Gadgetrepublic.com - Gadget Review

This is the first handset since the iPhone that gave me a severe case of techno-lust - but it is not normally what I look for in a phone, or so I thought.

From the moment I powered on the E71, I was captivated by the design, user interface, navigation, camera and speed - I found the N95 and N96 slow to load applications, and in comparison, the E71 was a whizz.

Again, I'm not beating the N96 over the head, but I simply could not warm to it. It ticked all the boxes in terms of screen size, onboard memory and sound, but it didn't stand up to the E71.

Why? For starters, the E71 has the looks - with a grey steel finish and ultra-slim body with curved edges and camera inset in the back like a BlackBerry, it fits very comfortably in your hand and your pocket, and is versatile enough to suit both the casual and business user.

This brings me onto its other dual features - the customisable home screen. Basically, you can have a screen with shortcuts to your calendar, file manager, mail, maps and the like, and then you can switch modes to personal where you have quick access to your media gallery, music player and camera.

The office folder has plenty of features including wireless keyboard connection, PDF reader, Quickoffice and a currency converter, but there are also the usual suspects like radio, Flash Player, podcasting and sharing your photos online.

If you are inclined to add extras to your E71, then there are also some good applications out there such as Mobbler for streaming music from Last.fm, and Ovi which connects your E71 to files and photos on your computer.

Now, I'm not au fait with Nokia's E-series, but when I had a look at a friend's E61 I realised just how much the series has moved on, both design-wise and in form and function.

However, there are some downsides to this slimming down and redesign: while the E61 had a 2.8-inch screen, the E71's has been pared down to 2.36-inches, and the QWERTY keyboard is much smaller - big fingers may find it a tad awkward to begin with.

Specs-wise, the E71 sports Bluetooth 2.0, infrared and Wi-Fi. It also has PTT (push to talk) and GPS, a 3.2-megapixel camera and 110MB internal memory with a MicroSD card slot. 

What can I say? The E71 is a little beauty. I'm given to favouring touchscreen, but for this smart phone, I could see myself switching. 

Price: See Three.ie for prices

User experience: Small screen aside, the option for two customisable screens and the one-touch keys for home, calendar, address book and email are handy. I found the auto-text pretty good and quick to learn (the iPhone lags behind)

Set-up: Pretty easy to get going, and transferring data from an older Nokia can be done through Bluetooth. Plenty of applications to download, which is a speedy process and best done through your Wi-Fi connection.

Design: Slim, lightweight, curved and comes in two colours: white and grey steel. Only weighs 127g.

Innovation factor: Looks and feels somewhat like a BlackBerry, but has the functionality of a Symbian phone with the speed of an iPhone and a great battery life. (Nokia claims three days, and I wouldn't be surprised)

Verdict: In my opinion, this phone has given both Apple and RIM food for thought. My favourite features were the built-in podcasting support, download store and user-friendly navigation. This is one smart phone.

By Marie Boran