thanks for the advice...keep it coming!
I ordered phantom skinz a couple of minutes ago, hopefully I'm just as impressed
Here's a tip, apply the back first, let it dry, then do the front / sides.
During application, remove the battery!! The AMOLED screen is sensitive to moisture so make sure it is not powered on when you do this. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.
The back & front were fairly easy to apply (I've done a dozen Best Skin Ever installs so I knew how to apply). There will be some bubbles, even after your best effort to squeegee the bubbles / excess water away. Most bubbles will dry up within 24 hours. Mine has been 36 hours and I only have a couple small air pockets left which should go away in another couple of days.
The results are impressive if you take the time to focus and do it right. Use a large bowl, not a cup like the instructions say. I used a huge pasta bowl with water and a drop of soap. It works great. Wet your fingers to handle the skins.
The hardest parts were the side strips. They tend to stretch if you use too much force. Here's the trick I did: align the ends to mate with the other pieces flush first, and then apply steady force to paste on the rest of the strip. I did stretch a side piece so at first it overlapped with another piece, I removed it, mated the sides so they are flush, and then pressed the rest of the strip down. Because the plastic will want to stick to the phone, the excess plastic just naturally will compress and adhere to the phone.
If you're frustrated and stretch it, you'll be throwing a useful piece of trim away. Use the trick I figured out above.
Everything looks great. However, there are a couple of areas by top left and top right corner of the phone, where the curvature of the phone makes it almost impossible for the top piece (not screen) to adhere properly. I pressed my fingers on it for almost 5 minutes, and after drying, a very very small piece on each corner still pops out. The rest still stays on, so it's not a big deal.
But you need patience with some of the trim pieces. You get 2 skins with Phantom Skinz so you have a 2nd try, but I don't like waste so I was ultra careful with my application.
I'm not the best at applying skins but I'm very happy with mine.
Be patient, take the battery out, have a microfiber towel ready, and a lot of bright, well-lit space to work on. I also had on an LED headlamp to look at areas that needed more detail to make sure I got it right. Like I said, if it's worth doing it's worth doing right.
Oh, I let the phone dry 6-8 hours (overnight) before I replaced the battery and turned it on. Better safe than sorry!!
Good luck & enjoy!!!
