Apple Thoughts: How The 3Gs Oleophobic Screen Works

"The new 3GS iPhone has a coating that helps you leave no, well hardly any, prints–-fingerprints. The glass screen is coated with a polymer, a plastic that human skin oil doesn't adhere to very well. People in the chemical bonding business like to call the finished surface "oleophobic." Such a lovely Greek cognate may sound like it means "afraid of oil." And, it does, but it also connotes (or carries with) "aversion" or "not-like-to-be-around-tivity," if I may. Instead of sticking to the bonded-plastic surface of your new phone, the oil from you fingers or cheekbone or tip of your nose stays more or less together as its own smooshed droplet."

What sounds like the most gimmicky feature ever in a phone is actually really functional. My 3Gs has a screen that's only a small wipe away from cleanliness. My 3G would also get cleaned with a swipe of the shirt, but the smears and such would stick around or take a lot of effort to get rid of. Not any more, though, and it's noticeable right away the first time you use it.

Anyone else impressed with this barely-mentioned new feature?