So you got a brand new cell phone and you want to keep it in pristine condition, but you're having trouble deciding on what case is the best bet to keep your phone safe and sound. Below are listed a few of the main criteria to consider when purchasing a new cell phone case.

Protection:
The whole idea of getting a case for your phone is to prevent serious damage that may cause your phone to malfunction, as well as cosmetic bumps and scratches that will make your phone look like modern art rather than modern technology. For protection, you have many different case styles to choose from—hard cases, soft cases, neoprene cases (that rubbery material), leather cases, and even cloth cases or phone purses. The protection you choose should reflect your lifestyle—if you are constantly on the go and know you can be klutzy sometimes, go for a hard case. If you like to maintain a high profile and need to be stylish, perhaps a leather case would suit your suit. Do know that hard cases will provide the best protection although they may be difficult to get on and off and can be cumbersome. Softer cases, like the neoprene skins, may fit better, but offer little real protection other than a guard against cosmetic damage.

Accessibility:
There is nothing worse than getting a brand new case and figuring out that all your side buttons and volume controls aren’t accessible—getting a case that is designed specifically for your phone and allows you to access all of your bells and whistles without interference is hugely important. Your case should be somewhat of an invisible protection shell, like a force field, that can protect your phone from outside harm without restricting its use. Make sure to try a case out or get reviews that can give you a sense of the case’s restrictiveness before you buy one and find out you can’t see half of your screen.

Style:
This may seem trivial to many of you, but no style is just an important decision as high fashion. If you aren’t worried about what you look like when you’re holding your phone or showing it to friends, you should concentrate on the protective aspects of the case; if you are worried about what you look like with your phone to your ear, then your protection may be limited. Leather is probably the best choice for the fashionable as it is hard enough to protect your high-tech mobile device while still offering a classic stylish exterior that no one can deny.

Here are a couple pros and cons to specific case types (be aware that they will vary depending on the case, this is just a general guideline):
Hard cases +great protection –bulky and may be hard to remove
Leather cases +balanced protection and style –usually expensive
Neoprene shells +looks and feels comfortable –offers little real protection

The best general advice to know when choosing cell phone cases is to match the case to your own needs. The second best advice is to make sure it does what a case is supposed to do—protect your phone and keep it in prime condition.