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.

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.

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.

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.