Mashbuttons reviews...an iPhone skin?

Yes, this is what I hope is the first of many reviews for tech accessories along with the typical game reviews. I recently got a press release for a company called Gelaskins.com, a site that specializes in device skins, from consoles and controllers to phones. Since I recently got Verizon's white iPhone, I figure this was the perfect opportunity to expand our reach and of course protect my new phone. The hardest part of my experience would easily have to be figuring out which skin I wanted, because as soon I had picked the skin I wanted, I was shown Marvel skins, so I ended up changing my mind a couple times, and eventually (an hour later) picking the X-Men first issue cover. Upon checkout, I was also prompted to purchase a screen protector at an additional charge, which was purchased with the skin and four days later, my package was received.

Here is the part for anyone on the fence should pay attention to. The skin for the white iPhone was received, which included front top and bottom pieces with a home button cutout, left and right pieces with volume and mute cutouts, the back cover with the camera and flash cutout, and the screen protectors, one only for the touch screen and the other for the full front. There were detailed instructions for the screen protector and also an email containing the wallpaper to match. Now, I am not the craftiest person when it comes to sticking decals on devices straight, but the Gelaskins were very forgiving as long as you have a clean surface and you don't rush. The screen protector on the other hand, was less forgiving as it seemed overly hard to line up and install without fingerprints, unless you have some plastic gloves and a dust free environment. The nice part about the screen protectors is that it comes already cut to fit between the top and bottom pieces.

 I do work in an office so my phone doesn't see much wear and tear, so I decided to put it through my very own stress test, the Arizona heat. It is 105 degrees presently so I figured I would leave it out in the heat, direct sunlight, a hot car and the bottomless pit known as my wife's purse, each for in between one and two hours. The outcome, no bubbles in the Gelaskin, unfortunately, the screen protector did start to lift and resulted in picking up dust from being outside and in a purse. I also removed the skin, cleaned the phone and reinstalled the Gelaskin...still no bubbles, just a very hot potentially voided phone. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised with the product and the ease of install, and know the difficulty will obviously vary depending on the device, but the iPhone 4 was a breeze, 3GS is more difficult due to the curved back, and costing $14.95, I would definitely purchase the Giant Size X-Men skin starts to peel.