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AT&T's versatile smartphone is better value than iPhone or Blackberry
Pros
- Good call quality
- Excellent web browser
- Thin, stylish design
- Competitively priced
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- Non-standard headphone jack
- Rudimentary media and email applications
- Poor camera
Locked vs. unlocked
The Nokia E71x is almost identical to Nokia's unlocked E71 smartphone, which was a critical darling in mid-2008. The E71x, available on the AT&T network, has a stylish black metal casing (the E71 is silver), and some of AT&T's applications and wireless services have replaced Nokia's applications. Most reviewers are not thrilled with AT&T's software, however, and some refer to it as bloatware. Wired's Daniel Dumas laments that the Nokia E71x suffers from "'awesome features removed by the carrier' syndrome," namely the fact that AT&T removed the separate, customizable home screens that made it easy to switch between business and personal accounts. Otherwise, the E71x has the same specifications as the E71. It measures 4.5 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide, and, at just under a half- inch thick, is one of the slimmest smartphones you can buy. The Nokia E71x has a 2.4-inch LCD screen, which reviewers find a touch small, but bright. The smartphone also has a full QWERTY keyboard; it's narrower than some would like, but responsive and sturdy.
Generally, reviewers say call quality and reception are quite good on the E71x, though some critics have mixed results and others report differences in quality between the E71x and E71, though the two phones have the same hardware. Reports of battery life also vary. CNET gets a whopping 11 hours of talk time, though their tests frequently yield higher results than others. PCMag gets just four and a half hours of continuous talk time. Laptop Magazine does a general battery rundown test that yields "two full days where we surfed the Web frequently and made about 2 hours worth of phone calls."
Messaging and multimedia
Experts say the E71x's web browser is very good -- especially since it has some Flash compatibility, a rarity on any phone -- and experts are generally pleased with email options and media playback. As with many mobile phones, the Nokia E71x has a non-standard headphone jack. Reviewers rate the 3.2-megapixel camera as rather poor, thanks to some autofocus issues. However, critics are unanimous in declaring that in overall performance, the E71x can take on heavyweights like the Apple iPhone or Blackberry Bold -- and the price is "harder to argue with than James Carville," says Wired's Daniel Dumas.
We found a number of good professional reviews of the Nokia E71x, though some usually thorough sources, such as CNET, PCMag.com and MobileTechReview.com leave some features and performance aspects out of their reports, referring readers to earlier reviews of the nearly-identical Nokia E71. Other sources, such as InfoSyncWorld.com, claim that the two phones have discernable performance variations, despite identical hardware. Shorter, but still helpful reviews of the E71x can be found at Laptop Magazine, Wired and BrightHand.com.
Our Sources
1. CNET
Bonnie Cha takes a look at the Nokia E71x and says it's a better AT&T smartphone choice than the Blackberry Bold or Samsung Epix. Since it shares the external design of the Nokia E71, she refers readers to the CNET review of that device for details of the E71x's features. Call quality, even on the speakerphone, is solid, though Cha reports a dropped call.
Review: Nokia E71x - black (AT&T), Bonnie Cha, April 30, 2009
2. PCMag.com
Sascha Segan says the Nokia E71x is one of the best smartphone options available, beating out the Blackberry Bold and Apple iPhone in price and some features. Segan doesn't note call quality in this review, but readers are directed to the review for the variant Nokia E71, which Segan describes as an excellent voice phone.
Review: Nokia E71x (AT&T), Sascha Segan, May 12, 2009
Philip Berne says the Nokia E71x "does a very good job at nearly everything." He thinks the E71x is the best-looking slab phone on the market, though he is less a fan of the Symbian operating system's graphics. Reception and call quality are also good, though Berne feels that audio is a bit better on the earlier E71. Messaging is also a standout, though he admits he finds the narrow QWERTY keyboard cumbersome.
Review: Nokia E71x Review, Philip Berne, May 16, 2009
Todd Haselton is generally enthusiastic about the Nokia E71x, saying call quality is good, though callers report some background noise and tinny sound. The web browser is also good, and Haselton notes that it can load Flash content, unlike many other smartphones. But Haselton laments some of the E71's features that were dropped from the E71x, such as multi-user home screens and an FM radio tuner.
Review: Nokia E71x (AT&T), Todd Haselton, May 4, 2009
Lisa Gade gives the Nokia E71x good marks, but doesn't go into much detail about many performance aspects. Readers are referred to MobileTechReview's assessment of the E71, which says that that model's voice quality and reception are "top-notch." Of the E71x, Gade says the its camera is still unsatisfactory, and its email client lags behind that of a Blackberry but web browsing, video streaming and GPS functionality work very well.
Review: Nokia E71x, Lisa Gade, May 11, 2009
6. Wired
Wired's brief look at the Nokia E71x complains that it suffers from "'awesome features removed by the carrier' syndrome," namely the fact that AT&T removed the separate, customizable home screens that made it easy to switch between business and personal use on the E71. Still, reviewer Daniel Dumas calls the design "fantastic" and likes the low price, bright screen and responsive keyboard.
Review: Nokia E71x Smartphone, Daniel Dumas, May 11, 2009
Blogger "AWright" takes a look at the Nokia E71x, which he says is an excellent QWERTY smartphone that proves that Nokia can have a successful model on a U.S. carrier. The screen is small, but the reviewer says it performs very well, even in direct sunlight. The keyboard is also good. For multimedia, the E71x is "a mixed bag," and while the web browser is very good, the email client is poor.
Review: Nokia E71x Review, "AWright", July 11, 2009