Product Listing

Nokia E7 - Getting Down to Business

By Wong Casandra - 31 Mar 2011
Launch SRP: S$989

Conclusion

In a Nutshell

The E7 comes with plenty to like, and some quirks that we find quite disagreeable. For starters, we were impressed with its sturdy and eye-pleasing design. However, we felt that its ports and controls could have been better designed and positioned, given that the flushed power button and volume/zoom slider weren't ideal. On the other hand, our user experience with the physical QWERTY keyboard has been a generally positive one, with well-placed and compact buttons allowing for smooth typing once you get used to its flushed build. More importantly, the E7 comes packed with a couple of nifty additions for the business-centric user on both the software side (support for corporate email; remote wipe facility) and the hardware side (HDMI port and USB OTG capabilities). 

On the multimedia end of things, the E7 does pretty well, save for its disappointing 8-megapixel fixed-focused camera. Otherwise, we were pretty impressed by its above average audio quality, bright and clear 4.0-inch AMOLED screen with ClearBack technology and Nokia's inclusion of a HDMI port. Its battery life is pretty average for a smartphone of its caliber, requiring at least one full charge every day.

The Nokia E7 will probably appeal to users who are looking for a business/enterprise-centric phone that can double up reasonably as a multimedia device.

Despite a high price tag of S$989, the Nokia E7 is a reasonable purchase for those who are looking for a business-centric phone that strikes a good balance between productivity and lifestyle - if you don't mind the rather complicated Symbian OS. As mentioned earlier, the phone does have some substantial hardware features, but do keep in mind that if you are looking for phones with more flexibility and entertainment value, you are better off with the HTC Desire Z or the iPhone 4 as the Nokia Ovi Store pales in comparison to the Android Marketplace or the Apple iTunes App Store. The E7 would have been a stunner if it came a year earlier, but at this juncture, the software platform featured on the E7 raises a lot of questions with regards to its longevity.

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7.5
  • Design 8
  • Features 8
  • User-Friendliness 7.5
  • Performance 7.5
  • Value 6.5
The Good
Sturdy and well-constructed
Beautiful 4.0-inch AMOLED screen
Substantial physical QWERTY keyboard
The Bad
On the pricey side
Disappointing camera capabilities
No SD memory card slot
Complicated Symbian OS
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