XO Skin for iPhone 3Gs

(4.0 star rating) Written by: Samuel Warren

Smart phones seem to be taking over the world – everywhere you look, someone has their phone out and is texting, checking email or updating their Facebook status. These phones come in every size and shape. They are available for almost any budget, and some offerings come in a model that doesn't even have a phone (such as the ipod Touch). With all these devices filling our pockets, the one thing everyone needs is some protection for these devices.

XO is a company that specializes in protective skins for portable electronic devices. Everything from cell phones to digital cameras, they offer protection from scratches for those sensitive devices. For this review I am testing an XO Skin for my iPhone 3Gs. While I have tried hardshell/soft rubber cases and skins in the past, I've never found a protector that I could happily live with. I don't have a carrying case for my phone, so it lives in my pocket. Any protective skin that is rubber is unacceptable because you can't get your phone out of your pocket if your pants are even the least bit tight fitting. Anything plastic adds enough bulk to the phone that it feels like you've got some bulky Android phone bogging you down. The perfect fit would have to be something that is slick surfaced like plastic, but thinner than any other plactic case I've found to date. This is what XO Skin has set out to create - the perfect skin. How'd they do? Read on.

Design and Application of the Skin

The skin itself is a thin polyurethane that adheres to the phone. The good part of this is that it forms an airtight seal on the device. The bad part about this is that if you've never tried to carefully affix something on a curved surface like the back of an iPhone, it's not an easy proposition.

The basic steps are that you turn off the device completely. Lightly spray the skin piece that you're attaching with the included spray liquid. As long as the skin is wet, it will not stick to the device. As soon as the skin dries it sticks in place. Luckily you can rub some liquid under the edge of the skin and work it back off if you stick it in the wrong place. Personally as a perfectionist I worked for about forty five minutes getting the skin pieces on how I wanted them. The face cover of the skin went on easily and stayed in place rather well. The round dot for the home button also went on smoothly. The back of the skin took quite awhile to attach. This piece is especially hard since it compasses most of the curved parts of the iPhone. I never did manage to get it on exactly straight, and upon further investigation learned that it was about 1/16" too small to completely cover the back of the device. The curved pieces to cover the metal bezel around the phone are next to impossible to apply. I spent more time on these than any other pieces. Since they are long and thin, they dry very quickly. This means that you have very limited amount of time to get them in the right position. Be sure to apply the two end pieces of these before the long side pieces. The end pieces have to be spaced just right to get the side pieces on correctly.

Once the skin is applied properly, you need to leave the device to dry overnight as the directions say, or you can also use a low heat hair dryer to help move the process along. For the first couple days the face will look cloudy when the screen is off. The packaging states that this will go away, and it does. I have to say that the screen is perfectly clear to the point where you have to hold it at an angle and look at the reflection of a light to see that there is a skin on the face.

XO Skins Box

Plastic pieces

Applicator

Features and What's In the Box

• 1 Apple iPhone 3Gs XO Skin
• 1 Bottle of Application Spray
• 1 Applicator/Squeegee
• Installation Instruction Card
• Features: Clear Scratch Proof Protection
• Fills Small Scratches
• 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
• Easy to remove - leaves nothing behind
• Lifetime Replacement Warranty

Usage and Testing

For the first two days while the device is still drying out some, the corners pick up massive amounts of pocket lint. While this tendency goes away after a couple days, I was left with some light blue spots under the skin at the corners. It's important to remember that this skin is flat when you purchase it, and is applied to a round surface. As such it is not possible to get this device to fit on the corners perfectly. There is the slightest of a pinched corner on each corner of the iPhone. This corner can get hung on your pocket if your trying to get your phone out. the first reaction is to be worried that you might pull the skin off accidentally. This is definitely not the case. It's got to be impossible to take this skin off accidentally.

The one bad thing about the skin is that instead of a nice glass feel that the iPhone has, you are left with a plastic feeling touch screen. It's very hard to get used to a different touch surface, even after almost a month. I would suggest this skin for someone who just bought a device, or for a device with a plastic screen instead. The touch functionality of the iPhone was not hampered in any way. Everything from typing emails to playing games worked just fine with the skin on the device.

Top View of iPhone 3Gs with XO Skin

Bottom View

Side - Back View

The protection offered is really quite amazing. My iPhone is completely protected now from scratching and chipping. There is an interesting video on the manufacturer's website showing a Dremel sharpening stone bit being used to deface the XO Skin on an iPhone. The video looked real, and I didn't exactly what to take a drill to my iPhone, so this test wasn't performed for this review.

Side - Front

Corner View

XO Skins iPhone 3Gs Protective Skin

Overall, with a price of about $20 for the full body skin and $12 for the screen-only skin, the price is right for the amount of protection that is offered by the XO Skin. The slick plastic surface takes time to get used to, if you are already accustomed to the iPhone screen, but for a new user it makes it almost invisible and would not be noticeable.

On the flip side, I'd rather have a little bit better fitting back but that may not be possible in a flat skin. Another relevant point is that if you don't like it, I am doubtful that it would adhere to another phone properly.

The final rating reflects the overall usefulness and value that the XO Skin offers. It handily beats out other rubber or hardshell skins.

Pros: Protects well; Goes on invisible; Doesn't make screen cloudy; Slick touch surface.

Cons: Not easy to put on the iPhone; Collects pocket lint initially; Non-smooth corners that can get caught on your pockets; Plastic touch screen requires some getting used to.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

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