Nokia E65 review

Nokia E65 Review

Reviewed by: Andrew Lim

Reviewed on: 11 April 2007

The E65 is a slim, stylish smart phone that manages to combine some of the best features available on mobile phones without piling on the pounds. From the design of the keypad to the fast Wi-Fi connectivity, this phone handles work and play well.

If you're looking for a phone that combines form with functionality then the E65 is definitely worth considering. It's currently available for free on a monthly contract from several network operators and for about £300 SIM-free.

Design
In the past, unlike the majority of its competitors, Nokia never seemed that bothered about making really thin phones. While other mobile phone manufacturers put their line-ups on the Atkins diet, Nokia seemed happy to keep producing relatively chunky handsets.

But like a teenager caught up in the fickle world of style magazines, Nokia is rapidly becoming aware of its love handles and is starting to produce thinner and more stylish mobiles, like this one, which is only 16mm thick.

The Nokia E65 is slim and feels comfortable in a trouser pocket

The E65 a stylish slider phone that wouldn't look out of place inside a Jaguar X-Type. It has a bright colour screen that's surrounded by an attractive silver frame.

Underneath the screen there's a set of soft keys and a four-way navigation key, which makes accessing different parts of the menu easy and fast. The spring-loaded slide mechanism that pops the E65 open is smooth and feels solid.

Once you slide the top section up, a well-sized keypad is revealed. It's one of the best slider phone keypads we have ever used. The keys are large, well shaped and there's no lip at the bottom of the keypad to get in the way of the bottom three keys.

There could be a little more space at the top of the keypad, but overall it felt comfortable to use. Our only niggle is that the cancel key is on the top section, which makes accessing it when you're composing a text message a little fiddly.

Features
To make sure you're not caught out on a business trip, the E65 comes with quad-band connectivity so it will work anywhere in the world that uses a GSM network. There's also 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity giving you high-speed Internet on the go.

We were really impressed with how fast the E65 picked up a Wi-Fi signal. You can use the 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity to browse the Web, download data and make VoIP calls using applications like Truphone.

The Web browser is great, giving you the option to view sites as you would on a computer with a small overview map on the top right-hand corner to show you where you are in relation to the rest of the page.

Other connectivity options include Bluetooth, infrared and USB, which among other things lets you sync the E65 with your PC.