What Does Your Phone Case Say About You?

So you’ve got a new phone. And you love it more than anything else in the whole world.

That’s what it’s like with new phones, right? They are things of great beauty and perfection that you want to stand on a plinth, surrounded by cushions, in a temperature-controlled room protected by security guards with lasers, accessible only by your fair hands.

In short, when you get a new phone, you want to look after it, in order to keep it in that brand new condition, help it to perform at its best and to preserve its value.

One way of helping your phone to stay scratch-free and healthy is to purchase a case or a cover for it. Since smartphones hit the mainstream, such accessories have grown into a marketplace of their own, and you can choose from a plethora of designs and styles depending on what you’re looking for.

Here are some of the most popular ways to dress your precious pocket companion to ensure your technology functions well and looks its best at all times.

Phone covers for durability

For many people, durability is the number one concern when it comes to choosing a case for their phone. However, the major risk when adding a durable case is that you increase the size and profile of your phone significantly, by wrapping it in a big, thick rubber casing.

Fortunately, the latest in phone case technology is reducing the amount of compromise you have to make in either direction.

Amongst the most innovative in durable case designs are the Griffin Survivor, which wraps your iPhone in shatter-resistant polycarbonate, while the in-built screen protector keeps your view crystal clear in all conditions.

Less bulky than the Survivor but just as durable is the rawHIDE g6 from Scosche. This case is cut from hard black polycarbonate and wrapped in real leather. Not one for the vegetarians perhaps, but certainly a phone case that will stand up to the toughest tests and keep your device ship shape.

DIY Phone covers

If you’re a creative type, you might not have to spend a single cent to achieve a phone case that not only protects your device, but also gives you a truly unique look.

DIY phone covers are all the rage amongst craft lovers, and can be made with minimum expense in a variety of ways. Most approaches involve taking a very simple, basic casing for your phone, and then customizing the look and feel using everything from wool to glitter to photos of your favourite pet.

Even if you’re not usually brave enough to be creating bespoke phone case designs, the tutorials available on the web can give you a quick and easy solution to making the best of what you’ve got if your dream phone case just doesn’t exist yet.

Sports team phone cases

For the sports fan in your life, a phone case adorned with their team’s official crest is a no-brainer. Whether you are a fan of soccer, basketball or Scandinavian handball, as a sports fan you can find  phone covers in your team’s colors to fit any brand or model of phone. If you’re a rugby league fan, for example, you could be using your phone to send a text, visit the Facebook app, do some online shopping, or even betting on your team’s next match while admiring the club colors.

Sports phone covers are popular amongst the knock-off and replica merchants that you can find on flea markets, but if you want the real deal it is easy to track down stock images of official NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB sports team merchandise with a quick search online.

There are even facilities out there that allow you to customise your own phone case design using your team’s official branding, so you can walk out like a pro with your customized official team phone, and await the big call from the coach.

Music phone covers

One of the places people are most likely to catch a glimpse of your fancy new phone case is at a concert or a gig. They might not be too happy about it if your smartphone is blocking their view of the action, but nevertheless it is wise to wrap your phone up safely if you’re going to be taking it out of your pocket to capture the action at a busy live event.

Anyone who has made the fatal error of dropping their phone at a gig will tell you that the chances of your delicate device surviving the stampede of pounding feet on the floor of a concert venue are pretty slim.

But there are some great ways to combine your love for live music with the decision to protect your phone, and whether you are a fan of heavier, progressive bands like Tool, an old school psychedelic rocker with Pink Floyd, or just a plain old sk8er boi Avril Lavigne fan, you can get your hands on designs that reflect your passion.

Invisible phone cases

Of course, you might want to protect your phone without making a song and dance about it. If this is a case, then an invisible phone cover might be just the thing you’re looking for.

You could take a look at the Pinlo Slice, which claims to be the thinnest phone case in the world. At just 0.35 millimeters, it isn’t going to add any bulk to your pocket, but it will put a dent in your bank account to the tune of $25.95.

If you’re looking for something a little cheaper, that still won’t affect how good looking your phone naturally is, the Gossamer range from iLuv might be right up your street. With simple, hard plastic cases that snap onto your device and provide a snug fit, the iLuv case is entirely transparent and without looking closely it is barely detectable.

Perhaps the ultimate in invisible case design is the Spigen Ultra Thin Air, which combines a premium polycarbonate case and urethane coating that completely encases your phone. Rather than just covering the edges and back of your phone, the Spigen case takes the whole thing and protects it with a completely see-through shell.