If there's one thing that's sure to break a new Droid owner's heart, it's scratching the hell out of it -- or worse yet, dropping it to its untimely death. Wouldn't that be a tragedy? Of course, one quick and dirty way to avoid a lot of that heartache is to equip your phone with a beefy protective case, and from what we're seeing here, it looks like there won't be any problem whatsoever finding such cases on day one of the Droid's availability (whenever that happens to be). What we've got here is a third-party case (excuse us -- "carrying solution") that's popped up over at Best Buy Mobile, though interestingly, the Droid's model number of A855 is being featured far more prominently than the catchy name itself. Given the look of this thing, we think you'll need to have an extreme dedication to preserving your phone's rugged handsomeness to actually equip it, but hey, more power to you -- meanwhile, we'll carry on with letting our phones rustle around with coins, keys, pens, and switchblades in our pockets.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Last month, a leaked and decidedly non-confirmed listing of random phones mentioned something called the HTC Pure. We've not heard anything since, but now HTCpedia has what it believes to be two photos of the thing, each one enshrouded in an unattractive case; one silicon, one garish plastic. What's inside those enclosures is of course largely unknown, but it certainly doesn't appear to have a slide-out keyboard, does appear to have four buttons on the face, and that's said to be a 5 megapixel camera on the back. The site goes so far to say that this is destined for AT&T and will be the Touch Diamond2 (nee Warhawk), but if that's the case HTC has obviously made some tweaks to the design the last time we saw it. We're not quite ready to say these are anything other than blurry pictures of some random HTC handset, but once we have something -- anything -- a little more conclusive we'll be sure to pass it along.

Update: As a few commenters have pointed out, this is the MDA Compact V, currently available in the UK under T-Mobile, which could explain the magenta case. Is this what AT&T is referring to as the Pure? We wouldn't be surprised.

A funny thing happens when a major new handset's released on a big carrier: matching accessories come along for the ride. Cases, chargers, armbands, screen protectors, you name it -- anything to get you to double your spend before you walk out of the door with your multi-hundred-dollar phone. Of course, those accessories frequently aren't perfectly synced with the phone itself -- they ship a few days beforehand or after the fact, so stuff like this is bound to happen. In this particular case, the upcoming Instinct HD is getting some silicone protection ahead of time courtesy of Best Buy, which should go well with those invisibleSHIELDs you picked up a few weeks back. Meanwhile, the phone itself is expected just a handful of days from now, so at least it's not totally insane to start stocking up on accessories now.

[Thanks, Matt G.]

In life, you'll quickly learn that everything is about timing. And thankfully for us Earthlings, Case-Mate seems just 24 hours off with this one. A day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke declared that this so-called recessions was "very likely over," the aforesaid accessory maker has popped out an iPhone case for those of us who vehemently disagree. The aptly titled iPhone recession case is quite possibly the greatest thing since sliced bread the AirMail, and at just $0.99 including shipping, we figure you'll have a tough time finding a better way to protect your cellie. Or waste $0.99, now that we think of it.

[Thanks, Andy]

If you're the clumsy sort you have absolutely no shortage of protective cases and coatings to shroud your pricey gadget in, but most are ugly, bulky, and likely ineffective. The iBand from Tech21 isn't particularly attractive nor svelte, but after watching the video below there's little doubt about its effectiveness. It's made of a substance called d3o, which is a fancy orange non-Newtonian substance, starting out stretchy and gushy but, when put under pressure, hardening and protecting its precious contents. We've seen this stuff applied to high-impact applications like motorcycle armor, but we're glad to see gadgetry getting a little attention too. The video is a bit curious as it appears that the d3o is just applied around the edges of the case and yet the enclosed device survives a face-down landing, but it's an impressive demonstration nevertheless. Right now the £15 ($25) iBand is only available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but future gadgets should receive the oobleck treatment soon.

Say you've got a Pre and a Touchstone. Say, further, that you've got butterfingers -- or maybe you just really can't stand the thought of your glossy beauty being scratched beyond recognition by the occasional encounter with a lint ball in your pocket. Normally, the answer would be a case -- but the Touchstone requires special handling since it needs contact with a non-slip back to stay firmly planted and deliver the wireless juice, so what's a Pre user to do? The answer might just lie with accessory maker Seidio, which has released its $29.95 Innocase complete with the promise of Touchstone compatibility -- no need to remove the phone to do your thing. You still need to have the Touchstone battery cover installed for the solution to work, but since it's all concealed by the case anyway, who cares?

[Via jkOnTheRun]

Do none of the gazillion iPhone cases currently on the market suit your fancy? Are you still looking for a holster that's really built to take abuse? Look no further, as the handcrafted EXOvault is an all-metal sheath that can be ordered in aluminum, brass or titanium. Beyond that, details are surprisingly scant, leaving us to assume "what you see is what you get." Be sure to make clear what kind of iPhone you have when ordering, and be extra sure to have $95 / $95 / $300 (respectively) in liquidated funds available before pulling the trigger.

[Via Boing Boing]

The two unavoidable truths of your phone are that you've got to carry it and you've got to charge it, so why not unite those concepts in blissful matrimony? Case-Mate's new Fuel line of holsters have batteries on board that can keep your phone charged simply by snapping it in place as you would with any other belt-clip holder, so it's a nice value-add without much downside -- and there's a power toggle on the Fuel to prevent it from doing it's thing if you want to save the juice for later. Models are available for the BlackBerry Bold and iPhone 3G currently, providing up to a claimed 7 or 9 extra hours of talk time, respectively. They're $80 a pop, but then again, that's no more than a Mophie Juice Pack Air -- so if you need insane stamina, pick your poison.

mophie's Juice Pack Air -- better known as the planet's thinnest iPhone 3G extended battery and case -- doesn't officially go on sale until Tuesday, but we've been toying with one over the weekend in order to share with you whether or not it's a solid buy. We have to say, our early impressions are pretty positive, and if you're hankering to know more, follow us past the break for a few more details.

[Via Palm WebOS]

Sadly, there's a good chance you already own an iPhone 3G case if you're the proud owner of an iPhone 3G. That said, there's still nothing stopping you from hopping a flight to Tokyo and replacing your current one with the best case in the history of cases. Sadly, the lad that snapped this shot isn't sure where exactly this thing is sold, but if you're savvy on the details, be sure to holler in comments below.

[Via PMPToday]

mophie's iPhone 3G Juice Pack received universal praise, and while the additional baggage bothered some, most users just appreciated being able to utilize 3G for more than 47 seconds without needing an AC outlet. Not one to rest on its laurels, the company has today introduced the new and improved version: Juice Pack Air. Contrary to popular belief, this actually isn't intended for Apple's MacBook Air (now there's an idea to capitalize on, mophie), but instead, it's the planet's thinnest external iPhone 3G battery / case. The device houses a rechargeable 1,200mAh battery that "virtually doubles the amount of time you have to rock, talk, surf, and send messages." Eager consumers can pre-order theirs now in black, purple or white, while patient souls can mellow out until they hit mophie's website and Apple stores everywhere this Spring. Full release is after the jump.

Until Apple pumps out the next-gen iPhone with integrated solar cells, we suppose Solar Arcadia's solar-powered cases are your next best option. Available in both SideFlip and Leather Flip models, the cases not only offer relatively stout protection for your handset, but they also include a solar panel in order to give your mobile a few more minutes of life while you're out and about in the sun. Each one is constructed from ABS sheepskin and is available in either red, white or black (Leather Flip is black only) motifs; not too shabby for $45.95 -- just don't expect this thing to dramatically increase your time of use.

[Via TUAW]

There's something just a little skeezy about basing predictions for Important New Apple Products upon nasty renders of protective case mockups from China. Still, they've panned out astonishingly nicely before, so we'll just have to suck it up. iDealsChina is reporting that XSKN is not-so-secretly working on a silicone skin for the upcoming "Nano iPhone" (or, more likely, iPhone nano) a shorter, chubbier version of the iPhone 3G. According to iDealsChina sources, the phone will apparently sport EDGE data, but otherwise seems unsurprisingly identical in specs to its forebears, other than the obviously smaller screen. They're also saying Apple plans to sell these at high volumes for low prices at hip spots like Walmart, that the company will (naturally) be unveiling the new handset in January at Macworld, and even go so far as to say that leaked photos of the device should be surfacing in the next couple of days -- we'll be keeping our eyes peeled. Check out another couple of tantalizing case renders after the break.

[Via PMP Today]