I was reading recently about a company that sells a screen protection system for the iPhone. Like anything oriented toward Apple products, it’s pricey. The article was compelling because the iPhone strikes me as a device that would be prone to getting all scratched up fairly easily. (For fun, go check out the iPhone episode of Will It Blend!)

Over the years I’ve had a number of PDAs and I’m well aware how necessary it is to employ addition protection to keep prevent screen damage. The product I was reading about sure looked good, but ouch! What a price!

With a bit of digging I uncovered someone else’s research. Go check out the folks at X-Pel. They’re in the business of protecting automotive finishes, but it sure looks like the Ultimate Screen Protector to me. I mean, what do you think is the tougher environment? The highway? Or the scratching of a little plastic stylus?

X-Pel sells small quantities for very reasonable prices. Under the Products menu select Bulk Film by Inch. If this is the stuff used by the iPhone product folks then damn, I sure wish I thought of it first. What a markup! They must be raking in the dough.

I haven’t tried it yet and I don’t know anyone who has, so if you totally hose your screen please don’t come whining to me. Experiment at your own risk. As for me, I’m ordering some film to play with.

Disclaimer: I don’t have any interest in X-Pel or Apple. Before last week I never heard of the former and the nearest I come to Apple these days is that my wife and kid have iPods and come to me for help when iTunes barfs.