I want to start off saying that after using multiple phones over the years, I find this to be one of my top phones I have ever used.
By being unlocked from the start, the phone is completely umbranded, meaning you don’t have all of the cute AT&T or T-Mobile logos everywhere, and have complete access to all of the settings that most providers will restrict you from changing. You also have 110MB of space free on the phone (a ton) for basic apps, and of course you can buy a MicroSD card for even more memory.
The phone itself looks great. The blue color is actually an extremely dark navy, and can look black in most cases. As for the thickness compared to the e71, I think it actually feels better in your hand, and isn’t that noticeable. The headphone jack is a great touch, allowing you to use any headphone set you want.
As for the software, it uses the Symbian 9.2 Feature Pack 1, and includes software you can use to open and edit Word and Excel documents on the go. The built in music player is decent, and set up like an Ipod with its ability to have playlists, genre searches etc. You can even download the free Divx player and watch movies to go! Then theres the Nokia Ovi store. Sort of like the App Store for the iPone, you can download apps directly from Nokia, although at the moment due to its recent launch, there aren’t that many things (especially free) being offered.
The WiFi was the deal sealer for me. Living on a college campus which has wireless internet all over, I didn’t want to have to pay to have internet and email on my phone. Its fast (compared to a friend’s iPone, about the same speed)and it is great for surfing, along with using the build-in YouTube application.
There is a ton of great free software on the web for the phone if you look for it, things like weather applications, instant messaging, mapping software (requires either a WiFi or a data plan to use) etc.
I find the speakerphone loud and clear, and good enough to play music over.
The keyboard is absolutely amazing. I haven’t experience many misspellings while using it, compared to my past palm treo I had. The keys are comfortable and easy to press down.
Battery life is great on this. I was able to get 5 days out of a charge with light usage (30 texts per day, maybe 20 minutes on the phone per day and 10-15 minutes per day surfing using the WiFi)
The cons I’ve found:
Nokia still hasn’t set up a threaded text messaging system as default (IM style chats). My Windows Mobile phone from 4 years ago has this feature, and Nokia has their own application which does this, but you cannot set it as the default Txt messaging.
Weak vibration feature. I can barley feel it. My previous Nokia was weak as well though.
The Operating System (Symbian) does not assume or remember any connection settings. If you open your web browser, each time it will ask you what connection you want to use. It can get annoying if you are constantly in the same place.
Other Tips I’ve found
If you don’t have a data plan, go into the Network settings and change it to be GSM Only (NOT UMTS). UMTS is 3G, and you will get better battery life using GSM only with no downsides if not using the data plan.
To change volume with internet radio, press the function key, and then the up and down keys change the volume.
In media player, you can start typing the name of a song or artist using the keyboard and it will show up.
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Tags: Nokia E63-2, Nokia Unlocked Phone