Nokia E71 Cell Phone Review - Making/Receiving Calls

Dialing a number on the E71 was quick, which is a bit surprising given the diminutive number keys. Ring volume was decent and we like the flexibility to use your own ring tones.

Dialing Speed (6.29)
It took us an average of 3.18 seconds to dial a number on the Nokia E71. This is a good time, faster than average and about equal to our fastest comparison phones, as you can see below. We were surprised to get such a fast time on dialing given that the E71's number pad is embedded into the QWERTY keyboard, which means very small numbers and a non-standard location for the 0 button.

We did find it a bit fiddly, with the occasional error when dialing that made us start over, but with a lot of use we're sure that you'll get used to it. For more information on how we conduct this test see this article.

Dialing Speed (sec)

Send and End Buttons (4.0)
The send and end buttons on the Nokia E71 are located on the far left and right of the device flanking the D-Pad. The buttons are rather small, but have a domed top that makes them a bit easier to find by feel. Key travel isn't great, but you do get nice tactile feedback when they are pressed. We would have liked to see bigger buttons, but given the small size of the E71 and how many buttons they pack in there we're not surprised by their size.

Call Management (8.0)
The call history on the Nokia E71 is very complete giving you all, missed or received calls. You can also access call timers and data counters via the call log application in the menu system. During a call you can access any features you want, as you would expect from a multi-tasking device, as well as mute, hold and conference calls. There is no support for recording calls, but this is about the only feature missing.

Startup to Call (3.19)
It took an average of 31.3 seconds to  start the Nokia E71 and dial a number. You can see below that this is just about average for all phones and it compares well with all of our comparison phones except for the BlackBerry Curve 8320. Blackberries are renowned for starting up quickly, which is an important feature for business users who might need quick access to their devices. The E71 just doesn't match this, but then again most phones don't. For more information on how we conduct this test see this article.

Startup to Call (sec)

Ring Volume (9.76)
The Nokia E71's ring volume measures 97.6 decibels in our test. This is slightly above average, as you can see below, and although it doesn't reach the level of the Curve or the Centro, it should be quite loud enough for all but the very loudest situations. We were most pleased to see that it's significantly louder than the Nokia E66.

Volume in Decibels

Ringtones (8.0)
The Nokia E71 is capable of using any audio file on the device as a ring tone, including any music files you may have on the phone or a memory card. This is excellent flexibility and what we'd like to see from other devices. You can even assign recorded notes to act as a ring tone.

Non Audio Alerts (7.0)
The Nokia E71's vibrate alert isn't terrible, but we have seen better from phones like the Palm Centro and iPhone 3G. The screen does light up and blinks at you when a call comes in so you should be able to notice it even out of the corner of your eye.