Arrive Cases/Screen Shields?

[onemadrssn]

I ordered the full-body skin from phantomskinz.com; should be arriving sometime this week. I will let you guys know how it is.

I also used to be a Zagg purchaser, but the last skin of their I applied to a co-workers iPhone4 has been peeling and yellowing, and generally I think their quality has gone down. Also, the fact that they are sold at all Best Buy's now is a bad sign. It's like the baseball team picked to win in Sports Illustrated is doomed to loose, same omen.

 

[starblade876]

For Skinomi, is it a single piece for the back? How do you access the battery? Do you just have to re-apply the skin if you need to take the battery out?

It's split so you can access the battery like normal.

 

[frylock]

It's split so you can access the battery like normal.

Ahh, quite nice. Thanks for the info. I will either go with it, or see what onemadrssn has to say about the phantomskinz case.

 

[DeeDubb]

I ordered my Arrive through Amazon and also picked up my accessories at the same time. Specifically, the Skinomi Black Carbon Fiber Film and although it looks great and protects the phone, it's a major pain in the *** to apply. There are a dozen or so pieces that you have to align individually which isn't that bad except for the corner pieces. They tend to bunch up in the corners and also don't align very well. They're especially noticeable when I put the phone to my ear. I would probably not recommend this cover unless you are very patient. I'm thinking I'll probably end up buying one of those rubber grip cases.

 

[starblade876]

I put it on today and, yeah, you do need patience for it (I think I took 30-45 mins, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist), especially with the slim pieces and around the rounded corners. With the corners, you have to wait quite a few minutes for it to dry and mold to the correct shape, which was unnerving because I kept worrying that they wouldn't stick to the phone, but I was able to massage it into the phone's corners after the wait (which I don't believe they tell you in the instructions). The other thing I kept worrying about is the possibility that one single fiber or piece of dust made it to the phone while I was applying a piece (particularly the screen piece), especially since I managed to spot one that I was able to take care of before it was too late.

Anyway, I think I'll be satisfied, especially with the screen covered because, without it, it seemed like it got grundgy whenever I touched it and hesitated to clean it too often because of what happened to my glasses (micro-scratches galore). Plus, I get to admire the Arrive's design still.

Compared to Zagg, Skinomi seems smoother and more shiny right now.

 

[onemadrssn]

I got the PhantomSkinz skin yesterday. I installed it yesterday at work, and redid a couple of pieces just now. So far I like it, with a few minor issues. It is certainly difficult to install, and very very time consuming if you want it done perfectly. I will post a full review in a few days after it has had time to properly dry and such.

 

[onemadrssn]

After having the skin on my phone for a week, I can say that I am disappointed. The quality of the film itself is actually very nice, the shape of the cut they use is not.

For me, the pieces that cover the matte gray part of the back (directly above and below the battery cover) would not fit properly and stick no matter what. Specifically, it was the bottom right corner when looking at the back and the top right flap.

I have applied these types of films many times before, I followed their directions and took my time. I am convinced that they just need to refine the cut. I ordered these online and it came with 2 of every piece. I tried this twice, with the same results.

So... unless they change. Avoid Phantomskinz for the Arrive.

 

[starblade876]

I'm enjoying the Skinomi well enough. I just miss the textures of the back of the phone though. I was actually considering not putting all the piece for that simple fact. I really do believe we have the best looking "a$$" so-to-speak.

I do have a few little "bumps" unfortunately, but I'm pretty sure it was because I didn't have enough time to be diligent (I had a meeting I was running late for). Maybe I'll take a set of pictures later.

Anyway, I was reading articles on the main site and saw this in the store ad: https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...ource=vb_wp&utm_medium=content&token=MeN5-pyP

I think it's pretty new to the store since I didn't see it when I checked a few weeks ago. That's what I might have gotten for mine if I saw it in time.

 

[pbankey]

Wanted to share my thoughts on a great screen protector I'm using now:

2X Film Screen Protector Guard for HTC Arrive 7575 | eBay

Got two of these babies on ebay for $3 total which includes shipping. They fit the screen to perfection and the BEST part is that it is more like a static cling than a really sticky adhesive. I was able to take it off, wash off both sides under the faucet, and reapply. I could liberally rub my fingers on the static cling part and not ruin the protector.

If you get these, the trick is to squeegee the film down with a business card as you initially apply it. If you get lent/hair/dirt sticking on the clinging side (it'll be easy to tell since a bubble will appear on the screen), get a piece of tape and stick it to the shield, then peel the tape away and it removes all the gunk for a perfect application.

In my opinion, this is a MUCH better option than the invisible shield.

 

[onemadrssn]

pbankey-- is it large enough to cover the entire glass surface, or just the screen part? Meaning... does it also cover the bottom 3 buttons?

 

[pbankey]

pbankey-- is it large enough to cover the entire glass surface, or just the screen part? Meaning... does it also cover the bottom 3 buttons?

It covers everything perfectly, including the 3 buttons. I was really impressed because I could goof up the install, peel it off and rub my fingers over the semi stick part (NOT the nails!), run it under water, and still reapply it. When done right you REALLY cannot tell it is on, whereas the invisible shield gives a wavy/distorted look to the screen glass and has a slight rubbery feel.

 

[Forgewizard]

Skinit Personalizes My Arrive MORE!

The HTC Arrive is a solidly built phone, but its still a high tech device and its portability leaves it wide open for dings and scuffs. Its one of the first devices I've had that I'm loath to encase it in cheap plastic cases or hide it in a plain black pouch.

I've used Skinit.com for my other devices and then put the skinned device in a case.

I'll probably do the same with this now that starblade876 has discovered a clear case!

Until I get the clear case ordered and a better screen protector I'll use up some of my old screen protectors from my PDA days. They are horrendous compared to the smooth sleek native screen, but they'll protect against scuffs and scratches.

This time I tried to maintain a METRO tile look to the skinit images while at the same time these are images of rescued ferrets that have gone on their final adventure.

The skinit face skin does NOT cover the screen - so I'll need to locate a screen protector that is cut out to fit only the screen and not the base button area too - or of course I can trim it to fit.

Cheers!