REVIEW – I don’t baby my iPhone but at the same time, I don’t want to scratch up the display so I use a screen protector. Screen protectors are a boring accessory, but now they don’t have to be. Today I want to show you the Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector which is surprisingly non-boring. Let’s check it out.
What is it?
The Glassie Smiley is a tempered glass screen protector for iPhones that has been designed to protect your iPhone’s display. But the Glassie protector has a fun feature that 99.9% of other screen protectors don’t have. The Glassie uses phantom ink technology embedded in the glass that shows an image or text when the screen is turned off. Right now, you can choose from the wavy smiley face like the one that they sent me or positive text messages like “Today is a Good Day”, “Stop Overthinking”, and more.
What’s in the box?
- Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector
- Install frame
- Alcohol wipe
- Dust removal sticker
- Polishing cloth
- Instructions
Installing the Glassie Smiley screen protector
Installing the Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector is no different than the procedure for installing other glass screen protectors. You’ll need to make sure your phone’s display is clean by using the included alcohol wipe and polishing cloth. If there are any tiny pieces of dust, you can use the included dust removal sticker.
The next step is to snap the install frame over the iPhone’s display.
The plastic frame is designed to make lining up the protector on the phone easy and simple.
The next step to installing the Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector is to peel the protector off the plastic holder. The protector protects the full iPhone screen and only has a tiny cutout for the speaker.
All you have to do is set the protector inside the installation frame sticky side down (duh!) and it will pretty much sell-attach to the screen. If there are any air bubbles, you can use your fingers to slide the bubbles out the side. I had an almost dime-sized bubble that wouldn’t slide out of the side but when I checked the phone the next day, the bubble had disappeared.
Design and features
The Glassie’s magic happens when the phone’s display is off. You can then see the picture or message at the bottom of the display.
But don’t worry because the image pretty much disappears when you’re using the phone.
If you’re a dark mode person like me, you might see the image/words when the bottom edge of the screen is very dark and the phone is angled just right, but honestly, I rarely notice unless I’m really looking for it. Check out the image above where you can make out a little bit of the image above the Messages icon.
While using the Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector on my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I had zero issues using face ID to unlock the phone. Also since the front camera is covered by the screen protector, I’m happy to say that there weren’t any issues using that camera for selfies and other pictures. or selfie pictures.
The protector also has smooth rounded black edges that make it look and feel like it’s not even there.
What I like
- Unique and fun
- Protects your iPhone’s display from everyday wear and tear
- Easy to install
What I’d change
- Add more options and the ability to order custom messages/art
Final thoughts
Does the Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector protect your phone’s display better than other tempered glass screen protectors without phantom ink smiley faces and messages? Nope. But having a Glassie Smiley tempered glass screen protector on your phone is definitely unique and more fun than other screen protectors.
Price: $24.99 – $29.99
Where to buy: Glassie
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Glassie.
Ailun Screen Protector for iPhone 16 / iPhone 15 / iPhone 15 Pro [6.1 Inch] Display 3 Pack Tempered Glass, Dynamic Island Compatible, Case Friendly [Not for iPhone 16 Pro 6.3 Inch].
$5.98 (as of April 16, 2025 05:29 GMT -04:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
