# REVIEW: XGear's Spectre (newest version)



## quarterinchkilla (Sep 28, 2011)

Background:
I ordered the XGear Spectre Tempered Glass Screen protector back on August 16th (1st Version). Upon receiving it I noticed the infamous dots (which didn't bother me really), the rainbowing and most annoying of all, the proximity sensor issue. Since then the protector has gone through 2 revisions, I will be talking about the latest one. I dealt with the very first one for about 5 days and finally I got fed up and took it off because I couldn't end a phone call in the dark without holding it directly in front of a light or pulling the battery.

Pics of first version notice small dots for proximity sensor:
















Shortly after returning the XGear product, Spigen released their Glas screen protector which is very similar, they actually cut out the glass and also use clear glass around the "SAMSUNG" logo so it shows through (nice touch) also they include bumpers to raise up your home button (its still recessed but the colors match, Im using the white screen protector on a blue phone). However theirs is plagued by an insensitivity on the screen, as if it doesn't sit perfectly flush, the only complaint but a HUGE ONE. I use swift key for those curious and I had to slow down my text speed to a hunt and peck method basically. They finally acknowledged the fault in their product and I am in the process of getting a refund.

Spigens version (notice "SAMSUNG" is "cut out" on theirs:
















Unboxing:
After unboxing the newest iteration of the XGear Spectre I immediately noticed that the proximity sensor is now a cutout in the glass per se, its actually still covered but its all clear now instead of two small holes, also there are no dots on it what-so-ever.

Installation:
I installed it in a steamed room to calm the dust and after doing this about 3 times ive learned how to apply it near flawlessly.

Results:
I can say that so far I am more then pleased with the protector. There are NO sensitivity issues (Im back to texting full speed), NO proximity sensor issues (Tested in a dark room, called myself from the my home phone, proximity sensor worked flawlessly), there are NO dots (looks like a solid piece of glass) and there is NO rainbowing. I recommend this one over Spigen's.

Another small tidbit, XGear's protector actually covers more of the screen. It may be difficult to see in the pictures but it almost touches my Spigen case, whereas the Spigen screen protector left a few millimeters all the way around (not a huge deal but something I thought I would mention because I prefer it covering as much of the screen as possible).

Final XGear Spectre:





































Thanks again pmoradi2002 for giving me one of the first looks at this newest Spectre.


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## mbh87 (Jun 14, 2011)

I'm really contemplating getting one after seeing this. I'm just not sure how well it would play with my case. DO you happen to have any other cases that the slim one in the pics?


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## Breezer23 (Jun 11, 2011)

And I assume they aren't giving these to people who ordered the older revision? I feel a little conned.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## mbh87 (Jun 14, 2011)

Breezer23 said:


> And I assume they aren't giving these to people who ordered the older revision? I feel a little conned.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Thats just the way it works when you are an early adopter. Companies revise things all the time. I think they offer 15% off if you send them your old one though.


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## icanhazdroid (Jun 24, 2011)

Breezer23 said:


> And I assume they aren't giving these to people who ordered the older revision? I feel a little conned.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


I don't like xgear. Crap quality glass that shatters if you so much as shift it over a little. I was told in the nexus thread I could remove it at will. Wrong.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## cordell (Sep 8, 2011)

Did you (or anyone) happen to buy the case they offer you at check-out? Link to case is below, just wondering how NFC plays with it, and how much thicker the device is with the case?

Thanks!

http://www.xgearlive.com/products/android/samsung/xgrs4


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## mbh87 (Jun 14, 2011)

cordell said:


> Did you (or anyone) happen to buy the case they offer you at check-out? Link to case is below, just wondering how NFC plays with it, and how much thicker the device is with the case?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> http://www.xgearlive.com/products/android/samsung/xgrs4


The case is similar to case-mates so just look up reviews on amazon for it and see what it says.


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## quarterinchkilla (Sep 28, 2011)

I use Spigen's Ultra thin air case in matte white for those wondering

edit: oh yea btw NFC is unaffected by this case fyi

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2


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## fordtheriver (Jun 30, 2011)

My issue with my X-Gear protector is that I readjusted the screen protector enough times that there are now little white dots, from what I'm assuming is where the adhesive bunched up. The rainbow dots never fade, but I'll still take the responsiveness. I would really like to know if there is a discount for trading in for the newer model.


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## pmoradi2002 (Jan 7, 2012)

fordtheriver said:


> My issue with my X-Gear protector is that I readjusted the screen protector enough times that there are now little white dots, from what I'm assuming is where the adhesive bunched up. The rainbow dots never fade, but I'll still take the responsiveness. I would really like to know if there is a discount for trading in for the newer model.


Shoot us an email.


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## Matt1024 (Jul 14, 2012)

I'm really interested in this protector but I have a puregear px260 case that screws together and I don't know if it will be compatible. Anyone know if it'll work?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Matt1024 said:


> I'm really interested in this protector but I have a puregear px260 case that screws together and I don't know if it will be compatible. Anyone know if it'll work?


I just got a Spectre in yesterday for review and if that case wasn't so expensive, I'd try it. I just can't justify dropping $30 for a case I know I won't use, though. Like you, I too would be concerned. Maybe you can test it with a thin piece of cardboard (maybe a tad thicker than a cereal box thickness but thinner than twice that thickness) and judge it based on the indentations that the case leaves in the cardboard.


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## Matt1024 (Jul 14, 2012)

Thanks! Didn't think about that. I actually got this case for about $15 on thecellguru.com. I'm liking it so far especially with a 2 year old boy that likes taking things apart lol

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Matt1024 said:


> I'm liking it so far especially with a 2 year old boy that likes taking things apart lol


Looks like a GREAT case for that situation!

From what I can tell from photos, that case is DEFINITELY going to overlap on top of the glass screen protector. My CruzerLite, on the other hand, is about perfectly sized so it's up against it but not over it nor leaving a gap.


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## Matt1024 (Jul 14, 2012)

Yeah he hasn't found the Allen wrenches yet lol. I'll probably try it here soon. My main concern was if it would pop up due to the case.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

ISSUE RESOLVED


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## MistaWolfe (Oct 10, 2011)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> THIS THING IS GARBAGE! DO NOT BUY. IT DIDN'T EVEN LAST A MONTH. I DO NOTHING BUT PUT IT IN MY POCKET, IT SCRATCHED AND THEY WON'T FIX IT! BRUTAL PRODUCT, BRUTAL SERVICE!


This guy is spam and is hitting every thread.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

MistaWolfe said:


> This guy is spam and is hitting every thread.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Not at all. Chief smartass. Just a pissed off, about this crap. I don't mind paying premium cost, but with no sort of replacement for an obvious manufacturing defect, expect people to get mad.


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## pmoradi2002 (Jan 7, 2012)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> Not at all. Chief smartass. Just a pissed off, about this crap. I don't mind paying premium cost, but with no sort of replacement for an obvious manufacturing defect, expect people to get mad.


So you bought both a Spectre and Fantom and they both scratched?


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

ISSUE RESOLVED


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> there is no way the one I received has the specs advertised. I didn't expect bulletproof glass, and I never expected it to last forever but the screen on the device is stronger than the cover I got.


FYI, Gorilla Glass hardness is ~9U (the screen on your device), the Spectre's hardness is ~8U, and normal glass hardness is ~7U. So going strictly by that single spec, you are absolutely right in that the screen on your device is stronger than the Spectre... but that is what is advertised! So how do you know that yours "in no way ... has the specs advertised"?

Also, keep in mind that a higher hardness doesn't mean it's less likely to crack - it just means it is less likely to scratch. Go explore more here about what the 8U spec means. The resistance to cracking is called "toughness" (also easily searchable via "brittleness").

(I'm an engineer)


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

ISSUE RESOLVED


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## pmoradi2002 (Jan 7, 2012)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> I bought the spectre tempered glass screen protector. Not sure about the FANTOM. But all I ever do is put the thing in my pocket, without keys, and the dang thing has a crack running down it. I never dropped it, I never abused it. there is no way the one I received has the specs advertised. I didn't expect bulletproof glass, and I never expected it to last forever but the screen on the device is stronger than the cover I got. 15% off another 30 bucks is bull shizer.


First you say that the protector is scratched. Then you also say that it happened to both your Spectre and Fantom. Then you say only the Spectre. Then you say it's cracked. Not to mention your low post count.

You have all the right to post your opinion however stick to one story.


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> Looking at it, I have a small crack on the screen side and a small scratch on the outside. They are both over the same spot, so perhaps the scratch cause the crack.


The scratch would definitely weaken the glass making it more susceptible to a crack underneath it. It's kinda like if you take a 2x4 board and try to break it in half - it's MUCH easier if you saw half-way through it first, right? Perhaps the scratch didn't go halfway through the glass but it nonetheless weakened the glass in that spot.

FYI, I found an excellent graphic to help show what 7U, 8U and 9U mean relative to each other - they're all fairly close to one another. 10U on the other hand is MUCH harder than 9U.


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

ISSUE RESOLVED!


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

Jaxidian said:


> The scratch would definitely weaken the glass making it more susceptible to a crack underneath it. It's kinda like if you take a 2x4 board and try to break it in half - it's MUCH easier if you saw half-way through it first, right? Perhaps the scratch didn't go halfway through the glass but it nonetheless weakened the glass in that spot.
> 
> FYI, I found an excellent graphic to help show what 7U, 8U and 9U mean relative to each other - they're all fairly close to one another. 10U on the other hand is MUCH harder than 9U.


This is awesome. Thanks man. I wonder what a diamond screen cover wohld run? :>)


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> This is awesome. Thanks man. I wonder what a diamond screen cover wohld run? :>)


You wouldn't want a diamond screen. It would be far too brittle. In fact, many would crack it just installing it. This goes back to the toughness vs hardness qualities. Think of it this way. What is more likely to crack, glass or cardboard? Which one is harder? While not exactly related, trends are usually the harder something is, the more likely it is to crack. So if you want something more scratch-resistant, then it's probably more likely to crack.

Believe it or not but glass actually can flex quite a bit before it cracks. Unfortunately, it's just far from perfect. One thing you can do to make it less likely to crack is make it thicker. But clearly, that's a bad idea for a glass screen protector - you want that as thin as possible. So bottom line is that there are so many trade-offs that you simply cannot a perfect product.

Sent from my phone. Prepare for atrocious Swype typos.


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## Jaxidian (Jun 6, 2011)

Who Doo Voodoo said:


> What I do know is that I am super careful with my S3. I roll Otterbox and picked this up because it looked premium. In my case it was clearly not.


Does your Otterbox case overlap the glass screen protector? If so, your case could be a major culprit here. You know how some cases can screw up your plastic screen protectors by making them start to peel? Same thing with the glass screen protector (this was the FIRST thing I checked with all of my cases after I installed mine). If your case overlaps the glass screen protector, you MUST make sure it's not putting much pressure on the glass. If it is, then you need to understand how that pressure is being put on the glass.

Two things to be concerned with if you do this:
1) If it's put in the wrong way, then the energy absorbed by your case from bumps (like you bumping your side into a couch), instead of being absorbed by the rubber in your case, can be transferred right into the glass.
2) The pressure your case puts on the glass may weaken the glass. Kinda like your back - your back can handle a certain amount of falling down. But if you put a backpack on and fall down in the exact same ways, you're MUCH more likely to injure your back. Right? Or say you have a 2x4 board just laying across two sawhorses. You can hit it pretty hard with a hammer and it'll survive just fine. But what if you bend it down in the middle and then start hitting it? It'll be much more likely to break then.

Which Otterbox case do you have? Unfortunately, I have neither so I can't look at this for you but perhaps somebody else can.


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## Who Doo Voodoo (Jul 27, 2012)

ISSUE RESOLVED


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## bond32 (Jul 14, 2011)

Any updates on this? I am still considering it but concerned with the negative reviews. I don't see Spigens glas on Amazon anymore, also they only had the white last I checked.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## Mustang302LX (Jun 28, 2011)

Thanks for the pics and write-up!


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## alucard454 (Jul 5, 2012)

I ordered the Spectre last week upon purchasing a galaxy s3.

{boring setup follows, skip if you value your time}
I looked at all the available screen protectors beforehand. I started with Steinheil /Spigen / SGP, or whatever they call themselves now, because I've always used them on both my phone (Droid X) and my family's phones (Droid, Droid 2, Droid 4, Incredible, and I think the rezound, though I don't remember for sure).

I've always adored the Steinheil Ultra Crystal for its glass-like feel and look, and I fully intended to order that for my GS3. However, I read a few reviews of the ultra crystal for the gs3 and came to the sad conclusion that either spigen has lost their touch, or maybe the gs3 is just crazy-hard to make a screen protector for. either way, i realized that there was no way I could order that one in good faith.

but then I read about tempered glass protectors, and I saw that spigen had one of those. i cried HURRAH and set off to order it without a further thought.

as i'm sure you've figured out by now, that didn't happen either. First, I found that it was out of stock everywhere (and i guess discontinued) and then i found that the reviews for it were terrible as well.

as an avid reader of droid life, I followed a link from their preview of the spigen tempered glass thing and discovered the XGear spectre.

i saw all the stuff about the early version being terrible, specifically about the dot grid and the proximity sensor problem. but then I saw that they had revised versions that were supposed to have fixed all of that. and i even saw that on the order page for the spectre, there was a big notice as follows: "*NEW REVISED MODEL - STRONGER ADHESIVE, NO DOTS, NO PROXIMITY ISSUES* *_*Before purchasing, please download "Proximity Sensor Finder". If your unit is 5.0cm, then you will not have any proximity issues. If your unit is 8.0cm, then the Spectre will NOT work with your proximity sensor. This is due to a hardware issue on the S3._" I ran that app and found that it read 5.0cm, excellent.

again I cried HURRAH (seriously, by this point my wife had stopped laughing at me and begun punching me) and rushed off to order it. I found this thread and some others, and nothing really made me suspect that there would be a problem with the new version. I too use the otterbox commuter, but the problems that the voodoo guy were having didn't seem likely to actually be an issue. I don't think he's a troll or anything, but it seemed like it was mostly bad luck that he was overblowing a little.

{end boring setup nonsense}

SO, this morning I installed the thing. i ran a super steamy shower to pull the dust out of the air, just like i've always done with the spigens. I was super duper careful to line it up perfectly (hint: turn the softkey backlight to "always on" as it helps provide a solid visual indicator of your alignment) and then let it kinda set for half an hour or so.

After that, I decided to test the known problem areas first. I checked it carefully for the dot pattern, and found absolutely no sign of it. Then i checked for the proximity sensor issue by making a phone call to myself and raising the phone to my head. the screen turned off, exactly as it is supposed to. then I farted around with the screen to see out the sensitivity was. I noticed a few skips and jumps, but things like that are pretty hard to test quickly so i decided to give it some time to settle in.

Anyway, when I later got an ACTUAL phone call, i noticed an issue that I then replicated a dozen times. Once the screen turns off for the phone call, it will NOT come back on, AT ALL. which is insane, needless to say. 

i'm not sure if this is the same "proximity sensor issue" that people complained about with this screen protector, but it is certainly ridiculous. I tried a bunch of things to see if maybe i was imagining things. I ran the proximity sensor app again to see what was happening, and it now says that the sensor is covered, ALWAYS. yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy. 

So there you go, i guess. again, i don't know if that's what happened with the "proximity sensor problem" that people had earlier and I couldn't find anyone giving a good description of the problem, but THIS problem is, needless to say, utterly insane. It renders the phone useless as a phone, as I cannot hang up the call and cannot bring up the dial pad in order to press numbers in a touchtone menu, much less do things like enable speakerphone/bluetooth/mute etc.

Ugh.

In addition, the touch sensitivity has been drastically reduced. I noticed this immediately as I said, but in the light of this insane proximity sensor problem, the importance of the touch screen sensitivity seemed to be somewhat lessened. it's extremely annoying, sure, but the proximity sensor problem makes the phone useless.

I did finally test the screen, just for giggles. I ran a few different drawing/painting apps and did the standard digitizer test (draw a grid of vertical lines, horizontal lines, and then diagonal lines. look for inconsistencies, skips, all that stuff). Needless to say, the sensitivity is in fact rather drastically reduced. This was only further confirmed when I fired up the keyboard to send off some texts and then type some notes. Swiftkey tried bravely to keep up with my typing, but so many touches failed to register that it was just flat out embarrassing.

Actual content of my first test (when it missed a word by a mile I tried to retype):

"Miss a few presses so m overall accuracy is certainly down. I not what I was could call a sup eups super bad pvla roblab prnlcle problem. Y okay that was pretty bad. I can't tell what is happening exactly. Or whether it might get better. Slightly irritated this tjouj thigh though."

So it was kinda terrible, though it had some moments of clarity. I think I started pressing a bit harder and going slower towards the end. WAY slower than i normally type, that's for certain.

I did notice that there appears to be a bit of an air gap between the protector and the screen itself. i didn't notice it at first, but if i put my finger on the display part of the screen and then gently push down, there is flexing, and then it stops and makes a sort of light contacting noise. Is this supposed to be the case? if not, maybe this gap explains some of the terribleness thats happening...

Anyways. I think that is quite enough for now. I have emailed XGear about all of this and requested guidance, along with information about either a replacement or full refund. Obviously this unit has rendered my phone significantly less functional in all respects. Perhaps it is just this unit, or perhaps it is a function of the product itself, I cannot tell. 

Has anyone else had any experiences like these? and i'm referring specifically to this most recent version, not the first ones which we all know had some issues.

By the way, they seem to have removed that notice (about the proximity sensor app and the dot grid) from the order page, which seems like a COLOSSAL mistake. If I hadn't seen it and ordered it, blissfully unaware of the potential problems with 8cm sensors, I'd be flaming pissed. of course, i've still had crazy terrible issues though, so perhaps it's mooot....

Thanks fellas.

and note, i ain't a troll or shill or otherwise non-normal human. this might be my first post (i can't actually remember as i post on several other forums like droidforums and droidxforums.... or rather i used to. guess not anymore...) but i have been registered for a little while i think. was looking up rooting stuff and needed to register to view some link or something. meh, i have a terrible memory.


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