Problems with s20 Whitestone Dome screen protector

[aanderson81]

I preordered the 2 pack of the Whitestone Dome glass screen protector largely because they had a 40% off coupon and I figured having the backup would be nice so over time as it gets worn a bit I can swap it. This is my 3rd dome screen protector and I've gotten pretty comfortable with the install. However that being said this has been quite a trainwreck and I've been reaching out to Whitestone for a couple of days and they just will not respond.

The first issue is that the instructions are a bit of a mess, there is the instructions as well as an supplement that Contains step one, then skips to step 5. Also the kit now includes masking stickers to cover the buttons / ports to prevent the adhesive from getting where it shouldnt. That being said, the written instructions say to put it on all 4 edges, and then there are 2 pictures, one showing all 4 and one showing 3 sides. The problem is that the two pack only has 4 masking stickers.

Being that the cage used for the phone had changed a bit I read through the instructions and watched the video guide.

The first install I thought went pretty well until it was cured and there were quite a few bubbles, So i took the glass off and it came off clean, so I cleaned everything with alcohol and tried again. Then I did it again, this time the adhesive didnt make it all the way to the top, it had a slight lip around the top that didnt get adhesive. So I tried taking it off again, this time the glass cracked. OK, glad i bought the two pack, and tried it again with the second glass. This one had the same exact issue but an even larger gap at the top.



It feels like they either underestimated the amount required for this phone adhesive wise, or they were having complaints of having to clean up all the adhesive with the alcohol wipes so they've reduced the volume they include. Either way it just doesn't seem that the install is working like it has in the past.

That being said I've reached out to them using their contact us page, as well as reaching out via Twitter. They never responded via the contact us page, but their twitter asked me to DM them and they would assist me. Two days later they have yet to reply to me there either. I am at the point where I am just going to do a credit card charge back but I cant believe the lack of QC or customer service for them considering they've always made a great product in my experience in the past.

Any suggestions on another screen protector would be great

 

[felloffthetruck]

That really sucks.
This is why I'll rock the factory plastic as long as possible.

 

[KingofKings31]

my phone comes in tomorrow, i ordered the 2 pack as well, now im kinda scared to even try it. ive never installed one before.

 

[aanderson81]

my phone comes in tomorrow, i ordered the 2 pack as well, now im kinda scared to even try it. ive never installed one before.

The only thing I think I would do differently is maybe let the bottle drip out for 15 seconds or so to get every last drop out. Also you likely only got 4 pieces of masking stickers. The left side does not need it at all even though the instructions say all 4 sides in more than one place. I would say the Left and Bottom are the most important spots if I were to only use 2, but I would probably use 3 on the top, bottom and right and if I needed to do it again in the future I would just use some tape to mask off the second time. Honestly I think the kit should include 6 for the twin pack.

and since this is your first time watch the youtube video on their site a couple of times until you are 100% sure you have all the steps down. Its not a hard install, but there are quite a few steps that you cant really stop between to RTFM. I finally got a reply from customer service asking for more info, so hopefully i get a decent outcome. Like I said, i loved the dome on my last phones. I am shocked this one has been such a problem. Like I said my first time turned out well, just with some bubbles I didnt love. Had I gotten even one small drop more out of the bottle I might not have had them and would have had a flawless install. I think they just got stingy with the glue to help make cleanup easier.

 

[Beth Hahn]

You can actually fix that. Get a needle or pin and dip it into the glue you have left and touch it to the outside of where the glass connects to the phone in those bare spots and it'll fill it in.

 

[aanderson81]

You can actually fix that. Get a needle or pin and dip it into the glue you have left and touch it to the outside of where the glass connects to the phone in those bare spots and it'll fill it in.

Finally customer service has gotten back to me and is offering to send a replacement. I am hoping that this experience was just a fluke but I will be for sure waiting for every last drop to get out of the tube next time and hopefully this will come out better. Like i said previously I've had great experience with the dome product, just hope the next kit works out better.

 

[Beth Hahn]

Finally customer service has gotten back to me and is offering to send a replacement. I am hoping that this experience was just a fluke but I will be for sure waiting for every last drop to get out of the tube next time and hopefully this will come out better. Like i said previously I've had great experience with the dome product, just hope the next kit works out better.

Yeah I had the issue with my ultra. It's like the glue didn't travel down all the way like it was supposed to. So I filled in the bottom part. But yeah idk if there's not enough glue or I'm not getting all the glue out of the tube.

 

[aanderson81]

Yeah I had the issue with my ultra. It's like the glue didn't travel down all the way like it was supposed to. So I filled in the bottom part. But yeah idk if there's not enough glue or I'm not getting all the glue out of the tube.

I am pretty sure they reduced the amount of glue in the tube to make less of a clean up. I recall previously you had to take a couple of minutes cleaning it off the side of the phone with the alcohol wipes when i did it before. Now they include just barely enough to do it and its a roll of the dice if it flows completely.

 

[Mike Dee]

I am pretty sure they reduced the amount of glue in the tube to make less of a clean up. I recall previously you had to take a couple of minutes cleaning it off the side of the phone with the alcohol wipes when i did it before. Now they include just barely enough to do it and its a roll of the dice if it flows completely.

I did not have a lot of excess on the last 3 phones I've installed domes on. I'll let you know how I make out with my done on the Ultra.

 

[dbdynsty25]

Got my Dome glass here for when I need a protector for my s20. Gonna rock the included one until it scratches or peels. My note 10 one lasted a few months. I baby my gear.

 

[jstone5243]

Film the next install, might help us see where things went wrong, or what to do.what not to do on our installs!

 

[dgcorn]

Below is my post from the other thread on my installation problems. At least I'm not the only one. I did a warranty claim and haven't heard back. I'll try to reach out via twitter as well. They need to know if there are systematic issues.

"I was extremely frustrated, but not at the product. It was clearly user error.

Watch the video several times. If you follow the instructions, which I am usually good at, it should not be a problem. Make sure your working on a level surface, found that the desk I was working on was not completely level, which caused the glue to move to one side. Make sure you pull the pin at the correct time or too much glue will go to the bottom. Make sure you wait 100 seconds without touching anything to make sure the glue fully disperses.

I did not ruin the glass protectors because I never tried to cure the glue. Once I realized the glue did not have complete coverage under the glass, I stopped. I just cleaned the glue off the glass protectors with soap and water."

 

[mgloss]

I am planning on installing my Whitestone dome screen protector today after work. I bought a 2 pack, so I guess I get 2 tries. lol. I have watched the video several times and will have the video on when I am installing the protector. I was thinking about putting cell helmet protector on until I continue to see outstanding reviews for Whitestone dome.

 

[dgcorn]

I am planning on installing my Whitestone dome screen protector today after work. I bought a 2 pack, so I guess I get 2 tries. lol. I have watched the video several times and will have the video on when I am installing the protector. I was thinking about putting cell helmet protector on until I continue to see outstanding reviews for Whitestone dome.

The two pack comes with three vials of glue so you have 3 tries. If you mess up the first time and don't cure, you can easily clean the glass of with soap and water. I would leave the second glass intact with the cover for future use and in case of the zombie apocalypse.

 

[mgloss]

The two pack comes with three vials of glue so you have 3 tries. If you mess up the first time and don't cure, you can easily clean the glass of with soap and water. I would leave the second glass intact with the cover for future use and in case of the zombie apocalypse.

Sweet, thanks for the heads up!

 

[Suntan]

I don't have extensive experience with the whitestone protectors, but I did mount one to the S20+ last night and it worked well. 100% liquid coverage.

I did tap (gently) on the bottle to get all but the last little drop out. I also let it sit as it slowly spread across the whole screen.

 

[durandetto]

That really sucks.
This is why I'll rock the factory plastic as long as possible.

I rock the factory plastic till it's too scratched up then go naked. This time the factory installed wasn't as flawless as my note 10, but I will tolerate for now. Once I give this phone to my kid I'll have to put something more durable on it. The glass one TMO sells has a hole for the fps and that's not happening even though they offer free replacement for life if you have their insurance.

 

[cbironman24]

I just installed one on my S20 plus. Install went smooth and finger print sensor works great.

 

[felloffthetruck]

I rock the factory plastic till it's too scratched up then go naked. This time the factory installed wasn't as flawless as my note 10, but I will tolerate for now. Once I give this phone to my kid I'll have to put something more durable on it. The glass one TMO sells has a hole for the fps and that's not happening even though they offer free replacement for life if you have their insurance.

How bad was the factory plastic screen protector?
Just saw a video on YT and the guy had a couple of pretty big bubbles right out of the box under the factory protector.

 

[durandetto]

How bad was the factory plastic screen protector?
Just saw a video on YT and the guy had a couple of pretty big bubbles right out of the box under the factory protector.

I have a couple small marks, can't tell if they're bubbles or not. While I was at TMO a guy was getting his replaced and his was horrible. Had an area the size of a quarter that was messed up. Mine are hardly noticable.