The Nokia Tube smartphone powered by Symbian S60 OS 5th edition with Accelerometer and Touch capabilities, well to put it simply will be Nokia’s first ever touch XpressMusic smartphone. The Tube’s new touch-screen technology could be the biggest reason the Tube phone will match the high standards set by the iPhone 3G. If you end up buying Nokia’s Tube smartphone, you are probably going want a case to protect your investment and one of the ways you can do that is with a Tube case.

There are some very important factors to consider when selecting a Tube case, the first being how well it protects your Tube. From there, you will want to have unobstructed access to the touch-screen and the other ports and controls on the Tube. Additionally, a case that accents the features of the stunning Tube, both visually and functionally would be good, oh, and something to protect the Tube from short drops would be great too.

Rumored Specs of the Nokia XpressMusic 5800 Tube smartphone:

  • 3.2 inche 16.7 million TFT 640×360 screen with haptic feedback
  • S60 5th edition with accelerometer
  • 3.2 AF mega pixel camera with dual LED flash, Carl Zeiss optics and geo-tagging
  • GPS
  • 3.5 mm AV / TV output
  • GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA/HSDPA/WLAN connectivity
  • 140MB internal RAM
  • microSD support
  • new BL-5J battery
  • measures 115×52×14.5 mm
  • weighs 104g
  • rumored to be announced next month

Flip Cases for the Tube
These cases cover the entire Tube; there are generally holes for access to the ports and the headphone jack. They then have a flap that either opens up or to the side that grants you access to the touch-screen, and subsequently the speaker and microphone as well. These cases probably offer the most protection short of the Rigid Cases.

Slip Pouches for the Tube
These Tube Cases are fairly self explanatory, they are pouches, and the Tube slips right into them, and they are usually form fitted enough that the Tube won’t slide right back out, but it is easy enough to remove when you really want to. With these cases, they usually have belt clips, D-Rings, something of that nature to affix them to your person, and you only get access to one port, depending on how you insert your Tube phone. These cases also offer a fair amount of shock protection.

Gel Skins for the Tube
These Tube cases just slide over the back and the edges and that’s all they protect, you maintain access to all ports and buttons, the touch-screen, and the Tube’s camera. They protect the back of the Tube, and the edges and offer protection to the screen from what might be on whatever flat surface you set your Tube on upside down. These cases also offer decent shock protection depending on the material they are made out of and how they are made.

Rigid Cases for the Tube
These cases are generally made out of either hard plastic or metal, usually aluminum. They also offer the most protection to your devices but also manage to be the hardest to gain access to your Tube with. These are a prime example of the fact that you can’t have your cake and eat it too, you either have maximum safety and minimum accessibility or you choose a different type of case that offers a mix of the two.

Sport Cases for the Tube
These are generally armbands, they hold your Tube phone in place, protect the screen, protect the Tube from sweat, and are specifically designed to be used while working out. The reason they are generally on your arm is because that seems to be the best location to put a device that you want access to, but don’t want the Tube or the headphone cables getting in your way.



Screen Protectors for the Tube
These aren’t cases, in most examples, there are a few that offer the same material their signature screen protectors are made of, but cut to fit the remainder of your Tube, and in that instance, it would be considered a case. Screen protectors are statically or otherwise adhered to your Tube’s display. They protect the display from scratches and dirt and smudges but also allow full access to the display, these can even be used in conjunction with other cases to offer the best protection.

Other Cases for the Tube
Other cases covers those that offer up added functionality or those cases that are purely for fashion. I have seen some cases with fans, cord wraps, battery extenders, crazy stuff; it all depends on what there is a market for. Fashion cases can get quite extravagant or sometimes they exhibit the same characteristics as one of the other cases but are just made by a certain clothing manufacturer or something of that nature, such as Gucci, Fendi, Dolce & Gabana, Louis Vouitton, the list goes on but you get the hint. Like I said, some of the fashion cases just look ridiculous, like they are made from weird animal skins, or faker version of those same skins, or they look like purses, crazy stuff. In general these cases offer only mediocre protection.