Maxis10 Review: Nokia E7 - An Introduction

When I was told that I would be reviewing a Nokia phone, the thought of using a Symbian product sounds dreadful to me, especially when I've been a Blackberry user for almost a year now. However, being the person that I am, I will say no to challenges, especially when it comes to adapting myself in some situations and in this case, getting out of my comfort Blackberry zone to convert to a Nokia phone.

Nokia? When was the last time I used Nokia? - Two words - HIGH SCHOOL.

The only memory I had of Nokia, before I converted to a T-Mobile Sidekick LX then to a Blackberry, was the game of Snake, and the thought of the phone stolen from my bag. After that, all I've been hearing were iPhones, Android and Blackberries, and Nokia  and other products would be the last choice if I had to. In my house, There's THREE iPhone users, ONE Blackberry user and ONE HTC user. Nokia? Well, my maid uses Nokia.

But then again, I went online before I received the phone and found that it looked similar to my old Sidekick LX, which brings back fond memories except that Nokia, has touch screen AND a QWERTY keypad. Very, very interesting.This post is just an introduction, a basic one as a familiarize with the phone so don't expect technical stuff from me, I'm more of a practical user than a technical one.


1. The Look

Let's just be honest here, if a phone doesn't look good and it's not solid enough, I will tell you straight up to forgo that decision of even considering this phone. I know Nokia is known for either their super bulky phone, or tiny ones that fits in that skinny jeans of yours if you prefer. This E7 phone, however, is a nice balance of classiness and sleekness. It does not look too techie and at the same time perfect for looking professional since my Blackberry now looks like a toy phone, which is a no no when it comes to business meetings -_-


2. The Feel

A solid phone should not only look good but it must feel good when it is being held. The hinges did not give any problems although I was struggling a little to flip it open but it might have been due to the fact that it's a BRAND NEW phone. It also feels slip-free and the size is just right for my tiny palms. It is, however, a little on the heavy side, thus weight would be an issue if you prefer compact phones. It's just like preferring compact cameras over DSLRs (ok, maybe that was not a good comparison but WHATEVER LAH hahaha).

Here's just a size comparison between the Nokia E7, iPhone 3Gs, HTC HD2 and a Blackberry Curve 8520.

3. The Friendliness

One thing that I don't fancy about Nokia phones, is the interface. Yes, it looks fancy with all the columns and things but it does get confusing when you want to look for something. For instance, the main columns are divided into three pages - 'Work', 'Internet' and 'Entertainment'. If I want to look for the basic Nokia apps such as text messaging, gallery, settings etc I have to further click the menu button. Upon starting, you are required to register your Nokia on the Ovi store for it to work. We tried with point8cam's sim card from his iPhone and we had trouble connecting to the internet. It only worked when I inserted mine.

4. The Internet

I'm sorry but that Jessica Alba decided to enterframe while I took that photo -_-


Contrary to what I've been told, I didn't feel that the internet was slow (or maybe it was because I've been using EDGE all these while on this silly Curve 8520) but if you're fussy about getting super fast internet, I'd recommend to just stick to your laptop la har? -_-

It's easy peasy to download apps from the Ovi store and they have tons of choices. Much better than Blackberries in fact. There are some paid ones but they're being quoted in Ringgit Malaysia so you kinda feel that it's much more personalized cause I personally fret having to pay in USD. I did not purchase anything from the Ovi store so I'm not sure whether it will be charged to your bill/prepaid or you still need to use credit card. (could anyone tell me more about this?). If they charge on your bill or deduct from your prepaid, like hey! Isn't that WAY easier? Not all of us have credit cards, isn't it?


5. The Fun

Games, Applications. Just name it, they've got it. Of course it still cannot match up to the Apple App store, but it's much nicer and more interactive than the blackberry. At least I can play games that uses a touch screen rather than use the keypad to move my character damnit -_-

Yes, they have Assassin's Creed HAHAHAHA


6. The Ugly

There are a few downside about this phone that I've noticed:

Battery life - with the constant amount of tweeting, it lasted me less than 12 hours of usage. Unless if you're not out for more than 8 hours a day, it's fine. If you're like me, relies on the phone and is constantly out and about, then either keep a spare phone, or this phone is just not for you.


Interface/Arrangements - It took time for me to get used to it, and it kinda turned me off sometimes so unless if you're used to a Nokia phone, or don't mind learning, go ahead, get it. It will be a good phone to entertain you while at work, class, traffic jam.


I will talk about video/camera and other features next time!



PS: I'm opening my blog comments or email haniehidayah (at) gmail for further questions/ suggestions on this phone. I will pick about 5 random ones to be posted up on my blog. I will not take questions after 14th March 2011. So shoot away!  =)