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
E71 - One of the best Nokia Phones!
I wanted this phone for a while now, when Amazon lowered the price I jumped on it. Didn't want the E71x from AT&T because they hacked it by taking off Wi-Fi and limiting ring tones to 300k, no dual screens and loaded with bloatware. AT&T would make you get the $30 smart phone plan but with the unlocked E71 I only need the 15 unlimited plan.
Now for the phone
Pros -
Feels solid with a nice weight to it
Screen is very clear
Lots of apps to install
Clear voice
Loud ring tones
Great battery life for a smart phone, 2+ days
Mainly the same pros as others have stated.
Cons -
Fingerprint magnet.. (I had Ghost Armor installed now no more fingerprints)
Keyboard is tight but getting use to it
So far that is it, nothing is perfect but this is close.
Overall I'm very happy with the unlocked E71. After having the BB Bold for a few weeks I took it back and got the E71 and never looked back. If you are a Nokia user it is an easy upgrade because of the Symbian OS is the same on most of their phones.
Finally, a phone I like!
I've used many multimedia phones, and have played with a handfull of smartphones with my most recent being the HTC Tilt 8925. This is the first phone I've have that lets me do everything I want to do, without cursing at it a few times every day.
Pros:
-While the keyboard IS a bit tight, I became accustomed to it quickly, and have no problem texting 2 handed although texting 1 handed is a bit tough.
-Camera is not too shabby, and some of the editing features are above par.
-Form, build, and quality of the hardware itself is terrific! Scratch resistant screen, mostly metal, buttons all have solid feel, and I normally hate the flaps that cover the ports, but these are very well designed!
-Battery life is terrific for the phone's size. With moderate-heavy use I can go two days, and it'll die on my somewhere during the third.
-AT&T signal in Upstate SC comes in great- Just like I've learned to expect from a Nokia.
-Enough customizable shortcut buttons that I can get to anything I use regularly with the push of 1 button.
-Good GPS response.
-Onboard browser ain't bad, and other options are available for free.
Cons:
-Speakerphone/media speaker is far from the worst I've heard, but isn't terrific. It's very directional. Point it at you, and it does a lot better.
-S60 is not bad, but showing it's age, and there are limited apps/themes etc. for the e71.
Summary:
Great phone, both for a phone first device with texting capability, or as a smart phone for productivity use.
The e71x is watered down over the e71- or rather, weighed down. It takes away some customization, and forces multimedia options for WiFi as I understand. If you are buying outright, hunt down the e71, but if you are going through AT&T, I've got not real issues with the x.
Nokia's always stood out for quality, but this phone has invested in style, functionality, and affordability all at once! I highly recommend! I'll be considering Nokia for my next upgrade as well.
It's an.....OK phone
When I first discovered that AT&T was getting the e71x, I was stoked. As an AT&T employee, I had the opportunity to play with the device first hand months before it was released to the stores. Initially, I was impressed with the form factor and the built in features like: the text message reader, 3.0 mpx camera, mobile banking, wikimobile, etc. However, when I upgraded my contract and purchased it, my opinions regarding the device slightly changed.
PROS:
-The solid metal body of the device
-The slim design (real discreet in your pocket, except for the weight)
-Excellent reception!!!
-The video recorder is flawless (minimal to none pixalation)
-Battery life is really decent.
-The Web browser is amazing!!!
-The Youtube application is impressive.
-Decent PDA for the price.
CONS:
-The keypad is relatively small and close together. (Extremely difficult to text or email, especially if you have big fingers.)
-The camera resolution is really dark despite the built in flash. Works good outdoors.
-The battery warms up after about 10 minutes into phone call because of metal back.
-Email capabilities are limited (email attachments download are tedious and display is distorted)
-Most appliations needs licenses to utilizes, especially the Office suite docs, but this device offers a free trial.
-Sometimes text messages thats over 160 characters are sent in random over, making it difficult to read.
-Lack of downloadable content especially from the Nokia app store and 3rd party companies. (I downloaded themes that were compatible for the e71, but didn't work on the e71x.)
I guess my expectations for this device was really high because it was a Nokia and I'm used to RIM devices. Personally, I think the Symbian OS isn't as user friendly on this device compared to some N series devices. The Blackberry device have more customizeable features compared to this device. However, it is a good basic PDA device that'll get the job done though.
E71 vs E71x
I purchased and E71 from Nokia and unfortunately had to send it in for a minor repair. UPS lost my phone so I ended up getting the E71x and what a disappointment.
Pros: It is a Nokia, great reception, AT&T navigator, keyboard,
Cons: AT&T branded, 2 customizable home screens were removed, wifi will not work unless you have a $30.00 data plan which is not right because my E71 worked perfect with just the media net plan. Web pages don't look great. I know it is not a computer but AT&T somehow managed to mess that up.
Cannot do a software upgrade through PC Suite like the E71
The applications and software that were free to use and essential for my needs don't work for the E71x or you have to pay for them.
PC Suite is limited also with AT&T's branded model.
If I had not had the unlocked version first, I would have given this phone a better review. It is going back and I will give Nokia my money. Yes it is more money but worth not having restrictions and since it is not insurable with AT&T I will just get Nokia extended warranty and insure it with my renters insurance in case I lose or break it.
Hope this was helpful.
No longer a Fan
I was really exited when I found out that ATT was going to start carrying this phone. I have always been with T Mobile, but my wife wanted the Iphone and I did not.
First impression was great. It looked good. But try keyboard is not easy to get used to. The buttons are all too close together and the predictive text is awful. This makes every message I sent a frustrating event.
The Bluetooth connection takes a lot longer than any other phone I have used. Pretty frustrating in California(handsfree law). The speaker is terrible which is not ok for a nokia.
I dont know if it is ATT's Media Net or not, but the internet speeds are nothing like I would expect for 30$ a month. Plus it has a trouble connecting to the WiFi. Anywhere. My push email does not go through all the time. (About 30% of the time it does) Not ok for a business phone.
Finally, SKYFIRE!!!. I was very exited when I got the phone because of the S60. At first it did not work on the phone at all. Although it could have beeen ATT's fault. But the browser si nothing like I thought it would be. The flash player is all choppy. Some of the commands hardly ever work, like the back button. Along with the double click to zoom(which does not always zoom far enough). I might as well use the regular browser.
LAST WORD-
Major screen glare
Not comfortable texting
Im trading for the I Phone
Nokia E71X
I've had a Samsung Eternity for two weeks, and I don't like it at all. I'm not a phone geek or snob, and I definately don't need a smart phone. Was at AT&T store, looking for a replacement for this awful touchscreen, and this phone jumped into my hand. I like everything about it, how it feels holding it, I like that it's not a slider, flip, or t-screen. (yuk) I saw it required an xtra $30 a mo. for a pkg, and was turned off. However, BestBuy sells them for $99 for new customers (me) and w/o having to buy the xtra $$ pkg. reviews here have been great. since I'm using it mostly for talking, How is this phone as a "phone"? I read that the speaker vol sounds low even on highest setting, this true? I really like this phone. Unfortunately, I didn't think to try it in the store, but will tomorrow. As I have not owned this phone, my review is an extremely initial impression: great quality, and very intelligent design. Key pad seemed layed out perfectly, I have big hands. It just "flowed" very well for me.
Pros:
Design feel (in my hand)
Quality build. felt hefty, not cheap
Design layout (key pad)
Screen size seems perfect
Thin, not thick and fat
Not a pretentious phone. it's functional, and has a nice form.
Cons:
None yet. How's that speaker volume?
Why the Nokia E71 is the best phone I have ever owned.
I've been through many, many phones in the past few months, and I'm sure that this is the one that I will keep for the next two years. The Nokia E71 is one hell of a phone, providing a good multimedia experience, but at the same time providing superb business functionality.
Keyboard. It's great! I love it. It looks cramped but it's perfect and i never make any errors. Also, I have HUGE hands. When I say huge, I mean it. And the keyboard has never been a problem.
Software. First time Symbian user here, and I love it. It's easy to use and I haven't had many problems with the phone. I also love all the different apps and games that are compatible with the phone. Endless possibilities.
Design. Phone looks really nice. When people see my phone they always tell me how cool it looks (I got it in white). The screen is 320x240. Size is no problem but when using the phone in sunny conditions, it's a bit hard to see things. It also smudges a lot.
Camera. The E71 camera is 3.2 megapixels. It has a flash and an autofocus. The flash is weak but gets the job done. The autofocus is alright. Picture quality is mediocre/decent. I expected more out of a Nokia phone but since it's a business phone, that's understandable. Quality isn't horrible, just not great. Night shots looks pretty bad, though. Videos are great. Video quality is alright but the audio is excellent.
Calls. Call quality is superb. Signal is good here in the D.C. area. One problem is that sometimes you lose signal when you put the phone in your pocket. It sucks, but it's never a total loss of signal.
Web. Phone has Wi-fi and 3G. Speeds are good, but wi-fi is slower than it should be. No problems with the browser, it's great. You can also download Skyfire, which allows for flash support during web browsing. It works well.
Pros:
-Great design
-Great keyboard
-Great design
-Tons of apps
Cons:
-Picture quality
-Signal problems
-Web browsing can be slow
-Hard to see screen in sunlight
Nokia E71x - Better to Look Good than Feel Good
This is a great looking phone, nice call clarity. The keyboard is easy to use. The size is perfect.
Unfortunately, I could not sync this phone using Nokia PC Suite and AT&T and Nokia could not help me, so after trying 2 units I sent them back.
I was disappointed that what I thought was a high resolution screen would have such poor Nokia program graphics. I hated the fact that you have to use a fee for service Nokia Mail program to get email. Xpress Mail was useless.
I had high hopes for this phone, but it didn't work for me. For me a PDA has to look good and be good.
not so bad
Great phone, like it much better then my 8100 I moved up from.
All the pros are listed by other users, no need to duplicate. Will only express my 1 con with this phone.
The reception isn't that great on gprs or edge networks. If your in a 3g plentiful area then thats where you'll see this phones true performance. My 8100 pearl with have 1 or two bars of reception while this thing, lying beside the 8100, won't even register on the network.
Other than that absolutely love the phone!
Good solid phone
I bought this phone a few days ago and I do have to say that I am impressed.
I currently own an iphone 3g and a blackberry curve and I do have to say this has been a pretty reliable phone.
here are some pros and cons about the nokia e71
pros-
-very easy set up for email
-phone is nice and thin so if you throw it in your pocket
-phone feels solid when its in your hands, it doesnt have that plastic type feel to it
- the start up compared to my blackberry curve is amazing, the phone doesnt sit there for 3 minutes with an hour glass loading
- the os for the e71 is very simple to use and to navigate through
cons-
- the full keyboard is nice, but wish the keys were a little bit bigger, also the space bar button seems to get stuck
- I wish that the text messaging was in thread format, but thats just me being nit-picky
other than those few cons that i have seen, the nokia e71 is an awesome phone. the one pro that i did not mention is that the call quality is outstanding, i had no crackling or feedback during a call, everything sounded very clean. I definately recommend this phone, the price is right $149.99 especially for a smart phone. the gps loads very quick as well so if you are on the go. My hats off to nokia for getting this smartphone right!
