Nokia this week launched the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7

Nokia this week launched the Nokia E6 and the Nokia X7 to add to their already existing range of symbian^3 devices the N8, E7, C7 and C6 to bring the total to six. The new device E6 adds to the E-Enterprise Business range made popular by the E71 and latterly the E72. The X7 compliments the line-up of the X-Music Media devices.

The X7 is a 4″ AMOLED music-media centric device and from the rear looks similar to the C6 in that it has a curvature to the back of the handset to add to the design asthetics. Above you can see the slot for the sim card and memory card.  The camera is 8 megapixel with a dual-led flash. The X7 is sealed -stainless steel meaning that you do not have access to remove the battery and it uses Gorilla glass for the display. The first of this design concept arose in the N8. This helps to reduce the depth of the product that would almost certainly increase in size if it required a removable battery compartment. I personally have not found a ‘downside’ to this arrangement though you do need to know how to reset the handset on the odd occasion in which a third-party application may cause it to freeze and not turn-off. Ovi maps have recently been updated and you can now check-in using Ovi maps. Ovi maps is the free walk and drive navigation software offered by Nokia. The X7 has 8GB of data built-in and can take additional memory cards up to 32GB in size.

The comparison shot above shows the X7 with its 4″ display alongside that of the smallest symbian^3 device,s the C6. The C6 has CBD – Clear Black Display which gives it better colour optomisation both in on screen displays and particularly for viewing in direct sunlight. The X7 lacks this but compensates by the larger display and improved space for clarity along with AMOLED display. The new innovative design of the X7 sees it arrive with angled corners on all four sides accompanied by a grid/grill feature in the same positions. However, do not mistake these for quadruple speakers. There is only two speakers on this design, lower-left and lower-right when viewed in landscape mode and I was informed it is still mono and not stereo. However, it gives very good sound quality both in music and in watching media. But, I still felt rather disappointed by the design of the four speaker grid/grill which naturally leads one to think that they are all speakers.

Nokia X7 v Nokia C6 (side)

Nokia X7 v Nokia C6 (rear)

The Nokia X7 as part of the new operating system ‘Anna’ more about that later finally arrives with onscreen QWERTY in portrait mode. I say, finally as it is something users have been asking for since the release of the Nokia N97. Not everyone uses their phone in landscape. For some the double hand-use becomes too awkward. For others, who grew up with the T9 system before the evolution of full qwerty keypads or landscape qwerty, portrait mode is the preferred mode of use and still is in respect of calls, texts etc. So, we can all rejoice though it may be a little late for some who have jumped ship to the E-series or to BlackBerry devices for that choice. Although the qwerty resembles closely that of a traditional computer keyboard there is a learning curve in that letters appear direct, one on top of another, which does not replicate a real keypad where letters are diagonal to one another. However, these devices and the software are prototypes so perhaps the ‘final’ version is not yet a blue-print and we can see some changes more akin to the Apple Keypad or Gravity which has it ‘just right’. Alternatively, Nokia may consider that as a music/gaming device the X7 will be used less for its key-entry functions than perhaps devices with dedicated keypads.

X7 qwerty portrait (Anna)

Gravity qwerty portrait

C6 Nokia landscape (symbian^3)

Gravity qwerty landscape

The Nokia X7 will debute in two colours initially, the black and the silver. The black is discreet and does not give the game away about the function or power of the device. However, the silver accentuates the grilled design beautifully. The silver is reflective and holds a better position with regards to the ‘wow’ factor and the appreciation for the design concept as a whole.

The X7 with a close-up view of its 8 megapixel camera.

The new software ‘Anna’ will arrive with new icons and here is a glimpse of them in work on the X7.

The second phone released this week is the E6 which follows the E71 and E72 in its design category. This is the phone I have been calling for – ‘the hybrid’. The E6 incorporates ‘touch’ with ‘qwerty in one package. For too long people have had to make a choice between a touch device or a phone with physical keys. And, let’s face it, not everyone likes touch and not everyone likes qwerty. Here, the solution is solved, giving the consumer a mix of two valuable inputs to facilitate their needs. The use of touch is spread throughout the touch screen display with the additional use of the four-way cursor and qwerty keyboard for text input amongst other options. As it was my first time with both the X7 and E6 and my own phones being the C6 and iPhone 4, it was a bit confusing to me when to touch or when to use 4-way etc. However, this will not be a problem for an owner of the E6 who will quickly recognise and become knowledgeable as what to use when and where. I am unaware as to whether the option exists to completely turn-off the touch if you desired to use your phone via qwerty, 4-way input only. The E6 has a 8 megapixel camera with dual-led flash which is an improvement upon the E72 camera. However, auto-focus is an attraction most had looked forward to seeing in the E-series and  Nokia could and should have improved upon this. The E6 has five, yes FIVE standby screens – should you actually need that many. I find myself struggling with 3 but its there if you want to use it. As the E6 has a smaller screen display and is landscape only, it may serve its purpose well. The E6 has 8GB of built in memory and can take additional memory cards up to 32GB in size and ram is now increased to 256mb.

I was adamant that the E6 was larger in depth than the E72 and that it weighed more. Prompty an E72 was whipped-out of a bag to show me that the E6 is indeed slimmer and smaller than the E72. Incredible! Congratulations Nokia. The E6 is equipped with USB on-the-go.

The E6 will arrive complete with a full version of Office allowing you to read, write and amend documents on the phone and this will be updated free-0f-charge throughout the devices lifetime.

E6 v C6 (front)

E6 v C6 (rear)

E6 white, E6 black alongside the E72

E6 white, E6 black, E72

The E6 has a volume up and down key and key-lock. In addition it has a middle button which when pressed, becomes red which shows it has muted the phone conversation.  A great, easy option for dedicated users who really need to mute calls during those sensitive moments.

E6 usb slot.

E6 on/off button and 3.5 headphone slot.

Comparison view of the keyboards of the E6 and E72. If you look closely you will see that the E6 has slightly larger keys and the keys each have a new tactile design to aid keyboard use. The new 4-way cursor has a metal surround and feels more direct and central in scrolling through menus.

We met ‘Anna’ for the first time today.  ’Anna’ is the new symbian operating system which will arrive on our shores very soon. Nokia have stated ‘Anna’ will be here for the second quarter which could mean anything from May to August but the hope is that May will be a good month. The new devices will ship out of the factory with ‘Anna’ on them. The pre-existing devices N8, E7, C7 and C6 will also get to meet ‘Anna’ in her new guise. New icons and a new browser are central to ‘Anna’s’ make-up. The prototypes in use did have versions of ‘Anna’s’ browser. The browser has new options and better onscreen use and icons for better clarity and ease of use. Pinch and zoom worked without a hitch which was great to see. I did not feel the speed of the new browser but I believe the network was rather slow that day and as it was a prototype I am assured this will be faster when it is ready to ship.

Today was not about the ‘big bang’. It was about consolidation and bring the improvements required for symbian^3 to remain a force within the market. Nokia are re-aiming symbian^3 as their mid-range phone and as such the E6 slips in smoothly alongside the BlackBerry range in its aim to grab more of that market with better corporate use and functions with touch-screen as an added incentive with an upgrade in the camera for those out-of-hours use. The X7 is comparable in size to the E7.  It is a music-media centred device but I am not sure that with the likes of the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play whether this device really improves on what has gone before. It has a larger screen to its aid but without dedicated, suitable game and media beyond what we have now I can not see that it will ‘rock the world’. A four quad speaker, 8 megapixel camera with xenon and some hard-core games would be a total different story. Perhaps Nokia is saving this for their entry into Windows.

Anna will bring a new Symbian user experience to consumers with new standard icons, qwerty text input, a fast browser with Ovi Maps and public transport information. The new software in addition is aimed at business users offering enterprise grade security with encryption and e-mail features along with usability enhancements. The new symbian software nick-named Symbian Anna will appear on newly shipped devices of the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01 and will be available for download on those handsets of the same models already on the market.