Nokia E63
3 DirectThe Nokia E63’s number one strength is its QWERTY keyboard. Though the keys are of modest size, we found the keypad to be one of the friendliest keypads in both the Nokia and other brand handsets
Our Nokia E63 Review
Design
When we first met the Nokia E63’s, one thought crossed our mind: it’s a BlackBerry! It took us a couple of minutes to adjust to the Nokia E63 as its design is almost identical to RIM’s Blackberry series. From the QWERTY keyboard, tablet shaped curves to the bulky, plastic cover, the Nokia E63 is almost indistinguishable from the BlackBerry Curve save for the material finishing and dimensions. The design matches your palm with comfort to give a sense of control and solid grip. Available in black and red, the Nokia E63 is vibrant and inviting.
Screen
Nokia E63’s 2.4in screen provides great color saturation and visibility both indoor and outdoor. The 320 x 240 QVGA excels with more than 16 million colours. Not to mention, it sports a high pixel density and refresh rate compared to other Nokia handsets. The image quality isn’t a top 10 honourable mention, but it definitely delivers what the user needs.
User Interface
Nokia E63 earns great points for running on the Symbian S60 Pack 1 operating system. It takes the user interface to a different level with confidence and stability. Hopping from one screen to another is almost instantaneous with no reported screen crashes or freezes.
The Active Standby home screen keeps the user updated with every aspect of his life and schedule. Using speech bubbles showing new email, SMS, and appointments, the user navigates and organizes his life with ease.
Keypad
The Nokia E63’s number one strength is its QWERTY keyboard. Though the keys are of modest size, we found the keypad to be one of the friendliest keypads in both the Nokia and other brand handsets.
One disappointment has to do with supplementary buttons such as the power key and volume rocker which were absent from this handset’s sides – something that just can’t be forgiven in this age of ergonomics.
Camera & Multimedia
You can’t speak of the Nokia E63 without mentioning its sub-standard camera. At 2.0 Megapixel, the camera feels a bit impotent. The camera features are mainly: LED flash, 2x zoom, and auto-focus. Shooting photos with the Nokia E63 is like throwing your memories in for a wash; the colours are grainy with some of the colours melting to different shades. It gives off an extremely sharp feel, one that doesn’t feel natural at times. Video shooting isn’t a drastic improvement. It’s definitely not the camera for fast capturing, as the movement can be a bit clumsy at 15 frames per sec.
Going over to the multimedia side, we felt a massive jump. Nokia E63’s media player is commendable at 16 million colours and a 320 x 240 resolution. It’s an absolute joy to use the media player, not to mention you can add a microSD card for extra storage.
Sound quality stands out from other handsets in the series. You feel the love with the crystal clear resonance and beats. Throw in the 3.5 mm standard headphone jack and we’ve got ourselves a party.
We were a bit caught off guard when no data cable was found in the package. It seems you’ll have to go buy your own if you’re planning to ever sync with a PC – not a very wise move for a feature-packed smartphone.
Connectivity & Battery Life
Connectivity is one of Nokia E63’s perks. Packed with 3G, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and WAP 2.0, the Nokia E63 is stellar in the connectivity department. It comes with an embedded email client out of the box, making it easier for less experienced users to plug-in their username and password.
The web browser is down-to-earth with a sense of admired minimalism. It delivers without cluttering the screen. It comes complete with zooming, keyword search, and the address bar available in shortcuts on the keypad. The pages load in a jiffy with excellent flash and javascript support. One thing that caught our eye was the lack of GPS integration given that Nokia Maps is installed.
Battery life is excellent for a smartphone. You can safely go for 2-3 days without charging your handset depending on how much you surf the internet and watch videos over Wi-Fi.
What We Liked
Its QWERTY keyboard, powerful screen, 3G and WI-FI connectivity. Its messaging and email features.
What We Disliked
The Nokia E63’s camera quality. The lack of a data cable and lack of GPS.
Our Final Verdict
The Nokia E63 is the best alternative for a BlackBerry with an affordable price tag. Apart from the missing data cable, GPS, and camera performance, expect an excellent handset for internet browsing and messaging.
Compare Handsets
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| Read Review | |||
| Nokia E63 | |||
General | |||
| Form Factor | Candybar | ||
| Dimensions | 113 x 59 x 13 (mm) | ||
| Talk Time | 270 mins | ||
| Standby Time | 480 hours | ||
| Weight | 126 g | ||
| Quad Band | Yes | ||
Photo and Video | |||
| Integrated Camera | Yes | ||
| Camera | 2.00 megapixels | ||
| Video Player | Yes | ||
Phone | |||
| Vibrating Alert | Yes | ||
| Voice Recognition | Yes | ||
| Integrated Keyboard | Yes | ||
| Smart Phone | Yes | ||
Messaging | |||
| MMS | Yes | ||
| Photo Messaging | Yes | ||
| Predictive Text | Yes | ||
| Video Messaging | Yes | ||
Screen | |||
| Colour Screen | Yes | ||
| Touch Screen | Yes | ||
Connectivity | |||
| 3G | Yes | ||
| Bluetooth | Yes | ||
| Yes | |||
| GPRS | Yes | ||
| WAP | Yes | ||
Music and Radio | |||
| FM Radio | Yes | ||
| MP3 Player | Yes | ||
Nokia E63 Full Specification
General
| Form Factor | Candybar |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 113 x 59 x 13 (mm) |
| Talk Time | 270 mins |
| Standby Time | 480 hours |
| Weight | 126 g |
| Quad Band | Yes |
Photo and Video
| Integrated Camera | Yes |
|---|---|
| Camera | 2.00 megapixels |
| Video Player | Yes |
Phone
| Vibrating Alert | Yes |
|---|---|
| Voice Recognition | Yes |
| Integrated Keyboard | Yes |
| Smart Phone | Yes |
Messaging
| MMS | Yes |
|---|---|
| Photo Messaging | Yes |
| Predictive Text | Yes |
| Video Messaging | Yes |
Screen
| Colour Screen | Yes |
|---|---|
| Touch Screen | Yes |
Connectivity
| 3G | Yes |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Yes | |
| GPRS | Yes |
| WAP | Yes |
Music and Radio
| FM Radio | Yes |
|---|---|
| MP3 Player | Yes |
User Comments
Devin C submitted on 23 July 2009Crackberry… that's what they should call it. The E63 is much better than a blackberry, as it is not consumed with competition with the iPhone.. It simply delivers what needs to be delivered. Up there - one of the best handsets I've owned in years
Dylan M. submitted on 10 May 2009At first, I thought it's a blackberry.. It's very hard to tell upon first look. It does pack great features but def not an alternative for a blackberry, as the two are fundementally different
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Images of the Nokia E63
