Slight Disappointment in Nokia

I just finished reading a brief overview of Nokia's presentation at the MWC from the Boy Genius Report tech blog. I don't know if I can remain optimistic and keep hope alive for an innovative future for this company.

Other than the global economic crisis, I don't know if there is any other way to explain the boring lineup of handsets that was put on display. It seems like one bad omen follows after another in the midst of a tragic Broadway stageshow!

The much anticipated N97 is scheduled for a June release instead of March, and I still have my reservations about its touchscreen interface potential. While the qwerty may not appear to be the most user-friendly with what seems to be a bothersome d-pad and mutilated space bar, there could still be some potential. A new touchscreen navigation on this N97 could be enough to redeem Nokia of N810 stagnation, but one can only wait and see. I certainly have no interest in discovering that its only a big brother to the XpressMusic 5800 with increased storage, but I am still trying to ignore the pessimism inside my head at this point. I am honestly worried, for the N97 could turn out to be mobile magnificence or mobile mediocrity. In the unfolding of recent MWC events, the line between these two destinies appears to be wearing thin...dangerously thin.

The 6710 Navigator vertical slider and 6720 candybar have me in limbo between two different reactions: feeling insulted for having my time wasted or feeling sorry for Nokia's lack of worthwhile devices. It's as if a Top Chef contestant suddenly burned his dish for an elimination challenge and had no choice but to serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the awaiting judges!! MWC is fairly major, so I think it best to aim high in showing off new releases. The idea is to surpass previous versions, and I don't think the 6710 or 6720 are finding any success in this regard. How many times has the Navigator and candybar model been aesthetically revamped already? Even if the answer is in the single digits, innovation still has yet to be seen from these two! A slimmer design with sexier curves, new color shades and some minor feature changes are nice; but these kind of improvements aren't revolutionary and don't always warrant a handset upgrade for Nokia users. I wonder if I only have a bias to be critical of these models since they lack qwerty keypads...nah, I don't think so.

Next up is the E55. This is actually a surprise since I had never come across any online rumors or spy photos. At 9.9mm it is looking to take the claim as the world's thinnest smartphone...oh me, oh my, I am falling out of my seat from the building suspense!! Upon reading the press release from Nokia Conversations, there are new features that should make this a worthy contender in the business world. Compatibility with Lotus Notes and automatic inclusion of Nokia Messaging sounds promising, but still doesn't deserve a standing ovation. New noise-cancelling technology really gets my curiosity going...but only for a second. Truthfully speaking, will a user be aware of this feature when using the E55? In the hectic pace of sending and receiving calls, I doubt that a businessman will suddenly stop in Manhattan and marvel at how wonderful this addition happens to be. It's like having a new version of hand soap that's infused with antibacterial formulas...as long as it cleans who cares? An obvious feature that is new for Nokia (if I am not mistaken) is the SureType qwerty keypad. While every user has different preferences, I understand that this is a goldmine for at least someone out there...but not for me. My first (and LAST) trial with the BlackBerry Pearl from 2006 left a bad taste in my mouth for the SureType layout, and I've been avoiding it ever since. There was also some elaboration on word-completion and error-correction technology. Unless this is some new and improved version, I believe I have that already with my current E71. First impression of the E55: it's an E71 that had been placed at the mercy of a sledgehammer and refitted with a SureType keypad. Not much to write home about there.

The E75. After reading a briefing on AllAboutSymbian.com from Rafe, I am somewhat baffled to discover that Nokia considers this to be a descendant of the Series 80 Communicators: the 9500 and 9300i! Just like Rafe, I am finding this hard to believe just from the sizing of the screen alone. In some ways I guess the E75 could be considered a Communicator, but I think that as long as that screen remains small...it is NOT a Communicator. Aside from that, this seems to be a smaller slider version of my E71 at first sight...but there is one more thing that catches my attention: a 3.5mm jack. Finally there is an opportunity to use my trusty Sony headphones with an ESeries device! But this celebrating is short-lived when I realize that I can easily use my 2.5mm adapter with my E71 instead. I can appreciate the combination of a numerical and qwerty keypad in a compact smartphone, so the E75 shows the most promise. Its professional build quality and potential versatility make it a good contender as a backup to my E71. However, there is one possible issue that could arise from using this model; the slider. As much as I would love to claim 100% infallibility on part of Nokia's devices, they are still machines that can malfunction. Having any kind of moving part always adds risk with any phone, especially when its being used many times through the day and night. Having to slide open a qwerty does take away some efficiency in prompt messaging, but this could be negligible as one becomes accustomed to using it. This model is said to be available in March.

Mentioning of the all-new Ovi app store really doesn't mean much to me. Even though it is thought to possibly give the Apple App Store a run for its money, I only know what is in front of my face right now: average app provisions from the "Download!" folder. Hopefully this Ovi store will rescue or even replace the "Download!" folder, but we will have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks. One never knows, a worthy Ovi store paired with a reliable touch OS on a US 3G enabled N97 may be the ticket for me to leave my E71.

Something else that I read online strikes me as quite odd. There is apparently another new Nokia that was introduced in a different venue away from the MWC: the N86. Not much data is available to me at this time except for a single picture of this phone's front face. The only key feature that I can recall is a Carl Zeiss 8 megapixel camera with xenon flash. Nonetheless, I've got my 3megapixel E71 and 7 megapixel Canon SD750 that I am happy with. As far as I'm concerned, the possible lack of a qwerty is an automatic dealbreaker.

I believe that a looming problem for Nokia happens to be its competition that could be gaining the lead with upcoming models. Sony Ericsson has gained my attention with the Idou model that's supposed to be equipped with the new Symbian Foundation operating system. HTC's rumored Touch Pro 2 photo shows much promise as well, but could still be damned by the forever complex Windows Mobile OS. Either way, Nokia seems to be complacent in its delivery of technological innovation. At this point in the game, it seems to be losing its luster as a viable challenger to other manufacturers.

I could be jumping to conclusions and may need to sit back with my E71 and relax, but I only want the best for this company. From my first 6255i flip phone encounter in 2002 to my current bond with my E71, the Nokia brand has been my preference and I would like it to remain as such. A Howardforums.com member by the name of Gwapz had stated in a previous forum post that Nokia was bound to be at the technological forefront with future innovations in the works. As each day passes I am finding this harder to believe because it doesn't make sense. If there really is something on the drawing board that is said to most likely annihilate the industry competition, I would like to have at least a hint or a peek or a smoke signal...SOMETHING!! I had already written off the Windows Mobile OS, Palm, Sony Ericsson and Motorola; therefore, I would hate to do the same to future products from Nokia. But hope springs eternal, for there is a chance that both Palm and Sony Ericsson can redeem themselves with the Pre and Idou devices.

Overall, I guess it is best that I am not too impressed with any of the newly released Nokias. With the current financial situation going on, I can't even afford to window shop any new smartphone models! But this result is also a blessing in disguise, for I have truly found total contentment with my E71. With its finger smudges and knicks, it is my broken-in mobile companion that hardly lets me down. In the worst case scenario, there would no longer be a smartphone model worthy enough to replace my E71...and that might not be so bad in the grand scheme of things.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com

Nokia E71 tips

On a recent post I made in Howardforums.com, I addressed the need to enter capital letters in phone numbers on the E71. Someone gave "1800COOLNAME" as an example. I figured it would benefit other E71 owners out there if I posted my response on my blog as well:

On E71:
Once you have typed the numbers, press the function key once. Pressing the function key takes you out of the numerical mode and into ABC mode. You then press the shift key twice to enter the ALL CAPS mode and then continue typing the letters.

-Type 1 800
-Press the function key once at the lower left corner of the qwerty.
-Press the shift key twice and look at the upper right hand corner of the screen to verify the ALL CAPS status.
-Type the remaining letters for COOLNAME.

Another tip involves locking the qwerty keypad. Once you're on the E71 home screen, you can press the left soft key once and then quickly press the function key on the lower left corner of the qwerty. I believe there is a 1 to 2 second window during which you'd have to press the function key (same as when you would unlock the E71).

Hope this helps.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com

Nokia E71: Still the Best

I recently responded to a post on Howardforums.com asking what I consider to the best Nokia model. I was inspired to declare my loyalty to my E71 once again:

I would HIGHLY recommend the E71 model. Even though low finances play a role, I have been using my E71 for the longest of all my devices so far. It's portability, slim profile, fast qwerty, sufficient speaker and camera make it a goldmine.

After a few months, my E71 has adopted many uses for me: phone, PDA, music player, camera, internet, email, word processor, GPS tracker, 3G bluetooth modem, and alarm clock.

To this day I am impressed with the Nokia Sport Tracker app. I still use it along with my iPod Touch/Nike Sport Kit on my 5 mile runs and sync the E71 with my online Nokia Sport account.

I have absolutely no worries about keeping my E71 and MacBook in sync, for Missing Sync for Symbian does it automatically via bluetooth without fail.

When I go out to public hotspots that happen to fail, I have the advantage of using it as a modem for internet access. The speed is not always wi-fi fast, but is dependable and better than no access at all.

With a 16GB microSD card, this serves as a music player on the go for music transfers from my Mac or podcast episodes from the Nokia Podcasting app.

Honestly, I am so pleased with my E71 setup that I really haven't been impressed by even the N97 or the Palm Pre. My documented affinity for the E90 has been long forgotten, and I have not one regret. I would not be surprised if I end up staying with my E71 for the long haul.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71
trentonnsmith.blogspot.com

Best Headphones Quest

I am right now at the conclusion of a much labored search for the perfect headphones. After going from one set to another and spending too much money over the years, I had learned that I favored the in-ear type over every other model.

My first encounter with in-ears took place when I had purchased Apple In-Ear headphones back in 2003. While I still despise earbuds for not being able to stay in my ears with any kind of physical activity, those Apple in-ears were no better. Just moments after they would be jammed into my eardrums, they always found a way to slip out...even with no movement!

Shortly after I started working for the Apple store back in 2006, I joined what was formerly Cingular Wireless and took on a Sony Ericsson W810i(this was obviously before I discovered qwerty with my first Palm Treo 680). This was my first foray into Sony's in-ear headphones, and I was definitely impressed. The small rubber inserts not only stayed inside my ear canals and blocked out background noise, but they also produced great sound. Those digital music tracks that had been transferred to a 2GB MemoryStick Pro had never sounded so good...let alone from a small music phone! To replicate this listening experience on my iPod at the time, I decided to purchase the Sony MDR-EX71SL headphones in white. I was in heaven. Despite having to deal with the extended cord, I really liked this model and relied on it for many months following.

Even with this in mind, I was curious as to which alternate brands produced equal if not better sound. I had taken this chance to test these different headphones: Shure, V-Moda Vibes, JBL Reference 220, and an unknown earplug variant from Koss. I was shocked and mortified to realize that the Shure brand sounded horrible for the amount of money being paid! I am not an audiophile by any means, but I do like to have some bass in all of my music. Not necessarily the excessive house music kind, but just a little bit to add some texture to the sound. Having too much treble and an overall flat delivery immediately turns me off, so the Shure and Koss brands were returned ASAP.

The V-Moda Vibes and JBL Reference 220s left a good impression on me, but due to a lower price at the time I chose the JBL model. What I liked about those headphones was the feature set of a cushioned zipper case, airport adapters, and alternate ear inserts. The fact that the cord exterior was like threaded fabric versus the typical black rubber really set them apart. Another factor to consider was the Y-form of the cord as it hung from my ears. This appeared to balance the weight so that one side was not prone to being pulled out. The sound produced by JBL was a bit lighter than the Sonys I had been accustomed to, but there was sufficient bass support. After a few months of usage on my runs and at my work desk, these had simply died on me. Not knowing what the reason could have been at the time, I just spent the extra money for some V-Moda Vibes instead.

I believe that my introduction to V-Moda happened in 2007 right when the first iPhone had been released. Shortly after getting the regular model, I do remember exchanging them for the V-Moda Vibe Duos which included a built-in mic and call button for the iPhone I used to own at that time. V-Moda basically takes the in-ear and adds a touch of design flair with its metallic components. There was no doubt that these were the most beautiful of any models I had ever owned. Not wanting to spend money on any other headphones, I decided to keep the V-Modas and go back to my trusty Sony EX71s ever so often.

After a while the Sonys had died and were replaced with the cheaper Sony Fontopia EX51s. I had stayed with my V-Moda Vibe Duos and the Sony MDR-EX51s until I discovered a new Sony model in mid-2008.

During my PC conversion back then, I was in search of a music player that could integrate with Windows Media Player. I eventually discovered the Sony Walkman NWZ-A726 in black and was introduced to its stock headphones: the MDR-EX85LP. Needless to say, I was blown away by the sound quality matched with the output of the Walkman player. I have been a Sony fan ever since. I cannot speak too much on the sound experience of the EX85LP model since I'm not an audiophile. I just know that they worked perfectly for me in everyday usage with every music player I happened to own. I had long ago sold the Walkman player to a friend when I converted back to Mac, but I kept the headphones for myself...yes, they were THAT good! However, I recently allowed a friend to borrow them (with different rubber inserts, of course) and received them back with the left channel dead! Upon talking with my friend about this situation, I just figured the best solution would be to blame no one and simply go back to using my old V-Moda Vibe Duo and Sony EX51 to save money.

As my 5 mile runs become more common with spring approaching, I discovered problems with both the Sonys and V-Modas. The cheaper Sonys couldn't stay in my ears as I ran, so this required many moments of pressing them into my ears for a better fit. This was a minor inconvenience in comparison to the V-Moda problem. While running with my 32GB iPod Touch with the built-in Nike Sport app, the audio would cut out at random moments with no effect on the iPod itself. As I continued running, I realized that the microphone from the headphones had been picking up the high winds and interfered with the music audio. I verified this by blowing into the mic myself and had the same result of the audio cutting out.

Not willing to deal with either of these problems on future runs, I went on a search for new headphones. At Target I bought a pair of Denon AH-C351 versions for $50. Nothing much to say about this model, but should have known better from reading an online review. On headphoneinfo.com, it was said that the Denons were no different than the Apple In-Ear brand in regards to sound delivery. Nonetheless, I was curious and wanted to try them anyway. Within a few minutes of listening to a number of songs on my iPod Classic, the Denon model was back in its case to be returned to Target.

Upon going through that waste of time, it is now clear to me that the Sony EX85LP is the absolute best for me. Fortunately, this model is also available at a local Best Buy.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Nokia E71: Perfect Phone

Overall, I am extremely happy to be back with my E71 in its usual working condition. In the midst of such harsh economic times, it is indeed great to have a device that is perfect for my daily usage. Day by day of relying on Nokia Email service, a compact qwerty, suitable camera, Nokia Sport Tracker, music player, S60 browser, and NAM 3G has been flawless with the E71. Adding the slim profile and amazing sound quality makes this device an absolute godsend for me! Having the Palm Treo 750 even for ONE day was enough to make me want to grind my teeth!

I recently discovered the use of SMS with both Facebook and Twitter; there is hardly a moment when I am not typing some quick status report. The Nokia Sport Tracker with its GPS function remains a great alternative to my Nike Sport kit. The sound of this little machine is spellbinding when music is either played aloud or on headphones from my 11GB audio library (I am currently listening to "Un Canto" by Andrea Bocelli while typing this). Since discovering the impressive performance of Nokia Email, I hereby announce that I no longer miss Outlook Mobile on the Windows Mobile OS. Quickoffice has been instrumental in the completion of schoolwork assignments. Bluetooth tethering with a 3G network link has saved me numerous times when my laptop was without wi-fi. The S60 browser may not be as eye-catching as Safari on my iPod Touch, but it excels with support for flash content. Being able to use Missing Sync for Symbian with my MacBook has been extremely reliable in syncing personal information...and this wireless bluetooth sync happens automatically!! Word completion in my daily typing on the qwerty even rivals the Windows Mobile OS, and Google Maps has saved my lost soul many times on the road.

There is just so much that I am grateful for with the ownership of this multi-tasking E71; I have not the time to go through it all at this moment. What I can say for sure is that this phone has taken all that I love about portability, great sound, tactile qwerty, good screen, and a stable operating system and joined them as one. For the first time in all of my years of smartphone interests, I have found the perfect device that I will never let go of...for anything. Even in the anticipation of the Nokia N97 and Palm Pre, I certainly know that they may never measure up to the E71's status in my tech life. This qwerty bar gadget simply fits me like a glove.

Whether an economic crisis would have hit the world or not, I believe that I would still be holding on to this phone. Despite having a couple of scuffs from being dropped, it still has character and I see no need to replace it at the moment with anything available on the market today. Kudos to Nokia for such a wonderful device!

Symbian has been instrumental in my own fulfillment in owning phones, and I have decided to write off Windows Mobile altogether.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71

Nokia E71 & Quickoffice 5

For a third time I have downloaded Quickoffice version 5 to my Nokia E71, and I am hopeful that all will go well with its operation.

I had mistakenly believed that the presence of Quickoffice 5 caused the SMS problem. Clarity of the situation was found via help from a fellow YouTuber; this person informed me that the data on my 16GB microSD card needed to be repaired. This made perfect sense due to the fact that I was storing all incoming messages to it, so I followed the advice.

Now that all has been going perfectly with my E71 for a day, I am somewhat comfortable with downloading the Quickoffice application again. It is still hard to believe that I had been so wrong in thinking that this office suite had been the culprit, but I guess I am only human. It seemed uncanny for the SMS problem to happen right after I downloaded Quickoffice 5, but this could have been my own misguided perspective. Nonetheless, I do feel much more secure in trying out the fifth version of Quickoffice.

Another great thing to consider is version 6 of this office suite that is available for a $10 upgrade. There's so much potential with the new features from 6 that I have read about on AllAboutSymbian.com.

TRENT
Sent from my Nokia E71