Nokia Lumia 820 comes out of its shell

Published by Adam Fraser on September 17, 2012

Active Shell

The newly announced Nokia Lumia 820 comes packed with some great features, a 4.3 inch ClearBlack OLED screen, an 8MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and wireless charging – thanks to the interchangeable shells.

These interchangeable shells play a big role in the look of the phone, and more importantly, certain functions of the phone. The brightly coloured shells are more than plastic covers; they activate the wireless charging function or protect your phone if you’re more of an active user. Each one is created to suit a person’s different needs without the need to change your phone.

“We’ve moved beyond just changing the colour of your phone. People can now decide how they want to use their phone, by doing something as simple as changing a shell to add a function.”

Explains Tuomas Reivo, Lead Designer on the Nokia Lumia 820.

Shell removal

Made from PC/ABS – a material that was developed to make the shells easy to clip on and off and remain strong at the same time – they allow for easy removal whenever needed. And the colours aren’t just painted on; they are inherent in the material. This means that if you were to scratch the shell you won’t be left with a noticeable mark, you’ll actually hardly notice it’s there. It keeps its colour for longer.

When you buy a Nokia Lumia 820 you’ll receive a standard shell in the box, made from the PC/ABS material. High gloss colours available are red, yellow, cyan, purple, and white. Matte colours are grey and black.

Nokia Lumia 820

Personalisation meets power

Learn more, here.

To take advantage of the wireless charging function you’ll need to purchase the Wireless Charging shell. With this connected to your Lumia 820, you can place your phone on a Nokia Wireless Charging Plate, Nokia Wireless Charging Stand, the Fatboy™ Recharge Pillow, or the JBL PowerUp Wireless Charging Speaker. These are available in five matte colours: white, yellow, black, red and cyan – all matte and made from PC/ABS.

If you’re more heavy-handed with your phones, if you have a more active life-style or just want to make sure your phone is protected at any point, there is a ruggedised shell too.

Standard Shells

Rather than using a solid, rigid, plastic case like you find on some other phones, this protective shell is built to protect all parts of the phone without making it too bulky. It’s the same width and same length as the other shells, but only a fraction thicker.

This softer shell is also made from PC/ABS but has another rubber-like material around the front and the edges. It covers the back, as you’d expect but also stretches around the front slightly to protect the edges of the screen and the corners – the most at risk area if you drop your phone. These will be available in matte yellow, green and orange with a black TPU trim.

The range of interchangeable shells will be available at launch of the Nokia Lumia 820.

What shells are you looking forward to using? Let us know in the comments, below.

Comments

  • http://twitter.com/vedhaspatkar Vedhas Patkar

    Will the exchange shells be in the box or will we have to buy them?

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      The Nokia Lumia 820 comes with one standard shell, and the others you’ll have to purchase separately.

      • http://twitter.com/vedhaspatkar Vedhas Patkar

        Thanks, will these along with the other accessories be available in India right away after the phone hits the Indian shores?

  • http://www.facebook.com/gmiguel83 Jorge Miguel

    The shells at the top are awesome!!

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      I agree. They are the protective shells with the rubber edges. The colours are great, too.

      • http://www.facebook.com/gmiguel83 Jorge Miguel

        You guys at Nokia are absolute geniuses. Can’t wait to get me one of the new Lumias. Haven’t decided which one yet :)

        • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

          You’ll just have to get both :D

        • Ashley

          If you live in the uk it’ll be blavk or white.

      • Breakingillusions

        please don’t forget to add cyan for the protective shells

        • http://twitter.com/CylonJason Jason Chikowski

          They say in the article that cyan is one of the available colors. That will be the first one I buy as well,

          • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1198150213 Joe Murray

            Cyan is not available for the ruggedized shells, which is what Breakingillusions was referring to.

          • Ashley

            Better wait a long time then, nokia never make these shells available.

      • http://twitter.com/ksyeoh ksyeoh

        Nice. All of the sudden I want to buy a Lumia 820 but with Lumia 920 specs on it.

  • http://twitter.com/ahmedmahadik Ahmedkhan Mahadik

    the big question is…when are u gonna release the phone in the market…i want to buy it…

  • Bataleon

    Stoked to hear there’ll a ruggedised shell, nice one Nokia!

    • Bataleon

      P.S. Please include a built-in FM transmitter with the next iteration of Lumias. It’s the most used feature on my N8 (after the camera)

      • elpadr1no

        I thought all windows phones come with a built in wifi. Just go into Music+Video and plug in ur headphones.

        • Bataleon

          They do but an FM transmitter allows me to tune in with my car/kitcken stereo/TV/whatever. FM receivers are ubiquitous. No need for aux cables.

          • elpadr1no

            I get it now. Great feature. But i think they’re probably moving towards BT and NFC on that front.

  • realjjj

    So why stop there with the covers? Storage covers,solar chargers,projector, IR blaster.Guess then you would have to go this way for all your phones.

    • http://www.brainfruit.com/ Marcus Bastian

      I liked the iPaq “covers” long time ago!
      But I wonder, why I have to choose between wireless charging and protection.

  • jimboireland

    They are cool and super colours

  • theprov

    More than 10 years ago shells were enough to sells millions of 3310. Will they be enough today? I hope so for nokia.

  • TheLevSer

    I wish the rubberized shell came in black :/

  • http://twitter.com/AlexEfimoff Alex Efimoff

    That black 820 without the shell looks quite stylish and cool.

    • http://twitter.com/CylonJason Jason Chikowski

      I was thinking the same thing! Too bad you couldn’t have the choice of carrying around the stripped down thin version on occasion.

  • Mindi B

    These cover shells are AWESOME, as are both the Lumia 920 and 820. We all want you to succeed so badly Nokia.

    But WHY, WHY no release date, no pricing, no pre-ordering? You release these AMAZING products and they just don’t catch on because of these awful mistakes & your reaction to the changed surroundings. The market expects you to this info ready to go ON YOUR ANNOUNCEMENT DATE, NO LATER.

    Must we sit here and watch you break your own ankles over and over? Cmon Nokia, get on the game. We WANT you there back on the throne WHERE YOU BELONG.

    • Erkki Ruohtula

      I really hope the use the time well to test, test and test again the new phones. And then give them to a class of schoolkids to pound on… So that here won’t be any embarrassing bugs that turn after a couple of days of use.

      • http://twitter.com/CylonJason Jason Chikowski

        Agreed, we don’t need a repeat of the Lumia 900 experience.

    • pdexter

      Lol chill out my friend.

      Nokia can’t release the dates because MS hasn’t even announced WP8 or the SDK for it.
      Neither is Samsung able to announce any dates or HTC when they announce their devices soon.

  • Rishabh

    Well the article surely tells a lot about protection and rigidness of this phone ..thats nice. but when it comes to the screen ,where is the Gorilla Glass ?? Good lord even asha 311 has that. any reason for that?? is there any plans for this to sport gorilla glass before release ,than this would be my next phone

    • pdexter

      Gorilla Glass is brand, nothing else.
      iPhone doesn’t use gorilla glass branding either.

      Nokia has simply chose not to pay the licensing cost.

      • Rishabh

        what can be stronger than gorilla glass. If there is a glass like that ,then why its not on 920. And if its not stronger than how come 311 has it and not this one.

        • gannic

          The 920 has gorilla glass but the 820 does not :(

  • http://www.techin5.com Techin5

    OLED or AMOLED?

  • Breakingillusions

    i love the protective shells on the first image i would like to see them with ” cyan ”

    i just hope the wireless charging and protective shells will be available as an option on all stores

  • malerocks

    Since its the shells that enable wireless charging on the 820, is it possible to release similar shells for existing models like say the 710?

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      I don’t think that’s possible.

      There will be connections in the back of the shell that connect to the phone somehow and then power is routed through the phone’s circuits.

      You can’t just do that to another phone. The circuits have to be suitably wired.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1448486942 Nazmi Lao

    I would love the orange shell!

  • Lovrena

    Would be nice to see some shipping and pricing details as well. Phones and accessories were introduced with estimated ASP and availability before, but the Lumia lineup is a complete mystery. The shells look good, but how much they cost?

    I think it would be better to introduce new gizmos only when they are ready to go. The “wow” effect fades away quickly, so for multi-million first weekend sales the phones should go on sale one-two weeks after announcement. At least it seems like a quite well working strategy for some other big players.

    • http://twitter.com/CylonJason Jason Chikowski

      I totally agree that availability and pricing are key, but one good thing about having their announcement before Apple’s, even without other details, Nokia showcased there technology and had tech pundits comparing the lackluster iPhone 5 to the exciting and technologically superior Lumia 920.

  • jrtorrents

    Apples just sold 2million iphone5s in 24hrs .. will you get the Lumia 920/820 out and stop talking cover BS ?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Toni-Luoto/1385179214 Toni Luoto

    Really nice. But now 920 needs something similiar in order to compete with 820…

  • Jackqa123

    Something for active people, so I could wear it with necklace .

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      I don’t know what that means. When we say active we mean for people who might use the phone in the woods, on a building site, or just out running where there’s a increased risk of damage to the phone.

      As opposed to me sitting at a desk all day – not that active.

      • Jackqa123

        So I could put it under my shirt and wear it on neck.

      • http://twitter.com/Alvetica Al Pavangkanan

        Or clumsy people like me

  • xekrax

    Yellow :)))) like it

  • http://twitter.com/rschuerer Reinhard Schuerer

    but why is cyan only available at the 820 and not for the 920?

  • http://twitter.com/CylonJason Jason Chikowski

    I assume and hope there’s phone color themes to exactly match the shells and that they won’t be too expensive, because I would love to not have to choose but be able to buy them all.
    The replaceable colorful back covers plus the removable battery and micro SD expansion are the reasons I’m choosing the Lumia 820 over the technologically superior 920.

  • kornofilo

    want something like an option to put a band or phone charm in it, that would be usefull.

    • Viktor_Braunagel

      Shortly before I got my Lumia 900 I pondered about getting some kind of band or charm for my phone.
      Then I saw that the device didn’t even have space for that.

      I agree that we need that option.

    • Viktor_Braunagel

      Shortly before I got my Lumia 900 I pondered about getting some kind of band or charm for my phone.
      Then I saw that the device didn’t even have space for that.

      I agree that we need that option.

  • elpadr1no

    why arent we seeing any feminine colours? Im hoping more colours will be available after launch.

  • adambaranek

    Will there be a ruggedised shell with wireless charging?

  • http://www.facebook.com/HihiHans Hihi Hans Gerssen

    But why don’t they all support wireless charging?

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      Not everybody will want to use wireless charging and by putting that technology into every shell would put the cost up of every shell.

  • Sibabrata Mohapatra

    I like Nokia 820 but it should have transparent tiles so that a wallpaper could placed in background of the home screen and the clock with date widgets should be there. A pull down bar with some important toggle button like belle would be a better option.

  • Sibabrata Mohapatra

    Window OS is best OS but being Nokia user i would like to suggest the developer team should work on the UI of the OS so that it should look like a mobile not PC.

  • Sibabrata Mohapatra

    When we are going to call in window OS first we have press the call tiles then either numpad or contacts has to be press. But why not the numpad will not fetch the contact list ?

  • gannic

    One of the ruggedised cases but still cannot decide on the colour

  • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

    I want to make sure I have this right… The Lumia 820 does not have wireless charging out of the box? It only works with one of the shells that you guys sell? Or can I buy the phone with no extra shells and have wireless charging?

    • http://UnleashThePhones.com/ Clinton Jeff

      Afaik, doesnt have it out of the box, but you can buy the wireless charging shell if you that feature :o)

      • http://www.themobilefanatics.com Mike Macias

        Thanks! We need some pricing!

  • lordstar

    Can we suggest a rugged shell with wireless charging? Future device owners would have to swap covers if they’re out of the house if they want to use wireless charging.

    Like when you’re in coffeebean and then the 820 has the rugged shell on and you would want to charge. You’d have to change shells making it an extra effort for users in the future. Just sayin.

  • ВАСЯ

    НОКИЯ ГОВНО! РОССИЯ ВПЕРЕД))))

  • ВАСЯ

    очередная лажа от нокия

  • ВАСЯ

    поюзал люму 710 – телефон быстрый но по софту – телефон для даунов. микрофон говно, эквалайзера нет, передней камеры нет, флешки нет. это что сименс а35?

  • http://twitter.com/dalydose Jeff Daly

    I dig the shells. They not only eliminate the need for cases, but they allow access to mSD and battery. Do I forego all of the 920 goodness because of the shells? Deeeeeeecisions.

  • Brendan Arnold

    Matt colours! I love the new phones (820/920) but can’t stand gloss

  • Lovrena

    Good to see the new wave of Xpress-on covers (and exchangeable batteries).

    Hope to see it again in some lightweight (~100 g), slim (~8 – 10 mm) and ultra-compact Lumia with 3.7 – 4″ screen… ;)

  • Viktor_Braunagel

    Do the ruggedized and charging shell include NFC?
    Is there a rugged shell with NFC AND wireless charging?
    Is it possible to build a shell that contains an additional battery? How about a solar charger?

    I really want to know what kind of features the shells can add.

    Edit:
    Also, how do shells behave when the phone is dropped? I saw a destruction video of a 3310 some time ago and the shell popped off, basically functioning as ablative armor.
    What happens with Lumia 820 shells? Do they pop off under pressure? How much does the ruggedized shell help against drops, especially concerning the screen?

    • elpadr1no

      NFC is built into the phone itself and will work regardless of shell.Wireless charging depends on the shell. I like the possibilities that these interchangeable shells bring. Making it harder and harder to pick 920 over 820.

  • Viktor_Braunagel

    Do the ruggedized and charging shell include NFC?
    Is there a rugged shell with NFC AND wireless charging?
    Is it possible to build a shell that contains an additional battery? How about a solar charger?

    I really want to know what kind of features the shells can add.

    Edit:
    Also, how do shells behave when the phone is dropped? I saw a destruction video of a 3310 some time ago and the shell popped off, basically functioning as ablative armor.
    What happens with Lumia 820 shells? Do they pop off under pressure? How much does the ruggedized shell help against drops, especially concerning the screen?

  • annie

    Woooow i love purpple

  • Art

    Availability? Please have the launch dates in the US ready very soon

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1198150213 Joe Murray

    I’m thinking one of each for the wireless charging and the protective shells.

  • KingsleyWeb

    I’m sure you should call these xpress on covers, people will love the retro vibe, everyone used to have them!

  • stick-of-gum

    This is like the olden days. Remember when you could buy covers and/or exchange them in the playground. Brings back memories. Ahh =D

  • SmoothGirlieGirl

    All of them!

  • http://www.noypigeeks.com/ NoypiGeeks

    Cool shells! Beautiful!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1817718255 Kyle Ezra

    I want the 920 on AT&T ASAP!!! :D

  • fredrik72

    Will you be able to buy a standard shell separately also? If you just want to change color without adding wireless or rugged?

    • http://conversations.nokia.com/ Adam Fraser

      You’ll be able to buy all the different shells.

  • http://twitter.com/uxo22 Christopher Tanner

    I’l like one in Clear please :)

  • http://twitter.com/pablotapia Pablo Tapia

    the ultra cool and versatile new Lumia 820 has just started shipments to stores in some European markets… Stay tuned!

  • Aman

    Can anyone tell me why Lumia 820 don’t have FM Radio.

  • Theri0n

    Has these shells got NFC?

  • CLeeB

    I purchased the Lumia 820 on Monday and would love to get the ruggedised shell…. when and where can I purchase one?

    • lunchboxwarrior

      CLeeB I’m with you I got an 820 three days after it came out in the US and I love the look of that green rugged shell!

  • http://www.facebook.com/derek.phyn Derek Phyn

    Still can’t seem to find any of those ruggedised shells available for purchase online. Where does one buy them?

  • James

    When are the shells available to buy

  • Steven Pena

    Does anyone know why these shells are so hard to find to purchase? Or, do you know where they can be purchased?

  • Ashley

    Complete joke, you’ll never be able to buy these shells in the uk, tell me one thing, have you ever seen a genuine nokia shell for sale in a shop in the uk? nokia like to show all these coloured shells but they never make them available in the uk, if you want nokis better get used to black or white, nokia are full of lies and have massive distribution pronlems.

  • http://twitter.com/Bhuvaneshdurai Bhuvanesh

    If exchangeable shell available for820 in India?

  • joe

    where are the rugged shells!!!

  • http://twitter.com/anoopkn Anoop K.N.

    Why less matte options, Nokia? Even Lumia 620 has more matte shell options.