Customer Reviews

Skinomi TechSkin - Skin Protector Shield Full Body for Apple iPhone 4

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

Reading reviews about these screen protectors always gets me overly paranoid, and I end up never knowing what to get. So, what the heck, I decided to give Skinomi a try, just because their website did a good job describing their product and Zagg has received way too many negative reviews (particularly about how the Zagg screen protector destroyed the feel of "smoothness" as fingers no longer "glided" over the iPhone).

I've applied a number of screen protectors, both from the cheap and the expensive end. And my experience has been all pretty benign, suggesting applying a screen protector (ANY protector!!) doesn't need to be such a stressful process!! Just work with it, and it all comes out peachy at the end.

First, FOLLOW the instructions. (Clean off lint, dust, etc. and make sure not to introduce them to the screen protector's sticky side!)

The solution they provide is essentially water. So, if the pump that comes with the kit doesn't work, or you used up all of it, just use water! Wet fingers and drizzle some onto the screen protector, and voila, your fingers won't stick to the protector, nor will it leave behind annoying finger prints. Before applying it onto the device, drain off excess water so that they don't get into the electronics.

Wetting fingers and the screen protector is key. As long as both are wet, you can align the screen protector to perfection any way you want to.

Again, FOLLOW the instructions about how to get rid of major bubbles. Have a napkin on hand to soak up excess liquid as you push the bubbles out.

As claimed, the microbubbles that get left behind, they disappear with use. A majority of it is gone by the second day, and the stubborn ones go away with long-term use.

Say after you have it aligned fairly well, and it's dried. You noticed it aligned horribly. Carefully peel it off so that you DO NOT distort the screen protector. Wet fingers and the backing of the screen protector, and start the whole process over. Re-do if necessary, though I highly recommend don't wait until after it's dried. Do these major re-alignments while you're still at the "wet" stage.

Okay. Say you're finally done with the major alignment, and it's had a day to dry. You're happy with it, but you wished you could shift, oh say, the hole over the camera to the right a millimeter or so. These minor "millimeter" adjustments can be easily done by just pushing it where you want it to go. Obviously, there's no need to be rough. Just gently work it, and you can minutely adjust the position of the screen protector to your desired place.

Lastly, I'm not sure why a number of people have commented on how the screen protector distorted the image. Maybe I'm blind, but I can't tell the difference. Obviously, you can tell there is a screen protector. But distorted images? My eyes couldn't tell. My best guess is during the application step, finger prints/dust/lint got left behind, and/or some of these reviewers have not given the day or two needed for the microbubbles to clear out. When it has not fully dried, the image does come up fuzzy (due to the microbubbles and the liquid that has yet to dry). But if you've applied the screen protector according to the instructions AND made sure to clear out excess liquid AND had the patience to let it dry, then it is great at what it is suppose to do!

I purchased this item to use in conjunction with the apple bumper. When I purchased it I only intended to use the back piece as a way of preventing scratches, and I planned on leaving the front untouched so as not to mess with the screen's look (I used one previously and hated it). However, after the back piece went on perfectly and I let it sit for 12 hours I realized how good this product is. I had no streaks or bubbles of any kind. Thus I put the front piece on and I'm truly happy I bought this.

As others have said, the trick is making sure you use the liquid. Do not go overboard and soak the film and phone, but definitely use a little more than you think you might need and you should have no problems.

After reading positive reviews, I decided to give this protector a shot. I managed to install it with no dust or lint, but there's no satisfaction to be had afterwards. I have uploaded pictures to show what I'm talking about below.

First of all the cutout size is smaller than the glass, which could be understandable to avoid dust collecting on the edges. But the main problem is that the cutouts for the home button and speaker do not center on them. Right now the cutout for the speaker/front camera sits lower than it should be, while the cutout for the home button sits higher than it should...a necessary compromise since aligning one of them would misalign the other.

Secondly, the "orange peel" effect is VERY apparent, regardless if I'm looking straight down on it at arms length, or if I'm looking at it at an angle. The surface also has that sort of "sticky" feeling, which doesn't allow my thumb to easily glide over the screen unlike the phone's glass surface itself. Even more, it's more prone to fingerprints than the glass. It also makes your iPhone tend to stick to flat surfaces, especially glass. I could actually place the phone against the screen of my iMac, and after about 5 seconds without force, the phone would be stuck on the iMac's screen...the bond is so strong that I can press the volume and sleep button while it's stuck on there.

The worst part is what Skinomi claims is not a problem with their product and that is the rainbow effect. There are fine vertical lines going across the length of the screen protector that is too obvious and distracting. Having no rainbow effect is probably the most important thing to look for in screen protectors, especially for a display like the iPhone 4's Retina.

The good thing is that it doesn't scratch, and any scratch marks it picks up would disappear in a minute or so. But there are way to many drawbacks that outweigh it...sure it protects the screen, but it also takes the quality away from it.

I would highly recommend Power Support's screen protectors.

I had an original iPhone and 3GS before I got the 4. The original never scratched but the 3GS seemed more sensitive and I ended up with a number of fine scratches on the screen despite the same care in handling. Therefore I don't want to take chances with my 4.

I've installed similar but cheaper skins on other devices such as old Palms and the Nintendo DS. The Skinomi application process was a little different in that you put it on wet. I think it's an improvement but it's still fiddly and hard to notice minor imperfections until it's too dry to really fix. It still came out OK if I don't want to be a perfectionist, but part of the iPhone 4's appeal is its beauty and so this is annoying. It's also annoying that their stated "lifetime replacement" policy doesn't apply to installation problems so take care.

The surface of the skin is a little rubbery to the touch. I have an internal debate over whether I like it or not but I think "like" is winning. I'd recommend the full body cover for more than just scratch resistance: (1) it makes the whole thing easier to grip and (2) for me at least, it eliminates the famous signal attenuation problem. It seems slightly less likely to get oily smudges from fingerprints but given how bad any iDevice looks when it's turned off, this isn't saying much. On the downside it seems to grab dust slightly more easily than the bare glass, but once again it's not a big deal.

But to get down to the real purpose here, it does seem to be very tough. I can't imagine anything really that could accidentally scratch the screen through this. It's fairly easy to make minor marks however; I can draw lines all over it with my fingernail quite easily. Then again they do seem to "self heal" over time as advertised. It will take more time to determine just how complete that healing can be but my impression is that it will take a considerable amount of time if it ever happens. Unfortunately I think anything that comes between you and the 4's screen will reduce some of that beautiful clarity, but the marks are not immediately obvious when the device is turned on.

All in all, I think this provides great protection that preserves much of the iPhone 4's natural good looks, but still intrudes enough on the experience to feel like a worthwhile but unfortunate "cost" of protecting the device.

Installed about two weeks ago, took off and threw away today. I followed the instructions, and took my time. Initially didn't look to bad. Kind of orange peel look and micro bubbles. All supposed to go away in a few days. I let the phone sit for 2 days after application before I used it. After 2 weeks the micro bubbles were still there and the screen side started coming loose in the corners. Also didn't like the rubbery feel of the screen. It also made the phone look really cheap. Ordered a scosche band edge and put it on afterwards. Keeps the screen from contacting surfaces where you lay your phone. I'll just need to be careful of the screen because these products a terrible.

Not worth the hassle. Screen is hard to mount and I've done it before on my 3Gs. Texture is fuzzy and takes away from the terrific clarity of the new screen technology. The side pieces are undersized and difficult to place. Needs more explanation. This was a good product for my 3g but I ripped it off this one.

One of my associates recently purchased an i-Phone 4 and he wanted a cover that wasn't an ugly plastic or silicon thing that would reduce the natural beauty of his phone. We found this product online and he decided to try it. I purchased it for him, but he could not get it on straight. He spent hours trying to do so, and in the end tore it all off and gave up.

I can only report what I have been told, but for some, this product may not be as simple as one might suspect.

I believe that if you are a stickler for perfection, then it may work fine for you; however if you are not, you may end up wasting your money.

The other reviews are relatively good so we were confidence he would be able to do this well. Unfortunately, we were wrong.

This is what I get for being impatient. I should have been worried when I saw how flexible the skin was prior to application. The damn thing doesn't stop moving! Then it picks up pocket lint which makes it lose it's mediocre stickiness and renders it completely useless.

Second worst property... it's thick vinyl. Much like a shower curtain. I waited, as recommended, for days for the small bubbles to disappear. All for naught, the damned bubbles were IN the skin. Completely ruins the fabulousness of the Retina Display.

Lifetime replacements??? Who cares when the product is such trash. Skinomi ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I'm sorry to hear it didn't work for you Amazon Man, but it seems that your problem with it is actually the pump for the application solution and the missing installation card. You can actually use a credit card as the installation card and it works just as good. I've been using Skinomi for a while now. It's on most of my devices including the iPad and the PSP (I reviewed the Skinomi iPad as well). Now, as a total Apple geek, I got my iPhone 4 on day one. Yayy! I ordered Skinomi for it a week before the launch, and I received it on Friday, the day after I got the phone. Installing it was actually a breeze compared to the other devices that I installed it on.

The iPhone 4 is relatively FLAT and installation only took me less than 10 minutes to get all the pieces on there. I guess you can call me experienced with these types of film. I'm guessing if it's your first time putting these on, I would say give it 10-15 minutes of installation. For those who have done it before, you will find out that this is probably the easiest install you'll ever do. For first time installers, don't worry, it did take me some time to do it on my PSP, but then again the PSP is a bit more curvy and complicated than the iPhone 4. Here's the beauty of it: while installing and the film hasn't settled on the device yet, you can remove it and re-apply it if you didn't align it correctly the first time. Make sure you smooth out any bubbles and the thing will just settle in perfectly! The streaks from the installation do go away after a few days.

The package says to leave your device off for 12-24 hours. I'm sure they say that to avoid any risks, but for me, I usually use a hair dryer and run it on low just for a few seconds on the device after installation. I'm not suggesting you do what I do (it's really up to you), but I would turn my device on as early as an hour after installation. Like I said, I have this type of film on several devices and I've never had a problem with my devices after turning it on so soon.

In any case, this product works perfectly fine for me and my preferences. Some prefer cases and such, but I like these invisible skins. If you are looking for a good film protector for your iPhone 4, I do recommend Skinomi.

Wow... I previously had the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD, but this is so much better! It's easier, cleaner, and safer to apply. Protects just as well. And does not have the annoying tacky/sticky surface that the Zagg product has. Will definitely buy this line instead of the Zagg line from here on out.