I’ve had my Nokia 5800 for a bit over a year now. It’s a crazy solid device, and has held up after many drops and bumps and all sorts of conditions. For a while, I tried out some rather cheap eBay cases.. though for the past few months I’ve been using the phone without any protective covering and not having any problems because of it. The beveled edge may not be quite as cool in the latest smartphone trends, though it does keep the screen from getting bashed up.
With that said, I did eventually experience some dust that came in between the screen and the touch layer. It wasn’t all that much, though I kept seeing it and it was a bit of a bother.
Only warning
The only thing you really need to be careful about in cleaning the top insides of the 5800 is that you do not break the ribbon cable at the top of the device, near where the USB port is located. If you break this cable, the screen will not work and you’ll need some rather major repairs. Please note that while I’m giving this advice, it is entirely your fault and yours alone if you do any damage. All electronics are inherently delicate and need to be handled with extreme care.
Method
With the above warning in mind, it’s not too hard to pry open the top part of the device in order to clean the screen and touch layer. I hope I don’t have to say this, but before you begin you will need to turn off your device and take the battery out. It will also rather likely void your warranty; and if you’re close enough to a Nokia Care Center they will do this same process for a small fee without the risks. In the USA, out of warranty without any nearby Care Centers, it’s not so bad to do as I’ve done.
Using the plectrum which came with the device, very gently pry the right side of the top assembly away from the rest of the phone. By “top assembly” I mean everything above the small line around the side of the phone, directly above the volume keys, camera key, and MicroSD / SIM card ports.
It will not take any amount of real force. It should sound as if the device wants you to take this part away from itself, and it should also sound like it will easily snap back in place by pressing the top back into the body of the phone. Please be gentle. It worked best for me to start at the right side, where the volume rockers lie, and then to work a bit on the left side, where the SIM and MicroSD cards go; then the bottom..
When you release the top of the top assembly, the only thing holding the two parts together will be the ribbon cable, as described in the above warning. Again, be very gentle and careful. You can now clean the screen and the touch layer with either compressed air or an incredibly clean microfiber cloth.
The top assembly doesn’t really rest well, and tends to hang off the ribbon cable. My solution was to gently rest the top assembly on the phone’s battery, so that there wasn’t as much leverage pushing on the cable. Gently clean to the level that makes you happy, then softly push the top assembly back into the rest of the phone, starting with the top. Everything will click together, and it will be as tightly put together as before you started.
Conclusion
While I am urging caution and care, if you take the steps all together there’s really not much to the entire process. I also should say that the 5800 is actually more dust-free than many devices I’ve owned, though I’m happy I was able to safely tinker and get inside without any special hardware or unexplained mangling of internals. Hopefully this’ll help at least a few people who are at least as picky as myself.
YouTube video, from ElAmigoCZE
As an extra help, I found this video from YouTube which shows the process: