The novelty is completely unique, in contrast to a whole line of devices that are almost equal from the inside, the stylish design of the case has also made a name for itself; Nokia C7. The only difference is the screen resolution, it is made in the VGA standard, since 16: 9 screens are not suitable for this case. Everything else is practically copied from touch models, with the exception of restrictions associated with non-standard screen proportions.
Will such a hybrid device be successful? Since quite recently other companies have presented their new similar smartphones, it can be argued that manufacturers see quite a lot of potential in such devices. However, on my own I can say that the era of such models is passing. Fully touch-sensitive devices are more comfortable, Nokia E7 is much more comfortable for me, and it is this QWERTY design (slide-out keyboard and large touchscreen) that is successful for new models that have not yet appeared. The small screen of Nokia E6 is quite inconvenient for playing games, watching movies, using the browser and so on. For all these reasons, I can argue that the Blackberry 9900 will fail in sales, since no one needs a mobile phone with a very small screen at a high cost. Nokia E6 has a slightly better position, especially due to its several times lower price.
For lovers of this form factor, the Nokia E6 is a good offer, because for the first time since the start of production of the E71, the screen resolution has been increased for everyone, the operating system and the hardware platform have been updated, navigation from the standard QWERTY keyboard has also added navigation from the modern touch screen. Also invariably for Eseries, the model is presented in a thin case and panels are made of stainless steel. Nokia E6 is a glorious device that will not find worthy competitors, but it will not win such successes as the E71 and E72, because the majority will choose a fully touchscreen smartphone, for example, the N8, for the same amount.
Ergonomics, design
The Nokia E6 is a continuation of the E71 and E72, popular Nokia with a full-fledged monoblock keyboard. The manufacturers have not changed the design and dimensions, which have already become classics, even in the new device. E6 is identical to E72 in almost all external parameters. The design is somewhat renewed, it is restrained in the style of the famous C7, the back panel and edging are very similar.
The device looks quite stylish, the manufacturer offers it in silver, white, black versions. Photos with a white version will probably attract most of the customers, more often women have these models in white. In addition, fingerprints are not so noticeable on white.
The big advantage is that the model is made of metal. The back panel is made of stainless steel, the edging is also steel, there is practically no plastic in the E6 and it is completely matte, therefore there are absolutely invisible fingerprints on it.
Comparison with Nokia E7 and other models
There are few elements at the end: there is a power button, voice control / dictaphone, a double volume control button. Also present is a micro - USB connector, which is covered by a small flap, a memory card slot on the upper end of the device, a 3.5 mm interface for a headset and a (2 mm) socket for recharging at the bottom. On the right side, like all Nokia touchscreen models, a blocking slider is located.It is very conveniently positioned because the thumb is just placed on it. However, it will not be so convenient for lefties to unlock.
On the back there is an 8 MP camera without autofocus. A dual LED flash is placed near the camera, it can also be used as a flashlight, for this you need to hold the blocking slider for a few seconds. The lid on the rear panel is fixed with minimal backlash, since this design provides only one latch. The model is powered by a battery with a total capacity of 1500 mAh, which is enough for several days of autonomous robots.
Screen
The screen is the biggest feature of this model. For the first time, a solution with the VGA standard, which has a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, is also used. For Symbian OS, this resolution is special, because there are a lot of problems with program compatibility, but the image quality is very high. Since the diagonal is only 2.46 inches, so the density of dots is maximum, Nokia E6 can compete with the iPhone 4 in terms of picture clarity, they have almost the same dpi. The TFT screen, although its viewing angles are not as large as in AMOLED, however, when tilted, the colors are not strongly inverted, which is a plus.
When used outdoors, you will not have any problems, everything is clearly visible on the screen, the manufacturer did not forget to install a mirror lining, unlike its cheaper models such as the E5. Gorilla Glass is responsible for protecting the screen, there is a multitouch - everything, as in other touchscreen smartphones Symbian ^ 3. However, as I said, the experience of using the sensor in the Nokia E6 is mixed. On the one hand, the presence of touch control is an advantage, but on the other hand, its value is low, since the screen size is relatively small.
Keyboard
The QWERTY keyboard in Nokia E6 is the same as in E72. There is a long gap in the model, so the period and comma went back to the main register. The E6 layout is almost ideal for QWERTY monoblocks.
Russification is the same as in E71: 4 Cyrillic letters (same, E, X, b) located in upper case. For many keyboards, localization convenience is much worse, so Nokia is an example for them to inherit. Uppercase characters can also be entered not only after switching, but also by long pressing the corresponding key. The alternate characters are in a different color, so the symbols on the keyboard do not merge.
The navigation unit is traditional for all Eseries. There are additional keys for calling standard functions (message, menu, contacts, calendar), they can also be reprogrammed to call any action, both for a regular press and for a long press. In total - 6 programmable actions. Present indicator of missed events.
Interface and Symbian Anna
Historically, the Nokia E6 was the first affordable device with the latest OS Symbian Anna. The next was the X7, which also went on sale. Updated OS for E7, C7, N8 will be on sale in July. It will be possible to download the new update for the purchased devices no sooner than August.
In the new version of the OS, the existing functions have been conscientiously improved, a number of bugs have been eliminated, and it also looks fresh and attractive due to redrawing icons. The new Symbian Anna OS has about 50 improvements over the previous Symbian ^ 3 release. With major innovations, you can specify a portrait-style QWERTY keyboard, browser updates, fresh icon designs, email client improvements and a complete Ovi map update.
We won't talk about the virtual QWERTY keyboard in this Nokia E6 review, since it is absent. The page loading speed has grown rapidly in the updated browser, HTML5 is supported, the interface has become clearer and more convenient. Added the ability to use several additional windows, also added a convenient address bar. Although the changes are not big, however, they are long-awaited. Again, there are shortcomings with scaling text to the width of the screen.However, the manufacturer still made a significant step forward. As always, all Flash content is recreated.
The GPS module is included as standard with the Ovi Maps add-on. With major updates, there is also an added ability from the device itself to download maps for any city via Wi - Fi. We added information about the movement of public transport, superimposed subway markings on the map and the movement of trolleybuses, trams, etc. We added direct integration with social networks and improved search.
All other features remain unchanged. There is free voice navigation for pedestrian, car modes and modern maps that are stored on a memory card or in the phone's memory. For pedestrians, when navigating in Walk mode, there are convenient voice prompts and interesting step-by-step visual control (for example, these are footprints); you can also set the direction of movement using an electronic compass, which is also built-in. The accuracy of the maps is simply amazing, since not only highlighted pedestrian or highways are presented, but also paths in parks or squares.
The only drawback in the navigation map of Ukraine and Russia is the lack of house numbering. Considering that maps and navigation are free, there are no complaints. Cork service operates in more than 22 countries of the world, Ukraine is still next in line.
The developers have also updated the mail client, making it more accessible to use. Added full integration with the calendar - you can receive requests for a meeting, etc. Also added compatibility from Outlook. Added enterprise-grade security software with hardware encryption, as well as a program for quick correspondence with friends or family - Microsoft Communicator Mobile.
Traditionally, the office program in Nokia E6 - there is QuickOffice, in which you can easily edit documents, the full version is installed, for which you do not need to pay extra. Available view of Excel - tables and Adobe ppt and many other formats. Completely sufficient set of office programs for convenient work with documents.
In general, the interface is similar to the same Symbian ^ 3, as always there are several desktops, the number and size of widgets are fixed. The small number of simultaneously open widgets and their small size is a significant drawback. This is very noticeable when working with a widget for social networks, only one message is placed on it. Widgets of your choice will be either online (automatically updated), or offline, if you do not need constant updating of information.
In the main menu, only the icons have changed, they are redrawn, they look fresher and somewhat better. As usual, you can change the font size, create folders, change the order of items, and available uninstallation of programs using the menu, and not the annoying add-on manager. In general, the level of customization is quite high.
Active Notes. Before the update, notes were only simple text documents, and they could only be printed and sent, now there is an added ability to insert any multimedia objects in addition to text - video, sound files, images, contact cards and other files, file type - XHTML. Such a supplemented note can be opened with an Internet browser, as well as send SMS, but only text will be sent. A note can be associated with a contact or a group of contacts, then an item appears in the add-on settings menu that asks to display the note when the desired call occurs.
As for other software add-ons, there are also Adobe PDF, a client for YouTube, a ZIP-archiver, a dictionary, a video and photo editor, and a convenient Internet search.
There are not many add-ons available for download from the Ovi Store, compared to other Symbian smartphones, this is predefined with a non-standard screen resolution. Angry Birds does not work, Opera Mini does not work, and many other useful programs.This is a big disadvantage of the VGA screen, although it is excellent in image quality, but the number of problems with additions is not worth it.
The multimedia capabilities of the Nokia E6 are at the highest level, almost everything is the same as in the C7, C6-01 and other Symbian ^ 3 smartphones of a similar configuration. The sound is of high quality, without any complaints, the player's interface matches all other models, look at the screenshots below. The disadvantage, as in other Symbian ^ 3 smartphones, is the unadjusted equalizer. There is a Shazam program for identifying tracks, there is also a built-in FM radio, which will greatly delight lovers of new music or news.
Camera
With the exception of the N8, other Nokia Symbian ^ 3 smartphones lack autofocus in cameras, and the E6 is no exception. The modules are made using the new EDOF technology, which allowed objects that are located more than half a meter from the camera to be in focus and in good sharpness, while those that are located closer cannot be photographed normally. In other words, macro photography is almost impossible, and capturing text is somewhat complicated. As a camera, the Nokia E6 is inferior to the older E72, which is very disappointing. A big advantage is the presence of a double light-diode flash next to the camera, which is quite effective from a distance of up to two meters.
Unfortunately, the circumstances with the camera are not very good, but from the video everything is fortunately the opposite. Like the N8, the model shoots HD clips with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels and a frame rate of 24 fps. The clips are of high quality, which is enough for reviewing the video on a computer, since the quality fully allows. Although there is no second microphone in the E6, the recording sound is high enough even without it, recordings of music concerts or other loud events do not turn into irritating grinding and noise.
Examples of photos taken by this model:
Working hours
The device is equipped with a standard battery, traditional for all Eseries model BP-4L, which has a capacity of 1500 mAh, the manufacturer said that when talking in the GSM network, this device will last 14 hours, and if waiting for 30 days, the indicators are slightly higher than for E72. In testing, the battery life is not so striking, and the reason is not at all in the high separation touchscreen, but in the more powerful processor. In fact, the model with active use will last about two days (GPS-navigation, listening to any music with headphones, downloading via Wi-Fi and other standard actions). Not the best results when compared with the E72 and E5, but good when compared with Android smartphones.
Communication, memory
There is a Wi-Fi module, and high-speed 802.11 n was added to the b and g standards. The WLAN Wizard is installed, it is an easy-to-use wizard for setting up connections. When a network is found, very few options are offered: define the default access point, create a connection, there is also network filtering. Available standard security protocols - WPA, WPA 2, WEP. Also in the settings, you can specify the time to scan for possible WLAN networks.
There is a USB standard version 2.0 with Full Speed support (more precisely, the transfer speed reaches 4 Mb / s), so the smartphone is the same as other Symbian devices, for example N8, in terms of this option. When the device is connected to a PC, Mass Storage starts, you can choose which device to use this device - Media Player, PC Suite, Image Print, disk drive. As a disk drive, both a memory card and built-in flash memory up to 18 GB are displayed. There is a new function USB the go, or rather, you can connect a regular USB flash drive. This option is quite convenient, and other manufacturers have no analogues to it. You can also connect not only a USB flash drive, but also hard drives, however, there is a limitation regarding the file system, you need the FAT 32 format, however, NTFS support will be added in future firmware.
Installed new version of Bluetooth standard 3.0 plus EDR support, which supports all modern profiles.The speed of transmitting and receiving data can be quite high, provided that the receiving device must have the same Bluetooth version. There are already more than enough similar phones on sale. Unlike the N8, this model does not have an HDMI connector and Dolby Mobile v5.1, so the video capabilities in the E6 are more modest. However, it can be connected to a TV, but only through a regular TV-out. The Nokia E6 installs most of the modern video codes, however, e - ac3 is missing, so unfortunately some movies can be recreated without sound, which is a significant drawback. So far, only modern flagships such as the N8 and E7 are endowed with this codec.
The model has a fairly high performance, comparing to the E72, since it is equipped with a new processor with a graphics accelerator. The memory allocated for launching the add-on (Heap size) and the size of the executable Java-application, the so-called Jar size, are unlimited, so you can run any programs you like. For data storage, there is 250 MB of built-in, plus 8 GB of storage array, enough to store large amounts of data. Not bad for a business class device that is quite inexpensive.
Outcomes
Nokia E6 is a wonderful replacement for E72, owners of E72 can safely upgrade to the new version of E6. The lovely QWERTY keyboard and thin metal body are from the old E72. The manufacturer has also added a touch screen with the highest resolution for Symbian smartphones so far. Users had been expecting the increase in resolution itself for a long time, QVGA was morally outdated, so a modern replacement was needed. With the new display in Nokia E6, the picture clarity is excellent, the pixel density is very low, therefore the icons and fonts are smooth, moreover, much more text will fit on the screen, albeit a little smaller.
Note: "7 signs that your phone is being tapped"
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