I had a friend who had a Nokia phone that looked very similar to a 6310i. Thing was practically a hammer in your hand, it felt like the perfect phone. Looked a little bit too phallic for me though. The E50 however looks freaking regal. If I didn’t have such a strong preference for qwerty based smart phones, or phones with WiFi, I’d definitely look into it.
Living in London, Mobile Choice, probably more than most, still sees that small band of suits clutching their beloved Nokia 6310i handsets. Despite being five years old, this phone has long been the weapon of choice for a small generation of business bods, breeding a loyalty, that we’ve not seen for any other phone. Its longevity stems from the two factors: its ease-of-use and a battery life that hasn’t run dry since the fall of Troy.
But, of course, mobile technology and business needs have moved on and Nokia has tried to replace the 6310i with varying degrees of success. The 6230i is probably the most prominent but, for a minority, no phone has been seen fit to usurp the god-like 6310i.
Well that could be about to change because Nokia may just have fashioned a worthy successor. The E50 is the budget-level option from its feature-laden Eseries business range. 3G, QWERTY keyboards and Wi-Fi may dominate the E60, 61 and 70 but the E50 is an altogether more straightforward and mid-level proposition but still with core business attributes.
The E50 is vaguely reminiscent of the 6310i, no doubt a ploy by Nokia to attract those devoted users. Despite an abnormally elongated body, it’s still very sleek in the hand. The stainless armour also makes it feel nicely weighted and quite robust. After all, it’s got to survive those boardroom tantrums. We won’t be reaching for sexy superlatives to describe its design but the E50’s sober look gives it a dependable quality that will win over the suits.
As you would expect from Nokia, the E50 is incredibly easy to use. The Symbian Series 60 OS is fast and responsive, with the home screen displaying icons for the six most popular applications and an activity list of messages (email, text and MMS), missed calls and calendar appointments. Delve into the main menu and navigation and layout is pretty straightforward for those familiar with Symbian S60 phones and newcomers alike. A sturdy but lucid joystick directs operations surrounded by the menu key and soft and call keys that are nicely sized with angled ridges for better purchase.
Source: Mobile Choice <– Check out the whole review