Does this look infected?

Well, it should since it is protected by an iPhone Skin from the company known as Infectious. Started in 2000 as creators of adhesive car art, Infectious eventually transitioned into creating skins for iPods, iPhones, and Laptops. They realized that people wanted to express themselves and have their ubiquitous devices from Apple stand out. This led to the creation of the Infectious iPhone skins. Currently they feature 53 artists from around the world and have 92 iPhone skins to choose from.

The best thing about the Infectious iPhone skins is they are easily removable, leave no residue and can be reused. Something that differentiates the Infectious iPhone skins from their competitors is they can be used with either version of the iPhone, while the other brands design skins specific to each phone model.

For today’s review, Infectious sent us two skins from the artist known as MAD. Skin number one is titled: Mr. Skully and the second skin goes by the moniker: Modern Hero. From the looks of things, MAD has a thing for skulls and skeletons.

The Infectious iPhone skins come in a flat plastic sleeve with the skin easily visualized through the front and a cardboard backing behind it with pictures of some of the Infectious artists and a sample of the skin on an iPhone. Flipping over this cardboard are the application instructions.

Taking a closer look at the Infectious iPhone skins, we see it is composed of a durable and easy-to-remove 3M vinyl material. The backside is crosshatched specifically for making it simple to push out any air bubbles. According to the Infectious website “the adhesive is contained in little beads on the back of the vinyl, it is only when you apply firm pressure and burst them the vinyl adheres properly”. This allows the user to reposition the skin multiple times without damaging it.

The vinyl that comprises the skin has a protective gloss over-laminate that minimizes scratching to the back of the iPhone.

Infectious provides two skin components, the large one for the back of the iPhone and the smaller one for those who want something over the home button area on the front of the Apple phone.

Specifications:

Infectious iPhone Skins

Made with love

Infectious has worked with artists from around the world to help turn surfaces into canvases for art.

Easy to apply

Infectious Art is designed for easy self-installation. No previous experience is required.

Removable

Ready for a change? Infectious art is designed to peel off easily. Make your mark without leaving a mark.

Installing the Infectious iPhone skin is as simple as peel and apply. Before you start, make sure you clean your iPhone with a cloth. Then peel away the Infectious iPhone Art from its paper backing and line up the cut out camera hole with the lens and slowly lay the vinyl down.

At this point you can easily lift up and reapply the skin if you feel it is off center. Once a satisfactory position is obtained, press firmly from center to edge to push out any bubbles.

If you wish to add the front vinyl that overlays the home button, then line up the button hole and lay it down on the front screen of the iPhone.

Did you catch all that? Here it is one more time using the Modern Hero skin:

That’s it! You now have an Infected iPhone! Looks pretty cool, doesn’t it?

If you need to remove the skins, simply pick a corner and peel back at an angle.

According to the Infectious website, the skin is not intended for multiple uses, but if it is carefully removed then it may be reapplied. It should be noted that the adhesive will not be as powerful with multiple uses, but should still be plenty adherent.

Additionally, Infectious states that the skin’s adhesive should last three years. Of course, in three years we should all be using our iPhone 4Gs.

The Infectious iPhone skins look really nice and definitely add personality to one’s iPhone. In terms of protection, the skins are designed to be scratch resistant, but otherwise offer no protection from trauma. Some of the skins do not cover the entire back of the phone such as our friend Mr. Skully. Primarily the Infectious iPhone skins are more for eye candy than protection.

The front skin is optional and my personal preference is to go without it. In addition, I will be keeping my iPhone 3G housed in a clear case such as the iLuv iCC74 to show off my Infectious skin while keeping my phone safe from occasional falls and spills.

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Conclusion:

Infectious is the uniquely named company that creates skins for the iPhone along with other skin products. They have a wide variety of artists to choose from and feature over ninety different skins to select from which grows by the day. The skins are distinctive and add a flare of self expression to the otherwise ubiquitous iPhone.

The Infectious iPhone skins are easily applied and equally simple to remove and reapply. They can be placed on the original or new version of the iPhone so there are no worries if you upgrade your device. The back skin does not cover the entire back, so there is a risk of getting scratches and scuffs on the exposed areas; so a clear hard case is highly advisable.

If you want to express yourself and your iPhone, then I suggest you get yourself infected.

Pros:
Look awesome
Leaves no residue
Can be used with either iPhone model
Easy to apply
Simple to remove

Cons:
Does not cover entire back of the iPhone.

Grades:
Overall
Design
Performance