Goodbye...Nokia E71...

Below: Goodbye Nokia E71...:-P

Below: Nokia's 'Beautiful Connections' Website

Below: Very engaging website user interface...

Below: Interesting short film by Carl Burgess

Below: Very cool and quirky short film by Shft

Nokia E71 Trial Report #02...Time For Goodbyes

Time flies. Very soon it will be the end of my 2 week trial of Nokia E71 phone from the wonderful ladies at WOWworld. Thanks Katie and Steph! I am all ready to return this marvellous piece of technological wonder and I will seriously be considering making this the top choice of my next phone purchase (in the next couple of months).

It may be all the rage for touch screen phones now due to the popularity of iphone, but in terms of practical functionality, I still feel physical buttons to press tops touchscreen any day. I have a Prada phone, have tried on iphone...but the text messaging for a heavy duty SMS user like me, is just not my cup of tea. Hence, when I started using this Nokia E71, I find lots of ease and pleasure in doing my messages. It was fast and very intuitive. I love it. I thought I had been permanently won over by Sony Ericcson now, but Nokia E71 changed my perception altogether. I am happy to say I am a Nokia convert now.

During the last trial moments of the device, I tested the video capturing capabilities of the phone. Suffice to say, although quality is not comparable to actual video camera, what came out of this small device is still impressive. Sharpness is good, the internal mic being very sensitive so it will pick up even the most remote of ambient noises. I especially love the B&W shooting mode which creates a certain artistic quality to the video clip.

As evident in their new Nokia E71, Beautiful Connections website (which I had the privilege of being granted preview access by the kind ladies of WOWworld), imaging capabilities is one of the qualities Nokia want to reinforce for their positioning of the phone. The 'Beautiful Connections' website features an interesting user interface, with the phone's central navigation button as a main source of finding your way around the site. There are four short films created by 4 artists each inspired by the beauty of everyday communication.

I have checked out all 4...and I was captivated. Out of the lot, 2 stood out more for me and they were created by Carl Burgess and Shft. The film by Carl Burgess features 'slithery' images of the artist's daily journey between east and north London. Images of signs, road names and overhead conversations slip thru a hand, somewhat 'Salvador Dali' style and morphing in different forms to give a real visual treat!

The other clip by Shft is very quirky and fun. It shows 2 person (same face:-P) literally spurting out 'communication' at each other. Horses, trees, crushed paper, clouds etc...were exchanged as the characters engaged in a 'bicker'. It's so visually engaging. I was amused and applauding the innovative treatment as I watched. Finally, the clip ends with both guys spurting out a mini version of themselves and a good hug to symbolise a reconciliation of the conversation. Absolutely remarkable! Do check it out yourself at the website:-P

So this ends my trial of Nokia's E71. This is probably one of the best phones I have used and I love 'qwerty' keypads now. Slim, and sexy...Nokia E71 is befitting a fashionisto/fashionista who wants style and substance for their gadgets! Congrats to Nokia for another brilliant innovation.

Source: Nokia

Nokia E71 - Wonder or dud?

Below: 2 modes for quick easy access to your needs: Work or Play. Work mode featured here with my YSL wallpaper:-P More sombre and serious. But a red theme for good luck at work in CNY!


Below: Lots of applications for this Nokia E71 phone...

Below: Example of sub menus...easy and clear to understand

Below: WLAN wiz to get connected easily...

Below: Switching modes...'WORK' is over and time to go 'PLAY'...

Below: Louis Vuitton Graffit Wallpaper for my 'PLAY' mode! Relevant applications are now displayed for easy access. And I can customised again, my theme and wallpaper:-)

Below: Blue theme to unwind and chill...

Below: Sample pic taken in midday, bright daylight. More inclined towards bluish/reddish hues. Quality and sharpness is pretty impressive for the 3.2 megapixel camera.

Below: Sample pic taken in evening before darkness falls. Using night mode without flash. Again more inclined towards bluish/reddish hues. Quality and sharpness is acceptable. Can see an increase in noise levels in dark areas

Below: Sample pic taken in night time using night mode. More inclined towards bluish/reddish hues. Quality and sharpness drops due to high levels of noise. But almost all camera phones are like that.

Nokia E71 Trial Report #01

It has been almost a week since I first trying out this Nokia E71, so I thought I want to share with you guys how I have been getting along with this new gadget.

And contrary to my doubts, this complex piece of gadgetry is actually more simple and user friendly than what it appears to be! All those function keys, abundant menu items and applications and the cramped qwerty keypad are just mere appearance. This phone do deliver! I can't say how much I have fallen in love with this phone. I was a Sony Ericcson convert, but upon using this wondrous device, Nokia E71, I think I am going to 'cheat' on my Sony and may have a long and rewarding 'affair' with Nokia again.:-P

First up, the most curious question that a lot of friends have for me...is the qwerty keypad easy to use? The small cramped keys seem intimidating for guys especially since we tend to have big thumbs and fingers. Okay, since I am a slim person, my hands are not huge, so it really does not pose a problem to me. To be honest, guys with bigger hands than me will be surprise with the ease and feel of the keypad. The keypad is designed in such a way where it tapers to the top, leaving a gap around each key, although they are placed closely to one another. So that means, you really do feel where each key is and with a bit of getting used to, you can hit the right button without pressing the adjacent ones. Plus, one more amazing thing, the pressure needed to press a button is perfect. Not too hard and yet not too sensitive. I have so much joy pressing the keypad. This is probably the best I have encountered and I am saying becos I really felt so and not to flatter Nokia. To alternate between alphabet, punctuation marks and numbers, there is a simple function key at the corner to enable to quick switch. It is so clever!

Next, the applications itself...Although I am not a tech wiz, I am impressed by the amount of capabilities this phone can perform. The most interesting feature is that you get 2 separate modes for the phone, one for work and one for play. That means, you customised your each mode to have different easy access applications. For example, while at play mode, you have all your music player, gallery etc right on display for your convenience. While at work mode, all the working applications like email, internet, calendar are display for easy access. Being a 'vain' phone user, of course I customised my wallpaper on both modes to reflect the different moods for each. Louis Vuitton graffiti pattern for play, and YSL B&W photography for work!:-P Beyond wallpaper, the themes can be customised for each mode as well. Since it is chinese new year, I am using a red based colour theme to reflect the joyous festivities!

The phone has WLAN, or GPRS functionality for web browsing. GPS capability, Quick office for browsing Microsoft Office documents. The video and camera capabilities are more than sufficient for all the photo and video fanatics around. At 3.2 megapixel, the camera delivers very crisp quality images, although they tend to lean towards a more red based colour tone. You have Realplayer, Flashplayer to ensure compatibility for video formats. The LCD screen is both sharp and crisp with brilliant colours. I love it!

Now, for the flaws, I dunno if I am an 'idiot' with gadgetry...but I cannot seem to find a way to turn the phone into silent mode with a simple button. I have to run thru selecting menus and sub menus before reaching profiles to get into silent mode. Kinda hassle. The same goes for mass deleting of messages, there is no 'MARK SEVERAL' function, so you have to mark the messages one by one, going thru the pull down menu, before you can mass delete. Sucks!

Beyond the basics, I have yet to explore deeper into the capabilities of the phone. But for now, I am very contented and pleased with this device and am seriously contemplating to buy this phone once my mobile contract expires and I am eligible to purchase a new phone. This is truly design meets capability. Slim and slick, stylish and powerful. Way to go Nokia! You did it again!

My MANy Bags News #33

Below: Mail for Kevin!


Below: It's a Nokia!

Below: It's a Nokia E71!

Below: Such a sleek device and with a qwerty keypad! Holy Moley!

Below: Accessories galore...

Below: Behold the technological beauty of Nokia E71!

Below: Red velvet lined slim leather pouch..

Below: Good size and weight..

Below: Not to mention...SLIM as well...

Nokia E71 In Grey Steel

Thanks to the lovely ladies from Womworld, I am being offered another opportunity to trial a new device from Nokia. And this time, it's the super sleek Nokia E71 mobile phone:-)

The DHL man delivered the package to my doorstep this Monday morning. It really perk me up:-) What a pleasant way to start the work week. I rushed home immediately after work and was so excited to open up the package and see/hold the device in real.

My excitement and all the anticipation do not disappoint. As the package is being slowly uncovered, the sturdy packaging unveiled one of the most immaculate and sleek devices I have seen. I am so surprised by the choice of materials and most of all, how everything is so slim and light-weight! Oh wow. The body of the phone is cast in shiny chrome metal, with a tiny checks etched pattern at the back. The phone features not a typical mobile phone keypad...but a qwerty version:-P Perfect for those long SMS texting! The phone weighs nicely in your palm, definitely quality construction from quality material choices. Sturdy and very sleek.

The accessories are a standard set of ear piece, battery and the smallest, lightest phone charger ever. This is just perfect for travelling. To add to the aesthetic appeal of the shiny device, a slim leather pouch and strap lined in red velvet is included.

I like how everything is well thought of and you truly do get impressed even at first look.

The phone comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera and should be more than enough to satisfy that 'photobug' in you.:-) Apparently from what I can gather, this phone is a truly multi media marvel. Hopefully, the 'technology imbecile' in me can fully exploit the features of this hi tech device:-) Wish me luck!

I shall do more test on functionality when I start reading the manual and using the phone.

Next up...the new E71 website that I had the privilege of having a preview. Thanks to Steph again! This is another great opportunity beyond the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte trial. I am smiling! Dun we all love technology!

Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte Has 'Landed'!

I Got My Trial Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte!

Yay...it's here! And in record delivery time:-) Thanks to Donna, Danielle and the team of WOM World. You guys are fast! DHL did their job well!

First thing that caught my attention when I unwrapped the parcel, was the elaborate packaging that this phone comes in. In a nice sleek black box with layers of unveiling for the contents, top marks are scored for first impressions! Afterwards, when I finally hold the phone in my hands, the feeling is simply divine. Sturdy construction, high quality materials and beautiful design simply overwhelms you. The numerous amounts of accessories that comes with this phone also speaks volume of how exquisite the Nokia 8800 is. I especially love the leather pouch. Most mobile phones have ugly ones. There is also a very thoughtful foam pad that lets you rest your phone on so it can avoid being scratched.

I will start to have a play on the phone tomorrow. Will update more here:-)

My MANy Bags News #25

Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte

I have been contacted yesterday via email by Donna of WOM World (A blog sponsored by Nokia) to try out the new Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte, a couture like handset that fuses contemporary design with technology. I was very happy that I got selected for this privilege among others (Bagaholicboy included) to have first hand experience on using this new offering by Nokia. Looking at the press pictures of the handset, I am extremely impressed by the design already! What's left is to await the handset to my doors and I shall put it to the test to see if it really will fit the lifestyle of the modern individual, both in terms of functionality and style:-) Will return the handset back to WOM World after the trial in 2 week's time:-) Cool eh?

Click on pics to enlarge and see all the details of the phone. Lovely!

Will update more as soon as I get my hands on the new Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte! I am sure this will be a hit for tech and hi-style savvy individuals when the phone is launched. :-)