Here to actually add my +1 to a dedicated matte screen option, in fact replacing the current glossy ones.
The process for installing my ViaScreens matte film was a nightmare even though the company tried to make it easy as possible. They sent me two protectors and I ended up messing up the first one. I still have dust bubbles in it that I’d rather not deal with because peeling back the screen to clean them up with a sticker is just going to create more anyway.
Does your matte screen protector completely blur your reflection or is it supposed to only reduce glare? I can’t really tell the difference before and after I added the protector with the screen turned off, but I haven’t tried using it in direct light yet. I can live with the protector just eliminating direct light but I just want to confirm I didn’t get sent the wrong one
Yeah, mine is subtle, for sure. It doesn’t eliminate glare, but softens it a bunch. If I had to guess I’d say it’s a ~33% reduction. I opted to go lightly in case it had some effect on sharpness, but it doesn’t make a noticeable change in that regard.
Does the 13.5" Surface screen have the same dimensions as Framework? Was there any trimming involved?
Did you get the ‘Matte’, or the ‘Matte Lite’? The descriptions on the site are not great, and I’m not sure which one is better for me. When I use ‘compare products’, I get this:
Surface Finish: Matte (Matte) vs Silky (Matte Lite)
Surface Hardness: 3H (Matte) vs 2H (Matte Lite)
Layer Thickness: 0.13 mm (Matte) vs 0.11 (Matte Lite)
Transparency: 98% (Matte) vs 95% (Matte Lite)
Smudge Resistance: 5/5 (Matte) vs 4/5 (Matte Lite)
I assume ‘Matte Lite’ is an in-between finish - more reflective than the ‘Matte’, but also allows more light through and doesn’t distort the image as much. I’m leaning towards just buying both and seeing which one looks better.
Definitely remove the bezel. The protector will be just slightly smaller in each dimension than the panel. Center it up and it’ll end up just a hair inside of the bezel when you’re done.
And I agree on the matte. That’s what I got and it’s great.
Here’s the upper left corner of mine. Very small gap around the edge between the protector and the bezel. It’s a little smaller on the right side, since I was just a bit off in centering the protector. It’s visible, but as a practical matter, it’s not noticable during normal use.
And yes, I got one dust fleck under the upper corner there. Happened when I tried to peel the protective layer off after installing. The layer didn’t want to peel, and it brought the protector with it. Didn’t feel like fighting with it to get rid of one tiny speck in the corner.
@xanekka Here’s a gif showing the screen on, and moving through some angles. You can see that where there is a colorful background, there isn’t much noticable glare. On a black screen area, there’s still a visible reflection, but it’s not bad at all to my eyes.
A recommendation I use to combat dust when applying screen protectors for phones:
Do it in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower running with hot water to build up steam/humidity. This will cause dust/particles to fall to the floor.
Also, I plan on ordering a matte screen protector at some time, so here’s a thanks to everyone that’s recommended/tested/etc.!
I used to thoroughly clean my devices and then do my applications in my past workplace’s molecular cleanroom gowning booth during off hours (technically not a violation of cleanroom protocol!), but last time I was in that building was four years ago so it’s no longer feasible, lol.
Darned it! I was sooo close to order one. Last second during the config I remembered to make sure the screen was matte and not glossy… and found this thread. Dagnabbit! A total must for me. I was really looking forward to not buying another XPS13.
I have seen the light. (pun intended)
I was initially bummed about the lack of a matte option until I realized this.
Having the factory glossy screen is great as I can choose the screen protector.
I opted for the Via Screens matte screen protector and this feels like the perfect laptop now.
It diffuses all of the glare and I can change it out for a privacy screen if I want to.
I’m really glad the framework team stuck to their guns here, the only comment I have might be that they partner with a screen protector company and offer them in the marketplace.
And definitely to each they’re own – I don’t find any reason for a matte finish at all on my framework. I work with a large bay window behind me during the day and a desk light directly above the screen at night. I’ve never once been bothered by the glare and wouldn’t want to trade the fuzziness of a matte screen for the gorgeous crispness of this one.
I bought this MATTE lcd a couple months ago but haven’t been able to use it since my mainboard had issues (Was batch 2 but just got my replacement this morning)
Fits perfectly (Though you will need to remove the “rails” on the original screen and tape them to the new one)
Pics in-coming (Will take a bit to do the original lcd right now, these are the packaging and matte screen, with flash on and by a window)
