Enables people to come up with their own, personalized shells for the device

Jan 18, 2013 10:27 GMT  ·  By

Nokia is offering more people the possibility to create their own interchangeable casings for the Windows Phone 8-based Lumia 820 smartphone as it has made available for download the necessary 3D printing files for that.

The 3D-printing Development Kit is available for download from Nokia for free, through the company’s developer portal, and should prove a great option for those who have a 3D printer at hand.

The available 3DK offers not only the needed raw files for 3D printers, but also documentation on what materials should be used.

“Nokia’s 3D printing community project is a simple concept with exciting potential,” John Kneeland, a Nokia Community & developer marketing manager, told Nokia Conversations.

“Our Lumia 820 has a removable shell that users can replace with Nokia-made shells in different colors, special ruggedized shells with extra shock and dust protection, and shells that add wireless charging capabilities found in the high-end Lumia 920 to the mid-range 820.”

The 3D-printing Development Kit, or 3DK, offers 3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices for coming up with custom cases for the Windows Phone 8 handset.

Those who would like to take advantage of these personalization options for Lumia 820 will find the necessary files available for download here, here and here.

The idea is reminiscent of the company’s Xpress-on interchangeable casings made available a while back, which enabled owners of Nokia feature phones to switch shells at ease.

“In doing this, Nokia has become the first major phone company to begin embracing the 3D printing community and its incredible potential, and continue to be the leading phone company in this exciting field,” Kneeland continues.

For those who do not have the necessary means to create their own casings for the Lumia 820, Nokia offers its own such products. Some of these include ruggedized shells, while others sport wireless charging capabilities.