I have been using E71 for over two months now, after having used iPhone previously. Here is why I like E71. To begin with, it’s not a touchscreen. Adept at typing away till eternity, I find this to be my single biggest reason for using E71. Not that Iphone isn’t good. But then, I find iPhone to be doubly expensive. Two, the volume isn’t really a lot in an iphone. On the other hand, E71 can be too loud, too.
But first, the BIGGEST MINUS…
A very logic-heavy user interface. It will take you a good part of a week to get used to all its functions and how to enable and disable them. This is also because the most obvious applications are in the most un-obvious title folders. Goes to show that the guys at Nokia definitely need to undergo English language courses.
And now, the PLUSES…
1. The Nokia Ovi store has scores of funky applications just like the Apple store is for the iPhone. Besides, there are many more third party application stores like getjar that offer thousands of Nokia E71 applications, be it education, utility or entertainment.
2. The full QWERTY keypad is the most comfortable for me. Though people with bigger hands find it difficult, it’s perfect for skinny types like me. Works like a charm.
3. Looks business class with that shiny stainless steel case.
4. Nokia Email enables HTML push emails and looks real good and easy on the eye. And it’s functionally convenient and fast, too.
5. Some applications make E71 a true winner and deserve a special mention. Skyfire for its fantastic web browsing ability that is better than the preloaded web utility of the E71. Mobipocket ereader allows you to read ebooks and 10,000 English books are free to download and read (I have about 50 so far). You can download over 2000 ebooks with a 2GB card that comes with the E71. Nimbuzz messenger rocks like no other – you can simultaneously log in to facebook, gtalk, yahoo, skype, msn, twitter and other social networking groups. There is no lag time or bugs that keep you worried. Google Maps are way better than Nokia maps, so I suggest you download Google and stop wasting time on Nokia. To begin with, Nokia maps can’t spell the names right. RaceChrono and Sportstracker are great to use GPS and track the number of kilometres you’ve jogged and walked every day. Total Recall offers beep-free recording for $10. If you can’t pay, you can even download an ad-sponsored version of it, too. If the absence of a torch is bugging you, S60SpotOn makes your E71 light up like no other, and for free. Lastly, if you want a funky colour interface with all facilities and social networks in one place, nothing like Snaptu. And if you want to download the entire Quran in its original form (Arabic), you can do that with uQuran. And the best part? Most of these applications are available on Nokia Ovi.
Enjoy!