Nokia has for many years remained the recognized market leader in mobile devices. We can say that the history of the brand also contains information about such models as 6700 and the like, which have become real legends.
Today we’ll talk about a device that has also found success among buyers. This is the Nokia E5, a functional smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard.
In the article we will consider the reasons why the company decided to release such a device, as well as the characteristics of the phone, its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, to understand more about the model itself, we turn to the reviews of those who were lucky enough to work with the device.
Why QWERTY?
First, we note the main reasons why the Finnish company decided to manufacture an apparatus with a large keyboard containing all the physical keys. So, the release date of the model is 2010. A couple of years before, another manufacturer of mobile devices - BlackBerry - was successful with its devices. As you probably remember, they were equipped with the same QWERTY keyboard.
Apparently encouraged by the success of competitors, Nokia took up work on a whole line of such phones. As a result, Nokia E5, E71, 72, 75 and others entered the market. In fact, the company began massively “transplanting” its customers to devices of this type. One cannot say anything definite about the successes of this campaign: on the one hand, the indicated models were really actively acquired by middle-class people. On the other hand, a design similar to the Nokia E5 has not found its further application in a wide range of new models. Therefore, perhaps time has shown that the touch screen is better than a QWERTY keyboard. And, of course, as of 2010, Nokia was just to find out.
Market position
At the time of the release of the device, it was designated as a budget smartphone. Its cost, for example, immediately after the debut was limited to 200 euros. Given the ruble exchange rate at that time, the phone really seemed relatively affordable.
In addition to the price, you can positively characterize the filling of the model, its equipment. So, the phone has everything you need for basic, everyday use. After reviewing its technical characteristics, the Nokia E5 should be classified as a smartphone, since such functionality really makes it possible to solve a lot of problems in the most comfortable way.
In addition, despite attempts to lower the price, the manufacturer does not resort to “substitution” of values ​​and quality deterioration. This refers to the tactic according to which the developer is trying to create the appearance of a cool phone, recouping on its materials, assembly and so on. In the case of the Nokia E5 (the photos in the article may serve as the best proof of this) there isn’t all this. Read more about the design feature of the phone below.
Appearance
In fact, a smartphone with a full keyboard cannot fundamentally differ from the BlackBerry family, which are probably the creators of this class of devices. The Nokia E5 phone contains the very business features that create the appearance of a high-quality and stylish smartphone that can become a highlight of the style. And in general, the device has a reliable look, which can be clearly attributed to the advantages of the device.
An important role in this image is played by metal in the case. Since the phone for 200 euros can not be completely made of such an expensive material, the developers went to the combination of plastic and metal. The result was pretty good.
Most of the phone is a matte, soft-touch plastic that protects the device in most cases of external factors. Only the back cover of the device, as well as the pad for the functional buttons are made of metal. The solution is very successful, given that these parts suffer as the phone is used to the greatest extent.
A pleasant moment is the variety of device styles. So, on sale the phone is presented in 5 variations - black and white (classic); copper, silver and blue. The dimensions of the model, as befits versions with this set of keys, are slightly increased compared to classic push-button phones, but nevertheless the E5 fits in your pocket. Yes, and you get used to the dimensions of the device pretty quickly, this confirms a large number of reviews.
The navigation elements on the phone are arranged in the usual manner, on the front part there is a set of keys, a display and a speaker; on the back there is a camera peephole (more on this later), a flash, a speaker. On the side faces you can see the sound control key (working with it is not as comfortable as it seems at first glance - it is slightly recessed).
Screen
Since we are talking about a phone released back in 2010, respectively, Nokia E5 features somewhat outdated. It uses a display that runs on TFT technology, capable of transmitting only 262 thousand colors. Of course, it makes no sense to compare with modern devices.
But with a diagonal of 2.4 inches, the display is an excellent means of transmitting visual information on such a functional device. Of course, the keyboard plays a significant role in this.
Camera
As already mentioned, the gadget has a main camera, endowed with quite strong technical parameters. So, if you believe the description from the manufacturer, it has a resolution of 5 megapixels, which allows you to create high-quality images without additional settings.
Unfortunately, the device does not have an autofocus option. Without it, counting on clear pictures is not necessary - in order to be able to read the photographed text, you just need perfect lighting.
There is no front camera designed for communication in the format of a video call (or in the future, using the same Skype). Experts explain this state of affairs by the fact that the model belongs to the budget class, within which such an option would be inappropriate.
Battery
The article is not about a touch “gluttonous” device, but about a simple button model. The instructions that came with the Nokia E5 indicate that a 1200 mAh battery should last for 7-8 hours of conversation (or 600 hours spent by the device in standby mode). Therefore, even taking into account the multimedia capabilities of the device, you should not take care of its autonomy - the model is very tenacious under any conditions. Charging once a week under normal operating conditions will be sufficient.
CPU and software
Of course, the smartphone entered the market even before the popularization of the Android system, so the E5 operates on the basis of the third-generation S60 platform. The processor here is ARM (with a clock frequency of about 600 MHz), which provides a fairly high performance in everyday tasks. At least, users were not able to detect any delays in the operation of the device, judging by the reviews.
As for the operating system, here is the usual for many Nokia Symbian OS models . It is distinguished by its simplicity and at the same time wide functionality. And those who already had experience with models from this manufacturer are familiar with this software.
Communication
In 2010, there was no such fashion for 2 SIM cards as we can see today. In this regard, the E5 model comes with 1 slot. However, it supports work in mobile networks and, in combination with a mobile browser, can become a full-fledged Internet smartphone.
However, to get started, you will need to enter some basic information about your communication provider. There is nothing complicated about how to set up the Internet on the Nokia E5 - you need to specify an access point, a network name, and fill in a number of additional parameters. You can ask for help in this either from a contact center specialist, or in any communication salon.
Settings
In our review, in addition to everything that has already been listed, I would also like to note the ability to make flexible settings. This is the peculiarity of Nokia - this is a high level of “customization” of devices to user preferences. All Nokia E5 setup is carried out in one menu, but going into it, you will see a lot of sub-items that are responsible for certain systems and modules. Moreover, everything is organized quite simply and concisely.
Reviews
What can be user recommendations about this model? First of all, all of them list the advantages that the phone has. This is a stylish look, high-quality assembly, reliable and stable operation. In addition, one can note the hardy battery, the presence of a camera, the ability to work in mobile Internet networks and a number of other points. If you put them together, you get an image of a truly functional working smartphone at an affordable price.
There are not so many minuses in the reviews, which is already a good indicator. These include inconvenient browsing of the Internet (which is done using the joystick); not the clearest camera (we mentioned this in the review); lack of additional screen protection. Some indicated even more serious shortcomings of the device, such as unreliable fastening of the upper row of the keyboard, as well as temporary slowdowns in the system.
conclusions
The smartphone in question in this article deserves attention as a reliable, stylish device. Of course, in modern conditions, it belongs, rather, to the class of “dialers” with an average set of functions - but at the time of its release, the E5 model probably had no equal in the market. Due to this, obviously, Nokia managed to attract so many users to its products.