The verdict is out fellow Eldoret Folk, The Liquid Screen Protector is a Hoax. But first, the preface. Forget heartbreaks, have you ever dropped your phone and experienced the first five seconds of anguish where your soul just leaves your body out of utter shock. Then comes the prayers as you pick it up hoping that the screen is not broken. Worse still have you ever decided to change your screen protector because it’s broken already so you remove the broken screen protector then Murphy’s Law suddenly comes into play on your way to the replacement store. Gosh, devil working overtime.
Everyone can agree with me that having a phone with a cracked screen is not interesting at all, you don’t even want to hold it out in public despite it being a Rose Gold iPhone X, the prestige is gone. This is why we are always taking precaution to ensure that our phones have a screen protector to secure them from scratches or breaking after a nasty fall. On to the topic, the Hoax in the Nano liquid screen protector.
At first dealers of this new technology were mostly found in malls, (ma odi hawangefika bei) but now we see them along streets in town with some hawking the services with tags on their neck while carrying a briefcase seemingly highly confidential, it’s like the elixir of life is contained in there. Judging by the number of new entries into the liquid screen protector business, appears more lucrative than the money doubling business, margins are good (LOL)
I know most of us have basic or zero knowledge on the liquid screen protector, so what exactly is it?
A Nano liquid screen protector is a Silicon Dioxide liquid application that adds an invisible layer of coating which should ‘strengthen’ the screen and also contains scratch resistance properties. This liquid Silicon Dioxide basically goes over a phone screen and fills it completely giving the phone a smooth finish. An important feature is that unlike the ordinary glass screen protectors, the liquid screen protector is permanent. This essentially means that the screen and the liquid (once solidifies) become inseparable, which also means that an impact to the ‘protector’ is an impact to the screen. Unlike the glass screen protectors that offer a buffer between the screen and the force.
Thinking of getting one? How about we do some mazematic!
A glass protector costs, say 200bob and it serves its purpose, although not full proof. but it protects the screen from direct impact and scratches, the upside to it is that you can replace a glass protector easily whenever it gets broken or badly scratched. However the liquid protector serves one purpose, scratch resisting only. When it comes to falls regardless of how minor, in most cases you will have to replace your screen. Many people have had to replace their screens for knee high falls mainly because the liquid protector makes your screen even more brittle and likely to crack in case of a fall.
Back to mazematic, At first the liquid protector services costed around a thousand bob but due to the mad influx into the market, I meant to understand that the service can go for as low as a 100 bob. That’s already a red flag for me.
Some of the Individuals who’ve fallen victim to this scam have been ranting tirelessly and lashing out in all manner of anger and regret on social media.
I think the one factor that has contributed to this mass extortion of Kenyans is the marketing strategy employed when selling this illusion. The guys will literally drill a phone purportedly strengthened by the liquid protector just to show you how real it is. That illustration and the cheap installation price seem, well, good enough. I can’t fault you if you’ve already been scammed. At least your screen looks glossy and shinny.
My advice to everyone reading this article; cheap is so damn expensive! Invest in a tough tempered screen protector, when you see the liquid screen protector dealers and their briefcases run, flee, scatter. If you are the confrontational type then hit them with facts because it is a scam and definitely not worth the trouble!
P/s if you’re a millennial you might not relate with this. Once upon a time when the mobile phones hit the 254 market, there was a widely popular gadget that was rumored to protect the mobile phone user from harmful cancer causing radiation emanating from the earpiece. It was a mesh like thingy placed on top of the earpiece (it’s an ancient thing, no images online) All I can say LIQUID SCREEN PROTECTOR and Radiation Protector… One Side.
Great article. You’ve really enlightened me with information on the so called ‘Liquid Glass Protector’.
A few corrections to this article; 1.The title is specific on LGP, some readers prefer reading words that do not drift away from the tittle. So the preface can be used in another topic that highlighs on how people associate with their phones. Keep it up Cynthia. Nice reading.