Home > Electronics > Cell Phones > Nokia E71 Unlocked Cell Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Media Player, GPS - U.S. Version with Warranty (Gray)

This is my fourth phone in two years, previous devices include Blackberry 8700c, Palm Treo 650, and most recently, the AT&T tilt. The E71 blows them all away. I received my steel gray version just a day ago and have been able to test approximately 35% of its rich feature set. The phone is beautiful and the design is extremely elegant. Very clearly, Nokia put in a lot of thought into its ergonomics and aesthetics. It is sized just right to fit into the palm and can be operated using just the fingers of the holding hand. It is very thin and light, yet as other reviewers have commented, the build quality is superb with high quality materials. The user interface and menu system is quite self-explanatory. Email setup is easy. Discovery of WiFi networks and their setup is also very easy. Web browser is fast! In fact the entire operating system is very fast. So far, I am very, very pleased with this phone. It looks classy, polished, and elegant. Definitely will draw second takes from onlookers. Will update this review with additional comments in a couple of weeks.

This is a really slick and fantastic well designed smart-phone for the person that do want a Qwerty keyboard on a very compact phone.

It has a really rich and nice feeling to it and if you download the latest "Fring" and "skype" free software to it like I did you have an almost free phone to the whole world via the internet. Fantastic deal!

Alright, I finally bought one a month ago based on the reviews here. This is my first smart phone. I considered iPhone and N96 before finally settling for E71. Here is why: I realized that what I really wanted was connectivity on the run (or walk ;)) - not necessarily watching movies or doing demos to others on what my phone can do. I wanted a phone that can do many things pretty well, and not just some things absolutely the best. I also wanted a phone that lets me add applications that I (as opposed to AT&T and Apple) want/allow. And I didnt want to go bankrupt buying/using that phone. E71 satisfies all (well, except the demo part: I ended up demoing it a few times ;)).

Coming to the phone itself - it has an unvelievable set of features -

* Connectivity options - You name it, it has it(Bluetooth - including stereo headset support infrared, Wifi, 3G, Edge). You can connect to Wifi networks that requires encryption (I configured WEP) or browser-based authentication.

* A GPS with A-GPS support - meaning fast GPS lock. Not sure if you need(I have) data plan to use it. You can disable it, though, and use just the plain GPS.

* Decent email client (setting up gmail took all of 1 minute - just enter your user name and passwd). But you should try Nokia's new push email service (free for now - not sure how long), it is much better. Emails show up on your phone even before Gmail web ui shows it (same case with built-in email client as well). Both has no html support (yet).

* It can sync up with outlook on your windows PC using Nokia Suite, and it can connect to Exchange using active sync (though I havent checked this myself - my employer doesnt allow me to).

* It plays all kinds of media files (audio is decent, and the speaker loud enough) and youtube.

* It has a very good browser with flash support (and you can watch You Tube videos)

* it has internet telephony support(meaning you dont need any additional software if you have SIP account with any provider)

* it has tonnes of other applications (free and paid) that you can download from Nokia's own or various Symbian S60 websites. Fring (chat/voip client for google talk, skype, etc), Google Maps (with street view), Yahoo Go, etc are some must-have applications available free. Ability to be on Skype all-day (of course, if you have data plan) can save you a lot of money, if you make/receive international calls (you can make skype-skype free or skype-phone for lower rates without using your minutes)

* You can add more memory using micro SDHC card and applications can be installed on phone memory or card

* Good battery life (at least to my expectations) - with wifi and 3G turned on, push-email set to immediate notification, Fring running always and lots of browsing, I get through 2 days. With 3G turned off (using edge), push-email at immediate notification and moderate browsing, I have now gone 3 days and battery has 40% charge left.

* Looks - One of the best looking (still feature-rich) phones (much better than N95, but nowhere near an iPhone) out there. It is very thin, and is probably smaller than iPhone.

* Finally, it has a full qwerty keyboard which is very very very usable - never thought I could do that on a phone.

For the negative side, I must say that the Wifi reach is not as good as my laptop (meaning, I can get fairly good signal on laptop, but E71 wont get any) - but then you cant really compare the high-power laptop to a low-power cellphone. Also the phone has a 2.5mm audio jack (not 3.5mm, as your regular headsets would use) - you will have to get a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter if you are particular about that favorite headset of yours.

Overall, I recommend the phone. With the AT&T's Media Unlimited (just $15 per month, instead of $30 that iPhone requires), I am enjoying the new phone. My days have changed - for the better!

I have been a dedicated Nokia supporter for a few years now. Started with a Nokia 7610, then switched to n80i and finally about a month or so ago purchased THE E71-2. To me there is absolutely no comparison between a blackberry and an e71, however it could not be perfect. Two major downfalls are:
1. Does not work on Tmobile 3G network in continental US, which is a huge factor for current Tmobile users. Just have to settle for EDGE right now or use AT&T
2. No standard 3.5mm headphone jack, so unfortunately you won't be able to use your favorite headphones.
Other than that it is an absolute iPhone and Blackberry killer

Only had my E71 for a few days now, but I'm incredibly impressed. The biggest concern I have is the number of people in this forum comparing the E71 to the iPhone. E71 is NOT an iPhone, it was not INTENDED to compete with the iPhone, and it is not fair to compare it with the iPhone! So many people are talking about what the iPhone has that the E71 hasn't, what about the things the E71 has that the iPhone hasn't?...like a beautiful steel case, video calling, a removable memory card, RELIABLE 3G connectivity, etc, etc? If all you people want an iPhone so bad, then why not just get one unlocked/jailbroken and let the rest of us evaluate hand held devices on their own merits?
The best features of the E71 are its sleek and elegant form factor, the aforementioned steel case, the 100% customizable interface, and the availability & support for third-party applications.