Review: SGP Skin Guard for iPhone 4

If you’re one of those people that likes a clean feel on your iPhone but still want a sense of protection, there are some attractive options on the screen protector market. I recently installed the SGP Skin Guard for iPhone 4 and was very impressed with the finished result.

Here is my full review of the product…

What’s in the box?

The SGP Skin Guard has a leather skin for the back cover, which is a kind of imitation leather manufactured in Korea. The package is also bundled with a Steinheil Ultra Crystal LCD Protector that gives your iPhone’s screen a shiny look so the Retina display doesn’t lose any of its glory. Also packaged is one micro-fiber cloth to get rid of the dust particles on your iPhone, as well as a squeegee to iron out the air bubbles that may have appeared during install. Since the SGP Skin Guard is a ‘dry’ install, there is no solution to apply when installing, unlike the Zagg invisibleSHIELD.

Design

A big winner for the SGP Skin Guard is the fact that it’s compatible with the Apple Bumper so you can use your iPhone without any antenna problems. SGP says that the Ultra Crystal LCD Protector is 25% thicker than the previous model for iPhone 3GS. I was impressed with the fact that the Leather Skin Guard was made in Korea and the LCD Protector in Japan so the build quality was excellent and of an extremely high standard.

When you feel the Leather Skin Guard with the tip of your fingers, it looks, smells and feels like real leather. It is sleek, smooth to touch and gives your iPhone a business look, which I loved: it reminds me of the leather backs that BlackBerry have on some of their phones which business people are so fond of.

The LCD Screen Protector is presented in a glossy finish… although SGP says that it is 25% thicker than the previous model it still looks and feels thinner from other protectors such as the invisibleSHIELD so it won’t feel too chunky in your hand.

Performance

The leather back skin doesn’t start peeling off after repeated use like sliding it in and out of your pocket during the course of the day. Although it is a dry installation, it is very sturdy and will withstand daily use. Most importantly, it isn’t too chunky so your iPhone will still remain fairly sleek and slim due to the thinness of the leather skin as well as the LCD Screen Protector.

I’m extremely wary of installing screen protectors for the iPhone, simply because I don’t have the steadiest hands in the world, nor the right amount of patience. However the SGP Skin Guard is easy to apply but I can’t stress enough that patience is needed otherwise you won’t get a good result. The Leather Skin Guard is easy to install and the cutout fits the iPhone perfectly. I was impressed with the texture of the leather skin as it looks and feels like real leather and isn’t some tacky rip-off.

The LCD Screen Protector also has a great build quality and I found that unlike other protectors, it didn’t collect fingerprints too much and I didn’t have to keep wiping the screen just for visibility. I placed my iPhone in my pocket with my set of house keys and by the end of the day, the screen remained unscratched so that’s a thumbs up for the Ultra Crystal Screen Protector.

An important component of the SGP Skin Guard is that it doesn’t look like its been forced onto the iPhone. If blends in extremely well with the phone, so much that it looks like it was manufactured that way instead of being an add-on. Unlike other products, SGP has succeeded in this category.

Conclusion

The SGP Skin Guard product is fantastic: the back leather skin is thin, sleek and extremely sexy. It gives your iPhone a professional look and will make you stand out from the crowd. The front LCD Screen Protector is also great with no ‘rainbow’ effects noted and provided you install it properly, no air bubbles will remain and the Retina screen is not diminished in any way. You can use your Apple Bumper with the Skin Guard so you’re covered in terms of antenna protection. If you’re looking to purchase an affordable screen protector but one that blows most of the competition away, the SGP Skin Guard is a sure winner.

Price: $17.99
Rating: 9/10
Buy here