfactory. Perhaps I didn't stick with it long enough to smart adjust to my mechanics? Or I was just "doing it wrong".

 

[iiWoodstocK]

Maybe I'm just not satisfied with the lag/sensitivity. Waving my hand to see the time or if I have messages works well, but the "wave to silence" was never satisfactory. Perhaps I didn't stick with it long enough to smart adjust to my mechanics? Or I was just "doing it wrong".

I've always had "wave to silence" turned off so I've never had any experiences with it

 

[FoxKat]

I found that if I waved too close, it wouldn't work. It specifies 6" from the front of the phone. Most people will tend to swipe about 3" away or about the width of a hand. So for greater reliability wave about two hand-widths away, and adjust accordingly.

I am not saying you will definitely have problems with a screen protector that covers those IR emitters, but it will have some impact to the amount of IR light that gets transmitted, no matter how little it really does reduce it by. If it's a 5% reduction, you might find that 6" is too far away and you have to wave from closer, like 5.5". to most we're not going to get a ruler out and check, we'll just adjust our wave till it works.

Regarding the actual sensor at the top, there were Droid RAZRs and RAZR MAXXs that came with a plastic screen protector just like the one that came on the Turbo. Just like @iiWoodstocK , I kept that one on my MAXX, and like him I rubbed the white text off. Initially I didn't think I was having any problems with the screen protector in place but it didn't have a cutout over the proximity sensor (next to the front camera), and what I found eventually is that the feature that shuts off the screen when you bring the phone to your face wasn't working correctly. Sometimes it would stay on, other times, it would go off but wouldn't come back on when I brought the phone away from my face.

There were others experiencing the same issue. It was eventually determined, I think it might have been @94lt1 who figured it out, that the screen protector was the culprit. Sure enough, removed the screen protector and I never had an issue with it again. So it all depends on what frequency or wavelength of light is passing through the screen protector and what frequencies of light it might naturally attenuate.

Since IR is invisible to the human eye, looking at glass that completely blocks IR, we see nothing but clear glass. This type of glass is commonly used for window glass in houses and other buildings (most commonly in the South) to reduce the amount of heat that penetrates the building and reduces the efficiency of the air conditioning. The same holds true for UV light. So if the glass looks clear to our eyes, that doesn't mean it is in all wavelengths of light. It might block significant light in any of a number of wavelengths, both visible and invisible to the human eye. Of course, if it blocks a specific visible color or wavelength of light, the glass will appear tinted in the opposing color. In other words glass that blocks blue light will appear orange/red;

and red blocking glass will appear blue/green.

Infrared blocking glass appears clear or slightly gray;

And UV blocking also appears clear;

 

[iiWoodstocK]

Yea true. Forgot about the fact that certain clear materials will filter IR, and others partially and other that allow IR to completely pass through. I personally haven't had any issues leaving the original screen protector on, though I wonder how leaving the bottom right corner covered by the white didn't affect anything for me.

 

[kodiak799]

I found that if I waved too close, it wouldn't work. It specifies 6" from the front of the phone.

That sounds about right. You need to wave your hand over a certain area, at a certain angle, a certain distance away, at a certain speed. I like the idea, but the execution leaves a little to be desired. I assume part of the problem is if it wasn't somewhat specific then people would be accidentally dismissing bunches of calls.

 

[bruben7886]

FoxKat: you mention that the vz glass protector is too short. I agree with your reason..... manufacturing price.
You also mention that it's too narrow. I like the size of the vz glass protector just the way it is.
Lemme explain.
The screen on this phone is beveled, it "drops" down at edges near the bezel. I found this out after installing a glass protector I bought on Amazon. I believe someone posted a picture of a turbo with that screen protector on another thread. The edges don't "sit" right. Picture placing a flat glass on a sphere. I know, way too exaggerated; however, that mental image paints the picture of the point I'm trying to make.
I'd gladly drop a few Xtra bucks on a glass protector the size of verizon's...... ONLY If it had beveled edges.
A full sized glass protector won't sit right on this phone, even with all the proper cutouts.

 

[FoxKat]

I hear you and know what you're saying. The glass needs to be no larger than the flat part of the screen glass or it will overhang and collect dust and look like crap. One of our staff, @droidprincess has one (i think it's a plastic one) that's cut too large and sits out over the rolled glass edges and she called it a "halo".

 

[bruben7886]

Yup. Had one of those for a few days.... Went back to plastic