Deciding when to launch their new E71 smartphone was probably one of the easier decisions Nokia has ever made, as it represents one of the best alternatives on the market for the other big summer 2008 mobile phone debutant, the Apple iPhone 3G. Apple’s desire to make the iPhone more business friendly may feel a little at odds with its flashy touchscreen interface and it’s those users who will be attracted to the Nokia’s more traditional QWERTY keyboard and familiar S60 operating system. This surprisingly evenly matched battle has gained so much attention, even Channel 5’s The Gadget Show put the new iPhone head-to-head with the E71! It’s easy to dismiss the Nokia thanks to Apple’s industrial strength hype-machine, however to do this would not only mean you miss out on one of Nokia’s best business phones, but one of the best business phones period.
Nokia E71 Overview.
Touted as the slimmest QWERTY keyboard phone on the market today, this new-found pocket-friendliness – especially in comparison to its E61 predecesor – hasn’t seen the E71 lose any key features, in fact, it’s difficult to find a feature it doesn’t have! The Nokia is a quad-band handset with HSDPA supporting 3G, plus GPRS, EDGE and Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera, video-call lens and plenty of business software either built-in or easily downloaded and installed from Nokia themselves.
Nokia E71 as part of the Nokia Line-Up.
The Nokia E71 is the replacement for the E61i handset launched back at the beginning of 2007, which in turn replaced the E61 from 2005. Nokia’s E-series are business focussed devices and therefore incorporate plenty of connectivity options, email systems and detailed organisers. We live in a media and entertainment age however and a phone without at least some fun inside is never going to win many fans, thus gaming, music and video functions are also present and correct. The prevalence of SMS message use today makes the QWERTY keyboard a welcome addition for those non-business users who love texting too.
Online with the Nokia E71.
One of the most important functions of the Nokia E71, particularly if it is setting itself up as a serious iPhone alternative, is its ability to work with email and the Internet. This was one area highlighted in The Gadget Show’s feature and while the iPhone proved to be something of a master, the E71 more than held its own. With 3G and Wi-Fi, you should never be far from a fast connection and once online, using the Nokia browser is an enjoyable experience. Navigating a large webpage brings up a mini map which shows you where you are on the page overall and the standard landscape orientation of the handset’s screen lends itself well to surfing the Internet. YouTube fans will be pleased to see Flash and Java support, enabling you to browse the full YouTube site rather than the watered-down mobile version.
Email, accessed with a dedicated soft key, is also a breeze. For services such as Google and Yahoo, all that’s needed to start receiving email on your phone is the account name and password, simply enter this and Nokia’s servers will do the rest. Of course, for the more complex systems such as Microsoft Exchange, SEVEN Always-On-Mail and Visto (all of which the E71 supports) some further set-up will be needed. Those who are security conscious will be pleased with the integrated mobile VPN too.
Maps on the Move – GPS and the E71.
At the launch of the iPhone 3G much was made of the inclusion of GPS, something Nokia have been incorporating into its top range handsets for a while, so how do the two compare? Well, Channel 5’s Gadget Show team challenged the two handsets to guide them to a London Underground station, a test which the Nokia E71 ended up winning thanks to a more reliable GPS signal. Nokia Maps comes pre-installed, with a library of 200 different maps available for download. If you prefer not to use Nokia Maps, you can also install your own choice of GPS software. Since the E71 features Assisted GPS, lock-on times are lessened in some circumstances.
Additional Features of the Nokia E71.
To think the E71 is nothing but the mobile equivalent of a stuffy businessman is to do it an injustice, as not only will it handle the business side, but it’s happy to have fun once the work is done too.
l A 3.2 megapixel camera.
This is one area where the E71 trumps the iPhone. Although the camera is not a Carl Zeiss lensed item like its bigger N-series brethren, it still boasts autofocus and a flash. The autofocus is rather impressive too, as it locks on faster than many other cameraphones, making snapping pictures a far less frustrating affair.
l Music, Video and Gaming.
Nokia have included their brilliant music player in the E71, so expect great sound quality and the ability to play the majority of file formats too. An FM radio is present and correct as is the ability to use A2DP-Bluetooth for wireless stereo sound. Video playback can be full screen and you get a choice of two 3D games, with more to download.
l Symbian S60 3rd Edition Operating System.
For many, this will be the E71’s big attraction. It’s simple to use, pretty to look at and almost endlessly customisable thanks to the wealth of software and widgets available on the Internet. 128MB of SDRAM keeps things moving along nicely and Nokia have kindly tweaked a few of the stock applications including the calender, which has become a superb day-to-day organiser.
l Brilliant Battery Life and Masses of Memory.
The 1500 mAh battery is quoted to return an astonishing 410 hours standby (that’s 17 days!) and an equally impressive 10 hours of talktime! A MicroSD slot accepts cards up to 8GB in size.
Design of the Nokia E71.
Handsets with full QWERTY keypads are rarely beauties, but the E71’s casing has enough curves and swoops to lessen its slab-like form, plus its 10mm thickness and 120 gram weight make it stylish and never irritating to carry in your pocket. Compare this to the E61i’s 14mm thickness and 150 grams weight and you’ll see just how much Nokia have moved the game on.
The mixture of metal and plastic materials used in the construction of the E71 means it feels solid and expensive in your palm, and making the choice between the standard Gunmetal Grey and special edition White Steel finish will be a difficult one.
Summary of the Nokia E71.
Those who saw the Nokia E71 on The Gadget Show will remember it equalled the Apple iPhone 3G’s 4/5 rating, and who are we to disagree. It may have a smaller screen at 2.3” and the browsing may not be quite as intuitive, but in every other way it equals or betters the iPhone. The E71 is a tremendously capable business device while not skimping on the fun and games. Anyone who prefers the feel of a real QWERTY keyboard under their thumbs should be placing the E71 firmly at the top of their shopping list.
Nokia E71 Release Date
Dial-a-Phone expect the E71 to go on sale before the end of August
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24 Comments
thanxs for this useful information and for this useful blog, keep it up, you are doing great job
how to do it all this applaction in this area easaly
I may be a little late to join the club but after several dalliances with more flashy looking phones that valued style over substance I decided it was high time I went for a handset that did everything I wanted with no sacrifices.
The phone I ended up with was the Nokia E71 and without ANY doubt this handset is THE greatest piece of kit I have ever stored in my pocket.
It may now have been superseded by the E72 BUT I cannot see any reason to chuck mine away just yet as the almost endless set of features it possesses combined with the truly beautiful sleek design mean that a replacement is SERIOUSLY going to have to work hard to win my pocket space.
This beautiful gizmo does EVERYTHING and if you value function over form then this phone is for you as there is no area in which it is weak. It might not have the big touchscreen of an iPhone but using it day in day out you won’t ever feel you need that extra space. This bad boy comes pre loaded with more than enough apps to make your life easy but if you want more then there’s no question that they’re out there.
People talk about the iPhone app store having such a vast selection of apps available for download but the infinitely customisable Symbian S60 interface means that apps for the E71 are plentiful and with the advent of the Nokia OVI store there is virtually NOTHING this beautiful piece of kit can’t do.
I have never been so happy with a handset and believe me I’ve had a few
This is the best mobile phone at present. loved it
Worst phoen ever. GPS never locks. help text is RUBBISH. bar code reader has never worked. it’s going in the bin.
Worst phone I’ve ever had. barcode reader has never worked. help text is crap. GPS never locks, either with or without assisted GPS selected. It’s going to be dumped, and I shall return to my trusty blackberry.
On my 2nd phone (1st one could not swim) problem is phone requires pin code after 20 mins, old one only needed unlocking once a day. Phone autolock period only seems to allow 20 minutes max. Help please.
thanks so much for the info ! It’s appreciated. Great job on the blog, keep it up !
Best phone Ever !
For the past ten years I have had all the various generation of windows phones… but was lured away from T-mobile with a really good deal on 3…. best thing i ever did.. the E71 is sleek and well designed… GPS nokia satnav is smooth and quick with map downloads giving accurate mapping all the time…3 signal so far has been excellent and with the free internat access I have been surfing,emailing,facebooking everywhere I go.. I have also installed my co-pilot satnav software from my old phone and this also runs well. there seems to be endless free software on the internet and this phone even runs my online banking which just wouldnt work on my old windows phone……Best bit is the E71 will take a 8gb memory card so I have more than 3000 songs on the music player… 3s my links interface puts you straight onto the bbc mobile site and download speeds are good enough to watch free download tv and also internat radio……get one now you wont be sorry……oh yes and the email system is really easy to setup and works with free with google mail googlemail which comes direct to your phone. I now forward all my existing mail accounts to google and they send it to my phone for free its brill….As you can tell I love this phone…….break free from microsoft go back to nokia & 3
how can i use gps in nokia e71 & It must be use internet with gps or not and how
Thanks
I have had the same problem with the GPS, i was under the impression that the phone had maps and intergrated GPS. When i turn on the maps i find that it wants me to download them. Ok not a problem but why are they not on the phone already, plus i can not get a lock. I leave the unit for about 20 minutes with GPS activitated and out in a clear sky and the unit tells me that it has a lock-on to about 4 or more satellites but still no lock on and positioning on the map. Is there a decent third party software that will allow quick lock-ons, does not require you to be connected to the internet or data transfer via 3G to run the GPS properly like my cars GPS. Other than that i can only complain about the camera and this has to be one of the sexiest business phones i have seen and used. Top shelf and great job Nokia… and i dont even like Nokia per say. Marvellous
I agree with Mark, ever since I recieved this phone all of my calls drop out or I simply can’t make a call due to no signal. Stick the sim in my old phone and it works fine. 3 Australia are refusing to help with the issue…….
Hi,
Can anyone tell me if this phone will work with Apple’s Entourage email system. I run a Mac at home and want to forward my business emails to the phone but can’t find any info anywhere re if this will work.
Thanks in advance for the replies.
I really like this phone but keep suffering a recurring problem – can somebody help?
I am with the 3 network and I keep losing signal. This driving me mad and I have already taken one phone back and they provided me with a replacement. If I find the signal drops off the only way I can get it back is by turning the phone off and then back on again. I frequent the same areas and live in the same place as i did before and have never had problems with my previous 3 phones on this network and my wife doesn’t have problems with her new Samsung on the same network?
About the Nokia E71 waiting for gps. Try this:
I experienced with my Nokia E71 that the position of the phone is related to the lock on time.
Try this; go outside, go to Menu -> GPS then turn your phone around with the camera facing the sky then click on ‘GPS data’. And I got it locked on GPS within 10 seconds.
Does it work?
This is the worst phone i had in last 10 years. reception does not work, sim registration failed, can not connect to internet. phone rebooting itself, half way through journey GPS does not work. Just sent to Nokia for repairs. 1st phone ever i had to send back to company to be repaired.
Who says Nokia is perfect or this phone is winner of Gadget show. certaily the biggest loser for me.
Almost, but not quite, the best phone ever!!
I have very few criticisms of this phone and on the whole I am very pleased with it. I can’t make it do GPS…no way, no how. I find satelites with no problem, but then it simply says ‘waiting for GPS data’ and nothing happens. No-one can seem to answer this problem but as I’m perfectly capable of navigating without electronic aids, this isn’t really an issue!
Also, my phone is on contract with Vodafone, which without a doubt has the worst network coverage in the UK, is extremely unreliable, have almost non-existent customer service and out of the 30 or so locations I MUST have phone coverage for my job, Vodafone signal is weak or absent. My old Nokia 6500 with an 02 sim gets perfect signal everywhere so it can’t simply be an issue with 900MHz GSM….Vodafone is clearly a poor carrier!! Funnily enough though, I have never had issues overseas even in the most far-flung or bizarre places like Lithuania or Libya….perfect signal and no problems with roaming overseas.
The problems are minor….
The camera really is poor…all pictures, even in good daylight, are stripey and have green or purple banding on them and I’d prefer a higher quality 1 or 2MP camera that takes good VGA/SVGA images rather than a higher resolution camera that takes poor ones. However, forget convergence…if I want to take pictures, I’ll use a digital camera intended solely for the job. A camera on a phone is really a ‘nice to have’ but is certainly not essential by any means….and a simple bluetooth connection between camera and phone ensures simple and easy ability to send MMS messages without needing the on-board camera.
The sound quality is excellent, but the volume is incredibly low….for both video and music playback and for phone calls. Even using the headphones supplied (which are incredibly uncomfortable and I can’t actually get them in my ears!!) the sound level is barely enough to use the phone in anything other than a quiet room….I certainly struggle in airport lounges or when there is a TV on or people having a conversation in the same room. It would be nice if Nokia supplied an adaptor to allow the use of decent headphones as they do with some of their handsets. Quality of sound marvellous….it’s just the quantity of decibels available is very dissappointing.
What can I say about the keyboard? Beautiful…..truly beautiful. I don’t exactly have the smallest fingers in the world, but the curved design of the buttons really is a joy to use. Texting and emailing is a real pleasure and I just wish all phones were this easy. Of course, predictive text is unnecessary as is dabbing away at the number keys to get the letter or symbol you need. Simply type away and it’s ‘job done’. I have even used the phone to write Word documents on my laptop (tucked away in a bag) and can now almost type blind with it….it is truly worth getting the phone just for the keyboard!
Apart from the minor issues of camera quality, sound level and the fact that I’m on a really poor network (not my fault….a bad business decision by the bosses – we WERE on O2 till a few weeks ago!!), I can find little wrong with this otherwise excellent device. Battery life is phenomenal and the ease of using text based services like SMS and email is radically better than any other phone…including Apple’s offering. It would be nice to have the GPS working….just because it’s there and not because I actually rely on it, but apart from that…a great phone. And on a plane, the Solitaire games while away the hours on a long-haul flight just nicely when you have watched all your movies
)
An excellent all round phone – the best ive ever had. T he only flaw so far is poor quality photograghs
Please could help/assist me to supply advises related to this mobile phone recently introduce, because I am toward buying it shortly.
Thanks,
for the moment i’m using nokia E51 but i think ,is the time to change it with E71.
I just got one – battery life is amazing and its fast and responsive. I hooked it up to our ecxchange and it works fine. Calendar is very convenient. There is a flaw with the daylight saving time so when you enter appointements on the device they appear at the wrong time on the exchange server but i guess this solvable. Great improvement on the windows based device I had before.
This the smartest phone on the market and i think people will love it so much.
i have a habit of switching phones every like 3 months. i’ve been using the e71 for the past 2 weeks and you just can’t have enough of it. sleek phone with all the necessary options for business on the move. the only down is that i will probably be stuck to it for a long time!
It is a nice phone with all the bells and whistles. It suffers from some premature delivery glitches which I am sure will be sorted out, especially the camera, which at best takes poor quality pictures.
On the whole, a satisfying buy. I moved from Cingular 8125 (HTC Wizard) to E71.
Vx
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