Nokia embraces one of the latest achievements of modern technology, 3D printing, to enable its fans to create Nokia Lumia 820 custom phone cases by themselves at home. Of course, this offer is available only to those who already have 3D printers. The project was described by Community & Developer Marketing Manager John Kneeland on the company’s Conversations blog.

Photo: Nokia Lumnia range, www.conversations.nokia.com

“We are going to release 3D templates, case specs, recommended materials and best practices—everything someone versed in 3D printing needs to print their own custom Lumia 820 case. We refer to these files and documents collectively as a 3D-printing Development Kit, or 3DK for short,” commented Kneeland. Nokia has already unveiled mechanical drawings of the Nokia Lumia 820 back shell for 3D printing, which can be downloaded here, so any one (registered with Nokia) can sign in and download the templates. So, the company doesn’t only allow its fans to go 3D printing, but also encourages developers to hack and expand the templates.

Now, when the 3D printing—“the sequel to the Industrial Revolution”—is gaining momentum, Nokia is not the only company, which enhances consumer experience with the new hi-tech achievement, still in the blogpost Kneeland notes that “Nokia has become the first major phone company to begin embracing the 3D printing community and its incredible potential.” Despite the fact that some other companies have already been using the new 3D printing technology to produce phone cases, Nokia is going to make big within this niche and allowing to make custom shells is just one of the steps.

In the future, Nokia is going to help develop “wildly more modular and customisable phones. Perhaps in addition to our own beautifully-designed phones, we could sell some kind of phone template, and entrepreneurs the world over could build a local business on building phones precisely tailored to the needs of his or her local community. You want a waterproof, glow-in-the-dark phone with a bottle-opener and a solar charger? Someone can build it for you—or you can print it yourself!” added Kneeland.