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Saturday, 09 February 2008 |
Nokia's E series of smartphones is aimed pretty squarely at the
business community, but in fact it has a lot to offer the well
organised consumer too.
The E51 is possibly the most attractive of the bunch to date,
because it is a small, lightweight, candybar style mobile phone,
housing some sophisticated software. It looks quite innocuous, but it
packs a real punch.
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Saturday, 09 February 2008 |
Review Business is
business, so it’s no surprise that the world’s most successful mobile
maker knows exactly what makes the executive phone user swoon. Nokia
has a long track-record of producing handsets that may not get
consumers’ pulses galloping, but which absolutely bowl over
businesspeople.
The E51 is Nokia’s latest of these. Its design is classic Nokia
understatement - a slim candybar phone with an elegant metal trim and
back panel adding a classy feel to the package. The metal edging is
available in three flavours: shiny silver, black or bronze.
Nokia E51: pushing all the right buttons for businesspeople?
It’s optimised for email, supports a wide range of popular push
email offerings, and it features VoIP voice for low-cost calling over
the internet via Wi-Fi. High-speed data connectivity is facilitated by
HSDPA 3G.
While the E51 has been crafted first and foremost with business
usage in mind, with plenty of office tools and personal information
management features, Nokia does acknowledge that even business users
like their multimedia distractions. The phone has an MP3 player, an FM
radio, a RealPlayer video player and a two-megapixel camera on the back.
A subtle pinhead pattern etched on the back of the casing is not
only aesthetically enhancing but also helps you grip the phone when
you're tapping away at the numberpad. The E51 is a good size, measuring
a long but slim 115 x 46 x 12mm. The metal casing helps push up the
weight to 100g, giving it a substantial and well-balanced feel without
being pocket-saggingly bulky.
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Thursday, 07 February 2008 |
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Introduction:
Many
of the mobile unit manufacturers dedicate a lot of effort to developing
phones, targeted at business users. So is the E-series of Nokia, which
has been created for and is intended to encompass the above circles.
After the brief introduction it is now time to present the phone that
will be reviewed in the following text, namely – the Nokia E51. Being a
“successor” to the E50 and, as you may be already aware, meant to serve
the needs of business customers, it comes with a very pleasurable and
stylish design, compact size, and quite a good set of functions.
The kit consists of:
- Nokia E51
- Nokia Battery BP-6MT
- Nokia Travel Charger AC-5
- Nokia Connectivity Cable DKE-2
- Nokia Headset HS-47
- Nokia E51 CD ROM
- Quickstart guide
- User guide
- Cleaning cloth
Undoubtedly,
the box contains numerous accessories necessary for the adequate usage
of the phone. Yet, quite a few of us would like to find a carrying case
as well, which, regrettably, is not to be found there.
Design:
On
hearing the words “a business phone”, many of the mobile technology
admirers will think of an exceptionally big-sized device featuring an
unsightly design. Though true for other models, in our case it is vice
versa: the Nokia E51 is both extremely compact and light-weight; in
fact, it can be ranked as the smallest of all E-series phones.
| Model |
Dimension (Inches) |
Dimension (mm) |
Weight (oz) |
Weight (Gramms) |
 Nokia E51 |
4.51" x 1.81" x 0.47" |
115 x 46 x 12 |
3.52 |
100 |
| Nokia E50 |
4.44" x1.71" x 0.61" |
113 x 43.5 x 15.5 |
3.67 |
140 |
Nokia E65
|
4.13" x 1.92" x 0.61" |
105 x 49 x 15.5 |
4.05 |
115 |
BlackBerry Pearl
|
4.20" x 1.95" x 0.55" |
107 x 50 x 14 |
3.40 |
96.50 |
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| E51, E50, E65 and Pearl |
You can compare the Nokia E51 with many other phones, using PhoneArena's Visual Size Compare tool.
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| TFT Display |
Still,
surprise is not over yet – the front panel is classic black and is
framed on the edges by steel lining, contributing to the feel of luxury
and perfect quality.
Along with its positive features, a
negative one should be noted as well: we consider the small, merely 2
inch display, to be unthinkable of for a business-oriented phone. The
type of the display is TFT, with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels
visualizing up to 16.7 million colors. The coloration of the images is
well-saturated and highly contrasted; the brightness is automatically
controlled by a light sensor depending on the environment. At bright
daylight the display performed exceptionally well, remaining clearly
visible, with easily distinguishable details.
Similarly to E65, the E51 adds keys for fast access
to the calendar, the phonebook, the mailbox, and the menu. It is an
intriguing fact that despite having precisely the same functions as
that of the standard “menu” button of any Nokia S60, it bears a
different logo on its surface. The D-Pad has raised edges for better
distinction; however, being too small, it will frequently be confused
with the one just below resulting in pressing the latter instead. The
size of the other buttons also takes its toll; moreover, they are
situated too close to each other. This drawback is compensated by their
easy-to-feel relief, soft touch, and good tactile feedback. Generally,
the positive features prevail over the negative, so handling the phone
is trouble-free indeed.
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| Side keys |
In contrast to the navigation keys, the numeric ones
feature a sufficiently large size. In addition to the same good tactile
feedback, it provides for their pleasurable and easy usage.
We would be glad if we could say the same about the side buttons,
but this is impossible; despite their good surface relief they are so
hard to press that using them turns into a difficult and particularly
unpleasant job. If you ask us, we will refrain from using them.
Describing what one will find on the upper part of
the unit will not take long, since the sole key here is the on/off
button. On the opposite side things are entirely different: all the
connector sockets of E51 are to be found on its bottom.
Similarly to most of the telephones, the camera
here is also positioned on the back. The resolution is only 2
megapixels and, regrettably, it also lacks both auto-focus and
flashlight; still, this is normal with regard to the target customers
of Nokia E51. You will not find a special button for taking shots,
either – this is done through pressing the central part of the D-Pad.
Stainless
steel - the material that is used for the frame of the front panel – is
what the manufacturers made the entire back lid of. This designer
solution forms the overall impression of an elegant, yet reliable and
solid device. Besides the battery, one will also find an extension
memory slot beneath the lid – a positioning that makes the unit’s
simplified design even more conspicuous.
One thing we must
note is the discomfort when inserting the SIM card. When pushing it, it
is possible to hit the battery connectors, which definitely isn’t
pleasant.
We should note here the inconvenient insertion of
the SIM card in its place. When pushing it, one’s finger will
inevitably press hard directly onto the battery connectors – a feeling
that is definitely unpleasant.
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Tuesday, 05 February 2008 |
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It's the business-focussed smartphone that's going to sell faster than
Nokia can make it. Or so reckons Steve Litchfield, who's been rather
impressed by the Nokia E51. There are also lessons here for the rest of
Nokia's smartphone line.
Author:
Version Reviewed:
Score: 86
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