REVIEW – I don’t pamper my phones but at the same time, I don’t want to needlessly scuff and scratch them up especially right after spending my hard-earned cash on a new one like the Google Pixel Fold. I typically go with a thin case like my usual favorites from Pitaka MagEZ Google Pixel Fold case. But sometimes I want to go even more minimalist and for that, I prefer a skin. But not just any skin, I prefer Dbrand skins. And no, this isn’t sponsored. I bought this skin myself. Let’s check it out.
What is it?
Dbrand skins are specially cut adhesive skins for the back (and sometimes sides) of mobile phones that provide everyday wear and tear protection without a bulky case.
Dbrand offers a variety of textures and patterns, but for me, it had to be leather, so I ordered a Real Tan Leather skin.
What’s in the box?
The Dbrand skin doesn’t come in the box, it comes in a cool envelope.
- Dbrand skin
- Polishing cloth
Design and installation
Some people might think that installing a skin is hard and that they will screw it up so why buy one. I don’t think they are hard to install. It’s basically a sticker. Just take your time and you’ll be fine.
The fold sticker is super easy to install because it has a cutout for the camera visor on the back which basically lines everything up for a foolproof install.
The skin is made of 100% genuine full-grain veg-tanned leather and right out of the box/envelope, it looks and smells great.
All you have to do is peel off the backing…
Grab the Dbrand leather Pixel Fold skin by the corner and slap it on the back of the Pixel Fold. The whole operation from opening the envelope to completion shouldn’t take more than a minute.
Woot! There we go! Looking great right? The skin installs perfectly with no lumps, bumps, bubbles, etc.
Although the Dbrand skin is thin, you will feel the edges. But don’t worry, with time, they will burnish into a lovely curve that blends in with the sides of the phone.
It’s looking good and you could stop there if you wanted to, but there’s another skin that you can install over the camera bump, and trust me, if you have the Google Pixel Fold, you won’t want to skip this step because the finish on the camera bump will scratch just by breathing on it… or at least mine did.
The skin for the camera bump takes a little extra effort to install because you will need to line it up with the cutouts for the lenses, microphone, and flash.
But don’t worry, it’s not that difficult and if you screw it up and get it a little wonky, you can reposition it.
The Dbrand leather skin has been on my Google Pixel Fold for a couple of months now, long enough to get some nice patina. So look at the image above and now…
Check out how it looks today. Yes, it’s a little scratched, but that’s the beauty of leather (in my opinion). It’s also darker now and even a little shinier and smoother.
And just like I promised, the edges have become burnished from pulling the phone in and out of my pocket and just from constantly rubbing in my hand.
What I like
- Easy to install
- Looks better and better with time
What I’d change
- Nothing
Final thoughts
As long as you understand that a skin and that it will protect the phone from drops, having such a minimal “case” is liberating. It keeps your phone basically the same size as a naked phone, but it adds a little bit of scuff protection and a whole lot of personal style. Thanks Dbrand!
Price: $34.95
Where to buy: Dbrand
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own money.
