Nokia E61 Mini Review – The First 30 Days
By Stefan Constantinescu on Friday, November 24th, 2006 at 1:24 AM PST In Devices
My advise to anyone considering this phone is to be absolutely sure that this is what you want. The absence of a camera will put off a lot of potential buyers but this is a business phone and as phone cameras get better, companies are gonna crack down on it’s usage in the workplace. If you don’t like too much bulk in a phone (This one really isn’t that bulky), then skip this one. If you need multimedia and looks, look elsewhere (Nokia (NYSE: NOK) N73 maybe what you need although it’s UI is a whole lot sluggish). There are also some "Out of Memory" messages that pop up while using the browser.
I LOVE this phone and hats off to Nokia for coming up with something that is way better than most Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) or Palm (NSDQ: PALM) smartphones and on-par with (form factor wise) the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM). It does everything I want and does it really well. WiFi, Exchange server sync, calls, text messages and emails. Browsing is just a crime on a small screen. With the E61 it’s just pure pleasure. If you want a seriously powerful business device, then take a close look at the Nokia E61. It comes quite close to being the perfect phone. Loads of features at an affordable price. There are a few quirks that need to be fixed with firmware upgrades but none of them are annoying. If you want a camera AND the E-series, take a look at the E70 although the "gullwing" may not be everyone’s cup of tea. There is also the E50 and E60 for the more cash-strapped amongst us (been there done that). I purchased a nice PDAir leather case through eBay
which protects the screen and looks great too. With the E-series Nokia has made a strong bid for a portion of the business user base. And they may very well succeed at their attempt.
Source: Act II. Scene VII.
Another happy customer. Makes me glad to see that people are actually blogging about things they love. People don’t blog about mediocre devices, people will blog up a storm about shitty devices, but it is rare people will blog and tell you how much they love something and the impact it’s had on their lives.
It is very hard to get a good cross between a business phone and having it also in a small size, most if not all business phones I have ever owned are much bigger than most, but now days they are getting much smaller business phones.
If you are a business person you will not mind a phone a bit bigger for many more features…thats how I feel.
I think the one dimension that people go gaga over is the thickness. I’m sure that is RIM released a blackberry in the same form factor as the 8700 series, but half the thickness … it would sell like mad.
The problem, and balance to achieve, is thickness vs battery life.
I think Nokia hit the nail on the head with the E61 in that respect. A smart phone with > 1 day of battery life with constant use is unheard of.