Nokia E71 / E71x
Phone Scoop Review
Aug 8, 2008 by Eric M. Zeman
Nokia refreshes its E Series with the addition of the powerful, QWERTY-equipped E71. It's classy, it's smart, and it's nearly perfect. Find out what's holding it back. read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Good Phone, once you customize it
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I've had the E71x phone for 3 days now and this is the first smart phone I've had. I love how this phone feels, Itâs heavy and solidly built. The keys are great, some people have complained that they were too small, but after a day, I don't make any more mistakes than I do on my laptop keyboard. Call quality is better than any phone I've ever had. The screen is vivid and crisp and the camera is perfectly acceptable, although the video recording probably isn't getting a full 30 fps. The battery is 1500 mah which is the largest that I have heard of in a smartphone and with normal use, you can expect a solid 2 days performance. In sum, I love the hardware.
However, when you look at the software side, things start to go downhill. I've read rave reviews of the E71 and how everything is customizable etc. But once AT&T got their hands on it, the phone suffered. As a result you can't re-arrange anything on the homescreen and you get useless applications such as express-mail that can't display HTML emails and even though the only available sync setting is called push, the email is not pushed at all. (I am using Gmail) Instead you have to go into the settings and hit receive to check if you have new mail. In this age, that is simply not acceptable. However, I found out that you can go to Nokia's website and have a text sent to your phone with a link to their far superior email client. The app is free for now but you are warned that Nokia may start charging for it in the future.. Also, the phone is almost completely incompatible with a mac.
The software is not all doom and gloom though, some included apps are useful such as songid and Wikimobile and the included browser is decent although I do also use skyfire as well, which supports flash and silverlight (the iphone doesn't). And instead of paying an additional fee for AT&T's navigation, you can download google maps which comes with Google Latitude. The iPhone doesn't have that yet either.
Great buy, good value, solid phone
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I've had the phone for a week and overall I'm pleased with the phone. I bought the phone from Walmart.com (Let's Talk) for $0.99, great buy!!!
The phone is sleek and solid. The phone is constructed well. Being the big man that I am, I'm pleased with the qwerty keyboard, love the camera and use the free wifi all of the time. Battery life is good for a smart phone. The phone is also very easy to use. Definetly a good buy.
PRO's:
1. size
2. camera/flash/auto focus/video/settings
3. great feel to the phone
4. easy to use
5. nice keyboard feel/size of keys
6. free wifi
7. battery life
8. etc. good probably go on forever
CON's:
1. can't use my downloaded songs as ringtones because the files are too large (maximum of 300kbs)
2. speaker phone volume/microphone
I'm sure I'll find more as I go on but overall this is a great phone and since I was eligible for an upgrade and got the phone for $0.99, you can't go wrong.
BEST Phone I've Ever Owned
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The Nokia e71, what can I say, It's a smartphone users dream. The OS is streamlined and easy to use, phone setup is simple and painless, GREAT keyboard, beautiful screen, etc.
PROS:
SOLID DESIGN!!!
beautiful screen/keyboard
amazing browser
keyboard is perfect, and I have HUGE hands
voice volume is great
customizable home screen for ease of use
unlimited connectivity options viao WiFi, Infrared, etc
with a data plan can be used as a modem to attain 3G speeds on your laptop....amazing
PERFECT calendar....important to me
battery life is seemingly endless...no worries there
office programs preinstalled and easy to use
Using unlocked on T-mobile network and have never had better service, amazing!
Honestly, I have NO complaints whatsoever
CONS:
TXT messages only up to 160 characters, no big deal though
If you enter a contact with First Name, Last Name...during a text, it comes Last Name, First Name....baffling and slightly annoying
Final Words:
Guys, for anyone looking for a better smartphone that has unlimited connectivity options, ease of use and just really, really pretty...this phone is for you. I have gone through 2 blackberry's and a CRAPPY DUMBphone samsung behold (they market it as a smartphone) and this is the best phone I've owned. Blackbery's are great but just so streamlined and give you no connectivity options, no voice call, no pretty....this phone does all that and more.
Thanks for reading, you can email me at rich_n_brooks@yahoo.com.
Better than an iPhone for Business Users
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I bought the Nokia N95 8GB.. then sold it. I realized I couldn't live without a real keyboard, as I am a heavy email/txt user. Plus, the great camera made it a brick to carry around. Then I bought the HP IPaq 910c. In short, the WinMo/stylus experience on a touch screen device is a joke. What works using a mouse on a 19" monitor, really isn't appropriate or user-friendly on a tiny screen. Plus the iPaq was also a brick, and painfully slow as most WinMo devices seem to be. I went to the AT&T store to check out an iPhone. If I were a teenager and wanted to play games or use it as an mp3 player, I'd consider it more. Typing on a touch screen keypad doesn't work well on any touchscreen I've tried including the iPod. Also from what I understand, you have to hack it to be able to tether to a laptop, voiding your warranties.
The Nokia N71 has really been the answer to all of these problems. I get near true DSL speeds when tethered, the Mail for Exchange was easy to setup with my work email server, the screen transitions are fast and it doesn't lock up like the iPaq did. The camera quality is ok, and good enough for regular pictures. I love that the phone is very slim, well built, but still feels solid in your hand. Also, the GPS chip in the E71 seems to find and lock on to the positioning satellites in a fraction of the time it took any other phone that I used including the iPhone. Literally, it's locked on within 4-5 seconds of starting a GPS app.
The ONE negative is Nokia maps. It's a decent app, but the $160 annual license fee is ridiculous. Easily solved though, by either downloading Google Maps, or if you want true turn-by-turn voice guidance, buy Garmin Mobile XT for $70-80. There are free GPS apps too (Nav4All and others), but Garmin's worth the cost.
Still fun, even if you don't need a smartphone
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I got an unlocked E71-2 from Amazon, and simply moved the T-Mo SIM from my last phone to the E71.
PROS
-This phone is beautiful and elegant. That may be a turn-off for some, a snob-factor. But I like that it is just a pleasure to look at and touch.
-It's thin and tiny. Specific dimensions never fully revealed to me how little this gem is. If I lay it on the number pad on my keyboard, the E71 is 3 keys wide and about 6 keys long. And it is very pocketably-thin.
-I haven't finished discovering all it can do: VoIP, streaming internet radio, FM radio, WiFi, IrDA, 3G (though not on T-Mo), Bluetooth (including DUN), plus all the standards like e-mail, scheduling, SMS, MMS, IM, and ton's of stuff via Symbian or Java apps, quite a few already installed.
-Excellent battery life, signal strength, and audio volume (both via speaker phone and normally).
CONS (Not real cons, just less glowing details)
-Not a flip-phone. Just my preference.
-I wish the character recognizer worked better, but then I didn't realize the phone even had a character recognizer until I got it.
-The camera's auto-focus just doesn't work. This can be worked-around by pushing 'T' to focus before capture.
-First unit had a loose battery/buggy firmware. Amazon replaced it and new one seems fine.
-Can't use the phone's 3G capability on T-Mobile's network. Not the phone's fault.
-Companion software is 'Windows only', pathetic for a company that's shifting its own Symbian OS to open-source.
-Does too much. I'm actually having productivity-envy; this phone is capable of doing way more than my relatively inactive life will ever require. That really does bother me a bit. I keep going to T-Mobile's site and checking out simpler, less intimidating models. But, frankly, I think I would miss the E71 too much.
This is probably the most perfect smart phone available right now. Of course, I can't say that for sure since I have not tried any of the others.
A functional and beautiful phone.
Best Phone I've ever had!!!
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I have had this phone since June 26th, 2011. I had to do to four different walmart's to get this through StraightTalk and it has been the best!! The only thing is that I had one other phone through the same company and it had waaaaaaay better service that this one..., The reason is because this has a SIM card and it's GSM so it runs off of AT&T and Tmobile towers instead of Verizon like the other StraightTalk phones.., but other than that I love it!
Pros:
1.)Big screen (I think LCD)
2.)Nice buttons
3.)Pretty fast considering it's almost like a blackberry smartphone
4.)$45 a month for unlimited everything on this phone.
5.)Thin (11mm)
6.)Loud speaker
7.)Clear calls
8.)BIG battery with a pretty long life time
9.)Good camera
10.)Multi-tasking like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
11.)Wifi capable
Cons:
1.)Not good service where I live because of it being GSM.
2.)Can't download certain apps
3.)Some themes don't work the way they are supposed to when downloaded
3.)Sometimes it freezes but that's when I am frequently using it like its a toy.
4.)Some of the things on the phone like Internet Telephone is very confusing to set up and so are a lot of other apps.
I would totally recommend this phone to anyone that loves to have a smartphone with a cheaper company, and if you love a Blackberry look-a-like.
hide detailed ratings
Good/Solid
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I just picked this device up on StraightTalk. I needed a second number for a business Iâm starting, but I want to keep my expenses low and cover my bases. I was impressed to see such a high end phone sitting in a box in Walmart. I know the Symbian OS is a dying breed, but it is still very functional for todayâs use. I also know the Nokia devices have long been known for excellent call quality and this is missing or hit and miss on many high end devices today. My personal phone is an Android.
Itâs 2011 and this is 2008 device is still holding itâs own. It has Wifi, spiffy internet, EXCELLENT call quality (something many phones overlook these days), and a 3.2 MPS camera with autofocus. Thereâs an option for video calling and video âplaybackâ. Thereâs an FM radio and the internet radio is awesome. I listened to RAP music this morning in German! I could get US channels, but it should be noted that the reach is far and wide. MUSIC sounds great, you can hear the bass, trebleâ¦blah blahâ¦.
It connected well to my stereo Bluetooth devices. It does require a 2.5mm plug for a wired headset and the wired headset is necessary for LOCAL radio, not internet radio.
The OS is not as intuitive as Android, but I find it reminiscent of older Windows phones, only with more stability. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good phone that doesnât scream âprepaidâ. The text is a bit small, but it more than covers my need for unlimited everything plan at $45/month.
Itâs GSM running on ATTâs network, so the coverage should be extensive for most people.
one major drawback
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This phone is very nice in many respects although it isn't Android capable, a major strike against it. But the big problem is that it produces one of the highest radiation (SAR rating) levels of any cell phone made. Since the speakerphone is weak, that leaves the headset option (bluetooth) which degrades the already less than stellar audio quality another step down. This phone is out of character in that regard for Nokias as their phones along with Samsungs tend to be some of the lowest radiation phone manufacturers. I know that talking with this thing on speakerphone near my head makes my head hurt after the call on whichever side of my head I was holding the phone near.
If that's not enough info to steer you away from this anomaly, the screen isn't nearly as big as the iPhone or newer Android phones.
Beware of the hidden danger that these transceivers represent, do a google search for SAR ratings and you'll be able to find the SAR rating for almost any cell phone.
Slim business-like smartphone just WORKS
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PROS
*Superb call quality and reception
*Loud speaker for speakerphone and ringtones
*Great s60 apps including Python and mShell
*Transreflective screen is a breeze to read in daylight
*Solid metal feel, very slim, super pocketable
*Nice looking
*Easy menu system, with no "lag"
*Great SyncML compatibility with Goosync (calendar, contacts sync with Google apps)
*Fast aGPS lock
*VoIP SIP client built right in! Uses my WiFi to make phone calls!
*True push email (with built-in client using IMAP IDLE)
*Multi-tasking. Leave apps running in background
*Good resolution screen (320x240)
CONS
*Keyboard is not optimal. There is no gap between keys like on Blackberry
*Cannot charge via USB connector (fixed in e72)
*SyncML client cannot sync on a schedule
*Caller ID name is shown when new people call, but only their number appears in the call log
*PC Suite is Windows only, can only update/backup phone with Windows
*Directional keypad takes too many presses to move through screens. A touchpad type nav would be better (& I think that the e72 has this)
*No threaded display of text messages (I loved this feature of Bb)
*Different versions with different frequencies (e71-1 e72-2) complicates things when trying to buy or sell
Symbian wins for me. iPhone OS doesn't even let you multitask and Windows Mobile is slow and proprietary. Overall I think the e71 hardware is fantastic.
Dated....
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I have 30 days to decide to stay with my current carrier or leave. Based on the review of this phone, I thought I would be migrating to ATT. Not so. Call Quality was as if I was talking in a tin can. This is not acceptable for a higher priced phone and and higher price plan package, becuase of the phone.
The internet seemed responsive, but screen too tiny to be functional. So don't see myself using the internet much due to visibility of screen.
The look and feel of device was good. This was not enough to compensate for call quality.
The text and graphics (black/white, green and some blue) on screen reminded me of something from the CRT era.
Phone has a very dated look to it.
