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Nokia E71/E72 Smart Phone Review

thesuccess by thesuccess
Last updated: 04/01/2011

Best Smart Cell Phone for Note Taking

My Search for the Best Smart Phone Ever, Read About My Learning Curve and Experiences and What I really Think About the E71.

There are two types of advanced Cell Phones those with a full Qwerty Keyboard and those such as the iPhone which are touch-Screen orientated. I wanted a cell phone which would allow me to write notes while I was traveling or sitting in a cafe.

I rejected laptops and even netbooks because I know I wouldn't always have one to hand whereas I'd ALWAYS have my cell phone with me.

Anyway I studied the market and selected the Nokia E71 which arrived yesterday (I've had it for a while now), so I've just started the learning curve. First attempts are naturally frustrating; a keyboard fumble and I'm plunged into another application. But I'm happy to note that the qwerty keys though small are easy enough to type.

I also cannot work out how to connect via WiFi when that's available rather than access the Internet through the cellphone.

So this lens will log my trials and tribulations as I discover new features of my phone.

By the way I have just read that QWERTY phones are increasingly popular, also that the generic name for Netbooks, Smart Phones etc are Mobile Internet Devices (MID)

Nokia E71 Technical Review

Well I wanted a Qwerty keyboard, and a Decent Camera, Internet Access, a phone of course, the Alarm Functions, but much of the rest is superfluous but may be I'll change my mind as I go along.

The phone is nice to look at and solid and well-made to feel. It fits into my pockets with ease, I am not aware of carrying it!

Diary of my Efforts to Learn how to Use my E71 Nokia Smart Phone

E71 Smartphone Learning Curve

When you are a Newbie even a simple thing can hold you back, you don't know even where to look in the manual, and they are sure to talk about a feature, button, key that is meaningless to you



Ideally I'd start by reading the manual, but I'm not like that I have to try myself and THEN read the manual to see how I should have done it. Anyway I find that reading the manual is difficult when you've got no idea what they are talking about
  1. Day 1
    I press keys on the keyboard with corner of my thumbnail , easy!
    Qwerty keyboard but no separate digits you have hold letter keys to get numbers - no problem
    Watched an experienced user fly through applications
    I still fumble find myself thrown into different application etc
    Writing first long note (this one).

    I can access the Web (I have paid extra for limitless Internet Access, so hopefully no horrid surprises) and can get prices on second hand books on Amazon which is why I need a smart phone in the first place.
  2. Day 2
    Dumb thing, cannot find where to connect the USB connector, the manual just says "connect the cable", in fact it's hidden behind a rubber flap.

    @ easy to find, has its own key, no need to shift, great!

    Searching for free Wi-Fi (from a pub) which the E71 calls WLAN, but the two available are private and require a WEP key.

    Try the maps feature with only modest success

    Manage to connect to my Gmail Address

    Actually reading through the manual as I said in the pub.
  3. Day 3

    Manage to connect to my cafe's free Wi-Fi but when I try and surf seem to be using my WAP service, I guess I'll suss this out sooner or later.

    Manage to get lost in my phone ie stuck in an application, but Gia my experienced user friend gets out straight away (RED END CALL BUTTON breaks you out)

    Connect the data cable and see my phone as a drive on my PC can transfer photos to my PC.

    Cannot see my notes, I find I have to remember to save them to Memory Card first, or write them there in the first place.

    Doesn't matter because I manage to Email my notes to my PC via Gmail wow that's cool. In fact I should be able to send from my Cafe
  4. Day 4

    Had thought I was going to report a "Going Backwards" day, especially with trying to connect to various Wi-Fi Hotspots. But then suddenly had no problem, I can connect to the free (No WEP required) town Wi-Fi when I'm in town, and at home it automatically picks up our home router. I still have to use my Contract-Internet to send email as that seems to know how to connect to Gmail automatically. Can't seen to find any place where you view/fine tune any settings regarding WLAN/Wi-FI.

    The E71 refers to Wi-Fi as WLAN.

    I also used the phones own help for first time.

    To take a photo I have to walk through menus which is a bit awkward, yet to find a hot key
  5. Day 5

    Have learned how to switch the connection between WiFi/WLAN and Connection via "Contract Internet". The WLAN connection is naturally quickest, but is very local so that when I walk elsewhere I lose connection, on the other hand "Contract Internet" is available everywhere. Cost isn't the issue because I've paid for unlimited Internet.

    I've found out that if I add email addresses to people's phone contact details then I can click "Add Recipient" when creating an email and it will show me just the list of Contact Details which have an email address. I have added my own contact details as I will often be emailing notes created in Nokia to myself.

    Other than that I am avoiding clicking the RED End Call button which evicts you from any application!

    Still can't change my Browser Home Page from Vodafone Live to Amazon.

    Oh by the with WLAN/WiFI once you find a hot-spot you plan to use regularly you save it is an Active Point and the E71 will try to reuse it. However don't save them unnecessarily eg my Coffee Republic which I eventually managed to delete.
  6. Day 8

    You appear to be able to multi-task ie move from application to application without having to quit each time, I haven't quite mastered this yet! (IF YOU LEAVE APPLICATION via the HOME BUTTON you can probably GO BACK, eg to Same Web Page- If you leave by RED Button you end the application)

    I've put some of my meditation mp3 files on the phone now which I use to send me off to sleep, they sound great.

    I'm using the phone as an alarm.
  7. Day 9

    First time I've really traveled with my E71, I'm in London and want to take a quick photo, but the phone is locked and I can't unlock it. Turns out the battery is flat may be because I'd been listening to music for a long time, fortunately the Hotel has recharging facilities $3 or so. Afterwards I investigate the battery symbol is tiny in the very top right of the screen, it is an icon of a battery with a "ladder" icon next to it. Today I noticed that it does beep at me when the battery is low.
  8. Day 10

    The File Manager defaults to point at the phone memory, click the tab at the top to redirect it to the memory card (MicroSD)
  9. Day 11

    Used the GPS-Mapping seriously for the first time, put in the address of a street in the next town. I was startled to notice the phone already knew where I was, it started giving me "Read Out Loud" instructions. When I went wrong it didn't get mad but patiently redirected me; stunning
  10. Day 12 (but actually some weeks later)

    Finally found out how to create a daily alarm; you have to click the clock. I'd been using the calendar feature.
  11. Day 13
    Phew finally learn how to set a repeating Alarm eg at 7am every work day. The trick is to Set an alarm and THEN go back and modify it to add a REPEAT. (You have to scroll in Settings to find the REPEAT option)
  12. A Few Months Now
    Still very happy with my E71 the only thing that I can now see the utility of is the "Touch Screen" way to flip through the applications, I have to walk through menus eg to the camera. I have just learned that I can move the icons about. I have now moved Camera,Profiles, and Contacts to the top of the first page of settings
  13. A year now? Just learned I can scroll through contact list in detail mode

Nokia E71 on eBay

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Check out the Nokia E71 on Amazon

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Touch Phone Versus Keyboard Phone What's Your Preference?

The Choice on Offer is Dazzling, How can anyone Choose?

CellPhones, Smart Phones, Touch Screens, Blackberries, iphone, N96, N97, Tablets, Netbooks, Kindles what will the near future bring us!

What's Your Choice

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I Love Touch Screens

trippste says:

Touch Screen is the phone is an iphone!

Posted August 02, 2011

I Want a Keyboard

FineZoneNet says:

Both, touch screen with a decent keyboard for better tactile feedback.

Posted February 05, 2011

 

Comparison of Nokia E71 and iPhone Screen Sizes

(images not quite same scale)

The touch screen based iPhone clearly has a much bigger screen. I have chosen the E71 because I need the QWERTY keyboard.

Nokia E71 tips and Tricks

When it's in locked if you press the big select button, it will display the time in huge letters (good at night)
  1. If you press SHIFT and DELETE it will delete forward
  2. Ctrl + Spacebar in new message body to turn on/off predictive text.
  3. Ctrl + Navkey to move cursor one word at a time when composing message.
  4. Taking a Photo Quickly
    If you want to be ready to take a photo quickly go into photo mode and take any photo. In this mode the Nokia will not lock the keyboard
  5. Coming Out of Lock Mode
    Press Unlock THEN the Function Key (Bottom left) , do this CALMLY not too fast not too slow
  6. Multitasking
    To leave an application say web browsing where it is so you can return click the "Home" button you can then open another another application, eg messaging or camera etc

The Nokia N900 Tablet

The Nokia N900 is a MID (Mobile Internet Device)

It runs on the open source linux based Maemo software.

Choosing Your Perfect Mobile Internet Device (MID)

There are now a dazzling range of Mobile Internet Devices (MID) which makes your choice even harder, Laptops, Netbooks, Tablets, Blackberries and blackberry like, smart phones such as the iPhone.

Your choice will be decided by how much you intend to use your MID, whether it is for business or pleasure, what exactly you will use it for, where you will use it etc.

For mobile workers where their MID might be their main PC, then a laptop or Netbook is the way to go.

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Technical Data & Info

Memory Card is MicroSD standard is 2GB can be replaced with up to 8GB.
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Problems with the E71

E71 owners are very enthusiastic about their phone however there are a few criticisms :-
  • The quality of the camera, the photos are not brilliant
  • Menu Walk throughs, some features require quite a few clicks to get to
  • Including your contacts list
  • Smartphones are not brilliant as phones I mean that they have small buttons which is inconvenient when making/receiving lots of calls the E71 is no exception.
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Connecting My PC or Laptop to the Internet via my Nokia Cell Phone

I always assumed that trying to connect my PC to the Internet via my Cellphone would be painfully slow. Anyway because they are upgrading the Internet in my area we've been without Internet for 48 hours, so I thought why try using my cell phone.

It needs the supplied Nokia PC Suite application on your PC, you plug in your Nokia E71 with the supplied USB cable (The first time it may install some S/W on your cell phone) select "Connect to Internet on your Cellphone" and you are connected to the Internet.

Everything worked first time email, browser etc I didn't have to reconfigure my PC.

I am astonished to find that the speed is perfectly acceptable I mean apparently no different to my normal broadband!

Very impressed!

E72 Successor to the E71

The E72 has a spotlight function which will be very useful for finding your key in the dark etc.

The main enhancement however for users will be inclusion of a top quality 5.2Mb camera.

Also the main layout buttons are slightly more spaced out.

There is no pull-out QWERTY slider which is mentioned in some early reviews, the Nokia E75 has the slider.

Nokia E75 with Qwerty Slide

The new E75 looks like a conventional cell phone with a numeric keyboard which is great for dialing numbers, for all your online activities there is a Slide-Out Qwerty Keyboard. This is a clever design which will be attractive for a lot of users.
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What's Best Touchscreen or Qwerty Keyboard?

The Great Smartphone Debate

A survey conducted on 3,000 mobile phone users by Canalys has produced some rather mixed results regarding touchscreen interfaces.

On the one hand, 38% of respondents said that a finger driven touchscreen would be the interface of choice for their next phone.

However, more than half (53%) of current touchscreen owners said that they wouldn't want a touchscreen interface on their next phone.

Pete Cunningham, Senior Analyst at Canalys, commented: "It is apparent that a significant proportion of users have not been totally won over by some of these devices."

See the full survey here

I say it comes down to what you want to use your phone for, if it's mainly texting or writing notes then you need a Qwerty Keyboard
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What's Your Perfect Mobile Connectivity Device?

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  • Reply
    rhonney May 5, 2011 @ 11:58 am | delete
    nice gadgets!
  • Reply
    Jane Apr 1, 2011 @ 6:27 am | delete
    Nice lens. I am having E71 smartphone which really great phone I have ever used. The Nokia E71 is fairly a smart looking phone simply due to its sparkly and silver design. The E71 smartphone comes with 128MB of SDRAM along with 110 MB of internal memory, its weight is 127g which is quite convenient as compared to other Nokia models. It provides the 320 by 240 resolution and it modifies display screen promptly so you don’t have to worry about the battery lifespan due to the feature. The phone camera is 3.2 MP and it also runs with Symbian S60 platform. So you can say that E71 is definitely an all rounder phone for end users who like Qwerty keypads, style and design.
    Nokia e71 review
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