I recently bought the iPad Pro 2020. It’s great for consuming content and taking notes and other stuff of course. I noticed this ad from Paperlike and I did some digging, check some reviews, and figured – I need it. I order Paperlike Screen Protector because I wanted my iPad to feel like paper when I’m writing on it.
Without further ado, let’s see what is it and how it feels. My honest review.
In the box
Due to the current situation in the world, the delivery took a bit more longer than expected, but they warned about that in the email, so no hard feelings there. It all came in one envelope and this is what I found inside.
- 2 x Paperlike iPad screen protector
- 2 x wet and 1x dry screen wipes
- 2 x dust absorbers
- 2 x sticker guide sheets
- A manual
- A greetings card from Paperlike
I was a bit surprised that there were two iPad screen protectors, I guess I should read full description before I make the order next time, but a positive surprise, I guess they add extra matte screen protector in case your first attempt installing it fails or you can just change the screen protector when it’s time. The lifespan isn’t probably that long and occasionally you will need a new one.
Installation
use.paperlike.com it’s an instructional video provided by Paperlike, I followed it step by step and it made the process smooth and easy.
Start by cleaning your iPad. I used a microfibre cloth for the screen. Then you use the red guide stickers to carefully align the protector with the side one facing the screen. When you do that correctly your screen protector should open up like a book. Clean the screen thoroughly with the wet wipe, paying close attention to the button and camera area and corners of course. Open up dry wipes and clean the moisture. Then use dust stickers to mop up any remaining dust when that is done and you feel confident about your screen Peel backside one facing the iPad and let it stick to the iPad screen.
Most likely there will be air bubbles, absolutely normal – use a credit card which wasn’t included, to push the bubbles to the closest side. It’s quite a satisfying process if speaking honestly.
The final step is to remove side two. Be careful, so you don’t rip off the screen protector itself. When you remove side two there shouldn’t be any more bubbles left. In case there are, try to push the bubble to the side, again.
That’s it, now you should have perfectly applied Paperlike.
How it feels
The first time you are going to use your iPad on the new Paperlike – it’s going to feel a bit weird. Also, your bright sharp screen will look a bit blurry. As I mentioned already above it will affect the brightness. I guess it’s not going to help your battery life, since you will have to increase the brightness of your screen.
Opening up the Notability app and trying out writing on it for the first time – felt different and it was making this weird squeaky noise. If this happens to you – don’t worry. It goes away. When you’re drawing and taking notes only on your iPad there weren’t really any sounds, just sounds like your tapping on a glass, it changes a lot when you apply the Paperlike. It doesn’t feel like paper but definitely sounds like writing on paper.
The sound is the only thing that gives you the impression that you are writing on paper. I personally enjoy it. Kinda satisfying.
Also, a thing worth mentioning my palm often got stuck to the glass screen. Which made of course the writing a pain. After Paperlike the issued goas away. Of course, you get get a glove to resolve this issue, I have seen a lot of people using them, but in my personal use, I would choose Paperlike. I don’t need another gadget to carry on with me.
Specs
IPad sizes supported:
- iPad Air (2020)
- iPad Pro (2021) 12.9″
- iPad Pro (2021) 11″
- iPad Pro (2020) 12.9″
- iPad Pro (2020)11″
- iPad Pro (2018) 12.9″
- iPad Pro (2018) 11″
- iPad Mini 2019
- iPad Pro 9.7″ and iPad 2018
- iPad 12.9″ (with Home-Button)
- iPad 10.5″ (Air 2019 & Pro 2017)
- iPad (2019) 10.2″
Price: $39.99 USD/€34.00 EUR/£31.00 GBP
Where to buy: Paperlike.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Paperlike.
Note: The price doesn’t change depending on the screen size or model.
You can also get it on Amazon.
Pros and Cons
Well, you can’t make a perfect product, that’s why there’s a pros and cons section. The note-taking experience has definitely improved after Paperlike, it feels much more natural.
Pros
- takes note-taking, writing, and sketching to the next level, feels more like a real paper
- reduced the glare in the sun(could also be a con for some)
- protects your iPad’s screen from scratches and fingerprints
- easy installation
- you won’t experience a noticeable increased distance between the pencil tip and the screen
Cons
- screen resolution reduced
- battery life effected since you have to increase brightness
- on expensive side
there are a couple of users that are saying also that your pencil tip will actually wear off much faster with Paperlike, I would update the post if this happens to me as well.
Conclusion
The ultimate promise from Paperlike was – it will feel like writing on paper. I got to admit, this is true. It feels like you’re writing with a pencil on paper. Makes the writing, sketching, and note-taking feel more like real paper. The screen protector also reduces the glare in the sun and protects the screen from scratches and fingerprints, sure there will still be fingerprints, but a lot less and it’s easier to clean them off.
What I didn’t like – When you’re writing, sketching, note-taking, whatever…it makes this “squeaking sound” from time to time, that just goes right through your bones. The good news – don’t worry about it, the annoying sounds go away after a couple of hours. I checked a couple of other paperlike reviews and Reddit posts, no one seemed to have this issue, so it might have just been me, but in case you are hearing this weird sound – no worries, it passes away.
Paperlike also lowers the brightness of your screen. I never use it on the maximum anyways, otherwise, the iPad just melts my eyes out. Especially in the evening. With the screen protector on I increase the brightness by 10% just to make it look as before.
If you’re looking for just a screen protector for your device that you mainly use just for watching movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, maybe it’s a good choice to consider other screen protectors that don’t reduce the brightness.
What do I think about this matte screen protector? Is it worth the money? objectively speaking I haven’t tried all of the screen protectors, but as I mentioned above, I like the feeling when you write on it and I like the feeling when I’m resting my palm on the screen. If you take notes a lot, sketch, and draw, this would be a great accessory for your iPad. I also like the iPad better with the protector don’t have to worry about the fingerprints that much. It’s also more comfortable when you’re driving your finger across the screen. No more oily fingerprints as well.
I’m only using my iPad for general use and note-taking and there have been some reports that your pencil tip will actually wear off much faster with Paperlike, I have used it for a couple of weeks now and can’t see any noticeable changes to my pencil. I will come back to the article if this happens and I will update the post.
Installation was quite easy if you follow the manual they provided in – use.paperlike.com it’s a video material.
My Review after using paperlike for a year
It’s been a whole year and I figured it’s time to make small adjustments to the article. What do I think about a paper-like screen protector after using it for more than a year?
I still use my iPad Pro 2020 almost every single day I still take notes and I have gotten so used to the screen protector that I forgot it was even there until I had to use another person’s iPad Pro. When your iPad has paperlike it truly feels a lot more like you are writing on paper, but when you don’t anymore and you have forgotten it was there it feels like you’re writing on glass and your fingerprints are left all over your device(especially in summer).
Honestly, I remember reviewing paperlike a year ago and I thought to myself: that’s a nice addition to have to your device, but it’s definitely not necessary, it’s more like nice to have. Now, after I’m so used to it and I had to use another person’s iPad I only then realized how cool this product actually is. While I was using this other device I honestly was thinking to myself that there is something wrong with this device.
To summarize my thoughts: When I will order my next iPad I will make sure to order paperlike screen protector with it, cause it truly does make a difference.
Are there any scratches or other defects after a year? No, no scratches, at least none that I can see. I don’t see any reason to change it. The only thing is that it has an air bubble. I guess I wasn’t careful enough when applying it. But it doesn’t annoy me, ANYMORE. Overall, it’s doing its function perfectly fine after a year.
Which apps did I use to test Paperlike?
In order to test out the paperlike screen protector, I used the note-taking app – Notability.
About notability: Get it on the app store. Is one of the leading apps for note-taking worldwide. It enables you to replace all your paper notebooks, notepads, print-outs, and more. The writing feels smooth and natural, there’s absolutely no delay. Feels like you’re writing on a paper. The app, paperlike, and iPad help you to leave the paper behind and they are definitely helping the environment, instead of 100 notebooks, you get iPad, Paperlike, and notability instead.
I hope you found this article useful. If you have any comments or questions, drop me a line below.
Related Articles:
Best Tablets with Stylus for Note Taking
Best Note-Taking Apps for iPad
iPad Pro 2021 Review
Other Review of Paperlike
I figured to add some other reviews I found on Twitter, so the article isn’t biased. Honestly, I don’t see people being passionate about other products/brands, but in all honestly, I don’t follow brands that often.
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