One of the things that frustrated me most when I recently got the iPhone 6s was its size (yes, I was one of those people who longed for the days of my 4-inch iPhone 5s). The problem was that I had a pretty difficult time using the iPhone 6s one handed. Yeah, I get it, there’s that whole Reachability feature that Apple added to help solve this exact issue. But let’s be honest—nobody likes Reachability. I’ve activated the feature a lot since purchasing my phone, but never on purpose. So when I saw the 6Sense Tempered Glass Screen Protector by Avant Guard at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show—which allows you to activate functions located at the top corners of your screen (like the Back and Edit buttons in the Photos app) from the bottom of your screen instead—I was pretty excited by the concept.
The screen took a little getting used to. The idea itself is pretty brilliant but if, like me, you’re used to maneuvering your fingers to the top of the screen, then it will be difficult at first to train yourself to do anything else. But after a few days, I found myself naturally gravitating toward the bottom corners of my screen instead. And boy, did I fall in love. It was amazing how effortlessly I was able to access my phone’s most basic functions one handed.
My only real complaint is that the sensors located at the top of the screen don’t work perfectly for all functions. For instance, the sensors won’t allow me to tap the X to clear this address in Maps from the Search bar. And when I try to do so manually, it appears that the sensors block the feedback. The icon is located just close enough outside the sensor that it can’t be activated by tapping the bottom right of the screen, but just close enough to the sensor that feedback is blocked. So that’s kind of annoying. In instances like this, it takes multiple attempts before I can access the button I want (and sometimes I give up altogether).
With that said, when I removed the screen from my phone (for further testing) I was surprised by just how much I missed it. It took me a few days to come to terms with the fact that I could no longer navigate my phone from the bottom corners of my screen. The fact is, the idea behind this product is pretty genius, and although there are certainly some issues that I hope Avant Guard resolves over time, I love how seamlessly the screen protector allows me to access the buttons I use most regularly.
Pros:
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Sensors aren't noticable at all
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Makes it possible to use your phone one-handed
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Fingerprint resistant
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Leaves no sign of residue once removed
Cons:
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Blocks habtic feedback to certain functions
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Doesn't cover the entire screen
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Expensive for some users
