The Nokia E55 went on sale this week, you can check out our unboxing to see what comes in the box, and is very much a business style device in the same vein as the Nokia E52. Find out how we got on with the Nokia E55 in our full-depth depth...
The Nokia E55 has a great deal to live up to, as we were so impressed with the style, usability and overall battery life of its stable mate, the Nokia E52. The first thing you need to know is that both devices come from the same gene pool and are essentially the same model, which is an updated and heavily overhauled Nokia E51, one of the best selling business devices ever.
Check out our Nokia E52 review
So, what you’ll find is a candybar phone that is incredibly long and remarkably slim. We liked how light the Nokia E52 and at 95g, we’re equally as impressed with the Nokia E55. The build quality is high with a full aluminium body that feels incredibly tough to the touch. We expect this device can withstand being treated rougher than most devices.
The 2.4-inch screen is a standard 240 x 320-pixel resolution and is nice and bright. We found that images and general purpose tasks looked sharp. Below the screen is a good-sized D-Pad and a raised Home and Calendar button on one side, and an Email and Return button on the other. This does mean that Call function keys, both above and below, suffer from the same problem as with the Nokia E52 and feel kind of secondary and a little crushed in.
Check out the full tech specs for the Nokia E55
Where this smartphone differs is in the style of keyboard. Instead of a numeric keypad you’ll find a compact QWERTY keyboard that consists of four lines with five buttons on each line. This means that when it comes to typing out emails and longer messages you can hold the phone in two hands and tap away with your thumbs.
Due to the size of the Nokia E55 keyboard, you’ll find it incredibly easy to type on. What’s more, the keys aren’t flat, as you’ll find on more basic phones. Instead, there is a slight gradient, with the front of the key being slightly raised. This is a great addition as it gives the keyboard a much better feel to it, making typing out even the shortest of messages that much easier.
Every day functionality on the Nokia E55 is good. Call quality sounds clear and sharp. What’s more, this is a loud phone to use out and about. The 3.2-Megapixel camera on the back of the unit looks rather exposed, as it sits on a raised plinth. This is a single LED that lacks auto-focus, so taking snaps tends to be a bit of a hit and miss affair.
However, the primary function of the Nokia E55 is to be a business device and it copes with that more than competently. Aside from messaging, battery life is key for the business traveller and this handset delivers. Nokia claims you’ll get up to 8 hours of talk time and over 20 days of standby. Well, we’ve been using the device for close to a week and we’ve not had to re-charge yet.
The Nokia E55 is a great all-rounder. It delivers the same knockout looks and long-life battery of the Nokia E52 but with the added bonus of the QWERTY keyboard. This is a slightly more expensive handset but if battery life and messaging are high on your agenda then it’s a perfect match.
Check out our Nokia E55 review image gallery:
