Skins can be a simple alternative to using a bulky case to protect your smartphone investment. Today, I’ll be taking a look at SlickWraps’ blue [metallic] carbon fiber skin for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S (Amazon). What’s neat about this skin set is that the blue coloring is metallic, as opposed to just a solid color like on most other skins offered by their competitors. The full set will cost you about $20 from their website.

For your $20, you’ll be getting the full skin set, which includes both side strips, the front and back pieces, as well as a microfiber cleaning cloth (which actually does a good job at cleaning fingerprints and debris from your glass). Lastly, you’ll get a small 3.5-inch clear screen protector that’s custom-cut to fit between the sides of the front skin.

Installation of all of the pieces was incredibly easy. If you have any doubt in yourself, you can refer to one of SlickWraps’ many installation videos to help you out. In a nutshell, all you have to do is line the skins up with your device and lay them down, smoothing out any bubbles that might come about. Fortunately, you can [slowly] take the skin off of your phone to realign it, should you have any problems the first time.

After installation, you have a device that’s practically something else. On my white iPhone 4, the skin looks very slick with the white frame of the phone. And, of course, thanks to that metallic blue coloring, your phone will shine like never before. Ultimately, the skin looks awesome in areas with lots of light. It’s very hard for me to use my iPhone with a case. If you do plan on using a case, be advised that the added thickness of your phone might cause some cases to not fit properly. For example, my bumpers have sort of a lip near the top of the bumper. Additionally, I did install the front skin on top of my already-installed anti-glare screen protector.

That’s all there really is to this particular product. It’s easy to install, affordable, comes with excellent support, and makes your device stand-out amongst the rest.

If blue carbon fiber isn’t your thing, SlickWraps also makes skins in several other finishes and designs. Click here to check them out.

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