The Nokia E7 is a Symbian^3 smartphone with a 4-inch touchscreen display and a dedicated QWERTY keyboard and is very much the flagship device of the communicator E Series. Looking like a big brother to the Nokia N8 this is the device we’ve all been waiting for. Has it been worth it? Find out with our Nokia E7 review.
In our Nokia E7 unboxing review we may have come over a little gushy and in awe of the new communicator device. In our defence, we defy anyone not to be impressed with this smartphone the first time they get their hands on it, the E7 looks and feels that good. Since then we’ve had a few days to really get to grips with this device but we’re still impressed with what it has to offer.
Check out our Nokia E7 Unboxing review
No doubt there will be reviews elsewhere bemoaning the use of Symbian^3 as a platform but we’ve come to expect such haters. After all, we’ve found Symbian^3 to be a solid step forward. With three Homescreens and smooth transitions between pages, this is the best version of the operating system yet. Sure, there are still problems, mainly loading apps can be slower than we’d really like but getting the most from the Nokia E7 is straightforward and easy.
Nokia E7 Build Quality
The aluminium unibody design feels great in the hand and while we were a little concerned that a 4-inch smartphone would be too big this doesn’t feel the case. Weighing in at 176g and measuring 124 x 62 x 14mm this device is big but not overly so. If you’ve used the Nokia N8, you’ll know the two devices have a similar design DNA and the bodies look pretty much the same. Considering the Nokia E7 packs in a QWERTY keyboard both devices have pretty much the same thickness, when you take into account the camera housing on the Nokia N8.
The 4-inch screen has the now standard 360 x 640-pixel resolution so images and webpages really pop and look the part. We’ve been comparing videos between the Nokia E7 and Nokia N8 and while both have an AMOLED screen, the Nokia E7 has the edge thanks to the Nokia ClearBlack Display (CBD), which seems to give the display that extra sheen of brightness in all conditions.
The corners and edges of the Nokia E7 have been slightly tapered and have a more rounded feel to them. Then there are subtler changes, such as the Menu button has been shifted right to now sit in the middle of the panel under the screen.
We’re accustomed to the Unlock button being on the right-hand side on the Nokia N8 so have to admit switching it to the left-hand side has taken a little getting used to. However, this has been done to allow for the SIM card slot to reside where the Zoom/Volume buttons used to be and an innovation toggle to be added to the right of the slot. Thankfully, you’ll still find the dedicated Camera button still in the same place.
On the top of the Nokia E7 you’ll still find the HDMI port, 3.5mm audio jack and Power switch. There is also the addition of the USB port, which we think makes better use of the space available. Gaining access to the QWERTY keyboard isn’t quite as slick as we’d hoped, and have even found opening it when on the go tricky. If you’re used to pulling your Nokia E72 out of your pocket and responding to an email while walking, the Nokia E7 may not be the upgrade for you, as we found ourselves stopping in order to use the keyboard.
Nokia E7 Keyboard Design
That said, the Nokia E7 keyboard is well worth stopping to use. The keys lie quite flat to the body of the keyboard but have proved nice and responsive. The top row feels a little close to the lip of the screen, so you find yourself typing with thumb tips but the keys are well spaced and the Spacebar and secondary function keys are all in easy access, so firing off your latest musings is easy.
Memory consists of 1GB of NAND memory, twice that of the Nokia N8, and 256MB of SDRAM. There is 16GB of internal storage but no microSD slot to add extra storage, largely due to there being no space left on the motherboard for the slot!
Nokia E7 Tech Spec and Features
Other key features include everything we’ve come to expect from a state-of-the-art device like the Nokia E7. So there is an 8-Megapixel camera, which also happens to record HD video in 720p resolution, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are present, as is GPS controller that allows you to plug into Ovi Maps and free navigation. In fact, the larger screen size of the Nokia E7 make sit perfect as a sat-nav device and could well become a surprise hit with cabbies and couriers the world over.
We’ll be checking out the camera in a separate review but from the initial quick tests we’ve carried out it works reasonably well. We will say that we really like the new toggle buttons for zooming in on subjects, as this makes getting the shot in frame a whole lot easier.
Battery life so far has also been surprisingly good. Sure, we’re finding that we need to charge the Nokia E7 every 24 hours or so, largely because we’re using it so much but with up to 20 days in standby time, using it out and about hasn’t proved a problem.
Overall, the Nokia E7 is an impressive smartphone that in many respects lives up to the awe of our unboxing review. Sure, we’ve had a few niggles, mainly around accessing the keyboard, but other than this, the Nokia E7 is a stunning communicator that places you in control of messaging.
Check out our Nokia E7 Hardware Review photo gallery:
