Review: Nokia N71

**Anilrgowda** · 05-Jan-2007, 01:14 AM

The Nokia N71 is a 3G SmartPhone in a clamshell format. Best thought of as an N70 but in clamshell design, the N71 has many good features, but comes with a couple of health warnings too.
Let's start with the physical characteristics first. It's a moderately attractive phone (for a SmartPhone!) and will appeal to SmartPhone users looking for a clamshell format. It's big though - transforming the N70 into a clamshell has added weight and bulk to a design that was already heavy and bulky. Nokia could have taken advantage of the clamshell form to improve the keypad size, but it's really no better than the N70 keypad. This means that you have a big phone that will be tricky for users with large fingers - not an ideal combination. There's also a design problem in that the keys tend to scratch the screen when the clam is closed. We recommend that you invest in a screen protector if you choose this phone.
Moving on to imaging, the main display of the N71 is very good - large, high resolution and sharp with good colours. No complaints there! The camera is 2 megapixels and has a high zoom (20x) and a flash, but somehow it doesn't seem to be as good as you'd expect from a camera with this specification. Video calling is supported and video recording is pretty good with a resolution of 352 x 288 pixels.
Support for music is excellent and is definitely one of the strengths of the N71. The music player supports playlists and produces high quality audio, especially using the supplied stereo headset. You can easily transfer music from a PC to the phone using Windows Media Player and USB drag-and-drop functionality. The built-in memory is just 10 Mbytes, but a 128 Mbyte card is supplied in the sales package and this is expandable to 2 Gbytes, providing ample storage for music. Visual Radio is also supported.
Other good features include an advanced web browser, which makes good use of the large screen and 3G internet connection. Email is supported and there's a viewer for Word, PowerPoint & Excel attachments. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 1.2, USB 2.0 or infrared. Battery life is adequate.
Downsides are the usual for a Symbian phone - a slow user interface and occasional freezing or software errors. All things considered, the N71 is a good-enough SmartPhone in a clamshell format, with good functionality and especially excellent music capabilities, but with a number of problems that prevent it from being an excellent phone.

05-Jan-2007, 01:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
Anilrgowda Administrator Posts: 18,715 Join Date: Jan 2006 Rep Power: 10 IM:	Review: Nokia N71 The Nokia N71 is a 3G SmartPhone in a clamshell format. Best thought of as an N70 but in clamshell design, the N71 has many good features, but comes with a couple of health warnings too. Let's start with the physical characteristics first. It's a moderately attractive phone (for a SmartPhone!) and will appeal to SmartPhone users looking for a clamshell format. It's big though - transforming the N70 into a clamshell has added weight and bulk to a design that was already heavy and bulky. Nokia could have taken advantage of the clamshell form to improve the keypad size, but it's really no better than the N70 keypad. This means that you have a big phone that will be tricky for users with large fingers - not an ideal combination. There's also a design problem in that the keys tend to scratch the screen when the clam is closed. We recommend that you invest in a screen protector if you choose this phone. Moving on to imaging, the main display of the N71 is very good - large, high resolution and sharp with good colours. No complaints there! The camera is 2 megapixels and has a high zoom (20x) and a flash, but somehow it doesn't seem to be as good as you'd expect from a camera with this specification. Video calling is supported and video recording is pretty good with a resolution of 352 x 288 pixels. Support for music is excellent and is definitely one of the strengths of the N71. The music player supports playlists and produces high quality audio, especially using the supplied stereo headset. You can easily transfer music from a PC to the phone using Windows Media Player and USB drag-and-drop functionality. The built-in memory is just 10 Mbytes, but a 128 Mbyte card is supplied in the sales package and this is expandable to 2 Gbytes, providing ample storage for music. Visual Radio is also supported. Other good features include an advanced web browser, which makes good use of the large screen and 3G internet connection. Email is supported and there's a viewer for Word, PowerPoint & Excel attachments. Connectivity is via Bluetooth 1.2, USB 2.0 or infrared. Battery life is adequate. Downsides are the usual for a Symbian phone - a slow user interface and occasional freezing or software errors. All things considered, the N71 is a good-enough SmartPhone in a clamshell format, with good functionality and especially excellent music capabilities, but with a number of problems that prevent it from being an excellent phone.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)