A few clear trends became apparent after scouring the North Hall of the CTIA show, especially when it comes to cases and another related, and rapidly growing, category: skins.

Last week, it was rumoured that Apple would be removing all protective screen overlays from its stores come this May, although no reason was given for the decision. Speaking to manufacturers of such products on the show floor, a few seem to believe this is indeed true (although none would go on record saying so.) Power Support USA, which supplies iPhone cases, skins, and screen overlays to both the Apple Store and Rogers stores in Canada under the Tru brand name, declined to comment, although company Vice President Keiko Napier did point out that Tru skins are currently the number-one selling model through Apple stores.

Skinning Out the Phone

But what I'm talking about when I say "skins" here are not so much screen protectors, but rather skins that wrap around the body of the device and adhere to the back, sides, and top to provide a personalized look. Think of them as a more sophisticated form of stickers. And this show proved that the category is not just growing, its exploding. For every cell phone case manufacturer booth, there was another company dedicated solely to making skins. They range from the typical transparent skin that goes on either wet or dry and maintains the look of the device, to more personalized models with funky design options, and others that you can decorate with your own choice of imagery.

A few stood out. NLU Products, for example, makes the ScreenGuard HD, which adds an anti-glare layer to the skin via PET film. The skin goes on wet, so it requires some handy work; and should be replaced every 6-12 months. It sells for US$14.95 and comes in pairs. In the screen protector category discussed earlier, the company makes the Privacy Film, which darkens the screen when you're looking from an angle to prevent nosy folks on the bus beside you or in a waiting room from peeking in at what you're doing. Those cost US$19.95 each.

Gadget Guard is another company that offers wet-applied protective skins for a variety of devices, not just the iPhone. Each of the two-year-old company's products come in sleek-looking black packaging, and in either transparent or funky designs. Pricing is US$24.99 each.

Even newer to market is Salt Lake City, UT-based MING, which only begun rounding up product three months ago after about a year in the development stage. This company opted to offer just a limited selection (11, to be exact) of more refined designs rather than the in-your-face options seen from some other companies. All of the skins are self-adhesive, going on dry, and models are available for nine handsets, including the iPhone, BlackBerry models and some handsets from HTC. Each skin hits the sweet spot price of US$25.

I mentioned in a previous report about Urapsol, which offers protective transparent skins for various devices that the company says are not only scratch-proof but, via its own proprietary technology, are also drop-proof. This means you can drop an iPhone outfitted with one of their skins from up to a height of six-feet and it won't get damaged. The skins, which are applied dry, are made of polyurethane, and include a layer of shock-absorbent material. Thus far, the US$29.99 skins are available for about 20 different devices, including the iPad.

Speaking of the iPad, Incipio already has a protective screen overlay for the highly-anticipated device that features the same privacy protection as the previously-mentioned NLU products. I guess we won't be seeing this one in Apple stores, though.

It seems as though the skin market has a hurdle to overcome before it really hits it big: many consumers are reluctant to jump on board for fear that it's way too complicated to get the darned thing on, or that they won't have steady enough hands to affix it properly and prevent bubbles. Retailers, it could be a prudent decision to offer some sort of mobile phone skin application service. It's definitely something to think about.

Hard & Soft Cases

There have been some neat innovations on the hard and soft case side as well, many of which might lead one to believe that manufacturers are really trying hard to find out what they can possibly do next in a market that's over-saturated and doesn't have much room for any more innovation. An iPhone case, after all, is an iPhone case. They all look relatively the same because the phone is the phone, and there's only one way to create a case that fits it snugly. But companies have indeed found ways to stand out, as is evidenced at CTIA.

First, it's clearly all about the bling. Ed Hardy is the obvious eye-catching option when it comes to cases that scream "look at me." But a few others on the show floor really grabbed my attention; not so much because they looked nice, but because they shone so brightly I could see them from miles away. I'm talking about the crystal-studded, bejeweled cases that were at every turn. While I'm not one to want to "bedazzle" my phone, there is a clear market for the category. That, or at least plenty of manufacturers are hoping for one to open up.

Then there's the level of personalization that not only includes cool colours and funky designs, but also the ability to change up the case on-the-fly. I already discussed Trexta's neat cardboard cases that come in packs of three with three coloured markets for literally designing the case yourself. But there's also the dotties line from Incipio, which come with 45 different-coloured buttons that can be affixed to the back of the device to fill circular-shaped holes. While the pattern will always remain the same, the colour scheme can be changed based on your preference. Each is US$34.

The smrt case is a standard-shaped iPhone or BlackBerry case that features a vertical slot on the back for easily inserting a credit card, business card, hotel room key, photo ID, etc. A BlackBerry version that can hold 2-3 cards comes in black, white, pink, and red, and the iPhone case, which holds 1-2 cards, comes in the same colour options, minus red. Pricing is US$29.99. However, my favourite was the BlackBerry case made of faux leather that incorporates three horizontal card slots on the back, much like a man's money clip or vertical-shaped wallet. That model sells for US$29.99.

The day ended with a never-before-seen type of "case". This one is a lycra wrist band with a Velcro latch that's worn around the wrist. Slot any phone inside, secure it with the Velcro, then always have the device literally at your fingertips. One model in particular employs thin material that allows you to see the device's screen without having to remove it. The applications range from youth who want cool and funky designs, to those participating in sports or who aren't comfortable with the belted holster look, but want quick access to the device. Each sells for US$14.95, and they come in three sizes: small, medium, and large.

The skin has become, in many ways, the evolution of the case. But the case itself is finding ways to evolve, from the plethora of dual-function case/chargers we saw at CES a few months back, to these new generations of "blinged out" phone covers.

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