It seems that the Symbian OS today is finally removed from the podium of developing platforms for smartphones. Currently, Nokia developers are seriously discussing how to abolish it in favor of operating systems for the touch screen. Nevertheless, the Nokia E7 is still actively used by some user groups.
By releasing this phone, Nokia has confirmed its commitment to Symbian in the short term. If the platform is permanently discontinued, users may experience a number of inconveniences when regular updates cease to arrive. In some cases, it will only be possible to restore the system, which is extremely undesirable for adherents of old models. In turn, good software support is one of the main reasons people still choose Nokia.
Appearance and equipment
As can be found during a visual inspection, the Nokia E7, whose technical specifications largely coincide with the N8, is much larger in size. This is due to the improved camera and a full QWERTY-keyboard.
Included with the phone you will definitely receive a charger, instructions and a data cable, which can also be used for charging.
Other accessories are a USB-On-the-Go cable, which contains a slightly modified MicroUSB connector on one end and a classic USB port on the other. By the way, in this Nokia model the range of supported devices has significantly increased (compared to the N8 and other previous devices).
You also get a MiniHDMI cable in the kit, which you can connect directly to your HDTV and start downloading streaming content from your Nokia E7.
Finally, there is a comfortable headset. However, the microSD card, of course, is not included, as the E7 does not have a memory slot.
Dimensions
The Nokia E7 is a big phone, and no one has ever tried to keep it a secret. Even company representatives decided to be frank about this in their official message before the release of the gadget. Of course, the dimensions are 123.7x62.4x13.6 mm and the volume is 104.9 cubic meters. cm are significant, but the available features somewhat mitigate this drawback.
Despite the fact that the phone is so large, it is quite thin and fits easily in your pocket.
It is obvious that the Nokia E7 is also a rather heavy device: its weight is 176 grams. However, this is due to metal components and excellent build quality, so the repair of the Nokia E7 will probably not be needed for a long time after purchase.
The overall build quality of the Nokia E7 is excellent. Equipped with a reinforced glass on the front surface and an extremely durable aluminum case, the phone is highly resistant to damage. As user reviews show, scratching its surface is very difficult.
Architecture and Management
In front of the device, above the display, there is a speaker and a video call camera (on the right side). On the left are proximity sensors.
Below the display is a single menu key. There was not enough space on the device for the location of the hardware call keys and the back button, which is a bit inconvenient.
At the top of the Nokia E7 has a power button that also handles screen lock and ringtone profiles. An HDMI port, a microUSB port, and a 3.5mm audio jack are also located here. Of the three holes above, only the HDMI port is hidden under a small plastic cover to protect it from dust and dirt.
The MicroUSB port, on the other hand, is complemented by a tiny LED that indicates charging status.
HDMI port on Nokia E7 supports 720p TV-out, which in combination with DivX and XviD support allows you to compete with other expensive gadgets.
On the left side of the Nokia E7 is a slider lock / unlock key, which is large enough and convenient to use.
However, the same cannot be said for the slider on the right, which is supposed to replace the volume control. As follows from user reviews, it is too small and inconvenient when clicked. A separate camera control key and a SIM card slot are also located on the right.
At the bottom of the Nokia E7 does not have any elements. Unlike the N8, there is no support for older chargers in this model.
The rear panel of the E7 has a camera, which is an 8-megapixel unit with a fixed focus and a dual LED flash. This figure is very modest compared to other models. However, the E-series is aimed at a business audience, so this drawback does not look too significant. It is assumed that with the help of Nokia E7 photos will be taken only in rare cases, with the aim of fixing a sudden situation, etc.
The speaker is also located on the back of the device along with a second microphone used for active noise reduction and stereo sound recording.
Battery
The Nokia E7 has the same 1200 mAh Li-Ion BL-4D battery as it was in the N8. However, the quality characteristics of the battery are different: you get up to 480 hours of standby time (compared to 400 hours) and up to 9 hours of talk time (versus 12 hours 30 minutes). Operating time in active use mode is slightly lower than in N8: the phone lasts only two days without recharging.
In addition, the battery is non-removable and cannot be replaced by the user (in any case, this is not easy to do).
Design
As follows from user reviews, Nokia N8 like a lot of its design. E7 differs from it very slightly and has the same all-metal body with beautifully curved lines and a large ClearBlack AMOLED screen. Despite having a foldable full keyboard below the display, the Nokia E7 still looks almost as thin as the N8.
Nokia E7, whose design reviews are very positive, is available in several vibrant colors, in addition to the classic silver and dark gray, there are also blue, orange and green options.
Display
The Nokia E7 has a 4-inch ClearBlack AMOLED display with NHD resolution. The new ClearBlack technology has been appreciated by users: it makes the large screen even more impressive.
As with other similar models, the E7 display is designed to impress with its image quality. High contrast, ultra-wide viewing angle and good color reproduction are its strengths. In addition, it has warm shades of white that does not irritate the eyes. Nevertheless, due to the fact that you will not see a pure white color on the screen (it looks like a very light beige), in some cases questions may arise about the accuracy of color reproduction.
The E7 screen has even a slight advantage over Super AMOLED in terms of viewing angles and contrast. In sunlight, readability is excellent.
Like many other Symbian devices, the Nokia E7 screen has an NHD resolution of 360x640 pixels. You will not notice dots around the user interface, but the difference in image quality compared to the FWVGA Droid and Retina is noticeable, especially when viewing images or web pages.
Slider and keyboard
As customers demand ever thinner phones with each new generation, designing settings is becoming an ever-increasing challenge. That is why it is sometimes difficult to open the keyboard of the Nokia E7. When you open it, you do not need to slide up, as in most other phones, but press on the side of the screen. When the upper part rises sufficiently, the auxiliary joint takes over the load and finishes the movement automatically. This action requires some skill and habit.
But as soon as you learn how to use the slider deftly, you will get a good comfortable keyboard with rubberized four rows, tactile and well-located buttons. The keys, however, have a fairly small width, which users mark as a drawback. The backlight works at a high level.
Platform
A review of the Nokia E7 would not be complete without a description of the mobile platform. Symbian OS in this model is focused on the touch interface. Entering text from the virtual keyboard is still inconvenient, but the E7 has a large physical keyboard, so this is not a big problem.
The changes made to the next version of Symbian are both visual and functional, especially regarding the desktop. It now consists of three panels that can be replenished with widgets and rearranged as you see fit. You can even remove panels that you don’t need, but you cannot add more than three.
The main menu structure looks unchanged, the hierarchical structure of folders is preserved. This is the main difference between Symbian and Android, and especially iOS, where you see a flat menu structure with all the icons located on scrollable screens.
Now you can rearrange the icons as you see fit, so it’s possible to place them in the main folder and get a “flat” system. List view is also available, and it includes much more scrolling.
The task manager shows screenshots of running applications, not just icons. You also need to perform only one click to close them. On the side is the task manager, with which you can manage three applications running at the same time.
In other words, the Nokia E7 mobile phone is a high-quality business smartphone from the Finns and fully meets all requests. Unlike other models on Symbian, E7 has an excellent hardware QWERTY-keyboard and will solve all your problems with ease.