17 October 2006

Nokia E61 vs Nokia 7710


Ive finally moved from my Nokia 7710 and purchased the relatively recent E61.

The main reasons are:
  1. Wifi support - something severely lacking in the 7710
  2. Proper browser - with a better aspect ratio
  3. A proper keyboard - instead of resorting to the onscreen keyboard, after the character recognition on the 7710 got worse (after a firmware 'upgrade')
  4. A whole lot thinner. Fits in the pocket better.
  5. 3G
  6. So much more responsive. The 7710 is lagggggy. It takes 5-10 seconds just to load up an sms. Frustrating! The E61 is fast. Just like the old mono phones of yesteryear.
  7. Other communication features, which I havent gotten round to configure yet: SIP phone, Push-To-Talk, IM, and all these niceties...
what a brick.

What would be missed are
  1. The Camera - the E61 doesnt have one, which is peculiar for a 'modern' phone, but I guess it brings weight and costs down
  2. A good Alarm Clock - the E61's alarm clock is primitive. Just set the time, and it rings and dissapears. The 7710 has some great functionality like only ringing on weekdays, scheduling multiple alarms. It was well thought out.
  3. Power socket is smaller than the normal Nokia plugs. This will be a nuinsance especially at remote locations when batteries are low and the device needs recharging. The package comes with a proper charger, and a adapter for the plug, but its such a hassle. I also dont understand why Nokia phones can't charge via the USB connector cable provided.
  4. Boomier Bass - The 7710's speakers are huge. The E61 is not too bad either, but doesnt quite compare with its older bro.

Besides the great communication features E61 offers, it the really tactile keyboard which I like. Its reminicent of an old HP 4350 I used before about 2 years ago.

The problem with that model was that it was just a iPaq, with no phone features. It had Wifi and Bluetooth, but it really needed to have a decent phone.

I guess it takes the 3 years since before we have something like the E61.

Ive been using the E61 for three days now, and Im really happy with the build quality. Its light, but it doesnt feel that plasticky. Most things are customisable. There are also quite a few annoyances which I will definitely rant about one of these days.

The default screen protector is still on, you'd just have to pick out the corner foil, and it should stay on. Dinesh had his on for quite a while, which looked dreadful. When the time comes Ill replace it with a better one, as I hope he has done.


yk.