Nokia E63 Tries to Challenge My S60 Device Perception

nokia-e63

I can’t spend too much time with it yet because my review queue is fairly backed up, but I received a loaner Nokia E63 device today. This is the unlocked U.S. version (E63-2) that runs around $279: it works on both the T-Mobile and AT&T networks, but I believe the 3G only works on AT&T’s frequencies. I’ll double-check on that, but since I only have the AT&T SIM from my iPhone I won’t be testing on T-Mobile.

The price is great for an unsubsidized S60 device, and it’s fairly feature loaded as well: QWERTY keypad, 2.36-inch QVGA display, 1500mAh battery, microSD slot, miniUSB port, Bluetooth, WiFi, A-GPS, 2MP camera, speakerphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. As far as 3G speeds go, this device doesn’t support HSDPA, so the maximum upload and download speeds are 384kbps. A few quick tests show that I’m getting around 200kbps in the home office.

Since I live in Google services, I immediately installed the supporting Gmail application which supports multiple accounts. I’ve got my work and personal mail up and running as a result. Since Google recently launched their Google Sync service, I figured I’d be able to use that for two-way synchronization of Contacts and Calendar items. I was half right. On S60, Google Sync only supports Contacts with SyncML. I have that working fine but I had to resort to another over-the-air solution for my appointments. None appear to do exactly what I need (for free, anyway; GooSync will — if I pay), as I want multiple calendars synchronized. I looked at the Seven beta but ultimately decided upon CalSync60 for now. Seven will handle e-mail as well as a calendar, but I’d prefer to use Google’s application for that. Speaking of applications: Nokia’s PC Suite doesn’t run Mac OS X. Guess that’s what “PC” means in the title. ;) That means if an app can’t be installed over-the-air, you have to get the installtion file on the phone another way. The fastest I’ve found is to simply download the application file onto a Mac. Then pair the phone with the Mac over Bluetooth. A simple Right-Click on the file offers an option to send it over Bluetooth to a device.

Armed with my contacts and e-mail, I’m going to put my iPhone on the shelf for a little while. I figure that I’ve likely underappeciated S60 devices in the past, even though I find the UI a bit inelegant. I’m trying to approach this device as if it were my very first daily smartphone, in order to ensure I learn as much as I can about the experience. If you have suggestions for good applications I should be trying, I’m all ears!

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