Motorola Droid Skinomi TechSkin Invisible Cell Phone Protector Shield

It was finally time for me to retire my old cell phone and make the jump into the Android world with my new Motorola Droid.  Maybe this would be the equivalent of going from a Motorola Brick phone (except those performed very well, unlike mine) to a Motorola Star-Tac, for those of you old enough to remember how cool those were! I LOVE my new Droid, learning curve aside.

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So I wanted something to protect all that shiny new glass, but I didn’t want to make the phone any bulkier.  After reading many reviews on different solutions, I settled on the Skinomi TechSkin Invisible Cell Phone Protector Shield.  It’s available in a front cover only (for the glass), or the full body skin, which covers the front and back, which is the one I chose. It had great reviews, and I also like that it’s made in the USA, something that is hard to find these days with electronics and accessories!

I purchased from Amazon.com and handled my phone with kid gloves while I was waiting for the Skinomi TechSkin to arrive.

The Skinomi TechSkin comes in a very nice looking red and black package, with the Skinomi logo of a Samurai Helmet with an “S” on the front.  Opening the package reveals a small spray bottle, with the application solution used to apply the Skinomi Tech Skin, and hidden in the lid of the packaging are the shields, attached to two sheets – one for the front and one for the back.

Skinomi TechSkin Application Solution

Skinomi TechSkin shields and applicator tool

The inside lid of the box has very clear instructions on how to apply the protective plastic sheets to the phone.

I read some of the reviews on Amazon.com before purchasing, and most of them talked about the installation methods they used to attach the plastic film to the phone.  Most also said it was pretty easy.  I knew what to expect, but since you won’t get many shots at installing, I read the instructions thoroughly before proceeding…don’t worry, there’s only five short steps in the instructions.

The first step is to turn off your phone and remove your battery.  The installation requires generous use of the spray on application solution, and liquids and batteries don’t mix well together, so I strongly recommend that you follow this step…and so I removed the battery and moved on to the next step, cleaning the phone.

Remove battery before starting the installation

They recommend washing your hands and using a lint-free cloth to clean your phone, getting rid of any dirt, grime, fingerprints, or any other matter that you don’t want to become on permanent display under your TechSkin.  I used some Monster Screen Clean I had laying around, along with a micro-fiber cloth.

Monster Screen Clean and micro-fiber cloth for cleaning phone

You may want to stick to the instructions and use only a lint-free cloth, but this worked great for me.

As some of the reviews on Amazon.com mentioned, it makes sense to start with a small piece, and on the back of the phone.  Apply the large film to the front glass last, since it’s most important and by then you’ll have practice applying it to less critical pieces of the phone.  The parts are easy to identify (step one),  so on to the next step.

I used a small plate (make sure it’s spotless and you’re working in a dust-free and well lit environment) to spray the solution onto so I could saturate the film prior to putting it on.  After wetting my fingers with the solution so the film wouldn’t stick to my fingers or take on fingerprints, I removed the first piece of film from the paper lining and placed it in the solution making sure both sides were wet.  Keep track of which side is the sticky side, then apply it to the section of the phone where it belongs.

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Position it exactly where it should go and, using the included credit card type applicator, remove the air bubbles.  Be careful not to move the film, and be careful not to scratch it with the plastic applicator.  Also make sure you’re directing any liquid away from areas of the phone that might be damaged by excessive liquid.

Applying wet film to phone

Use credit card applicator to remove air bubbles

If you have to reposition the film, do it now while it’s still wet and manageable.  It starts to dry quickly so make sure it’s where you want it.  After this, use a cloth to gently remove the excess liquid, but don’t put pressure on the film as that might cause it to move.

Do the same thing with all of the film pieces until you’ve finished, and remember to install the piece over the front of the glass last.

The installation took about 15 minutes total, and when done there were quite a few tiny bubbles and irregularities.  The instructions say those will go away in a few days.  In my case, most of them went away in a couple of hours.  At first, it looked really shiny with lots of imperfections.  At this point, it’s been a couple of hours and it’s getting harder to tell it’s on the phone, but it’s still got lots of tiny imperfections and some bubbles.  I’m sure they’ll be completely gone in a day or two, and I’ll come back to finish my review after a few days of use.

Here are some pictures showing a side-by-side comparison of a Motorola Droid with and without the Skinomi TechSkin, and pictures of the final result…one shortly after installation, and the last three taken a week after installing it.  Make sure to read after the images below for my final thoughts.

Comparing a Droid with Skinomi TechSkin and without

Shortly after installation, before curing - still very shiny and lots of bubbles

Final results for Skinomi TechSkin on front of Motorola Droid after one week.

Final results for Skinomi TechSkin on Motorola Droid, with phone on, after one week.

And my final thought after having the Skinomi TechSkin installed on my Motorola Droid for a week:

If you’re like me, and worried about your shiny, glassy new phone but don’t want a bulky case, you should take a look at this option.  I’ve listed my pros and cons below, with my final opinion as well:

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Skinomi TechSkin Pros:

• Reasonably priced
• Precision fit, great packaging and instructions, and made in the USA
• Fairly easy to apply
• Offers great protection to the areas of your phone that need it most
• Almost invisible on front of phone
• Fingerprints wipe off easily
• Free lifetime replacements (you have to pay for shipping and handling)

Skinomi TechSkin Cons:

• Does not protect the sides/edges of the phone at all
• Replaces the nice, solid, “rubbery” feel of the Motorola Droid with plastic, which feels, well, “plasticy”
• Back of phone is very glossy, compared to the original “flat” finish, and fingerprints show up very easily (but wipe off easily, as mentioned above)
• One shot installation so you have to be very careful installing – with that said, comes with very clear installation and installation should be pretty easy for most people

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Overall, I’m very happy with my decision to purchase and install the Skinomi TechSkin Invisible Shield Protector for my Motorola Droid, but if I were to do it over again, I think I would purchase the front shield only.  I prefer the stock, rubbery feeling of the Motorola Droid before installing the Skinomi TechSkin.  I also prefer the flat finish over the high-gloss finish that the Skinomi TechSkin gives to the phone.  If you’re hard on your phones, consider the full body shield.  If not, go for the front cover only to protect your large glass, and you’ll have great protection on your phone that’s virtually invisible!