The Nokia E71x on AT&T
Like so many other people, I switched to AT&T for the iPhone. While the iPhone was interesting for a while, i got bored with it. The games were fun and the apps were nice, but I wanted my IM without having to rely on push, and I wanted real multitasking.
Enter: The Nokia E71x.
This phone is hands down the coolest phone I have ever had. My Blackberries had more functionality and a more intuitive interface, but I'm going to have to attribute that to AT&T "customizing" feature pack 2. Lets look at the software...
Phone software
The phone OS feels similar to the Blackberry OS. Since this is my first Symbian phone, I don't know what I am gaining by having Feature Pack 2, or really losing by having it modified by AT&T. That being said, it is quite snappy and seems to manage resources well. It is fully skinnable, and there are TONS of themes available. The home screen has three layouts of which I am using what in the Blackberry world is called a "today" layout. Six shortcuts on top with today's tasks and appointments below. The other two include a "basic" layout with no information and no shortcuts, and a list view, with five sections for almost every phone function.
The bundled software is nothing to complain about. Of course the web browser cant beat a mobile WebKit (such as iPhone, G1, Storm, etc), but it renders pages very accurately and even has (gasp!) flash! Google maps with Latitude is a much better experience than the Blackberry and I would say even rivals the iPhone, boasting Street View, real time traffic, and a MUCH smoother interface than other smartphones. There is a disappointing lack of free IM and twitter clients, though I've found the provided messaging software to work well, and the only free twitter client, TweetS60, does much of what I was used to on the iPhone (no pictures, oh well).
Everything else works as expected and with no real problems (other than being different). The media player plays media, the YouTube app plays YouTube videos, and the address book manages contacts as well as any other phone.
The only beef I have with the software on the phone is the lack of hardware configurability. You cannot turn off 3g, which can prove to be a problem in non-urban areas, and as far as I know, you cannot fully disable WiFi(you can, however, prevent it from scanning). Even with these shortcomings and my frequent trips to areas with only EDGE or GPRS, my battery vastly outperforms the iPhone's. At the end of my day cClock (will cover later) reports an average of 71% remaining! Heavier days will bring it down to ~40%, but its nowhere near killing the phone because I love it too much.
Desktop Software
This is what made me keep the phone. Nokia's desktop software is FANTASTIC. It features all of the PIM managing software for the phone(not what I use, will cover later), a media manager, installer, updater, backup, etc. What you usually get with a smartphone, yes? My favorite part is the messaging center. As soon as I turn bluetooth on, my laptop or my desktop (depending if I'm at home or not) will immediately pick up the phone. From there on out all of my messages come through my PC. That means when I have my phone in my bag or leave it by my bed downstairs I can still text and MMS. Im working on using my PC as a "bluetooth headset" but for I still fumble with pockets or run down the stairs for calls.
Hardware
Normally I find this is covered first in reviews, but the software to me is the most important part, and I hope it's yours too.
The phone is drop-dead sexy. All black with only "Nokia", "E71x", and the d-pad cromified. The rest is a black steel or plastic. It is very sturdy and heavier than expected, with no creaking or rubbing when torquing or squeezing the phone. The screen even blacks out when off! The back features a divoted pattern that provides a very tactile surface when held and sports the 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. The front has all the shortcut keys, full querty keyboard, and the screen. The sides feature the microSD card slot, USB port, volume buttons, and the voice control key.
The keyboard felt cramped at first, though I have gotten used to it and am now quite comfortable typing on it. The d-pad has yielded surprisingly fast navigation throughout the entire OS. All of the keys push firmly and do not feel squishy or loose. I am not as fast on it as my old Blackberry 8830, but am still faster than the iPhone's touch keyboard.
Overall it is a GREAT phone. The battery life could be amazing if I could turn off 3g and wifi, but as it stands it isnt terrible at all.
This is a highly recommended buy, especially at the $58 at wal mart, or the FREE price at amazon(still available?) I bought mine through AT&T for $150, and am waiting on my $50 rebate. If you did have to buy it outside of contract, I would wait for the E72, or spring for the unlocked E71. Youll have more control over it and a cheaper data plan!
The next post will cover the software gems I have run accross. Stay tuned viewers!
