'E'xhileration: Nokia E7

This post comes a full two months late, after all the fizz and sparkle has evidently died down. I've been meaning to "preview" it for quite a while now but time wouldn't let me *smirk*

Bhaiya bought the E7 in March(before it even released in India) for about 30k. The primary motivation for the purchase was the form factor, hardware specs, processor and the addition of a slider keyboard.

Nokia, refusing to let go of it's favorite platform tried with all it's might to revive the smartphone euphoria so brutally stolen by the likes of HTC. It's first attempt was the N8 which was a welcome change. The totally new tapered edge design was awesome and the crisp clearblack display looked to take on other establsihed display technologies.

The new E7 is an improvement in the right direction....in design atleast. The software aspect is still a mixed bag.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The device

The weight is a bit on the higher but feels great anyway. The phone is almost the same thickness as N8 even with the slider which is commendable. The build quality is awesome too. Hardware specs are dime a dozen online but here's a link anyway: link

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The slider is a bit awkward the first few times. I couldn't get it open with my fingers slipping over it. The keys however are very responsive and the rubbery feel adds to usability. Tactile feedback is barely there though.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The screen is crisp and bright with great colors, text rendered sharp and the blacks dark. I can't do a comparative study here but this is good enough for me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connectivity options are aplenty with support for USB devices, an HDMI output, a 3.5mm socket(standard these days), and a micro USB port for charging and data. Wifi, 3G radio, GPRS and bluetooth come standard.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The battery is non-replaceable. Though it saves on space and makes the phone slimmer,the 1200maH capacity leaves a lot to be desired. It would'nt have been too difficult bumping it up to 1500maH.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The camera has a 8mp sensor which might as well been on a basic phone. The pictures are mostly washed out, underexposed and have so much noise... you'd think you used some art effect by mistake. Videos are a saving grace though and the HD
reslution is good enough for casual videos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Symbian!

The homescreen is highly customisable and there are 3 screens to arrange our apps in. Navigation is great too with crisp icons that look great on the clearblack screen. However, take a look back at the older symbian phones and there isn't much difference. No froyo or mango like updates for symbian.

Nokia has been facing flak for not doing anything to revamp it's dated OS and there was even a time when biggies like Eldar and Engadget refused to review the N8 because it was still on symbian(retreating after they realised what they'd missed). The OS on this one does not do much either. Although there aren't any usability issues as such... the plain vanilla styling and wait for it... APPS is what makes it difficult to accept. Iphone and android phones have thousands and thousands of apps for every age and genre. The Ovi store on the other hand is still very nascent and with the recent Nokia- Microsoft smartphone talks...it may well end up dead soon.

Goes without saying...it's the OS that brings down this potentially deadly competitor to the big I. Throw in a Windows phone 7 on the same hardware and we'd have a winner on our hands!

The new design is awesome and we want more of these. Not the operating system, however.

Some more pictures:

Note: All photos shot with Sony Alpha 200 with 18-100mm and 50mm 1.7 minolta lens. DIY thermocol box used.