Nokia E71

...through many phones, from the Nokia 3310 (those were the days!), to the phone I got just two months back - the BlackBerry Pearl 8110. They have all been on Pay as you Go, as I have never been allowed on Contract. However this month I was told that I could finally get a Pay Monthly phone! Well as you can imagine, I was ecstatic at this and immediately began browsing phones.

Having only had the BlackBerry for a month or so, I had initially ...
...in the form of the Nokia E71 and as soon as I read about it, I knew it was the one for me. Once again I processed the order, and much to my surprise an email came through a few days later, telling me that the order had been successful and that my phone would be with me in a few days. I have never felt so relieved in all my life!

After what seemed like forever, I picked up my new phone from the post office and rushed home. Sitting myself ... more

I remember getting my first phone: going into the shop and choosing a little item I liked based purely on design. Okay so I say little, but we're talking around 2001/2002. Phones back then were like bricks! The one I went for then was a deep blue colour with a glittery surface, and a tiny black areal sticking out the top. I remember it was on Orange network too, but to me it could have been on anything - it was still my first mobile phone, and very special to me. Since then I have been through many phones, from the Nokia 3310 (those were the days!), to the phone I got just two months back - the BlackBerry Pearl 8110. They have all been on Pay as you Go, as I have never been allowed on Contract. However this month I was told that I could finally get a Pay Monthly phone! Well as you can imagine, I was ecstatic at this and immediately began browsing phones.

Having only had the BlackBerry for a month or so, I had initially wanted another one. I found a really good deal for the newer Curve and my Dad input his details, ready for the Credit Check. I didn't know that stores did Credit Checks, and when I found out my Dad did warn me that his debts were not completely cleared and that he could quite possibly be rejected for the contract. Nonetheless I processed the order, and as expected an email came through a few days later informing that it was not successful. I didn't give up there though, and I straight away tried for the same phone with 02, having just tried with Orange. Sadly, once again, the email came back with the sad news. Being the determined soul that I am, I was still not prepared to give up. I decided to try one last time with a different network, and opted for Three. They were not offering BlackBerries on the plan I wanted, but I did find a really nice phone in the form of the Nokia E71 and as soon as I read about it, I knew it was the one for me. Once again I processed the order, and much to my surprise an email came through a few days later, telling me that the order had been successful and that my phone would be with me in a few days. I have never felt so relieved in all my life!

After what seemed like forever, I picked up my new phone from the post office and rushed home. Sitting myself down, I carefully prised open the box to discover the contents. Sitting on top was the shell of my phone, incomplete without its battery or sim card. Removing this and the top layer, I discovered the rest of the wonders that came with the package. Along with the dozen leaflets and little booklets you get telling you how to work the phone, naturally you get the sim card and phone battery, as well as a phone charger. The phone charger really reminds me of my old Nokia, as it is the only one I have had since with a circular plug rather than a square one. There is also a 2GB memory card, which I think is a wonderful little gift, along with a leather pouch to keep your phone safe, a USB cable to connect to your computer, and a pair of earphones. In all, I'd say you get a fair amount with the phone!

Once I put the battery and sim card in the phone, I was ready to go. The phone took a few minutes to load up and then I was given the option to follow the set-up wizard. I did this but all it really did was tell me about the phone, rather than getting me set up. The first thing you notice when you start up is how peculiar the home screen is. Most phones I have had do not have many icons on the home screen, but with this one you can have a total of six, as well as a list of your most visited sections underneath. I don't like this as I think it makes the phone look messy, so I just have a few icons. You can also have two different home screens which you can switch between - this is ideal if you are using the phone for both business and leisure.

When you press the Menu key, which is shaped like a little house, you are taken to the main icons. The first is Communications, which allows you to add contacts and browse your phone book, as well as insert speed dials. You can also send messages from here. I like the messaging feature as it looks like you are typing onto a notepad, and for some reason this makes me excited! Also, predictive text is not automatic, unlike my previous phone, so this was definitely something to smile about! The next icon along is Office. Here you will find features such as calendar, calculator, dictionary and converter. These features are quite common with other phones but they are still nice to have and quite often very useful. Going one icon further along, you come to Log, which allows you to view all calls which have been made and received. The next, icon is Connectivity and clicking this will allow you to view and edit settings for all the phone's types of connectivity options: infrared, USB, bluetooth. I have never had a phone which has had both infrared and bluetooth, and I really like this option! All levels of connection are quite fast, which is wonderful for transferring your files to and from systems!

Going into the icon titled Tools brings up lot more icons, allowing you to customise and edit various settings on your phone. You can check the memory of your memory card here, and change your profile from normal to settings such as 'meeting' or 'loud'. You can also change the theme, or background, design of your phone menus. There are various options from a deep sea blue to a bright white colour, and you can also go on-line and download others too. You can also add pin locks and edit key lock timers here, as well as changing the icons and lists on your home screen. In all I would say the phone itself is quite customisable indeed!

Going back to the main menu, you will find the next icon along is Media. To be honest I am not completely fussed about the media section on phones. I know some people like phones so they can fill them up with songs and video clips, but that is what iPods and mp3s are for! Although I do not buy a phone for this feature, I do like to take advantage of it if it is available! There is a voice recorder, a feature I love - I always wanted a dictaphone when I was younger. There is of course a media player too, which at the moment I only have one song (Jane McDonald - "It's Getting Better"). The speakers are quite loud and a lot more powerful than my laptop ones! You can also set these songs as ring tones, a feature I simply could not live without! Of course, you also have the camera. This is only 3.2 megapixels but on the screen it looks so sharp. I have yet to print any of these and I imagine they will come out a little grainy, but to post on line the images are quite strong. The flash is quite powerful but does not make the picture too bright. There are no frames or little clip arts available with the camera, so it is not something to go for if this is what you like, but to be honest it is not a reason to knock a phone! It has a good zoom and you can change the resolution too, which is really quite helpful! You can also view the gallery in the media section, and categorize your photos and videos etc into albums. Slightly obsessed with organisation, this feature is really welcomed by me. Real player is another feature of this section, as is Radio. Here you can connect to the station directory and listen to radio channels - though I just do this on-line.

The main menu also gives an icon called Installations, which shows all the things you have installed. There are a few preloaded ones, such as Three Quick links, and Multi scanner, but the only one I have downloaded myself is MSN Messenger -this was quick to download and is easy to work on the phone too. The next icon along is GPS, i.e. Maps! Here you have the option to search maps, but when I put in my postcode it did not find my house. I'd stick to Google Maps instead, but it is still nice of them to include this.

An icon along from this is 'internet' which will take you to the Three homepage. From there you can visit any URL and search around like normal. It is quite fast and works generally from 3G but most other connections are available too. I think the main reason I wanted a Contract phone was because of the free internet options and I must say, it is definitely worth it! There is also a Help icon from the main page and this offered a tutorial of the phone which takes you through the basic steps, as well as the basic search and find features. In all I would say this little section is quite useful too.

Naturally, the main purpose of any phone is for making calls. You can do this through a few ways. You can either enter the contacts phonebook and simply press the little phone key on the name you wish to make a call to, or you can input the number or name on the home screen and push the dial button. Also, there is a little button on the right side of the phone which upon pressing allows you to speak into the phone, saying a command such as 'Dad'. However I find you need to have a very distinct accent for this to work - it never understands what I want it to do! The reception is very clear, unlike my recent BlackBerry which is very crackly and is almost impossible to hear! I was amazed at how crisp this one was, much to my delight!

The battery life of this phone is wonderful, which is perfect especially if you use your phone constantly throughout the day. I can usually make my battery last two to three days at least, and that is with constant browsing and texting, as well as a few phone calls. It takes an hour or so to fully charge the phone, and after that you are set to go and use your phone to your heart's content. It really is that perfect!

The internal part of the phone is definitely something to leap for joy over - it offers every feature imaginable and once you get used to the layout it is quite simple to navigate too. However a lot of the attraction with phones is indeed its appearance. I can safely say that the Nokia E71 gets a big thumbs up in this department too. I have quite small hands, and the phone sits just slightly out with my palm. It's not at all heavy however is heavier than others. Some phones feel too light and plastic, whereas this one feels sturdy and strong. It has a nice big screen with a strong resolution too - even when images and videos are stretched they are still wonderfully sharp! The keypad is quite a beautiful design too. It is a Qwerty keyboard, and the buttons are made of a raised plastic. Yes, they are quite petite and would be impossible to type with if you have quite big fingers, but thankfully this is not a problem for me. The metal part sticks out slightly at the bottom, giving it a very sleek look, and on the back there is a shiny panel. It's gritted though so is not slippy. The phone is quite thin, and on the left side you will see a little part for the memory card, as well as the USB cable, and on the right there are volume controls. The charger is inserted into the little hole in the bottom of the phone.

The phone itself is a very stylish and incredibly useful package. Even on pay as you go I imagine it would be quite entertaining. However I do feel that the Contract factor is part of the joys for me. I am on a 24 month contract with £25 a month from Three, and with that I get 500 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited internet access each month. That is perfect for me, as I don't phone that much but I constantly text and am always on-line. I'm simply thrilled to have found this offer!

This is a very stylish, sturdy and useful smart phone, and is perfect for both business and leisure. It offers you everything possible and is available from a wide range of stores both on contract and pay as you go. I was a bit dubious about buying as it had been so long since I had owned a Nokia but I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions of my life. I don't now how I lived without it!

Amy 2009 

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