A few days after getting my silver mini, it had it's first drop from pocket to asphalt. No mechanical damage, but a couple nasty scratches along one side. I decided to get a Speck Mini Skin from my local Fry's Electronics. $20.

http://www.speckproducts.com/mini/singleindex.htm

Initial reaction: I thought the one I grabbed was colorless, but it's actually light blue. That's fine.

Installation: Slides on easily and fits snugly without any fear of sliding out or moving out of alignment. Screen is unobstructed (but unprotected) and controls are the same.

"The Good": I feel very comfortable with my mini in the Speck Mini Skin. Considering the light weight of the mini and the thickness of the skin, I am comfortable in that my precious will be protected from normal drops and wear. Access to ports is not blocked at all. The price of protection is worth the $20 payed out.

"The Bad": The skin offers no protection for the screen and controls, so I still have to be mindful to keep my keys/change in a different pocket. The hold switch is even harder to operate and requires growth of finger or thumbnail, which is rare for me (being a UNIX systems admin. Others would understand.) The skin also makes the mini too fat for it's belt clip. My attempted homebrew solution: I never did use the neck lanyard (too obnoxious,) but attached a climbing clip to a keyring run through the same little plastic nub. This, I clipped to my belt. That didn't stay because slight snags pulled the nub right out of the hole.

The mixed blessing: The mini skin has much more "grip" texture than the mini itself. This makes it much more difficult to slide off a table or slip from your hands, but it also seems a bit TOO sticky. It turns your pockets inside out when you retrieve it and tries to pull my mount off my dash when I remove it. (I have an adjustable vent-attached cell phone mount in which the mini fits perfectly.)

How I'd make the "next generation" mini skin:
1: Include a belt clip. That's a no-brainer
2: Reinforce the lanyard clip too, but keep it removable.
3: Include some cover for the screen at least, and maybe controls.
4: Offer a smoother texture. The skin makes my precious feel cheaper than it is.

That concludes my review. Hope others find it helpful.

It seems that there are more bad than good with this product. You are correct about not protecting the screen or controls. If you're going to have a case, it should at the very minimum protect the screen. Also, to have a product that is too sticky that it turns your pockets inside out? I think I am going to go with the DLO Jam Jacket. That seems like a more superior product. Your review was very helpful! Thanks!

I just posted this somewhere else, but forget where and don't feel like searching for it....


I have the speck case and i like it.

Only complaint is it makes the mini look a lilttle bigger, but I bought it for protection which is what it does.

Still though, the iskin mini looks like a superior product. But, since I don't use or want a belt clip, I like the simplicity of the speck product and i don't care about a screen protector. i'm only concerned about drop damage. Screens get a little scratched on occasion, sh*t happens.

-todd

Asian_N02: Glad you found it helpful!
toddjb: You're absolutely right. The $20 price tag is a small price to pay for the additional level of protection to the expensive iPod mini. I am certain the Speck product can take a significant beating and keep on protecting, but it just "wasn't for me."

"So... beautiful..."