Nokia E71: What’s New (and Improved)

Okay, so I’ve been having some trouble grabbing screens from my E71, but thanks to a helpful tip from this forum thread I’ve figured it out (hint: use the backspace trigger on Anthony Pranata’s excellent Screenshot app).

So without further ado here’s a quick visual tour of what’s new and improved on Nokia’s latest Eseries handset…

Quick Look-up

You can now quickly find contacts directly from the home screen — just start keying in letters and a list of matching entries will instantly show up!

Mode 1

The E71’s narrower display means that there’s less room for application shortcuts on the home screen. Nokia has included a “Modes” function that gives you two home screens for the price of one, plus the option to switch easily between them.

Mode 2

Unfortunately there are only two modes available, although you can call them whatever you want. The defaults are “Business” and “Personal” — instead of the uninspired choices in the screens above might I suggest “Home” and “Away”? “Good” and “Evil”?

Remote Lock

Since the E71 is primarily a business device, it comes chock full of handy security features, like the ability to lock down your handset via text message. My remote lock code is “evasive manoeuvres” and my phone number is — hey, waitaminnit…

Data Encryption

You can even encrypt files on your memory card, handset, or both! You also have the option of using an encryption key — which is saved to the handset but should probably be archived somewhere else just in case.

Media Folder

Thankfully the E71 loosens up its tie a bit with more media options, including an on-board FM radio, music store (which isn’t yet licensed for Canada) and Podcast directory.

Oh and look at that, iPhone users… It’s got a Flash Video Player too!

Barcode Reader

No longer will this barcode evangelist have to choose between Kaywa Reader and QuickMark — Nokia now includes its own Barcode reader on the E71.

Nokia Maps 2.0

And last but not least, Nokia Maps 2.0 is finally available for Eseries candybar phones — though they might want to double-check their co-ordinates for Toronto’s CN Tower…

Nokia E71: Evolution of a QWERTY Keypad

Having used an E71 on loan from Nokia’s WOM World for about a week now, I can say without reservation that it’s got the best QWERTY keypad yet in this particular variant of Eseries handsets. But why just tell you when I can show you as well?

Note that I’m using my dummy white E71 as a model here, not the actual black unit that Nokia sent me, only because it photographed better on this rainy fall day…

You may remember that Nokia’s first BlackBerry killer, the E61, won my inaugural QWERTY Smartphone Smackdown last year, narrowly edging out the Danger hiptop/Sidekick because it could be used with one hand.

As you can see the keys were nice and big, but compared with what was to come were a little too squishy in practice — that is, they had lots of travel without much tactile feedback.

The E61i addressed this with stiffer keys that gave a satisfying click when pressed. Squaring them off and separating them a bit also helped, as did adding more application shortcuts around the D-pad (and putting the D-pad on there in first place) but I actually found typing on my E61i a bit tiring after thumbing out a long document or email — especially in comparison to the much bigger E90 and even Nokia’s N95 8GB.

The diminutive E71 looked like it was set for disaster, with impossibly small keys jammed up right next to each other. But I’m happy to report that this just isn’t the case. With both longer travel and tactile feedback — that’s “squishy and clickety” in English — this is definitely the best keypad of the bunch. And despite being so close together the keys are curved vertically so accuracy is barely an issue. I’ve hit ‘w’ instead of ‘e’ a couple of times but I can be a pretty sloppy typist when I get excited. And given that you can hold and use an E71 in one hand much more easily than its forebears I don’t think anyone will mind the smaller keys.

The E71 has reminded me how much I depend on text entry, and I honestly don’t I could go back to a T9 device. Or in other words, I’m buying one.

Nokia E71: The Killer Feature

My Ninja is back!

Yes yes, Nokia’s E71 has just been crowned smartphone and handset of the year by Mobile Choice Magazine in the UK. It’s an improvement over my own E61i in almost every way, with built-in GPS, a better autofocus camera, etc. etc.

That’s all fine and well, but that’s not the reason you should buy one. The reason you should be very interested in this latest Eseries device is because of a single killer feature that leaves Apple’s precious iPhone in the dust and puts this new Nokia on the same playing field as the best bleeding-edge handsets from Korea and Japan.

I’m talking of course, about the built-in loop for a cell phone charm.

Whether you’re superstitious and seek to ward off excess radiation, have clumsy hands and need a wrist strap or just want to pimp out your mobile a bit, the E71 has got you covered. Nokia engineers clearly had a tough choice of where exactly to position the loop; while the top left or right corner of the handset would have been the best choice for charm-mounting, the bottom left is probably the best compromise between the market needs of teenage girls (and me) and those who want a full-on wrist strap or lanyard.

I contacted Nokia in Espoo, Finland, asking to speak with the E71’s lead lanyard loop designer, but they still haven’t gotten back to me for some reason. Hopefully I’ll have that exclusive review for you soon; in the meantime, I give the E71’s lanyard/wrist strap/keitai charm loop a 9 out of 10.