Skinomi Full Body Skin Protector Compatible with Apple iPhone 5 (Screen Protector + Back Cover) TechSkin Full Coverage Clear HD Film

I purchased this with the intention of only using the back portion; I must say it is great (particularly for the price).I have never been a big fan of putting cases on my iPhone, my 3G went case-less with out disaster and same was my intention with my iPhone 4 when I first got it. To spite the improvement in the hardness of the glass and likely through fluke luck I scratched the front of my iPhone 4 the second day I had it, Im still not sure how. Anyway with my iPhone 5 set to arrive I had to take another hard look at how I was going to protect this thing.After the scratch incident I purchased an Otter Box Defender  OtterBox Defender Series Hybrid Case & Holster for iPhone 4 & 4S - Retail Packaging - Black series case for my iPhone 4. While it does do a great job of protecting the case, it had four major flaws. Firstly I didn't use the belt clip, it looks ridiculous. As such I was frequently putting the phone in and out of my pocket. The silicone outer case is very grabby and over a very short period of time it stretched out. Otter replaced it, but it happened again. I wasn't going to go through the hassle of replacing the silicone every month. Secondly was the touch screen cover. While its nice that it is water proof and scratch resistant it still doesn't feel like glass. While it was ok to work with it occasionally developed an oil slick like coating between itself and the screen. I think this often happened because the Otter Box Defender would also fill with dust, badly. I had to clean it very frequently to keep the dust out. Im sure over time the dust could have lead to scratches if I wasn't diligent. Lastly the ports on the Otter Box Defender series had issues where it frequently wouldn't allow certain plugs in, which in many cases led me to taking the case off. Lastly, the Otter Box made the phone HUGE. Anyway, after the last silicone outer stretched beyond my tolerable limit, the Defender went in the junk drawer. I should note that my buddy picked up a Otter Box Defender for the iPhone 5  OtterBox Defender Series Case for iPhone 5 - Retail Packaging - Black . The silicone is of a much different, less grabby and stretchy, looks like a much better design.Anyway after the very expensive disaster with the Otterbox Defender I still wanted to put something on my iPhone 4. I found the Spigen Glas.t SPIGEN SGP iPhone 4 / 4S Screen Protector GLAS.t Premium Tempered Glass Cover Film Shield  which had rave reviews. I installed it and I must say it was the best screen protector I have ever used. I combined that with a Spec Candy Shell for the iPhone 4  Speck Products CandyShell Glossy Case for iPhone 4/4S - 1 Pack - Carrying Case - Retail Packaging - Black/Dark Grey  as the raised glass had, not really sharp, but harder edges and I wanted them to feel smoother against my hand and not have it chip as Spigen suggested the could if left exposed. I liked this combination with two exceptions. Thickness and the returning issue of ports being accessible.Fast forward to 2012 and waiting delivery of my iPhone 5. I decided that with this phone I would go white, all my other phones having been black. I also decided that drop protection was not my primary concern. My parents were lucky enough to find two iPhones the day of the release and they had them Ghost Armored at a booth in their mall. My father just had the plain clear placed on his phone, my mother had a carbon fibre thing placed on hers. I was disappointed in several things with the Ghost Armor. Firstly, the screen just doesn't feel like glass. While I didn't notice any "orange peel" that some people complain about with skins it just wasn't the same to use. Secondly the carbon fibre and clear sides are several smaller pieces that just stop and then start again around the buttons. I would have much preferred for this to be a continuous stip. I found the back looked fantastic. So with my phone I knew two things. One I did not want to use a "film" or "skin" on my screen, and two I wanted a glass touch screen again.SPIGEN has released a new version of its Glas.t, now referred to as the Glas.tr  SPIGEN SGP iPhone 5 Screen Protector Glass [GLAS.tR] Rounded Edges Glass Screen Protector Anti Chip . This is an improvement over the previous one as the edges are now rounded and don't feel as "sharp" as the previous versions. I also felt that this was less likely to chip and as such it could be used with out a case. That was my screen protector solved, the only down side was the $38.00 price tag (ouch) Read separate more detailed review of the Glas.tr on its page.Next I wanted to preserve the back of the iPhone 5, I LOVE the way it looks. I wanted a name brand skin for the back and I wanted a good deal, enter the Skinomi iPhone 5 kit  Skinomi TechSkin - Apple iPhone 5 Screen Protector Ultra Clear Shield , Full Body Protective Skin , AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless . I picked this one as it was $6.50 shipped. The kit came with a "full body protector" but like the Ghost Armour my parents got the sides were a series of pieces of skin rather than one continuous piece with button cut outs. It also came with a screen protector, but I will never use it. The back went on very easily. The instructions are excellent, the packaging is great and overall it is fantastic. As of now I have no bubbles, but one area where the plastic (glass?) meets the aluminum (on the back) that appears to have a pool (Im not worried I think it will lay down as the liquid evaporates, its a very small area). I have used several of the skins before on other things (palms back in the day, cameras for scratch proofing etc). Skinomi is better than most and I would for sure use them again. With that said I wist they would sell things more in kits, you can only purchase the front or the whole kit. It would be nice to just be able to buy the back, or just the sides, particularly if one piece gets damaged and needs replacing. Overall for $6.50 delivered its really good. Im happy with it. 4 stars only due to the fact that I had to buy the WHOLE kit when I just wanted a back. Over all the product is great. If any bubbles form or if the one area with a pool fails to lie down I will update.For the sides I found a company called iCarbons (icrabons.com). The do not sell on Amazon, but I took the risk an ordered from their web page. They sell all of their kits in pieces, so you can get just a back or just the side. They also sell multiple colors and textures. Since I really wanted to preserve the look of the iPhone I went with their brushed metal one piece side. It was very easy to install and while not an exact match to the flat metal on the side of the iPhone its close enough for me.Over all Im very happy with my "protection package" that I parted together for the iPhone 5.

I received my Skinomi iPhone 5 Full Body screen covers soon after they were released for the iPhone 5 and jumped on their per-order pricing for cheap. Even after their jump to regular pricing on Amazon the price is still very reasonable for this level of quality product. Skinomi falls into the level of protection to the likes of Zagg or Bodygardz brands for strong and clear protection for your smartphone.Likes:1. Packaging is very nice, professional looking.2. Instructions are very clear and simple. If you follow them, including the suggestions to allow 12-24 hours to dry after application you should have a well aligned and zero bubble finish. Skinomi's website is also useful to go to for video demo's of application.3. Wet application.! This is my first attempt at a wet application screen protector kit. My father had a Zagg brand front/back "DRY" application setup on his iPhone 4S and I started to see a lot of bubbles that did not disappear after applied and a few days had passed. My Skinomi application which is a wet application seems to be the best way to apply these screen protectors as they have some great benefits... The bubbles, which were few, literally disappeared after 12 hours. Awesome!! And when you align it to the screen for applying, this wet application was easy to allow me to take it off and reset.4. Tools: Skinomi provides some really stellar tools for the price where some other brands are going to have you pay 3-4 times more. You get the liquid application spray, good enough to refill the bottle with just water to reuse maybe 2-3 times. Rubber squeggy brush, which is sturdy, flexible, and comfortable to use (way better than a plastic or paper card seen in some other brands). Lint free cloth, which is great for cleaning your screens before application and to help to soak up excess liquid during application.5. Protection: So I bought this kit for one reason. Top-notch scratch for my phone! Did I get it? After a week in my pants and or coat pockets with other items I have had no issues what so ever. Like many people interested in strong scratch protection without the added bulk a full body case, Skinomi has shown its its stands as a worthy product! I even tried some of the typical stress tests seen on some YouTube videos (e.g., something real world your phone would encounter, abrasion of keys against the screen) and the Skinomi protector is the genuine article. It showed some impressive results and self-healing properties that will keep my mind at ease that my phone should stay beautiful for the life of the phone.6. Free Skinomi Replacements for the life of the phone! Like their literature states, Skinomi brand prefers to make the product right the first time and something that will last, not like those bargin brand protectors that give you a few at a time, because those brands know your going to need more and are inferior quality.Dislikes:1. Side protection... I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were side protection film pieces in this kit, because they were not described as part of the package during the per-order period. The application of these smaller pieces definitely ask much more patience of the person, they can easily move around more than the larger front/back pieces. Having had these side pieces on the phone now I worry that they could wear off more easily pulling in and out of a pocket. The phone has been protected for about 7 days now. The side protection piece for the right side of the phone which has a cutout for the nano-SIM tray has shown some adhesive/film separation from the phone. I believe that the manufacturer could add some extra adhesive to the side pieces or strengthen the formula in these pieces as they will receive more stress and friction than the top or bottom pieces would daily. I'm not knocking Skinomi too much for this as many other brands will fall short in this area.2. Back Protector: this piece seemed to be a bit off in size by a couple of millimeters compared to the front piece which covered entirely/perfectly. Thre is some exposure of the back, just ever so slightly, so take care when setting this side. I believe the manufacturer could tweak the cutting tool to correct it and they would be fine.--Overall Opinion--I'm very pleased with my purchase from shipment to final product. The film is easy to apply as a wet application product. Very good price point compared to its competitors. The quality is just as good, no lie, for strength, durability of the front & back pieces. The side pieces in one or two areas may suffer from degraded adhesive quality over time, but no less than any other brand. I feel safe and confident that my phone is well protected from scratches and does not take away from the beauty of my iPhone 5 which is a piece of art in and of itself!Thank you Skinomi you have a believer in this consumer.