Paperlike 2.0 (Previous Model) for iPad Pro 11" (2020/21/22) & iPad Air 10.9" (2020/22) - Screen Protector for Drawing and Writing like on Paper

Installation is quite the delicate and tedious process. I'm glad they give you two of them but my plan was to use them at different times, not to have one as a backup in case I messed up installing the first.The guide on installation is easy to follow and I did it mostly right but I did end up with two small bubbles which I can sometimes notice when looking at the screen. It doesn't ruin the experience or get in the way of using the touch screen at all regardless of whether I'm using my finger or the Apple Pencil.It does feel like paper which is cool but sometimes it actually feels quite smooth. The longer you use it the more it will wear down and you will eventually get smooth spots which are still rougher than the screen itself but smooth compared to when its new. I wanted this because drawing on the iPad without something like this feels unnatural and it's far too easy to slide my pencil across the screen and have far less control over delicate strokes. With Paperlike it feels much more like paper and the resistance allows you to feel enough feedback to really feel as though you're interacting with the medium that the app you're running is emulating. It feels like pencil on paper or paint brush on canvas. It's great.One thing they don't tell you is that it's great for reading books on iPad as well. When turning pages I really feel more like I'm reading a paper book than a digital one. I've always preferred paper and analog tools but I'm more likely to buy and read digital books now with the Paperlike screen protector on my iPad.It's easy to clean. You just take the same sort of cloth you'd use to clean your iPad's naked screen and use it on the Paperlike. Yes, you will get fingerprints on your screen if you touch it with your hands just like using the normal screen so you have to clean it periodically.The Paperlike does dim the screen and dull the colors just a tiny bit but unless your work demands absolute perfection when it comes to color accuracy or you're some superhuman that can't handle a negligible change in brightness/color then you won't notice it unless you're specifically looking for it.I'm glad it comes with two because eventually the first will wear out and I'll need to apply another and the second time I'll hopefully learn from the mistakes I made with the first and make sure there are no small bubbles that end up under the screen. But like I said, even if you do end up with a couple small bubbles you'll most likely be able to live with it and in most cases it isn't worth removing the Paperlike and reapplying a new one. The difference is negligible.

I decided to purchase this after reading some of the reviews, including the few that were not all positive. The negatives seem to be related to the screen protector getting scratched (best review stated they had been using for 4 months) and the screen protector being a pain to apply. I have only had this for a single day so far and if the longevity is better/worse/different than the reviewer noting that they made it 4 months, I’ll update this review. As far as applying, this was no harder than any other protector that I’ve applied to an iPad or phone. I would recommend that you take your time, watch the video, and ensure that the screen is completely free of any dust. I don’t find applying screen protectors to something as large as an iPad to be extremely easy, but if following the instructions here, it wasn’t hard and turned out as I hoped.From a use perspective, I can say this thing is leaps and bounds better than what I’ve tried in the past. It’s very smooth to write on, but not as smooth as glass. I’ve tried some cheaper alternatives and they felt like I was writing on a very fine grit sandpaper. This doesn’t feel that way at all. I suspect this impacts the longevity. On that note, I’m expecting 3-6 months before I have to use the second one of these that came with my purchase. I will be using this mainly for taking notes electronically, however I may do the occasional drawing. I don’t like the feeling of writing directly on the glass and this screen protector seems to be about as close to paper as I’ve found. If you are like me and do not like writing on glass, I would recommend this. I do feel it’s a bit expensive (about double what I payed for a protector that did not feel good), but I feel like the extra is well worth it.

*Note: these are my very early impressions*I was extremely skeptical of this concept. A matte screen is a matte screen and will offer the same texturing as any other (and for $35 no less)-...or so I thought.The package includes 2 protectors with cutouts around the camera and sensors, and ample space along the edge to accommodate iPad cases. Also included were 2 sets of stickers for installation, wet wipes and a microfiber cloth.The short of it: Yes this screen protector does vastly improve the feeling of drawing and writing experience in contrast to both glass and regular matte screen protectors. If I were to give a material comparison, I wouldn’t say it feels like paper so much as pencil on a soft rubber surface, or perhaps like if you were drawing with oil pastels. It’s quite smooth to the touch (considering it is a textured surface) and I don’t think it will collect oils or fingerprints like a glass screen would. As matte protectors go, this doesn’t really help all that much with glare or reflection, and if that is your main concern, I’d look elsewhere.Color distortion is negligible, however my 2 complaints would be:1) This thing costs a lot of money. Maybe it is justified, and I know there are a lot of ripoffs which detract from sales to the original paperlike brand, but there’s no getting around the fact that this is expensive.2) Installation. Yes their instructions are very clear, but I really think this should be a wet application product as it would reduce chances for dust and air bubbles. As it stands, after thorough cleaning and isolation from a “dusty environment”, on my first try the static pulled a dog hair (which I managed to remove) and trapped 2 specks of dust (which I probably can’t remove), which form small, and relatively insignificant bubbles around them.All said and done, who is this for and should you buy it?-This is for people who own an Apple Pencil and draw or write often using their iPad-If you are one of the above, then YES! This is so much better than any other digital surface I’ve worked with. I wish my Cintiq Pro felt like this. This is definitely worth considering.