NOKIA E71: A call to business

Quirky people use QWERTY keypad cellphones — not.

OK, maybe QWERTY cellphone people use weird cellphones. Or should it be weird people use quirky cellphones?

Whatever it is, or whoever you are, surely you have used or you continue to use a cellphone.

Through the years I have met all sorts of folk — and just as many people as I have met, so too are their cellphones.

The younger people I know like the funky ones that can do lots of things like send text messages in a flash and play music at the same time. Oh, yes, better if the cellphone can send e-mail or keep them updated on what’s going on in the world through the Web.

There are other people I know who use the cellphone largely for texting and then for calling should an emergency come about. Others use the cellphone for calling and may not even know how to text. And then there are the serious cellphone users. You know, the ones who claim that their cellphones are used to check their e-mail, send important text messages and connect to the Web. 

Mind you, these people are not old people, rather they are young people who look to cellphones more for their function rather than the form. And that is the market that the new Nokia E-71 seems to have in mind.

I remember being told recently that cellphones are no longer growing smaller in size, although there was a time when that was the in thing for cellphones.  The newer cellphones today are bigger, have wider screens and come with touch-screen functions or QWERTY keypads.

It is to the latter that the Nokia N71 belongs.

I chanced upon the E71 recently. Again, it was cellphone love at first sight. 

The Finnish company introduced the E71, dubbed as its e-mail-optimized device, for its Eseries product range.

“The Nokia E71 is designed for people who lead a mobile lifestyle and want quick and easy access to their personal and work e-mail. With this device, we have responded to consumer feedback by making calendar and contacts available at the touch of a button,” says William Hamilton-Whyte, general manager of Nokia Philippines.

“Equally important, people want well-crafted devices that are as beautiful to use as they are to behold. Stainless steel was chosen as the core material for the Nokia E71, giving it additional strength and a touch of class. Furthermore, the Nokia E71 offers all the latest multimedia features that people desire,” he adds.

Easy. That in a word is how I would describe the E71. I held it for a few minutes and everything that we have grown to love in the Nokia cellphone is there. So, after a few minutes of tinkering I was all set to test-run my newest cellphone love.

The first thing that I noticed in the E71 is that it seems to be the best combination, so far — the E61 form factor, speed of the E51, and the software package from the E90. And then there are more: the E71 has some new features to boot.   

I like that the E71 strengths are in its media functions like typing documents, office work, camera, camcorder. There is also the upgrade in its 3.2-megapixel camera with optional auto-focus and LED flash.

I have small fingers so I like the D-pad because it gives me good control of the cellphone functions. I will venture to say that this keypad is the best of such control I’ve used in several years. With the screen being QVGA, there are many, many compatible games and having a good D-pad to work them is half the battle.

I must spend some time raving about the new standby screen. Of special interest on the standby screen is smart dialing, in that you can start tapping out the characters of a name and they’ll be quickly matched against your contacts. Cool.

One other innovation for the E71 is that when the main display is key-locked and timed out, rather than a traditional screensaver appearing, the display blanks out completely. If you use your cellphone as a watch, all you have to do is press and hold the D-pad and the time appears in large letters, a much better solution than the old non-backlit, small-fonted solution.

With a stainless steel case, etched graphics and two color choices — gray steel or white steel — the Nokia E71 bears the hallmarks of Nokia quality and craftsmanship. The cool metallic finish is complemented by the bright color display, which showcases the Nokia E71 device’s brilliantly simple user interface. Designed for both one-handed and two-handed use, the Nokia E71 pays special attention to ergonomics, as evidenced by its narrow shape and specially designed keypad.

In addition to e-mail and personal information management, the Nokia E71 supports the latest Ovi services, including maps, music and media sharing that power users expect from their device. These include fast and seamless browsing with HSDPA, wireless LAN and 3G connectivity, Assisted GPS (A-GPS) and Nokia Maps for navigation, a music player with support for up to 8 GB expandable memory, and a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera. 

Get on with business. The Nokia E71 also comes fully equipped with a suite of enterprise grade features, including built-in encryption functionality for both the device memory and for the memory card.

The Nokia E71 also includes integrated mobile VPN support that gives mobile professionals access to their company intranet, and device lock and wipe to protect corporate information. Incorporating underlying technologies that allow IT departments to effectively manage security settings, corporate applications, data and advanced voice features, the Nokia E71 expands the range of Nokia Eseries devices that support enterprise-specific deployment.

So, what’s not to like about the E71, you wonder? Nothing. This is one cellphone that gets business done — whatever your business may be — and done well and fast. And form, well, I rather like the wide body because I always need to get a good grip on my cellphone.

The smartphone is in — and how.