Phones are an expensive investment that can become even more expensive when a screen gets shattered by a drop. While you can get a phone insurance plan that covers screen replacements, a much cheaper first line of defense is to get a screen protector that can absorb these drops alongside a phone case. Installing a screen protector on my phone used to require me to enter a near-meditative focus to line up the tempered glass correctly before removing the adhesive. But now more screen protectors are coming with a self-alignment kit that takes a lot of that guesswork out, and a few are discounted for Black Friday.

This is especially helpful for anyone who drops their phone constantly, which I do, and with that I am replacing my screen protector frequently, roughly two to three times a year. The glass absorbs the shock, and then eventually a healthy scratch develops on the screen protector instead of on my phone.

The one I use the most is made by Spigen, which I find especially easy to install because the frame around the screen protector is quite large. 

Spigen’s screen protector kit for the iPhone 15 is designed with the phone’s Dynamic Island notch in mind.

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Following the instruction video (above), the frame makes guiding the tempered glass down onto the device simple. Once it’s aligned, pressing a finger down on the sticker and moving it back and forth guides the adhesive fully across the screen. Then any remaining air bubbles — usually there’s one — can be pushed out to the edge. This has greatly helped me avoid times where I had just missed a perfect alignment on my phone, leaving me to either live with it or to rip off the screen protector and try again. 

Spigen isn’t the only one making this style of screen protector for the iPhone, and you can find them for Google’s Pixel 7A and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 from other manufacturers. Most of the Black Friday deals on these screen protectors are only about $2 to $3 off of the list price, but saving a buck off something you may well need to protect your phone isn’t bad at all. They all come in two-packs.

While it’s not a Black Friday deal, Spigen’s screen protector kit for the Pixel 7A uses a similar alignment system for precise placement onto the phone. 

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Spigen’s screen protector kit for the Samsung Galaxy S23 uses a similar method of application as the iPhone 15 protector. The tray containing the screen protector aligns directly on the phone, and after applying you can push out any remaining air bubbles.

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