Derrick
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- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
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The business user's secret N-Series
As mobile phone manufacturers add function after function to their high-end devices, these phones end up attracting two distinct markets: business users who actually use all the fancy features; and tech-hungry power users who might use half the features, but just love to have everything else ’just in case’.
While Nokia certainly markets the E75 towards business users, evident by the inclusion of Wi-Fi, Microsoft QuickOffice and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, one has to take note of the 3.5mm audio jack (capable of outputting to any standard headphones/speakers), bundled 4GB microSD Card, N-Gage support and the fairly decent quality 3.2MP camera that is sure to appeal to those looking for a multimedia-capable device.
Regardless of which side of the market you fall in to, the Nokia E75 will appeal to almost all of your senses. Most notable is the keyboard, which, when slid out, re-orientates the display to allow for more width when typing documents, browsing the Net or anything else that might require the extra real estate.
Unfortunately, this hallmark feature is also the most disappointing. The keyboard’s buttons are too low and lack any meaningful bevels or texture to allow you to quickly differentiate between them while your eyes are on the screen. Even after a week of using the keyboard as my primary means of input, I could still type faster and more accurately with the regular keypad, which is sufficiently tactile and well laid out.
The device itself is quick, featuring a 369MHz ARM processor, commonly found in Nokia’s Nseries devices. Moving through the interface and rotating the screen (which can also be automated based on the phone’s orientation, courtesy of the built-in tilt sensor) never hampers operation. However, it has to be said that enabling the fancy visual effects that are part of the S60 Feature Pack 2 forces the phone to an absolute grind. They’re better left disabled. The GPS on the device is surprisingly efficient, managing to lock on in less than a minute while moving at 60km/h and not dropping the signal once.
Those looking for more ‘serious’ features won’t be let down either. The phone’s Web browser is capable of browsing full-size Flash-based Web pages without a hitch, and Nokia’s Messaging service ensures setting up an e-mail account is a breeze. File encryption also makes its way on to the E75, and MS Office allows for the creation and editing of Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. There’s also support for VPNs, as well as connections to your office Intranet; and you can even connect to remote hard drives, so information can be accessed directly from your phone. Unfortunately, with all the functionality that this devices packs into such a small form factor, the phone does end up being a little bit on the heavy side, and its battery struggled to last more than two days of moderate usage.
As mobile phone manufacturers add function after function to their high-end devices, these phones end up attracting two distinct markets: business users who actually use all the fancy features; and tech-hungry power users who might use half the features, but just love to have everything else ’just in case’.
While Nokia certainly markets the E75 towards business users, evident by the inclusion of Wi-Fi, Microsoft QuickOffice and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, one has to take note of the 3.5mm audio jack (capable of outputting to any standard headphones/speakers), bundled 4GB microSD Card, N-Gage support and the fairly decent quality 3.2MP camera that is sure to appeal to those looking for a multimedia-capable device.
Regardless of which side of the market you fall in to, the Nokia E75 will appeal to almost all of your senses. Most notable is the keyboard, which, when slid out, re-orientates the display to allow for more width when typing documents, browsing the Net or anything else that might require the extra real estate.
Unfortunately, this hallmark feature is also the most disappointing. The keyboard’s buttons are too low and lack any meaningful bevels or texture to allow you to quickly differentiate between them while your eyes are on the screen. Even after a week of using the keyboard as my primary means of input, I could still type faster and more accurately with the regular keypad, which is sufficiently tactile and well laid out.
The device itself is quick, featuring a 369MHz ARM processor, commonly found in Nokia’s Nseries devices. Moving through the interface and rotating the screen (which can also be automated based on the phone’s orientation, courtesy of the built-in tilt sensor) never hampers operation. However, it has to be said that enabling the fancy visual effects that are part of the S60 Feature Pack 2 forces the phone to an absolute grind. They’re better left disabled. The GPS on the device is surprisingly efficient, managing to lock on in less than a minute while moving at 60km/h and not dropping the signal once.
Those looking for more ‘serious’ features won’t be let down either. The phone’s Web browser is capable of browsing full-size Flash-based Web pages without a hitch, and Nokia’s Messaging service ensures setting up an e-mail account is a breeze. File encryption also makes its way on to the E75, and MS Office allows for the creation and editing of Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations. There’s also support for VPNs, as well as connections to your office Intranet; and you can even connect to remote hard drives, so information can be accessed directly from your phone. Unfortunately, with all the functionality that this devices packs into such a small form factor, the phone does end up being a little bit on the heavy side, and its battery struggled to last more than two days of moderate usage.