Smartphones are becoming ubiquitous in the developed world, from the plethora of trendy applications available on the iPhone, to the fully operational mobile office that is the Blackberry. Mobile phones are everywhere and Smartphones in particular are now all the rage, however, when immersed in the hustle and bustle of city living these mobile devices need to be able to endure a lot of wear and tear. So how do you best protect your precious?

If you are one of the 10 million proud members of the public to be an iPhone owner, you will no doubt want to keep it in that perfect, box fresh state for as long as is inhumanly possible. However covering your slick iPhone in a gaudy mobile phone case immediately ruins its minimal aesthetic and the point of Apple’s mobile device is to be shown off, not hidden.

As the owner you will want the best protection possible while also allowing your pride and joy to be easily seen. There are a variety of mobile cases available on the market ranging over three main categories which have emerged in recent years; the skin, the screen protector and the classic case. The screen protector is best exemplified by the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD, which is a thin layer of transparent film that you stick to the outer surfaces of your iPhone using specialist spray and a squeegee. Now although this category does protect your smartphone from scratches and scrapes while also maintaining its style, it won’t secure your precious from a fall or hard knock.

The skin category is best represented by Revo’s iSkin. This fashionable silicone mobile case is antimicrobial, inhibiting the growth of germs, and fully encases your iPhone, Blackberry or Nokia N97, while leaving all the ports and buttons accessible. So not only will you still be able to use the many functions of your multimedia device; touch screen, camera, phone etc but it’ll be safe from evil bacteria too. This form obviously protects against your Smartphone taking a fall more than the aforementioned screen protector, however it’s still not impenetrable, which brings us to the third and final category.

The classic mobile phone case. This category is slightly less fashionable than those that precede it however it is certainly the most practical. The covers are most often made out of leather which is fairly resistant material able to withstand day to day wear without much trouble and can conveniently attach onto your jeans or wallet. Manufacturers are going to great lengths to make the classic mobile phone case more desirable with a variety of vibrant colours and designs.

When choosing a mobile phone case it comes down to personal preference and prioritising your Smartphone’s needs. Do you want to keep it fully visible or do you not mind in covering up in order to protect? The choice is yours.