Below the nav-pad are the usual call/end keys and a backspace button. The standard phone numberpad beneath is large, and the buttons are quick to press and really responsive – welcome in a handset where messaging is a key feature.
Despite being built for email, there’s no Qwerty keyboard hidden away anywhere on the E51. The target audience isn’t the user who needs a BlackBerry - Nokia already has devices for that, like the E61i and E90 Communicator.
Bright screen, but a bit smaller than we're used to
The E51 carrier isn’t envisaged having to compose long emails or reports on their phone. If they need more tapping power, however, the E51 has support for wireless Bluetooth keyboards.
As well as Bluetooth, the E51 supports infrared connectivity with a window on the side next to the voice control/recorder button. Usefully, a mute key is on the other side, between the volume controls. Just above the display, where you might expect to find a secondary video call camera, there’s a notification light to show when you have incoming messages or have missed a call.
Nokia S60 smartphone users will be familiar with the user interface on the E51. Usefully, in the Active Standby page, Nokia has shortcuts for setting up email, internet telephony and voicemail, which take to you to the relevant set-up wizards or downloads. These disappear once you’ve completed the set-up procedures.
The other standby page plug-in shortcuts – which out of the box also contain a WLAN set-up, and calendar entry alerts - can be configured to suit your own requirements, bringing up message inbox, to-do list updates, shortcuts to music player and so on, on the Active Standby page.
COMMENTS
Business phone - with a camera?
Ok,
How can it be a business phone it's got a camera, I find that many of my customers (private and public sector) and my employers policies prohibit a camera on site. Indeed one of the more enthusiastic customers uses a hammer/hole punch and mastic on the "business" phones they issue their employees - to disable the camera.
I'm still looking for a replacement for the 6130 or the 6810..
@ Calvin • Monday 28th January 2008 10:35 GMT
"best feature is that by long-pressing the home key you can see all running apps, and force-quit any that have stalled (i.e. ctrl-alt-del)"
Well I could do this on my N91 straight out of the box 18+ months ago, you just long press the menu key. I think, but am not 100% sure, that this was a standard feature on most S60 3rd Edition phones...
@ Anonymous Coward
Big fan of this phone. Have been looking for a couple of years for a replacement for my bulletproof 6230i.
I've had the e51 now for 3 weeks and it's a joy to use. i've Had an n73 for a couple of months and the e51 puts it to shame.
The keys are high quality, excellent feedback for quick texting (inifintely much better than the n73). I've dropped it twice and it still seems in pretty good shape. The metal rear cover adds a feeling of durability.
The UI is always at least twice as fast as on my N73. I dont take photos on phones so i dont care about the camera. I dont video call so i dont care about no front-camera.
I'm a big fan of s60. e51 seems to take it to another level. best feature is that by long-pressing the home key you can see all running apps, and force-quit any that have stalled (i.e. ctrl-alt-del)
Voip calling is excellent. it comes bundled with gizmo, but im using truphone cos its free to landlines till the end of the month. I get about an hour's battery while voip calling over wifi. excellent quality. the headphones are annoying. probably better to get bluetooth.
searching for access points is incredibly simple. i dont mind the web browser actually - the back/forward function is really well done. great design - slim, functional, understated, no gimmicks, no slidey-whatsits, no stupid colours, wouldnt have minded a slightly bigger screen, but it's relieving to be able to get a phone that is a tool
Looks like a perfected E65!
Seems to have all the things I love about the E65 plus the few problems about it sorted (no HSDPA, no way to easily turn on/off Bluetooth, a sbit of slugishness of the OS).
Hum... Anyone fancy a heavily abused E65?
Did the reviewer actually USE the phone?
How responsive is it? How do the keys feel? What's the battery life like in the real world? How about build quality?
After six pages, I am no wiser. El Reg, this fall far short of the standard of your usual reviews - it doesn't tell me anything I can't read on the Nokia site!
