Most of the people would immediately get a case after they purchase a new smartphone, for either protection or looks. However, a case does add quite a bit of bulk and hide the original design of the smartphone. Is a skin/vinyl wrap, like dbrand, a great alternative? Let’s check it out.
dbrand is one of the most well-known company in the industry, specialized in providing skins for digital gadgets. It aims to provide a huge range of customization and let users to de-brand their gadgets. This time, we are reviewing the dbrand skin for the Pixel 2 XL.
What I ordered were a matte white back skin and a red logo for my Pixel 2 XL. The back skin cost $9.95 USD, while the logo skin cost $0.95 USD at that time. There are also a skin for the glass on the upper half of the phone.
Unboxing
The dbrand skin came inside an small envelope. If you order skins for larger devices, such as a notebook or tablet, a larger version will be used. The outside is printed with specially designed graphic, which shows a robot factory (dbrand).
At the back of the package, you will see two pull tapes in both sides. There is the Flag of Canada printed on the left side, which represents the origin of dbrand. You can easily take out the content using those pull tapes.
You will find a white dbrand-branded microfiber cloth and a plastic sleeve with the skins inside.
There are two matte white back skins in different types, as well as a set of red logo skins. One of the back skin (precision cut) will cover every side of the phone, including the curve edges, but will require more effort to apply. The logo skin comes with three sizes, which users can choose the size that fits better.
dbrand Skins for Pixel 2 XL
Application
To apply the dbrand skin, you will need a microfiber cloth (included) to wipe away dust/fingerprints on the phone and a hair dryer to heat up the skin around curved corners. Most parts fo the application is simple and easy to follow. You can easily undo any imperfections by immediately peel back part of the skin and reapply. The only step that requires special attention is when you need to wrap the skin around the edges, if the precision fit skin is used.
Appearance (Precision Fit)
The dbrand skin covers most of the back of the phone, and wraps around all the necessary cutouts (camera lens, fingerprint sensor, buttons) perfectly. The laser autofoucs sensor and flashlight will also work without issues.
The bottom USB-C charging port will not be obstructed by the skin.
To prevent having small gaps around the corners of the phone like this, you should definitely follow dbrand’s instruction videos carefully and patiently.
Durability
The dbrand skin for Pixel 2 XL performed pretty well in terms of durability. It can help prevent any scratches on the outside of the smartphone. The matte white skin remains clean and does not have any discoloring after about 2 months of usage.
Conclusion
The dbrand skin for Pixel 2 XL offers users tons of color combinations and customizations, while without increasing the bulk of the smartphone like a normal phone case and still maintaining the overall design of the phone. Though it cannot provide any forms of drop/impact protection, you do not have to worry about minor scratches. For the price, the dbrand skin is a great alternative option to pimp your smartphone up.
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