Dbrand Skins: a new skin to refresh your iPhone | iGeneration

The iPhone 7 RED launched last week instantly outdated all other models. But here we are, we don't necessarily have the means to afford a new smartphone every six months, nor the hacking skills that the boldest can demonstrate (here or there, for example). For ordinary mortals, there is a cheap solution to change the color of your smartphone quickly and painlessly: stickers.

In this very competitive market, there are countless proposals. One of the most recognized is undoubtedly that of Dbrand, whose stickers adorn many electronic products, from the iPhone to the MacBook, via the Galaxy, the Switch, and even Audio-Technica headphones. As for the iPhone, the selection of skins covers iPhone 4 to iPhone 7 Plus.

The manufacturer offers to cover almost all of the smartphone. The volume buttons, the switch and the ignition button will be spared, as will Touch ID and for good reason: if the surface of the button is hidden, it will be unable to analyze the fingerprint. For the rest, Dbrand stickers cover the back and front sides as well as the edges.

Depending on the model, you can even go further in customization: on the iPhone SE for example, it is possible to have a specific skin for the edges and the upper and lower flaps of the rear facade.

All this is to be selected in the manufacturer's clothing workshop. Regarding the silver iPhone 6s Plus which will serve as our guinea pig, Dbrand offers to choose different colors for the back cover and the upper and lower flaps. Let's go for a completely red rear and a black front!

The manufacturer offers around twenty colors with several textures (carbon fiber, stone, leather, wood, etc.). The price of the skins varies according to the number of stickers chosen obviously. A back cover costs $10. If we add the shutters and the front facade, the final bill will be $22.85. Dbrand ships worldwide for $1 more.

Dbrand uses materials here from 3M, including their vinyl. The product therefore appears to be of good quality. The model chosen ("matte") for our iPhone is not smooth: the sticker has a textured surface offering a good grip. These skins eliminate the "soapy" effect that this smartphone can have once in a hand. But before enjoying it, you must first of all… apply the skins!

The harder the pose will be

Applying the skins requires taking your time and scrupulously following a video guide. Dbrand provides a user manual for each device on YouTube (below, the guide for the iPhone 6/6s and their Plus versions).

The manufacturer provides a small cloth; in addition to the complete rear facade, there are as a bonus the pieces of stickers for the shutters (delivered in duplicate in the event of a disaster) and the central shutter.

The installation of the stickers requires a hair dryer, an essential object whose heat will "soften" the vinyl. The material is indeed quite rigid by default and without this device, it will be practically impossible to correctly place the different parts – in particular on the edges and even more on the angles.

Laying on the corners is problematic. I have two left hands, of course, but I was never able to completely cover the metal of the corners of the iPhone despite the careless use of the hair dryer and pulling on the small pieces of vinyl with the nails.

Another difficulty, the installation of the front facade. Oh, it's not so much that it's complicated to stick the sticker; but the concern is to perfectly match the cutout of the skin with the sticker on the back cover. Here too, Dbrand recommends playing with the hair dryer to "pull" the vinyl, but despite my efforts, nothing to do: there is always a bit of play that suggests the white front of the iPhone.

The front facade is another concern for me. The presence of a sticker on the edges of the screen can have a negative impact on certain gestures, which I have experienced. Sometimes you have to try twice to move from one article to another in Safari. The thickness of the skin on the front also inevitably makes me want to play nervously with it when my hand and the iPhone are in the same pocket. At the risk of peeling off the sticker...

As for the aesthetic aspect, let's say that there are pros and cons. The presence of the white Touch ID button in the middle of a black facade is not particularly flattering, from my point of view at least. Overall, seen from a distance, the effect is quite successful, it's true. But as soon as we have the iPhone closer to the eyes, it is clear that the small defects are inevitably identified.

I'm probably the first to blame here. Despite Dbrand's very clear explanations, the small pieces of sticker are not perfectly aligned, and by dint of pulling on them with your fingernails, it creates small bumps; paradoxically, rubbing the seams so that they blend and disappear into the mass of the vinyl has the opposite undesirable effect: these seams end up blackening.

On the other hand, the quality of the material is there. The 3M vinyl used is perfectly resistant to splashes of water and scratches, and it absorbs the little knocks of everyday life. Nothing will obviously replace a good shell in case of falls but finally, this skin allows you to enjoy your iPhone "naturally", that is to say without a case reducing to nothing Jony Ive's efforts to slim down and lighten the smartphone.

This skin therefore has advantages… but also some flaws that do not necessarily give it a decisive advantage over these very thin silicone cases that can be found at dirt cheap. Finally, note that removing the sticker is very easy and that the operation leaves no glue residue.