Nokia has once again created a phone that gives users exactly what they need. The Nokia E51 is a candy-bar handset designed for businessmen and women who want a phone packed with features but without the unnecessary bells and whistles.

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The most noticeable thing about the E51 is its design – the edge of the phone and its back cover is made entirely out of stainless steel, the unit sports a thin and light profile (12mm in thickness and weighs only 100g), while its keypad is large and well-labelled. Up front, users will be able to find a 2-inch display, an ambient light sensor, an LED indicator that notifies a user of new e-mail, SMS, MMS messages, and missed calls, and several ‘one-touch’ keys for faster menu access.

One can find the volume up, volume down, and mute buttons on the right spine of the phone, while a voice key that is used for voice commands, recorder, and PTT applications and IR port can be found on its left spine. Users can also find a mini-USB connector, 2.5mm audio headphone jack, and a charging phone at the bottom of the unit, whereas a 2 mega pixel camera is conveniently located at the back of the phone.

Performance:

Users can easily access various programs and instantly see whether there is a missed call, received message, and calendar entries with the E51’s active standby view. Additionally, users can also configure their e-mail and net call settings, and scan for any available wireless network by clicking on to the icons.

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The one-touch keys present on the unit lets users access applications and tasks quickly. These keys have several functions depending how long the button is pressed. The Home key instantly opens the menu (long pressing displays the active applications), Contacts key opens the contacts application (or creates a contact), E-mail key opens your mailbox (or creates an e-mail message), and the Calendar key opens the Calendar application (or creates a meeting entry). These shortcuts are the default operations and can be customised depending on what a user wants/needs. Users will be glad to know that the asterisk, zero, and hash keys have the second function of turning on the Bluetooth, launching the Internet browser, and putting the phone on silent by pressing it for a couple of seconds.

Besides being able to store contacts, make calls, and send MMS, e-mail and text messages, the E51 also comes with a calendar, notes, file manager, PDF reader, Zip manager, voice recorder, and Instant Messaging functions. The unit also supports 3G and HSDPA, has built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, and mini-USB ports, ensuring connectivity with the network and various devices at all times.

The unit that we got comes with a ‘Telstra Business’ shortcut key that connects to the Internet and will give users access to the latest news, BigPond services, Web mail access, Sensis search, and even connection to the Mobile Foxtel service. Even if the Internet connection was not as fast as the other phones we have reviewed, it was still fast enough to stream videos without much buffering time.

The E51’s photo output may not be as good as its N-Series siblings, but its 2 mega pixel camera is still ‘good enough’ for taking a shot at that right moment. The camera can also function as a video camera during video calls, but will be awkward to use as it requires a user to move the phone around to see the person on the other line and to let them see you.

The E51 also has Visual Radio, a RealPlayer software that supports MPEG-4, MP4, 3GP, RV, RA, AMR, and MIDI files), a Music player that plays audio files with MP3 and AAC extensions, and a Flash player.

The E51 has an onboard memory of 130MB and is expandable up to 4GB with its microSD card. The unit lasted for 5 days (with minimal use) before having to charge the unit. Finally, Nokia claims that the unit has a talktime of 4.4 hours and up to 13 days of standby time.

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Conclusion:

The Nokia E51 is a phone worth looking at for its simplicity, connectivity, and functionality. Sure, it may look like a low-end phone that cannot perform up to par with the ‘big guns’ out in the market, but once you see what the E51 has to offer, there is simply no going back. And with an RRP of $649 (without any Telstra plan), users may finally purchase a business-oriented phone worth every cent spent.

Product Specifications:

Operating Frequency: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/2100 MHz
Display: 2″ (240 x 320 pixels), active-matrix colour display
User Interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 3.1
Camera: 2 megapixel camera with 4 x digital zoom
Music: MP3 music player
Memory: 130MB internal, expandable to 8GB with microSD slot

Email:
– Email with support for POP3, IMAP4, and SMTP protocols, attachment viewers, dedicated email key, and LED indicator for new email messages
– Email support for a wide variety of third-party solutions including: Mail for Exchange, Visto Mobile, and Seven Always-on

Connectivity:
– Integrated WLAN (IEEE 802.11g)
– Bluetooth 2.0
– Micro USB connector, USB 2.0
– 2.5mm Nokia A/V connector
– IrDA

Battery Life:
Talk Time: 4.4 hours
Standby Time: Up to 13 days

Dimensions: 114.8 x 46 x 12 mm
Weight: 100 g

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Nokia E51 | $649 |  | www.nokia.com.au

For: Connectivity; One-touch keys; Programs; Form Factor; Build
Against: Quickoffice must be purchased to be fully used; Buttons on the spine are hard to press
Conclusion: Definitely a must-have for people on the go