Nokia E71

Connectivity
In this area the E71 is loaded with goodies, from Bluetooth v2.0 with Stereo Bluetooth support, Wi-Fi, microUSB and even Infrared. It also supports 3G with HSDPA. Users can use the handset as a modem, and as an Internet telephone (for which you can download Gizmo, which is available as freeware from the Download section in the handset). The E71 can handle GPRS/EDGE and WAP connectivity.

Business Features
From a business point of view the E71 handles itself really well. To start with, it comes preloaded with QuickOffice that has all licenses in place. This enables users to create/edit new and existing documents in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. A PDF reader is present, along with a ZIP application. Also included is a preloaded dictionary, printer connectivity, support for a Bluetooth enabled wireless keyboard, and my favorite – Active Notes, which allows you to create notes in which you can insert media such as audio, video, and images.

The search feature is something that all new Nokia handsets come with, and is quite handy for locating data on the Internet as well as within the phone itself. The E71 has an Intranet feature that allows users to install a VPN (Virtual Private Network) policy into the handset, so if your office has a setup of this sort, you’re good to go. It also supports Mail for Exchange; once that’s set up your mail will follow you wherever you and your E71 go. I’m not entirely sure that’s a good thing. Other tools include PC syncing for data backup, a converter, calculator and calendar.

Misc. Features
Some of the features Nokia has incorporated into the E71 are native to the S60 OS. They may not be overly relevant to a handset’s use, but some do come in handy. One example is the Voice command that allows you to simply call out what feature in the handset you wish to activate. For instance, you could say "Bluetooth" and the Bluetooth radio will switch on. Text-to-speech could also come in handy if you receive a message while driving.

The E71 has an encryption application that allows users to create a password for the memory card and the phone memory. A Switch application lets you easily transfer data between Nokia handsets via Bluetooth. It allows the transfer of all personal data, including contacts and notes. Push-To-Talk is also on offer. There's a barcode reader but it proved quite useless. I'm told there's a business card reader as well, but the handset I got for review seemed to lack this useful feature. So tell your dealer to make sure it's included.