The new Nokia E63 performs just as good as its older brother, the E71, but sports a cheaper price tag. It may miss out on a couple of good features, but then, who is complaining?
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The E63 sports the same design as the E71 but is a bit chunkier. The E63 is 3mm thicker than the E71 (the E63 is 13mm thick), is 2mm wider (E63 is 59mm wide while the E71 is only 57mm wide), and is entirely made out of hard plastic. The QWERTY keypad is definitely ‘bigger’ than the E71, making it easier for users to type e-mails and SMS. The E63 also comes in different colours (our review unit came in blue), which gives it a more personalised touch.
A 2.36-inch QVGA screen (320×240), light sensor, as well as left and right selection keys, hotkeys (Menu, Calendar, Contact, E-mail), call and end keys, and five-way navigation keys are all located up front, while the unit’s 2-megapixel camera with flash, is located at the back.
The left spine hosts the microSD card slot and micro-USB connector, while a 3.5mm jack is located on top of the phone. What is missing is the volume rocker, which in our opinion, should have been present. Users would now have to press up or down the navigation key to adjust the volume when talking to a person on the other line. Finally, the E63’s charging port is located at the bottom left part of the unit.
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In order to simplify downloading e-mails, Hutchison 3 users can easily download the ‘Email on 3’ program. This will allow the E63 to automatically retrieve e-mails from a Microsoft Exchange server, Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and e-mail services from other ISPs. The unit can even automatically gather your contact list and save it to the device and update your calendar and to-do list.
The phone is very simple to use, with Nokia making sure that every day is a stress-free day. The interface is straightforward, the included programs can help business users to be productive while on the road, and the multimedia programs kept us busy during the long commute. The unit can play video files saved in Flash Lite 3, MP4, and 3GP files as well as music files saved in MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+. The 3.5mm jack is also a good thing as it allowed us to listen to music using our favourite headphones instead of using the stock buds.
Since the E63 is not HSDPA-enabled, web browsing was a little bit on the slow side. But if you are only going to update your Facebook profile or check the weather, then the E63’s 3G connection should suffice.
Battery life is good, with the unit lasting for three and a half days. Nokia says that the 1500mAh Li-Po battery will last up to 18 hours (on standby) and has 11 hours of talk time.
Overall, the Nokia E63 is the perfect smartphone for those who want to receive e-mail on the go. It may not HSDPA and GPS, but since it costs significantly cheaper than the E71, it is not too bad. This phone is currently on 3’s $29 Cap, with unlimited e-mail (Email on 3) being offered by the company for $5 each month. The E63 has an RRP of $509.
Credit: Hutchison 3
See page over for product specifications and final rating.
Nokia E63 Specifications
Size
* Form: Monoblock with full keyboard
* Dimensions: 113 x 59 x 13 mm
* Weight: 126 g
* Full keyboard
* High quality QVGA display
Display and 3D
* Size: 2.36″
* Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA)
* Up to 16 million colors
* TFT active matrix (QVGA)
* Two customisable home screen modes
Security features
* Device lock
* Remote lock
* Data encryption for both phone memory an microSD content
* mobile VPN
Keys and input method
* Full keyboard
* Dedicated one-touch keys: Home, calendar, contacts, and email
* Speaker dependent and speaker independent voice dialling
* Intelligent input with auto-completion, auto-correction and learning capability
* Accelerated scrolling with Navi Key
Colours and covers
* Available in-box colours: Ultramarine Blue and Ruby Red
Connectors
* Micro-USB connector, full-speed
* 3.5 mm standard AV connector
Power
* BP-4L 1500 mAh Li-Po standard battery
* Talk time (maximum): GSM up to 11 hours; WCDMA up to 4h 40 min
* Standby time (maximum): GSM up to 18 days; WCDMA up to 20 days;WLAN idle up to 170 hours
* Music playback time (maximum): 18 h
Memory
* microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB
* 110 MB internal dynamic memory
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Nokia E63 | Free on the $29 Cap; $509 | 
| www.three.com.au
For: QWERTY keypad; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; Office productivity software; Battery Life; Affordable
Against: No HSDPA and GPS
Conclusion: An affordable way of keeping in touch.
