One of the presents amongst my “ph4t chr1stm4s l00t” this past December was a Gelaskin for my 3GS (with an accompanying skin for my sister’s iPhone 4), and I just wanted to share a few thoughts on the product now that I’ve had it installed for a few days.
First of all, as easy as these giant vinyl stickers are to apply, nothing highlights the flaw in the 3GS’ design like trying to put any kind of skin onto it. The curved back on my iPhone simply makes it hell to get any of the corners to stay down perfectly, and it seems like there will always be some sort of crevice that dust will inevitably creep into. It took me about five or six different tries, but I finally got the Gelaskin to stay nicely in place.
The iPhone 4 installation is much, much easier in comparison, and actually ends up covering more of the device. Included with each iPhone 4 Gelaskin are five cut-outs: two for the sides, two for the front, and one for the back. The only portions of the device left exposed afterwards are the top, bottom, as well as the main portion of the screen (of course).
The downside of the iPhone 4 design, however, is that the full skin doesn’t really allow for any kind of hard case combo (though taking off the sides might help fit lighter cases, like the Case-Mate Barely There). The 3GS design, on the other hand, accommodates my Switch-Easy NUDE (and solves the watermarking issue nicely), Griffin + Threadless Funkalicious, and even fits into my custom Zazzle case (which is really just a Speck Fitted case).
What both of these Gelaskin cut-outs have in common is the feel: both add a fairly tacky finish to your iPhone that helps quite a lot with grip. What’s more: the scratch-resistant membrane is on the outside, so the design that you buy should stay in tip-top shape until you choose to take it off.
All told, I’m quite happy with both versions of the Gelaskin, and I think it’s at the top of my list next time I’m out for a vinyl skin — especially since I can buy them at local stalls or simply order them online.
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