Installation was not bad. I am a perfectionist. I wanted it to be exact. The Apple cutout could not show any silver around the edge. After a couple tries I got it almost perfect. The sides were easy but the corners were a tricky. I re-did each one 3 times and I can still feel rough spots when I run my finger over them.
Once I finished the installation, my initial reaction was one of disappointment. I expected the skin to feel more "premium". Every time I look at it there is a cognitive disconnect. It looks like real leather, so nice and fancy, but it doesn't feel nice and fancy. It doesn't feel like leather at all. It's just weird.
At this point I've been using the dbrand skin for 5 days. I catch myself sometimes just staring at the back of my phone, which is new. It is like an optical illusion. So far the skin is achieving its purpose. My phone feels novel and different. I'm enjoying using it without a case; feeling the thinness. That being said, it is also a little scary. I've been using this phone in various cases for three years. Now all the sudden it is naked. I was uneasy when I went to the gym, and I didn't have secure pockets. I wanted to run back to the safety of wrapping my phone in plastic and rubber, but cases aren't an option with the skin on there.
Aside from being a little extra careful to not drop my phone on concrete, and having to buy one of those workout arm band thingies, the dbrand skin has been a nice change of pace. It looks cool, and I am getting used to the feeling of it. I'll probably buy another one at some point. I am interested to see how long this one will last and how it wears over time, but as of right now I am a fan.
Filed Under: Technology