Smartphones – Part 3 of 3

Last week I talked about my experiences with the iPhone. Now let’s have a look at a phone few people talk about, at least in the US. The Nokia E71 – unlocked and using on AT&T network in Los Angeles.

Nokia E71

My Thoughts: Nokia sure knows how to build a beautiful, solid device with excellent aesthetics. I get so many compliments and questions about this phone! I ordered this after being frustrated with Blackberry and Apple.

Look, Feel and Durability : The operating system on this phone is Symbian. It is not very popular but I love it. The menus are pretty clearly laid out, customization is easy and the applications are pretty easy to install. It took me a few days to get the hang of how to use the phone and all of its features and I’m still discovering new ones all the time.  I love the physical keyboard and overall build of the phone. It’s very sleek and dare I say, sexy.

Apps and Email Connectivity: I only use a few apps and it was easy to find and install them for the Nokia. I like Snaptu for social networking, Google Mobile for search and the free Mail For Exchange. The setup of the connection to my exchange server was challenging to say the least, not very intuitive. But once I had it configured, it just worked.

Who’s it for? If you are the tinkering, DIY type then this device is great for you. Don’t expect any help at the AT&T store though, they do not have any training on supporting this device. It is also very challenging to buy accessories for this phone because the charger and headsets are all proprietary. Order these items from Amazon for the best selection.

Verdict? Great for the DIY, technically savvy user. Not the best choice for technology challenged folks.