Hi guys, just thought I'd share a little gem with you all. There has been lots of talk about G1 skins from different manufacturers, but one has been often overlooked: one from BestSkinsEver.com. The quality, fit, and finish are great - and it was only $9.99 shipped! You can see that they really paid attention to detail when designing this skin:
I bought one of them for my 1st gen iPod Nano 3 Christmases ago and it is still protecting it - my iPod and the skin still look as good as new!
Here is a quick-n-dirty write up (more detailed instructions here):
Follow these instructions at your own risk! They are provided as a guideline and all care should be taken not to damage your spiffy Android! As specified in the manufacturer's instructions, after you're finished wait 24 hours before reinstalling the battery and powering on the device! This gives it plenty of time to dry out and avoid any damage!
1. REMOVE THE BATTERY!
2. Prepare a mixture of water and dish soap - 1/4 tsp dish soap to 10oz of water.
3. Wet your fingertips to avoid fingerprints in the adhesive and carefully peel the first piece off. (Start with a small one til you get the hang of it.) Be careful to keep track of the adhesive side - it's easy to put pieces on backwards and they won't adhere. The adhesive side is the side stuck to the paper.
4. Dip the piece in solution, shake off the excess, and lay the piece in place. Slide it around til it's positioned correctly. Take your time! Don't rush it! Get it right the first time!
5. Using a credit card or ID, slowly squeegee the water and air bubbles from under the skin. Try to avoid getting a lot in the nooks and crannies of your G1. (If you notice any dust or lint trapped underneath, now is the time to peel back the skin and remove it, then start over.)
6. Keep going until the entire front is done. Suggestion: The skin pieces that wrap around the sides come in 4 parts. They meet at the very top, near the battery cover release and at the very bottom, near the USB port. Start with these points making the pieces touch at the top and bottom first, then work your way around. (It'll make sense when you do it yourself.)
Next comes the back cover. Due to the curves of the G1's battery cover, most skins I've seen do not fit very well or left gaping holes. The folks at BestSkinsEver have done a better job than any of the others I've seen. It's all in one piece, but is cleverly cut to mold around the corners with as little gap as possible.
1. Re-wet your fingers and peel off the back skin. Be careful with the corner areas when peeling. If you're not careful they may stretch or tear.
2. Follow the same basic instructions above. I started on one side of the battery cover and worked my way across, working out bubbles as I went.
3. The corners will not stay down right away. After the adhesive has had time to cure (about 5-10 minutes for me) press down on the unadhered areas and hold them for about 30 seconds. Let go, check for any remaining unadhered areas, then repeat until you get them all stuck down. They will hold, just keep pressing them on and don't re-wet them or you'll have to start over. While doing this, you can also gently apply pressure to push the corner flaps closer together. I was able to get rid of nearly all of the gaps.
4. As specified in the manufacturer's instructions, wait 24 hours before reinstalling the battery and powering on the device! This gives it plenty of time to dry out and avoid any damage!
Finished Pics
I am very satisfied with the skin so far! Looking at the phone, I can barely tell it's got a skin installed. And, based on my iPod Nano skin, I'll be pleased with it for years to come!
As you can see, the fit and finish are excellent! While I do miss the 'soft-touch' feel of the back cover, my G1 is nice and grippy now and feels more secure when holding it. Plus, as an added bonus, the battery cover creak is almost zero now!
I love this thing! Now I can carry my G1 around without worrying about the everyday nicks and dings my T-MO Wing mysteriously picked up.
Hope it helps,
Ryan
I bought one of them for my 1st gen iPod Nano 3 Christmases ago and it is still protecting it - my iPod and the skin still look as good as new!
Here is a quick-n-dirty write up (more detailed instructions here):
Follow these instructions at your own risk! They are provided as a guideline and all care should be taken not to damage your spiffy Android! As specified in the manufacturer's instructions, after you're finished wait 24 hours before reinstalling the battery and powering on the device! This gives it plenty of time to dry out and avoid any damage!
1. REMOVE THE BATTERY!
2. Prepare a mixture of water and dish soap - 1/4 tsp dish soap to 10oz of water.
3. Wet your fingertips to avoid fingerprints in the adhesive and carefully peel the first piece off. (Start with a small one til you get the hang of it.) Be careful to keep track of the adhesive side - it's easy to put pieces on backwards and they won't adhere. The adhesive side is the side stuck to the paper.
4. Dip the piece in solution, shake off the excess, and lay the piece in place. Slide it around til it's positioned correctly. Take your time! Don't rush it! Get it right the first time!
5. Using a credit card or ID, slowly squeegee the water and air bubbles from under the skin. Try to avoid getting a lot in the nooks and crannies of your G1. (If you notice any dust or lint trapped underneath, now is the time to peel back the skin and remove it, then start over.)
6. Keep going until the entire front is done. Suggestion: The skin pieces that wrap around the sides come in 4 parts. They meet at the very top, near the battery cover release and at the very bottom, near the USB port. Start with these points making the pieces touch at the top and bottom first, then work your way around. (It'll make sense when you do it yourself.)
Next comes the back cover. Due to the curves of the G1's battery cover, most skins I've seen do not fit very well or left gaping holes. The folks at BestSkinsEver have done a better job than any of the others I've seen. It's all in one piece, but is cleverly cut to mold around the corners with as little gap as possible.
1. Re-wet your fingers and peel off the back skin. Be careful with the corner areas when peeling. If you're not careful they may stretch or tear.
2. Follow the same basic instructions above. I started on one side of the battery cover and worked my way across, working out bubbles as I went.
3. The corners will not stay down right away. After the adhesive has had time to cure (about 5-10 minutes for me) press down on the unadhered areas and hold them for about 30 seconds. Let go, check for any remaining unadhered areas, then repeat until you get them all stuck down. They will hold, just keep pressing them on and don't re-wet them or you'll have to start over. While doing this, you can also gently apply pressure to push the corner flaps closer together. I was able to get rid of nearly all of the gaps.
4. As specified in the manufacturer's instructions, wait 24 hours before reinstalling the battery and powering on the device! This gives it plenty of time to dry out and avoid any damage!
Finished Pics
I am very satisfied with the skin so far! Looking at the phone, I can barely tell it's got a skin installed. And, based on my iPod Nano skin, I'll be pleased with it for years to come!
As you can see, the fit and finish are excellent! While I do miss the 'soft-touch' feel of the back cover, my G1 is nice and grippy now and feels more secure when holding it. Plus, as an added bonus, the battery cover creak is almost zero now!
I love this thing! Now I can carry my G1 around without worrying about the everyday nicks and dings my T-MO Wing mysteriously picked up.
Hope it helps,
Ryan
