Nokia E72

24 November 2009

Good: Excellent build quality, Good keypad, Improved camera, Very responsive, Good battery life, 3.5mm audio port.

Bad: Optical navi-pad can be annoying at times, S60 platform feels dated in light of the competition.

Business users looking for a competent, no-nonsense smartphone will like the E72 for its breadth of features and stylish design.

The Nokia E71 was one of our favourite business smartphones thanks to its attractive design and full range of useful features. More than a year on, is its successor, the E72, just as compelling a smartphone? Let’s look at the differences between the two to find out.

Design

Given how well-received the form factor of the E71 was, there wasn’t a need to change things much in its successor. The E72 has a similar solid metallic feel and is almost the same size and weight at 114×59.5×10.1mm and 128g. On the front, you get the same landscape-oriented QVGA display, below which lie shortcut buttons and a QWERTY keypad. The shortcut keys surrounding the directional pad are laid out differently, but the ability to access your calendar, contacts and mail in one button press remains intact.

The directional pad is significantly different to the E71. While it shares the same square design with a large selector in the middle, this centre button now doubles as an optical navigational pad. So, aside from pressing one of the four direction buttons, it is possible to move cursors by stroking your finger over the selector. This can be annoying as we found ourselves moving the cursor accidentally at times. The application in which it is useful is the browser as it gives better mouse cursor control — clicking on small links can sometimes be a very precise affair. Those who don’t like the optical pad can turn it off completely, rendering the directional pad identical to the E71′s.

The E72′s QWERTY keypad layout doesn’t differ much from the E71′s. It has a shorter spacebar, making way for two extra keys on the bottom row — a shortcut to select symbols and a dedicated exclamation mark key. As indicated by a diagram on the spacebar, it now doubles as a shortcut to turn the camera light on for use as a torch; pressing and holding the key will activate that useful feature. Though the shape of the keys remains the same, we found the tactile feedback different. Less force is required to depress a button, and consequently, the “springiness” of the keys is reduced. This takes some getting used to if you are switching from an E71 and we can’t conclude if it’s better or worse — just different.

One of the best changes is the inclusion of a 3.5mm audio port on the top of the device. The E71 had a 2.5mm version which required an adapter if you were using your own pair of headphones. Other connectors remain the same with a dedicated connector for charging and a micro-USB port on the left. One thing it lacks, which is present on the E71, is infrared, but we reckon it’s not too big a loss to most users.

Features

When it comes to connectivity features, the E72 doesn’t differ much from the original. You get the full works including HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and A-GPS for navigation. There are some slight improvements such as a faster 10.2Mbps HSDPA maximum speed and HSUPA for high-speed uploads. Do note that these are highly dependent on the operators’ 3.5G network quality, so users may not really feel the impact.

Since the launch of the E71, Nokia has been making improvements in the Symbian S60 third edition software. The E72 has convenient features such as transition animations, Ovi Store for downloading third-party applications and built-in support for Microsoft Exchange synchronisation. It’s important to point out that these features can be activated on the E71, too, by downloading the appropriate updates from Nokia. What makes the experience different is that the E72 is much more responsive thanks to a faster processor. More on that in the Performance section later.

Another improved feature is the inclusion of a 5-megapixel camera, up from the 3.2 megapixels in the E71. In our tests, we found the photo quality much improved with excellent macro shots as one of its highlights, perfect for archiving name cards. Also, you don’t have to press the “2″ key to activate autofocus, a cumbersome and unintuitive implementation on the E71. Now, simply touching the optical pad will let you focus on your subject, while depressing it will snap the shot.

Performance

The performance of the E72 is where it really shines compared with the E71. Now, the E71 is no slouch and, in fact, was one of the most responsive S60 devices when it was launched. But this Nokia comes with a 600MHz processor that blows the E71 out of the water when it comes to speed. There was no lag felt throughout the menu system and even long contacts and message lists loaded very quickly. This was felt most in the web browser as you can now scroll around full web pages before they are fully loaded. There may be software improvements in play here, but we’re pretty sure the faster chip has a part in that, too.

The improved speed didn’t affect the battery life much. With the same 1500mAh battery, we got about 2.5 days of use on a single charge. This included phone calls, messaging and occasional use of HSDPA for emails and Twitter updates. Most users will be able to get by on more than a day without recharging.

We had no issues with reception and call quality, and the speakerphone was sufficiently loud for use in quiet situations.

One thing we’ve brought up time and again over the past year is how the S60 platform feels dated compared with the competition such as the iPhone OS and Google Android. This reduces the value proposition of the E72 slightly, especially when you consider the availability and quality of third-party apps.

Conclusion

As you would have probably gathered by now, the E72 is a very competent business smartphone. Nokia stuck with what worked in the E71 and made a few improvements in the process.

The big question is whether current E71 users should upgrade to the E72. There’s no quick answer to that, but if the camera quality and responsiveness of your current smartphone irk you, the E72 would be a good replacement. Otherwise, stick with your E71 because the major features such as a good keypad, push email and decent battery life remain the same.

The E72 is certainly a handsome handset, and reasonably compact for something offering a full QWERTY keyboard. It measures in at 114 x 58.3 x 10.1 mm and weighs 128g, and Nokia have been lavish with their use of metal trim: both the fascia surround and the battery cover are fingerprint-collecting chrome. Up top there’s a 3.5mm headphones socket and the power button, while the left side has a microUSB port and microSD slot hidden behind fiddly plastic covers. On the right there are volume keys flanking a voice-command shortcut button; unlike other Nokias there’s no camera shortcut. Around the back lurks the 5-megapixel camera and LED flash.

Nokia E72 unboxing video:

Of most interest to frequent messagers, however, is the keyboard, and we’ve been surprise at just how usable the E72’s QWERTY actually is. The keys are small – around the size of a tictac, in fact – but their pronounced domed pads and practically perfect tactile feel add up to a ‘board that’s incredibly satisfying to use. We’ve been switching between using the E72 and the Nokia N97 mini, and the key layout of the Eseries device is far preferable; commonly used punctuation, including @, ? and ! don’t require a shift or function modifier, and while the space bar is only double-width it’s broad enough in context.

Across the middle of the phone there’s a row of control keys, borrowing the layout we’ve already seen from the Nokia E55. Home, calendar, contacts and messaging shortcuts are sandwiched in-between the left and right softkeys and the call/end buttons, while in the middle there’s a four-way D-pad and center-select button. New to the E72 is an optical trackpad, however: brushing your finger across the center pad is recognized as directional control. We’ve had middling success with such navigation systems on other handsets but the E72’s system is reasonably useful, being neither too sensitive nor too blunt in its responsiveness. Still, you can dig into the settings and turn it off if you find it offensive.

Up top there’s a glass-covered 2.36-inch 320 x 240 QVGA display, and we’re disappointed that Nokia didn’t squeeze in something more impressive. The panel is capable of 16.7m colors, though the default business theme – which makes heavy use of coffee-shaded browns – does little to show that off. We’ll lay part of the blame at the S60 3rd Edition FP2 (3.2.3) OS; while we don’t subscribe to the increasingly common attitude that S60 deserves to be consigned to the junk heap, we do wish Nokia had put in some more effort to give users the impression they’re dealing with a modern, up to date platform.

Part of that experience is hampered by usability confusion, likely a non-issue to those staunch Nokia addicts who are upgrading to the E72 from its well-esteemed E71 predecessor, but which presents stumbling blocks to those fresh to the platform. Little things, like managing WiFi network and cellular connections, were less obvious than Android, webOS and the iPhone OS make it; mockingly obvious to those familiar with the ways of S60, but a headache to everybody else.

Since messaging is the name of the E72’s game, there’s plenty of account type support onboard. Basic POP and IMAP4 are of course accounted for, together with Nokia Messaging, ActiveSync, Lotus Notes Traveller and Mail for Exchange. Several accounts can be active simultaneously, including using different poling settings – your personal email account, for instance, can be set to check every few hours, while your corporate account is pushed – and you can pin different accounts to the homescreen depending on whether you’re viewing the “business” or “personal” layout.

In general it all works well, though we did have some issues with our Kerio Mail Server system (which usually smartphones – including the N97 mini, curiously – simply handle as an Exchange server) and the E72’s Mail for Exchange app. Unfortunately it seems this is an issue with Nokia’s implementation, rather than something Kerio can change, and we ended up using IMAP instead. If you’re planning to use the E72 with your corporate email account, it’s worth checking out what exact setup they have to avoid headaches down the line.

The E72 isn’t short on connectivity, with quadband GSM and three versions of the handset covering various combinations of WCDMA HSDPA/HSUPA. There’s also WiFi b/g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, together with UPnP and PictBridge support. Flash is supported in the browser, which means you can view streaming YouTube videos, and while the UI might not be as streamlined as on Webkit-based rival devices, page layouts were rendered pretty much just as on a desktop browser. Nokia Maps also has a few usability differences to the Google Maps app many are used to from their cellphones, but once you’re past the UI it’s a strong navigation offering. Copious keyboard shortcuts keep menu-surfing to a minimum, and features like easy map-panning are things we’ve longed for in Google Maps. It’s also possible to grab screenshots of the current map view, which can then be sent in emails or MMS messages. GPS locks were speedy and accurate, and there’s a digital compass with a more useful in-map display than, say, Street View on Android devices.

Nokia have squeezed a 5-megapixel camera into the E72, and the optics slightly protrude from the rear panel of the phone. It lacks the Carl Zeiss lens commonly found on Nseries handsets, but there’s still an LED flash and autofocus. Normal photos in natural light are good, if a little on the cool side with regards color balance, but with reasonably fine detail and no odd fringing or the like. However despite the close-up mode setting switched on, macro shots proved blurry and disappointing. The LED flash is bright but prone to washing out nearby items; we do like being able to use it as an impromptu torch (by holding down the spacebar) however.  There are full-sized camera samples in the gallery below.

Media playback is functional if not especially appealing, with the native PMP app filtering tracks by artist, album, genre and composer (and the microSD card hot-swappable), while sound quality is reasonably once you plug in a set of aftermarket headphones. There’s also Bluetooth A2DP support, for wireless headphones, but you’ll need a wired headset plugged in to use the FM radio (it uses it as the antenna). Access to the Nokia Music Store (though not Comes With Music) is preloaded via a shortcut in the media menu (though browser based) and you can download tracks over 3G or WiFi connections. Video playback is via a separate app, which also supports streaming video feeds, and though the UI is basic it’s nonetheless functional and reasonably loud through the built-in speaker.

You’d hope a business-centric device like the E72 would perform well at voice-calls, and happily it puts in a strong showing. Basic calls revealed decent audio for both parties, while there’s a front-facing VGA-quality camera for video calling and SIP VoIP 3.0 support for compatible internet-based services. A Skype app is also available in the Ovi store (which is reasonably well populated but falls short of the iPhone App Store when it comes to ease of navigation and accuracy of search results). The voice dialling works well for a non-trained system, picking out our intended contact each time then moving through the default communication method with pauses to allow you to scroll through the list and pick something or someone different.

Battery life is rated as up to 12.5hrs GSM talktime (5hr 54m of WCDMA; 13hr 42m of VoIP) or up to 492hrs GSM standby (576hrs WCDMA; 110hrs VoIP) from the standard 1,500mAh battery. While we didn’t quite see those sort of times, we were impressed by the E72’s longevity. We’re used to charging smartphones nightly, lest they expire midway through the following day, but the E72 could happily go a couple of days in-between rejuicings. That’s with regularly polling email and both WiFi and 3G switched on; you’ll be able to eke out even more runtime by adjusting the peak/off-peak messaging settings and shutting off the various wireless radios when you’re not using them. When iPhone (and other device) owners are crossing their fingers that they’ll get through a whole day without resorting to a Mophie-style battery case, the E72 makes a strong case for itself merely on its relative frugality.

Still, we can’t imagine many mainstream users bypassing the iPhone or other eye-catching handsets in favor of the Nokia E72, and that’s a real shame. It’s one of the most successful messaging devices this side of a BlackBerry when it comes to hardware keyboard performance, pushing even successful onscreen keyboards with killer auto-correction into the shade. There may not be as much screen-space for the browser or Nokia Maps to shine, but each performs well; we wouldn’t buy the E72 for either, certainly, but neither will we particularly criticise them. The camera is a mixed bag, and falls short of the promise of Nokia’s recent Nseries cameraphones, while media handling is serviceable but not especially inspiring.

If you prioritise messaging above all else, though, and want a compact but highly usable device with a strong QWERTY keyboard, the E72 makes an excellent case for itself. We’re not convinced that S60 requires retiring quite yet – though we wouldn’t argue with a usability refresh – and spend a little time setting up VoIP and you’ve got a decent internet phone that hardly needs to step near a cellular network. Niche? Certainly, but we’ll be comparing hardware cellphone keyboards to the E72 for some time to come.

Nokia E72

By Lana Kovacevic on 21 December 2009

RRP AU$729.00

Good: Very fast, Excellent camera, Strong messaging functionality.

Bad: Optical navigation pad is hard to use, Small keys on the QWERTY keyboard might be a disadvantage for some.

Nokia E72 is a smartphone with loads of attitude and great features , well-suited for busy business people or anyone looking for a cool piece of technology.

<script language=”JavaScript1.1″ type=”text/javascript” src=”http://ad.au.doubleclick.net/adj/cnet.com.au/mobilephones/smartphones/story/print;sect=mobilephones;ssect=smartphones;sect3=story;sect4=print;sid=339300132;kw=;skw=e72;tile=1;sz=300×250;ord=1397737154?”></script> <noscript> <a href=”http://ad.au.doubleclick.net/jump/cnet.com.au/mobilephones/smartphones/story/print;abr=!ie;sect=mobilephones;ssect=smartphones;sect3=story;sect4=print;sid=339300132;kw=;skw=e72;tile=1;sz=300×250;ord=1397737154?”> <img src=”http://ad.au.doubleclick.net/ad/cnet.com.au/mobilephones/smartphones/story/print;abr=!ie;sect=mobilephones;ssect=smartphones;sect3=story;sect4=print;sid=339300132;kw=;skw=e72;tile=1;sz=300×250;ord=1397737154?” width=”300″ height=”250″ alt=”Advertisement” border=”0″ /></a> </noscript>

Design

With its sleek look and QWERTY keyboard, Nokia E72 borrows its style from the BlackBerry, but is surprisingly compact for a smartphone. It retains a similar physical design as its predecessor, the E71, with slightly larger dimensions. Measuring at 114×58.3mm and weighing 128g, it is the approximate size of most smartphones currently on the market, but what really distinguishes it from the rest is its 10.1mm depth, giving it a very slim appearance. This snappy looking smartphone is available in three colours: Zodium Black, Metal Grey and Topaz Brown with silver trimmings.

Housed on the left-hand edge of the phone are the micro USB connector and memory card slot. On the opposite side you’ll find the volume keys, with the voice key sitting in the middle. The top of the phone holds a 3.5mm headphone jack and the power button, while the tiny charger port is located at the bottom. The 5-megapixel (MP) camera lens lies at the back of the phone.

Above the 2.36-inch QVGA screen is a secondary camera lens for taking self-portraits. While small, the soft and cushy feel of the keys makes typing on the QWERTY keyboard relatively easy, although you may disagree if you have larger fingers. In the middle of the regular navigation button, there is an optical navigation pad that responds to touch. In our opinion it does nothing to ease the navigation, in fact it’s more cumbersome to use. There are also four shortcut buttons for quick access to home, calendar, contacts and messages.

Employing a minimalist design throughout, Nokia has kept the interface clean and simple with only two default themes (gold or black) that definitely won’t take your breath away. Nevertheless, that seems suitable for a business-centric phone. You have the option of switching between personal and business modes, which will reveal a different view and shortcuts on the main screen. We would have liked missed calls and incoming SMSes to be more prominent, instead of small icons at the bottom of the screen, but that’s a matter of personal taste.

Features

Endowed with a set of elaborate business features, this phone is a great choice for anyone after a productivity-boosting device. Offering 250MB of internal memory, including a 4GB microSD card, you’ll have enough room to store documents and music. It is rich in connectivity, as expected from a smartphone these days, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, A-GPS, HSDPA tethering and the ability to set up a VPN connection to your corporate intranet.

The focal point of the device seems to be its messaging functionality. You can set up multiple email accounts, both personal (Gmail, Ovi Mail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail) and work accounts (Exchange and Lotus Notes Traveller) with push email support that’ll run simultaneously. Exchange mail is integrated with the phone itself, so when in business mode, the number of unread messages appear on your home screen, as well as upcoming appointments that will also conveniently pop-up as alerts on your phone before the meeting is due. There is also a chat feature that lets you use your MSN, Google Talk or Nokia’s own Ovi Chat.

If you need to create documents on the go E72 comes with Quickoffice 5.3. If you upgrade to Quickoffice Premier 6 you can edit Office 2007 documents too. You will also find a PDF reader, Zip manager and Print function, which will give you a full-fledged productivity suite. If you’re paranoid about security, you can even encrypt your documents both on the phone and the memory card.

Other business features include calendar (which lets you add a meeting, memo, anniversary, to-do item or send a meeting request), a multi-scanner/card reader equipped with text recognition that can scan business cards and save them as contacts, and a WiPresenter (which lets you connect to a computer wirelessly and control your PowerPoint presentations from your phone). Also worth mentioning is the voice recorder, push to talk, voice commands and a search feature with which you can easily scan through your phone or search the internet. We thought the inclusion of a dictionary app was fantastic, but it would have been a more complete offering with a thesaurus. And if all those apps aren’t enough for you, there’s always the Ovi store, stacked with a collection of third-party apps.

Nokia has also thrown in a brilliant 5MP camera with flash, autofocus and video recording, a great music player, RealPlayer and FM radio to balance out the serious, corporate feel of the phone.

Performance

The overall speed of the device was impressively fast, as confirmed by the JBenchmark tests 1 and 2. We could glide smoothly through the interface, experiencing no lag at all and load up applications instantly. Browsing the internet was generally good, depending on connectivity. The browser’s support for Flash Lite 3.0 ensured websites built for Flash 8 or below rendered correctly. We had trouble accessing YouTube from the quick link on the phone, but had no issues accessing it through the browser, and the video playback was smooth with excellent sound quality, even without headphones.

Getting around town with Maps 2.0 and the built-in compass was a cinch, thanks to its speed and accuracy. The free 10 days of turn-by-turn instructions came in handy too while driving.

The 5MP camera was the icing on the cake. The images turned out clear and detailed (see image below) and we found the video quality equally high.

Taken in Wollongong, NSW. Click image to enlarge. (Credit: CBSi)

The battery longevity was sufficient, but not outstanding. We managed to get by for two days without recharging, while using the phone for occasional calls, messaging and web browsing.

Overall

Apart from the optical pad being cumbersome at times and the keypad keys being on the small side, we don’t have any major complaints about this phone. While the Nokia E72 has business-oriented functionality, its combination of great productivity tools and multimedia features will keep anyone satisfied. Not to mention its low price tag, considering its great array of features and overall excellent quality.