Skip to main content

Defang your keys: This liquid makes your phone screen as hard as sapphire

If you want to reduce the risk of scratches and the accumulation of smudges on your smartphone or tablet screen, then you need a screen protector. The problem with almost all the options on the market is that you virtually have to be in a vacuum environment if you expect to be able to apply them without any bubbles, trapped dust, or wrinkles. You also need really steady hands or the whole thing can prove to be an exercise in frustration.

Enter the Kristall liquid screen protector, from Malaysian company E-Mark Global Trade, with a clever liquid solution. Pop open the kit, clean your phone’s screen with the provided alcohol wipe, dry it off, and then apply the magic solution with the provided pad. Polish it on evenly, leave to dry for a couple of minutes, polish with the cloth again, and a minute later you have a protective layer on your screen that’s completely invisible.

The majority of the top screen protectors on the market boast a hardness rating of 9H and Kristall’s liquid solution matches that. It will safeguard your screen from minor scratches, of the kind typically caused by keys in the pocket, and it could prevent much worse. Our demonstrator at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona attacked his iPhone 6 with some gusto using scissors and keys and there was no scarring whatsoever. Emboldened by the display we agreed to have our phones coated and we’re pleased with the results so far, though we skipped the homicidal scissors attack.

The liquid screen protector does make the screen feel a little different once applied, but not in a bad way. It leaves a really nice gloss finish, and it also makes the screen a great deal less prone to fingerprints, smudges, and greasy smears. There’s no visible sign of it at all other than an enhanced glossy sheen.

You can choose from two sizes with the Kristall Liquid Screen Protector: there’s a smartphone pack or a tablet pack. You can do two screens with the smartphone pack — or one front and rear if you have a phone with a glass back like the new Galaxy S6. The tablet pack will cover a 10-inch screen with change and the coating is guaranteed to protect your screen for at least a year after application.

If you head over to Amazon you’ll find the Kristall Smartphone Liquid Screen Protector for just $15, but it’s usually $30. The tablet version has a suggested retail price of $50, but you can get it for closer to $30 if you shop around.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Hill
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
Google just announced 9 new features for your Android phone and watch
Samsung Galaxy S23 showing Google Photos

Google has announced some big new features coming to Android and Wear OS devices during the Mobile World Congress 2023 event in Barcelona, Spain. These new features are beginning to roll out starting today, February 27, with others to come later.
New Android features available starting February 27

Google Drive users will now be able to do freehand annotation on Android phones and tablets. This means you are now able to use a stylus or your fingers to annotate PDFs directly in the Google Drive app on Android.

Read more
The Pixel 7’s best camera trick is coming to the iPhone and all Android phones
Erasing items in Magic Eraser.

The Google Pixel series of phones, specifically the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7, have an exclusive feature called Magic Eraser. With Magic Eraser, you can get rid of unwanted objects in a photo, such as people in the background or things like power lines. As of today, Magic Eraser is becoming available to all Android phones and iPhone users through Google One.

Magic Eraser debuted on the Pixel 6 lineup, which includes the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and the more affordable Pixel 6a, which is still available to purchase (the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro have been discontinued). If you have a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you also have the Magic Eraser feature. One of the reasons I had always wanted a Pixel device is because of Magic Eraser, and it is something that I desperately wished Apple would implement.

Read more
Apple vs. Samsung: Who has the best lock screen customization in 2022?
Lock screen comparison of One UI 5 and iOS 16

One of the most notable changes to arrive with iOS 16 was a massively overhauled lock screen customization system. Apple went all-in with the new feature, blending aesthetics with a functional flair brought to life by nifty widgets. 
Samsung soon followed suit with its own take on a deep lock screen customization system that made its debut with the One UI 5 update. Yes, there are similarities, but Samsung has done what Apple often does. Or as they say: "Good artists borrow, great artists steal."
Wallpapers – it's the little things that matter

Starting with the stock wallpaper selection, Apple offers a selection of six backgrounds, while Samsung lets you pick between 21 wallpaper options. Scrolling down in iOS 16, you will come across six Weather & Astronomy dynamic wallpapers, which are actually quite stunning to just tap and interact with. 
Next, you have seven emoji-loaded wallpapers and an equal number of artistic background art with solid as well as gradient color styles. When you pick the emoji wallpaper option, you can customize it with any emoji of your liking. Finally, you can have seven uniform-tone wallpapers with a clean fading texture. 
One UI 5 also takes a similar approach but offers fewer wallpapers across different categories. You get nine single-tone backgrounds with a gradient effect and four graphical wallpapers with solid coloring and sharp lines.  
You can adjust the gradient and saturation strength and create a combination from the spectrum option. Users get this facility with One UI 5 as well as iOS 16. Both ecosystems offer a custom wallpaper option that lets you shuffle photos from your photo gallery on the lock screen throughout the day. But there’s a crucial difference here. 

Read more