E71 user review

So, it's been almost two months since i've been using Nokia E71. What can i say. It has pleasantly surprised me.

I'm one of those people, that like to fiddle around with their new toy. For the first week, i did a lot of things. The most vital is of course to install the Nokia PC Suite. I had gone down this familiar path before, installing it on my Compaq (Vista) laptop, for my better half N95 8gb.

My decision to buy Nokia again is mainly due to it being able to be recognized by Ubuntu, and Nokia ability to become mass storage when plugged thru USB. I noticed this when plugging spouse's N95 to transfer some audio video files.

Back on track, after installing PC Suite, I did a full back up of the phone. Then, flashed it to the latest firmware. There onwards, is the fun time!!! I installed lots of games and apps... whatever i could get my hands on... til a point when it just won't install anymore.

There's a bug. I simply can't install anymore apps/games, be it in .jar or .sis . Apparently, something, did some damage to my phone/memory card. Formatting my card and upgrading it to 8gb, still doesn't solve the problem. Finally, i flashed the firmware again, and it works!

So, now my e71, is running on the latest firmware with a 8gb memory card, without any glitch. Yep! It works brilliantly with Ubuntu. I can always load files with no problem.

Oh yeah! In the first few weeks, I did have some trouble with the tiny keypad. But, after a while, i noticed that i have gotten used to it, and it has not been an issue since. It's just a matter of getting the hang of it. But then, my fingers are not that huge. Though, a quick survey among both gender, with differing finger sizes reveals that eventually, the keypad is not an issue.

To date, there are 3 E71s being used in my immediate family members, 2 male user (steel grey & white steel), 1 female user (black). A testament of how E71 is a great phone to have.

Final words:
PROS: A great phone. Outstanding. Maybe I should buy 2 (office & personal use?)

CONS: Symbian interface could have been better (like N series). Battery life averages 2-3 days of normal use, I was hoping for more I guess.

Now, I can't wait for the N97...