Nokia E71
Tim Danton
|
Sep 26, 2008 5:27 PM
|
Nokia | http://www.mwave.com.au
RRP: $577 (time of review)
Performance: 
Features & Design: 
Value for money:
Overall Rating:
User Rating:  (from 1 reviews)
|
You've seen our First Look at the E71, now here's the full review. A stunning phone perfectly molded to the needs of anyone whose life revolves around email
[Update: See our First Look at the E71 for more photos]
This is a stunning phone to behold. Compared with the BlackBerry 8820 the E71 makes Twiggy look podgy.
At just 10mm thick, Nokia correctly lauds it as the slimmest qwerty keyboard smartphone. It’s also narrower than its rivals: 57mm may not sound much less than the 8820’s 66mm, but place the E71 next to the 8820 on a desk and the difference is noticeable.
Despite this, the keyboard is among the best we’ve used. It requires precision, so it’s frustrating writing long emails, but few will complain. We’re also fans of the E71’s bright, 320 x 240 screen. While some will bemoan the lack of detail, its sharpness makes everything from photos to websites look pleasant. It’s also highly visible, even in direct sunlight. Browsing is made even better by HSDPA support.
Aside from standard quad-band support, the E71 includes infrared, Bluetooth and 802.11g WLAN. We found the bundled Wi-Fi client extremely easy to use: moments after you set it scanning, it will detect available networks and offer a list of access points.
The E71 also includes an assisted GPS receiver and Nokia’s Maps 2. You can search for an address in its database or use GPS to find you on the map. You can add turn-by-turn driving instructions if you subscribe, but this is no TomTom thanks to the small screen and slow performance.
More importantly, the E71 is an excellent phone. The speaker is clear and loud, and our voice came through perfectly on the other end. It’s also easy to adjust the volume thanks to sensibly-placed up and down buttons. There are also dedicated buttons for Home, calendar, contacts and messaging, plus the usual call start and end buttons. The context-sensitive left and right buttons immediately under the screen complete the set, along with a five-way rocker button.
Another of the E71’s strengths is its comprehensive software selection. Quickoffice 4 offers Word, Excel and PowerPoint-style applications, and they’re largely compatible with their Microsoft counterparts. There’s full Java support too.
We also love this device’s sheer speed. The 369MHz processor keeps the Symbian S60-based OS racing along and we were never left staring at the screen waiting for a task to complete. Another excellent point is its battery life. We used the device intensively over three days and it just kept going.
Few people buy a phone like this for its photo-taking or music-playing abilities – of which the E71 has few. Instead, its ability to handle email, make calls and handle day-to-day office chores is much more important, and it excels. Add the brilliant battery life, and it’s no surprise it wins a place on the A List.