Just got my iCarbons today!
Hey guys I just got my iCarbons in today! I got the Dark Wood.
Heres review on it...
Installation~
Ill give it a rating of 7 of 10 heres why. Since its a sticker, its a lot harder to put it into place, its not an invisible shield where you have time and the capability to adjust it. So lining it up with the camera and the Apple logo and making sure that at the end the cut outs for the headphones, dock connection and speaker work out, is defiantly the worst part about installation.
At the end after many attempts to get every thing lined up, I literally didn't think about it that much (Since I'm very picky and a perfectionist) and lined it up with just the Apple logo and nothing else, and it turned out really good.
"Really good" well its not perfect but its almost dead on just a few inches from the heart. I notice that the camera and the dock and speakers were kinda off. But not to the point where it drives me crazy. It did come with a lighter color wood for the Apple logo how ever I didn't put it in, I like how the black logo compliments the dark wood. Plus I picked the dark wood for a reason over the lighter wood that they offer, so why send me a lighter color wood to cover the logo?
As for the corners... Yes use a hairdryer, they say set it on low and lift up the skin. I find it easier to leave the skin corner down not applied to the iPad yet until you set your hairdryer to high. The skin will be limp, very fast. Then all you do is use your palm and press it down. Again with your palm. Flatten any wrinkles with your fingernail. I say finger nail because at this time its very easy to draw our the wrinkles to the edge (Just like bubbles, which there was none to say) since the skin is very plyable. How ever use your fingernail at your own risk. I did think "What if I rip it", well I didn't haha and I flatten all wrinkles using my nail. So it worked out perfect.
So 7 out of 10. Well Ill make it a 8 1/2. Final
Function~
Does it work with the smart cover (SC)? In short yes.
Wait I hear that it reduces the magnetic connection to the iPad itself? Well I find this true, but not rock solid true. Let me explain. It does connect very well however its a whole lot easier to disconnect it from the iPad. Some people claim that when folded up to a horizontal stance of the iPad, the smart cover doesn't hold on when you tap on the iPad. Thats not true, well on my part. It defiantly hold on when you put the smart cover and the iPad on landscape.
Final rating. 10 out of 10. The fact that it loses just a tiny bit of magnetic connection to the iPad it self is, well for the good of it. The SC before iCarbons was a battle to remove from the iPad, I'd always feared on bending the spine of the SC because it was a little bit too grab-y. Now with the iCarbons its not a battle and still is secure enough where it won't fall off or detach when in landscape.
The New iPad by
AllenCisneros, on Flickr
Aesthetics & Quality~
Rating? Another 10 out of 10. Well for the Dark Wood, and Im sure for the carbons. As you can tell from the pictures it does have some what of a texture of the crevasses of wood. Its really cool! But thats just looks... You can see the crevasses however, you can't feel them
This would be cool if that would be carried out, but I'm thinking if they did it would have been thicker. Speaking of thickness, its not thick at all very thin. Thiner than Zagg's back protector skin.
Its made from "3M's Scotchprint personalized Vehicle Graphics" So you can expect great amazing quality. Final rating? Can I change it again? 100 out of 10!
Final Verdict~
Rating 9 1/2 out of 10.
iCarbon's Dark Wood skin for the back of the newer iPad is really one of the best skins that I have ever used. Invisible shield, BodyGuardz, GhostArmor all have that rubbery texture, and to be honest with you now feels cheap to me if i ever when back to a clear protector. So if your contemplating if you should press that button or tap the button on "Place order" go ahead and feel good about it because iCarbons will be a definite good buy.
Any questions? Feel free to ask!!!