Nokia N71 review

With so many phones in the market, let us take a step back to see the ancestry of the Nokia N71. It is obviously a follow up to the N70 candybar phone (err because after 70 is 71) that traces its roots from the late Nokia 6680. You might remember the 6680 as the first candybar phone to have 3G dual cameras. When it was upgraded to the N70, the engineers made the phone much sleeker, gave the main camera a higher 2MP count and gave it an upgraded S60 operating system. A big leap in design for the N71 then: with a new clamshell form factor breaking from the traditional brick layout. The N71 positions itself as the mainstream (read: affordable) 3G phone priced worldwide below USD $400.00. Form factor deconstruction You will recognize eight buttons apart from the 5-way joypad and the numerical keypad when opening the phone for the first time. Familiar buttons are the two menu buttons, the call and end call buttons, the S60 menu button, as well as the delete key and the standard pen key for copying text, which is present in all S60 phones. The new addition to the interface is the multimedia key that rests above the two menu buttons. Often mistaken as the power button, the multimedia key serves as a shortcut to the FM radio, camera, and other multimedia functions. Media mileage Because of this new button, the N71 is being positioned as a multimedia phone (just like almost all phones today) updated with 3G calling capabilities. . It comes with a multiple audio format player for MP3, WMA and AAC plus a stereo FM tuner. Though the Mobile Philippines staff wished the device came with In-ear earphones, it is suffice to say that a Nokia audio headset and adapter comes with the package, something which you would normally have to buy separately in the ancient days of 2004. The phone also comes with dual cameras, with the main one being placed at 2MP (nope, not a Carl Zeiss lens here) and the secondary 3G camera at 0.3MP. Underneath the front camera is a sensor that lights up when taking photos of your face in the dark. It is odd for a multimedia phone to come with only 10MB of internal memory Nokia remedies this with an expansion card slot and a bundled 128MB miniSD card. The lack of internal memory may be a small inconvenience for most, but by upping the memory, Nokia might have to increase the price point. Speaking of things Nokia held back, the N71’s QVGA screen isn’t as bright as you would hope for it to be. It is still functional, and heck, you might not even notice it. Bottomline If you're looking for an affordable and brand-familiar phone with 3G capabilities, then the N71 is highly recommended purchase. It is cheap, functional and the big form factor (think SE W900i proportions) will give your fingers a lot of space to move around in. Image courtesy of Astel.