I just upgraded to the iPhone 4S, and like millions of people, I want to add some protection to my precious new gadget without sacrificing the aesthetic qualities of the device.  This is not a new dilemma, since my last phone was the iPhone 4, which is nearly identical in design to the iPhone 4S — yet there is something about this iPhone that screams “try something different this time!”

First, Some History

For the iPhone 4, I began with the Zagg invisibleSHIELD, hoping to go for a minimalist option that wouldn’t degrade the new iPhone’s gorgeous retina display.  I’d heard great things about Zagg protective films:  they came with a lifetime guarantee, and you could have them installed professionally at Best Buy stores.  Since I always upgrade through Best Buy Mobile, it seemed the perfect solution for me.  That is, until I actually had it installed. The first thing I noticed was how “gummy” the Zagg shield made the surface of the iPhone feel, and how it took the sparkling magic right out of the beautiful glass.  Touch screen sensitivity lost nothing, but the overall look and feel of the Zagg screen protector left much to be desired.  Furthermore, within a couple of weeks it began to peel up around the edges like the skin of a wrinkled prune.

My next stop was the Griffin Reveal Frame Case.  It’s like a bumper, but with hard plastic protection for the aluminum around the outside of the iPhone.  Griffin makes two Reveal cases, and I got the one without a back.  This provided some edge lift, but no screen protection on the front or back, and I soon noticed some annoying, minor scratches here and there on the iPhone’s pristine glass surfaces.

That experience threw me into fits of OCD that resulted in my purchase of the bulky yet efficient Otterbox Defender.  I can honestly say that in terms of total, complete protection of the both the screen and body of the iPhone, you can’t beat the Otterbox.  But it sure did bulk up my beautiful iPhone, and since I don’t work in a construction zone, am not a college student, and don’t tend to drop things often, I kept wishing I’d just gone with a decent front and back screen protector film instead.  After dishing out for three different kinds of protection, though, I felt I’d spent enough money for a while and decided to stick it out with the Otterbox, so that’s what I did.

Until today.  I figured that since I’d upgraded to the iPhone 4S, it deserved its very own protection. Besides, my son (who is a college student, and does drop things often) will be inheriting my iPhone 4, so the Otterbox has to go to him.  Today, I outfitted my iPhone 4S with the best crystal clear front and back screen protector films I have ever found:  the Splash Masque screen protective film for iPhone 4/4S.

Quick Review:

The first image shows the packaging as I received it.  Inside are three front protection films, two back protection films, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a stiff card for smoothing out any air bubbles during application.  The application process was quick and easy, and without bubbles.  That’s very important to me because I obsess about my screen and its appearance.  My iPhone 4S looks stunning in this minimalist protection.  The screen is brilliant, and I don’t have to worry about the front or back glass getting scratched. It literally is so clear that is appears there is nothing there. I love the look and feel of a “naked” iPhone, so I believe I’ve found a winner here.

*Note that my carrier is AT&T.  Since there are slight variations in iPhone cutout areas by carrier, you will need to be sure that the Splash Masque films you purchase are designed to fit your iPhone.  Check out all of their great stuff at Splash.