There’s finally a perfect screen protector for the Pixel 2 XL

As more and more phones sport curved displays, it has become much harder to find quality screen protectors for them. I’ve had the Pixel 2 XL for a couple of months now, and initially, I was using IQ Shield’s liquid screen protector. I never got around to writing a review for it, but, in short, all I can say is that it was decent for what it was worth. Obviously, it wasn’t glass, so it didn’t really feel natural. I definitely considered getting a tempered glass protector, but there wasn’t any on Amazon with good reviews or without fake reviews—that is until Whitestone Dome Glass released their’s late last month. Here are my impressions.

The installation

Right off the bat, this is certainly a unique process. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s hard, but as screen protectors go, it is definitely on the more tedious end. You’ll want to make sure everything is right. A simple mess-up in the installation can leave you with unwanted effects such as small, unremovable air bubbles.

Getting into the box, Whitestone certainly provides you with a lot of extras. However, what would have been nice, given the price tag, is an extra screen protector in the event if something goes wrong.

Step One

First, you’ll want to make sure you’re on a clean and level surface. The latter part is important as it will assist in the screen protector’s application later. Then, wipe the display with the included wet wipe and cleaning cloth. After that, place the device into the bottom plastic tray. Attach the two speaker tapes on the top and bottom and close the tray with the top cover. Once that’s done, you’ll want to take the dust removal sticker and free the display of any remaining particles.

Step Two

Next, insert the plastic pin into the top part of the tray.

Step Three

Thirdly, attach the bridge to the top tray.

Step Four

Open the colored end of one of the adhesive bottles and insert the open end into the hole in the bridge. After that, open the other end of the bottle and allow the solution to empty onto the device for about 30 seconds. Carefully remove the bridge from the tray while making sure not to accidentally spill any excess liquid.

Step Five

Peel off the tag from the screen protector and place it on the phone with the top part resting on the plastic pin.

Step Six

Now, tilt the bottom part of the tray down to allow the solution to slide to the center. Once it hits the center, immediately pull out the plastic pin to drop the top part of the screen protector onto the device. Wait about a minute and a half for the adhesive to spread across the whole phone.

Step Seven

Using the included UV light, cure the top and bottom parts of the display for roughly 15 seconds each.

Step Eight

Finally, remove the phone from the jig and cure the device for an additional 60 seconds on the top and bottom. Wipe the screen clean afterwards.

The end result

It’s top-notch. It isn’t exactly “edge-to-edge,” but it gets pretty close. To the touch, it feels great—pretty much like the phone’s display.

Clarity is also excellent. I hardly notice a difference, if any. The best part about the screen protector is that, compared to other tempered glass screen protectors for phones with curved displays, Whitestone’s don’t use a “dot-matrix” application.

Interestingly, the screen protector also covers the front facing camera. I was a bit skeptical about this at first but after testing it out, it doesn’t appear to affect pictures taken with it.

Also, most cases should work with the Dome Glass protector. It fits fine with the Google fabric case that I own, however, if you have a slightly more bulkier case, I believe that will work as well given the breathing room the screen protector provides with the edge of the phone.

Conclusion

If you haven’t gotten the impression by now, I’ll straight up just tell you that this is the best screen protector that’s on the market right now for the Pixel 2 XL. The fit and finish is excellent provided that you carefully go through the installation.

And then comes the price. At $60, it’s certainly the most expensive screen protector that I’ve seen. However, value and worth is what’s important here. Yes it’s pricey, but for an $850+ phone, I sure hope that you at least want to protect it if you didn’t get the protection plan. For a phone that you’ll likely be using for the next 2, 3, maybe even 4 years, I’d say that it’s well worth the investment.

Purchase Whitestone Dome Glass for Google Pixel 2 XL on Amazon (reg. $59.99, now $44.99)

Purchase Whitestone Dome Glass for Google Pixel 2 on Amazon (reg. $59.99, now $44.99)