My iPhone loadout has gotten a lot lighter recently. I still love trying out all sorts of cases and carrying methods, but my current setup involves a very thin iPhone cover and a jeans pocket (both sold separately). The iPhone protection comes courtesy of Domeskin, an easily applied set of 3D stickers for my iPhone 2G.

Think of the grip of added grip of a case, the thickness of a plastic skin, and the tattoos of the coolest person you know…all on your iPhone!

First Impressions

My most recently used case was a Leatherskin from Sena, so it’s a little fitting that my new favourite skin happens to come from its sister company, Domeskin. The stickers are sold in pairs in a variety of themes, although I would like to make an informal request for more blatantly guy-oriented themes. I love the designs that I received, but the majority of the more complex designs are very flowery. Literally.

I was sent two themes: “dragon crest” and “skater”. The "skater" theme has a very deep green that can turn to dark purple at certain angles, and it’s almost like tinted glass sometimes The dragon is pure black with gray accents. The skins match the sleek, glass-and-metal appearance of the iPhone perfectly and they both hide fingerprint smudges very well.

The front panel is usually more abstract, and the back features a more obvious theme. One thing that could be really interesting here would be a set of wallpapers to go along with each skin. This would allow for full themes on the front and back of the phones, and the wallpapers could simply reside on the Domeskin website.

Installation
Installation is relatively simple since the Domeskin isn’t full-body protection and the stickers are adhesive enough for at least five or six re-applications. That’s re-assuring, since regardless of installation, you will have two problems with the iPhone 2G Domeskin. The corners of the screen will always be obscured, and I actually had to stretch the sides outwards ever so slightly to keep the margins of the screen clear. I have installed both of the screens I received and I think the problem just has to do with the cut of the sticker being too thick around the screen, and it should be easy enough to fix in another batch.

Another thing worth mentioning is how small the back panel is. This isn’t a problem, but does allow for the two tones of gray and black to show through.

A Visible Skin
The Domeskin is a great, unique, and affordable offering. I appreciate the added grip, but I love how it adds extra curves to the iPhone’s otherwise flat surfaces. Leather, plastic, and silicone cases can also add this, but always at the price of a larger phone. You also don’t have to worry about dust getting in between the case and the device and causing scratches, since the Domeskin sits directly on the front and back panels.

The iPhone actually looks and feels significantly different, and it’s a very refreshing change from the normally mono-chromatic plane of the iPhone. Most case designs can only feature a few colours, but some of the Domeskins feature some really gorgeous artwork that you might really want to display on your phone.

 
It’s a lot easier to pull the phone out of my pocket, and the tapered edges of the skin keep me from inadvertently peeling the stickers off. The only thing that’s gotten tougher is getting the phone off the table, since the vinyl seems to like sticking to smooth surfaces like a suction cup. You can’t stick your iPhone to the fridge with it, but it’s going to stay right where you put it on the table.

Conclusion

I’m extremely happy with the Domeskin so far, and I’ve already recommended it to a number of my i-wielding friends. Although I haven’t tested how long the adhesive lasts, I think the Domeskin should stay on the iPhone as well as any case as long as you take care not to peel the corners up. So if you’re on the market for a different way to protect and add some style to your iPhone, head on over to Domeskin.com!

What I liked:

• added grip from texture and raised curves
• gorgeous themes (would love more selection!)
• very easy installation
• hides fingerprints
• lightweight, thin scratch protection
• affordable!

What could use improvement:

• Fit around the screen is a bit too tight, obscures view
• sticks to certain smooth surfaces
• back panel is a bit small

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You can pick up your own Domeskin for $15 at their website. There are also skins for the iPhone 3G, iTouches, and some of the other classic/nano iPod models.

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