Most reviews on the web compare the E72 with the E71 and whether it is worth the upgrade. This review is from the perspective of a first time Nokia smartphone user who previously owned Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices. Compared to my previous phones, this one is definitely more responsive. I rarely ever wait for menus to pop up or applications to open. Also, I am big on multitasking, which Nokia does very well. I agree that Symbian requires some time to get used to, but the shortcuts really help. For example, switching applications by holding down the home button is great for multitasking.
The phone itself is sleek and feels good in the hands. It has some weight to it so that it does not feel "plasticky". The thin form factor makes it easy to carry in the pocket. I'm not going to deny it, the light leak does bother me. It is something I am willing to live with, though, because this phone still looks better than the others in the market. The optical nav pad depends purely on personal preference. I find myself switching between the optical and physical button depending on the task. The optical pad is functional. I just find it a bit slow when scrolling down a web page. And Nokia really dropped the ball in making the surrounding D-pad button too high. It makes scrolling optically uncomfortable as you are constantly hitting the edge of the physical button. I really like how the notification light surrounds the D-pad. The white light looks good on the black phone. Much better than having a separate red LED in the corner of the phone. Now, if only that can switch colors...
Call quality is good and I have no had any dropped calls. The one complaint is that the speakerphone is not loud enough. Email on the Nokia is also surprisingly good despite the bad reviews. I feel that it is as much as "push" email experience as the BB. Setup was pain free even for the casual user. I also like how you do not have to open the html version unless you choose to do so using the link on the top of the email. The one thing I miss from the BB is not being able to get all my email accounts and SMS in one folder. Nokia should really consider that. Also the copy and paste feature is not as good as the BB. I still cannot copy text while reading an email. I have to choose reply so that I can get to edit mode before copying. If somebody knows a trick, please let me know.
The Symbian interface is still relatively old-fashioned and boxy. However, that also means it looks less like a toy. I like how the home screen shows the calendar items and to do list. When on the Blackberry, I had to sift through hundreds of themes to find one that accomplished this task. In terms of apps, I still find that the Symbian apps are a step behind the other platforms. At least in the US. I find A LOT of apps out there, but the quality falls short. For example, the Bloomberg app was much more functional on my Blackberry. The Symbian version is just awkward, with no easy way to refresh the data. Nokia does score with Ovi Maps, which is easy to use and very efficient. Hopefully, Symbian won't die out and people will continue developing apps for it.
I cannot say much about the camera as I like using real cameras for my pictures. I took a few as test shots and they came out pretty good. The shutter is responsive, but the flash is slow. When taken in good light, the pictures were crisp with good color. Low light pictures were noisy as expected.
I hope this review gives readers an idea of the usability of the Nokia E72. I admit some compromises were made to switch from my Blackberry, but overall, I am enjoying my experience with the new phone. I think productivity will increase as I gain experience on Symbian. The responsiveness and appearance of the phone really won me over. Plus I cannot stand carrying the same piece of plastic as everyone else.Get more detail about Nokia E72 Unlocked Phone with GPS and Free Voice Navigation -- U.S. Version with Full Warranty (Zodium Black).
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