First Impression: The Nokia E61i
I hate Nokia. I really really REALLY hate Nokia. I think I have hated Nokia ever since my first Nokia, the 2110. Back then I couldn’t understand how Nokia could have released something as large and bulky as the 2110 when Ericsson had the tiny 337. But, I just got a Nokia and guess what? I love it.
I needed a phone with Wifi and I needed a phone with a QWERTY keyboard. With my previous phone, the Sony Ericsson K800i, I could check my Gmail account using the Google Mobile app for example which was cool, but replying back to emails was a long painful experience. There also wasn’t much more I could do when it came to Internet connectivity.
With the E61i, I have a full keyboard, Wifi, a large wide screen and it works with Blackberry. Since its also based on the Symbian OS there are a ton of cool software available my favorite being Fring, a software that allows me to connect to Skype and call people internationally from my Nokia at cheap Skype rates. It basically renders my IPEVO Skype phone useless. Browsing the web is a lot more convenient with the large screen and QWERTY key pad.
On the downside the phone is pretty wide which I am still trying to get used to. The keypad is also pretty packed with both Arabic and English letters so I placed an order for an only English keypad. I think these two are the only problems I have with the phone so far. Battery life is incredible, typing on the keyboard is enjoyable, the included web browser displays pages accurately (no flash though), and the price, the price is a steal. I got the phone for only KD120 but a member in the forum mentioned I could have gotten it for as cheap as KD115. For the amount of features packed into this device (it also has a camera), the phone is extremely well priced. I love it.
Picture of the phone above is by tekgik, he also has a lot more good shots so check them out. [Link]
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50 Comments, add your own...
1. MiRoOoOo!i! | July 23rd, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Mabrook mark ! so can we expect now some mobile blogging or not ? anyways , i’m glad ur impressed with the web browser , but the same browser on my n80 sucks cuz it keeps shutting down unexpectedly , do u have that problem too or not ?
2. ananyah | July 23rd, 2007 at 9:56 pm
mabroook on ur new fone :D
a guy in my class has this phone, it’s pretty wide but it does look cool!
enjoy ur new gadget :D
3. DeReD | July 23rd, 2007 at 9:56 pm
How much will the new english keypad cost?
4. holla | July 23rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm
now u got a phone to match ur ass LOL. nokia sux.
5. iMan | July 23rd, 2007 at 10:28 pm
Nice calculator
6. Mark | July 23rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm
keypad should cost around KD5
holla i saw you checking out my phone today
iMan, calculators are cool
7. Marzouq | July 23rd, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Overall I think it is one of Nokias best phones!
8. garga | July 23rd, 2007 at 11:28 pm
Welcome To E series World Mark, check out the amazing Shozu software you can upload pictures videos to flickr , wordpress, youtube and more.. from here http://www.shozu.com/
9. Amjad | July 23rd, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Mabrook.
I thought you kept the K800i and sold the M600i ?
10. Mark | July 23rd, 2007 at 11:51 pm
yeah the K800 is with nat now, the m600 was hers
11. lfc-q8 | July 24th, 2007 at 12:10 am
tell us please more about fring :)
12. Basamigi | July 24th, 2007 at 12:15 am
i want a phone with wifi.. but i hate nokia! so I’ll need another review from you after two weeks usage :)
13. getdown_4ever | July 24th, 2007 at 12:59 am
mabrook on your new phone
try ipmart-forum.com they have great collection of progarms / games / themes and also films
14. sync | July 24th, 2007 at 5:01 am
thanks for the info, i was looking for something similar.
one more thing, you deserve a laugh, have one http://www.alqabas.com.kw/Final/NewspaperWebsite/NewspaperBackOffice/ArticlesPictures/24-7-2007//298500_1000.jpg
“FBI” :D
15. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 8:36 am
i will post a proper review after using the phone for a bit. this was more like a first impression post.
16. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 8:40 am
lol good one
17. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 9:10 am
i gave up my E70 yesterday :(( and got this E61i for 95KD used only for 1 month ,still not used to the keyboard i prefer the E70 keyboard,but the screen is awesome ,my only problem so far is the keyboard maybe i have to get used to it !
18. ELAF | July 24th, 2007 at 9:54 am
emmm…i think this one will be good as my gift to my husband ..
tell me …how big is it comparing to I-mate the first version.
19. Flamingoliya | July 24th, 2007 at 10:23 am
thanks for posting this. i was thinking of buying it too but wanted to hear people’s reviews. waiting for the full one.
20. Flamingoliya | July 24th, 2007 at 10:35 am
how’s the 2 megapixel camera? i expected more..
21. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 10:37 am
camera seems pretty good so far. its only 2MP but colors are good and image fairly sharp.
22. Frankom | July 24th, 2007 at 11:13 am
:: Good choice Mark. You can get a similar mobile like HTC for example but the positive point is the price + the screen & for sure the blackberry connection. Mabrook :)
23. Barfy | July 24th, 2007 at 11:20 am
you should have at least waited for SE P1i but maybe you cant afford it
24. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 11:23 am
well the P1’s screen is vertical and i never felt comfortable using the M600’s keypad. Nat on the other hand can’t wait for the P1, what she hated about the M600 was lack of camera and now with the P1 it comes built in.
25. Sumi | July 24th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Alf Mabrook Mark!
I got my e61i for 139KD at the Nokia (with workshop) at Sharq. The increased price, I was told, was because it comes with a 1 (or maybe 2?) year warranty.
26. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 11:45 am
one of the best review of the phone
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_e61i-review-142.php
27. AngelOfDeth | July 24th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Mabrook Mark,
http://www.e-series.org, a nice blog with alot of interesting software and themes.
welcome to the “E” series world ;)
28. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
sumi
isn’t this too much , r u sure ur going to use it for 2 yrs?! it ranges now from 95 to 100 KD in a very good condition and they all come with 1 yr warranty
29. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
KD95 to KD100 is used not brand new.
30. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
yah used but as good as a new one ,the difference is big from 139 to 100 or less
31. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
It doesn’t cost 139. I got mine brand new for KD120 with 1 year local warranty. Fono is selling it for KD115 with 1 year warranty. Between KD95 and KD115 is not much.
32. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
true not a tempting difference but the point is i’m not planning to use it for long ,just long enough till the E90 kools down a bit :))) it’s 300KD now ,maybe Sumi got it earlier that explains the price difference , the one i got is in a pretty good shape and has 11 month warranty
33. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
so what do u think about the keyboard ? try to type ( i’ll ) only the left side shift marked blue will do the trick , still used to the E70 KB
34. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
i haven’t had a problem with the keyboard, its been pretty easy to use and didn’t require the usual long learning period.
35. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
unfortunately i’m still in that phase :) ,apart from that i find no difference than the E70 functionality wise , i love the large screen and the phone looks elegant , pretty much refined than the E61 .
36. Mark | July 24th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Yeah it looks a lot cooler then the E61. What stopped me though from getting the E61 was the lack of camera.
what are the differences between the E90 and e61i?
37. Shady | July 24th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
check this link a nice comparison between the 2 phones
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/The_two-tiered_approach_to_the_ultimate_smartphone.php
38. vampire | July 24th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
hmm,, it’s too wide for me but i think that’s an advantage for the qwerty keyboard,, i want a real wifi phone and i didn’t buy the p990i bcoz of its tiny qwerty keyboard
hope it’ll break or u’ll drop it in the toilet soon
39. garaga | July 24th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
As I heard, so far E61i and E90 have no problems in the software, some E90 have a problem in the speakers, but can be replaced in the local dealer.
I think E90 is the first Symbian Nokia Product that did not have a problem in the first patch
40. lfc-q8 | July 24th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
E90 has HSDPA and gprs built in
41. Amjad | July 24th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
i just got to see the phone today in reality. it’s too wide man! how do u carry it , lol
42. Shady | July 25th, 2007 at 10:42 am
one more thing it scratches easily ! but scratches are inevitable and unavoidable anyway :)
43. LeP | July 28th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Mark…where did u get the english keypad from?
44. Mark | July 28th, 2007 at 11:36 am
i didnt get it yet. i ordered it from cellucom
45. LeP | July 28th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Does the size of the phone bother u?
46. Mark | July 28th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
nope, not at all.
47. Mohammad | September 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Mark/everyone,
i have the same phone (and i had its predecessor)… i love it. so much so that i dont want to ahange it.
but my employer wants me to have a blackberry connection for the company email. i know the phone has the capability, but is it possible to use it with blackberry in kuwait?
do mtc(or zain) provide the software or do i get it from elsewhere?
thanks in advance for any help.
m
48. Rafeek | October 15th, 2007 at 8:09 am
What exactly has happened to the price of this thing? For some reason its price in the small shops at Sharq has jumped to KD170~190! Anybody has any idea what’s that about?
49. Jon | February 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
So where is the full review?
50. mat | November 11th, 2008 at 3:17 am
The best blogging client for Nokia is Wavelog from telewaving.com and it works great on E71 as well!
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