05 July 2008

Nokia E71 Review by Dogmann

So it's been just 48 hours now with the Nokia E71 and here is how i have found it and what i think of it so far.

As i mentioned before pictures really just don't do it any justice at all it really need to held in your hands to appreciate just how slim and light and tactile it is.

It really is the best built device i have seen in along time if not ever as virtually all of it is metal only a small area at the top and bottom where the antenna's are and along the sides where the control or access buttons are plastic.

Even then it not a cheap plastic but even this has a great feel and exudes quality the screen is very bright and clear and the keyboard although small is one of the best i have ever used.

Now although the keys look small they are just incredibly tactile and easy to use surprisingly so i may add as coming from an E90 on first look i thought they where going to be problem, sometimes it's nice to be wrong.

On the right hand side of the E71 are just 3 buttons volume up and down and the voice command key on the left hand side yo will find the Micro USB and Memory card slots both with a flexible rubber door these both sit nice and flush to the device with only a slight raise on the ends to make opening them easy. The top half of the E71 has the beautiful screen which although being smaller then the Nokia E61 is still very good as it is clear and bright.

Below the screen you have anew arrangement of buttons, left a and right soft keys that can be configured fora large variety of apps depending on what the user wants there. Below this you have the Home Key and Calender keys, the Home key serves two purposes one is to take to the Home screen form where ever you may be the other function is that if you are already on the Home screen it opens up the Menu with all your folders.

Then you have the D-pad but not just any D-Pad it really is the best and most tactile D-Pad i have used words can't do justice to just how good it is not o mention just all the functions it offers to but more of that later. To the right of the D-pad you have the Phone book key and the Message key that takes you to your primary E-Mail and with one click back the Messages app in full.

Here are some pictures showing what all the above apps look like on the E71 the first picture shows the E71 and the Keys below the screen.

Next we have the Calender with some of the views available of particular note is the split screen month and day view as first seen in the E90. Followed by the Day View and the Appointment highlighted when the cursor is over it.

Now you have the view you are taken to with the Message button followed by the full view shown by hitting the back button whilst in your preferred E-Mail folder.

Now we will go deeper into just what the E71 offers the first thing i should point out is that a cold start takes just 27 seconds the same time as the E90. The amount of customisations available for the user to tweak should even satisfy serious Power users.

As although the Active standby apps has been reduced to 5 really with the ability to switch modes it means you have ten apps in this bar and the two soft keys can have two apps assigned to them by the user one with a normal press and a second app that opens with a long press.

Even the 4 keys for Home Calender, Phonebook and Mail have the long or short press function which by my accounting makes 17 shortcuts just on the Home Screen. I have not fully utilised the Switch mode and am really just using it as an extension of the first screen but the user can decide exactly how he wants this to be, as Nokia are suggesting you could use for Work and one for leisure but as always each user can decide how he wants to set this up for his/her personal preferences.

Here are some pictures of the two standby Home screen reached by using the Switch Mode.

Next we will see what the Home key from the Home screen does which is opening up the Menu of Folders also we can see just how many apps come pre-installed for the user and what we have sitting in the Office and Multimedia folders to.

Ram really isn't a problem and the E71 is fast and stable here is a picture of the free Ram with some apps open and includes Seven always on Push E-Mail which is quite Ram intensive.

I haven't tried the Music player yet as don't have a head phone adapter but sound through the speakers is excellent as have watched a program through the BBC iPlayer that works perfectly and in great quality. As of now i am having trouble converting my Video's to play as although i can get sound i have been unable to get sound and video in H.264 but wil continue to try and see what results i can achieve.

I have made and received some calls and both ringtone and voice is loud and clear give me some more time as i explore all the E71 can do and i will report further my findings but so far i am very impressed with the performance of the E71. If it will replace my E90 or not I'm not sure yet but i definitely like it and if i decide i can sacrifice my large screen and great Multimedia for the connivence of a smaller lighter device i wouldn't hesitate getting a E71.

*click to enlarge

Also yesterday i was able to try out the Camera the first thing that is really different is that by pressing the T key on the keyboard it activates the Auto focus. You can then frame the picture you want and take it by pressing the D-Pad.

*click to enlarge

This actually works very well as you don't have to press the D-Pad immediately as have quite some time to frame the shot you want before it de activates. Here are the results and all pictures where taken on Auto settings just point and shoot.

*click to enlarge

As i have had it such a short while there is much more i need to try and out but even in such a short time i have fallen in love with the E71. It's incredible build quality and tactile feel have won me over,the Keyboard is just so good and it's size really is not a problem at all it's possibly one of the best i have ever used and reminds me of the N93's. Really the only question for me is when this one goes back to WOM will i buy a E71 and sell or keep my E90 with it.

SF Review: Nokia E71 - User Review
Originally posted: 04.07.2008
Last Updated: 05.07.2008
Author: Marc Obermann (AKA Dogmann)
Copyright: Symbian Freak 2008; all rights reserved