Film Labo promises a perfect fit with no stress, no matter how clumsy you are.

As smartphones become both increasingly expensive and integrated in so many aspects of daily life, it’s more important than ever to protect your screen from scratches, cracks, and other damage. The simplest way to do this is by applying a layer of screen-protecting film, but depending on how coordinated your fingertips are, that can be a zero-sum plan. After all, are the trapped air bubbles and wonkily aligned edges of a poorly placed piece of film really any better than the scrapes and scuffs on a film-less screen?

That’s the quandary our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma was facing with his phone recently. The guy may not be all thumbs, but he’s at least 75-percent thumbs when it comes to film application, and he wasn’t looking forward to once again spiraling into the circle of frustration of going to the store, buying film, applying it, peeling it off because it wasn’t on quite right, screwing it up again, and repeating the whole process multiple times until eventually just giving up and settling for a sub-par fit.

But then he found a beacon of hope.

Film Labo is a protective film vending machine that not only provides the film, but also automatically applies it to your phone for you. Currently there are 28 Film Labo machines to be found in Japan, one of which is in the first basement level of the main building of department store Marui’s branch in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood. This location puts it conveniently close to the Apple Store on the building’s first floor as well as the subway station that’s connected to Marui’s basement level. It also happens to be very close to SoraNews24 HQ, so Masanuki decided to try it out for himself.

Getting started is easy: press the big green “start” (スタート) button on the vending machine’s screen.

Film Labo is exclusively for iPhones, but since their screen sizes and form factors vary by specific model, next you select yours from the on-screen list.

After that, you’re presented with three film choices: high-transparency (高透明), anti-peeping (のぞき見防止), which makes the screen harder to see by people looking at it from the side, and anti-reflective (反射防止).

Once you’ve made you selections, you’ll get a confirmation screen, from which you can press select “yes” (はい) to continue, or “back” (戻る) if you made a mistake.

Regardless of phone or film type, there’s a flat fee of 2,980 yen (US$20). Film Labo doesn’t accept cash, but there are a variety of credit cards and cashless payment options, which are listed on a sticker on the machine.

Once your selections and payment are made, it’s time to turn your phone over to the machine and let it do its thing. You’ll need to remove your phone from its case and also peel off its old protective film, if it has one.

▼ There’s a convenient film recycling slot on the front of the machine for old film.

With everything set, Masanuki placed his phone on the tray, and then the door closed up and the machine got to work.

The entire process takes about two minutes, and includes a cleaning of your phone’s screen before the film is put on. Masanuki felt a little like he was in a hospital room waiting for a loved one to come out of surgery, and he was filled with anticipation when the machine’s door reopened and his phone remerged.

As he picked his phone up, though…

…he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Seriously, look at the size of those bubbles! Even Masanuki could have done a better job than that.

Except…

…on closer inspection, it turns out that the air pockets weren’t between the film and the screen, but between the film and another layer of film!?!

Yep, when Film Labo gives you your phone back, it has a second layer of film that goes on top of the film you selected for it to apply. This second layer is just for temporary use as the phone is in transit out of the machine, though. You’re supposed to peel it off, and when Masanuki did…

…he discovered that the actual layer of new film was absolutely perfect! There’s wasn’t a single bubble, millimeter of misalignment, or speck of dust. It was like having a brand-new screen for his phone.

The only negative thing Masanuki can say about the experience is that, at 2,980 yen, it’s not cheap, although that does include the price of the film itself, so it’s not like you’re paying just for the application. And considering that Masanuki could have spent hours trying to put the film on himself and not gotten anywhere near to this level of perfection, he thinks this was money well-spent in terms of how much time and stress it saved him.

Related: Film Labo website/location finder
Photos, GIF ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]