Okay Geek Farm
t3ch Review - Infectious Skins (iPhone, iPod and MacBook Pro)
Jason Tsay
We’ve reviewed plenty of clear protective films but why not mix it up a bit with these artistic films from Infectious? Whether you own an iPhone, iPod, or MacBook Pro, we’ve got you covered here.
Product: Infectious Skins (iPhone, iPod Classic and MacBook Pro)
Features
- Hundreds of original artistic designs
- Durable 3M vinyl
- Lasts up to 3 years
- No residue
- Available for iPhone, Blackberry, iPod, iPad, HTC EVO 4G, and laptops
Review
Let me take a moment to give you some background about Infectious; The company, based in San Francisco, focuses on urban artwork and puts them on various decals, including device skins. Depending on your device, you can choose from a wide variety of designs. The skins themselves are made of a type of 3M adhesive.
During application of the skins, we had no issue in removing and reapplying multiple times. What Infectious refers to as “comply cross-hatch channels” allow for easy air-bubble-free application and are shown in a texture under the surface of the skin. Having applied many a protective film in the past, we’d have to say that the Infectious skins felt quite thin. Despite this, they do hold up quite well in terms of durability. Infectious doesn’t recommend using their skins for protection aside from preventing light scratches. For real protection, they suggest getting a clear plastic case to use on top of their vinyls. Most of the skins cover only the front and backs of the device, rather than wrapping around the whole thing.
iPod Classic (Design - Infectious ES)
One of the biggest fears of applying a skin to any click wheel iPod is unresponsiveness. Thankfully, we had none of these issues while using the click wheel on our iPod Classic. We recommend you choose a skin that is of similar color to the iPod you own. For example, the Infectious ES skin would not go well on a silver iPod Classic due to gaps between parts of the skin showing through. It is also important that if you watch videos often on your iPod that you not choose a skin with too wild of a design. This will interfere upon the visability of the screen and you’ll end up wanting to tear off the skin.
iPhone (Design - Tea for Two)
We would recommend any Infectious skin for the iPhone 4 over the 3G/3GS due to the fact that the 3G/3GS has a contoured backing (the skin doesn’t wrap the sides of your device). The skin for the iPhone 4 would completely cover the flat backing, rather than having the color of the iPhone show through. The skins for the front of the mobile phone are a nice touch but also a tad pointless. No screen protectors are included and as with the iPod Classic, the stickers usually impede upon actually using the device.
MacBook Pro (Design - The Great Wave)
Surprisingly enough, we had little difficulty sticking the Infectious Skin on our Apple laptop. This was partly due to an Apple logo cutout, which helped us align the decal. If you do not own a MacBook, instructions are included on how to shave down the skin to fit your PC laptop. The decal looked striking on our 15” MacBook Pro and quite artistic. Some Infectious skins also include “Elements” or additional vinyls you can apply to the wrest rest area of your laptop.
Something we found to be rather strange is that some of the designs are in the wrong orientation. To clarify, designs in the horizontal orientation are still available for the iPhone, meaning you’d have to turn your phone sideways to see the art the way it was supposed to be viewed. In my opinion, these designs shouldn’t be offered for those particular devices.
You can tell that Infectious Skins were intended to be purely decorative and as they put it, to “express your taste and make your device stand out.” The most logical way to actually use the skins is to pair one up with a clear plastic shell, as they point out. This way, you can easily replace the design on your device at any time without having to get a completely new case. And guess what? With each Infectious skin purchase comes with a 10% code for your next purchase! No, we didn’t get paid to say that, we just thought it’d be cool to point out in case you’re looking to add some style to your iThings.
Overall
If you’re looking for a simple way to dress up your device and express yourself with some crazy artistic vinyls, these are the skins you’re looking for. Paired with a transparent case, you’re getting the best of both worlds in terms of protection and design variety, considering all the choices Infectious offers. However, do realize you will be paying a premium for the art.
Pro’s
- Great designs
- Easy to apply/reapply
Con’s
- Thin, minimal coverage
- Not cheap
Price: $14.99 - $29.99
Where to buy them: Infectious (iPhone, iPod, MacBook)
Photos
