QWERTY Keyboard Phones

The Nokia E71 has won many awards and is a very popular smartphone. Some might say that the E63 is an inferior, stripped down version of the E71, but when you consider the price difference, it’s a great phone! Actually it’s even a better phone in some ways.

The E63 is only slightly thicker than the E71, but it’s not really that noticeable. The keyboard is mostly the same, but the Nokia E63 lacks the volume buttons on the side, as well as the recorder button. This is a shame, but most of the time you won’t really miss those.

Now for the interesting part: The QWERTY keyboard. The E63′s keyboard is mostly the same as the E71′s, but there are a few differences. The spacebar on the E63 is a bit shorter, to make room for some extra buttons. These extra buttons are really good to have, expecially if you browse the internet on your phone a lot. The spacebar can also be held down to switch on the flashlight, which is pretty handy. The two phones’ keyboards are the same width, and the rest of the keys are basically identical.

Both keyboards have the buttons raised slightly, with a little bump in the middle. This makes it easier to type without worrying about hitting the keys next to the ones you’re aiming for. It also has predictive text. The E63′s keyboard seems a bit quieter than the E71′s, though… at least after regular use.

Another noticeable difference between the two phones is the camera. The Nokia E71′s camera is 3.2 megapixels, which is nice and all, but it’s a pain in the butt to actually use, and even after updating the firmware multiple times, there’s still a slight purple effect over the photos it takes. So even though the Nokia E63′s camera is only 2 megapixels, it’s actually better. Basically, neither of these phones have particularly great cameras, so that isn’t really a selling point of either of them. If you want a great camera, look elsewhere.

List of differences between the Nokia E63 and the E71:

• The E63 doesn’t have side buttons for volume or recording.
• The E63 doesn’t have the IR window.
• The E63′s keyb spacebar is shorter, but it adds a ‘/’ button.
• The E63′s screen is slightly smaller, but the screen resolution is still the same.
• The E63 doesn’t have built in GPS, and doesn’t support HSDPA.
• The E63 doesn’t come with an extra SD card (but you can still add your own).
• The E63 has a 2 megapixel camera, with fixed focus, but it has better picture quality.
• The E63 has a flashlight function, which the E71 doesn’t have.
• The E63 comes with a standard 3.5mm audio port, instead of the E71′s 2.5mm one.

The Nokia E63 doesn’t have GPS like the E71, but it does have a standard 3.5mm audio port, so you can more easily use your favourite headphones. It still has a QWERTY keyboard, possibly even slightly better than the E71′s, and it’s cheaper. So, in short, it’s a cheaper version of the E71. Considering all of the above, I’d say it provides better value for money than the E71, and would recommend it over the E71. Unless you really want all those other features the E63 lacks, in which case, you might be interested in the Nokia E72…

Have you tried both? What do you think?

The Nokia E71 is a business smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. It uses the Symbian OS (version 9.2), with Feature Pack 1. It succeeded the Nokia E61/61i models before it by building on their base design and enhancing their features. The Nokia E71 is to be succeeded by the Nokia E72.

The E71 recieved many positive reviews and awards, such as:

Editor’s choice and a 8.9/10 rating on CNET.co.uk
Phone of the Year and Best Smartphone at the Mobile Choice Consumer Awards of 2008
WIRED Magazine’s Best of Test in 2008
Highly Commended at the GSMA Awards in 2009

Features

* Pocket-sized for one handed typing, full QWERTY keyboard.
* Two customizable Home Screen views which each have their own active plugins and shortcuts – basically for switching between business and personal modes.
* One-Touch keys for quick acecess to applications
* Auto-completion, autocorrection and learning capability while typing
* Calendar and Contacts
* Built in GPS and Nokia Maps
* VOIP Calling
* HSDPA data up to 3.6 Mbps
* 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, also a front camera for video calling
* Music player, media player and radio
* Built in VPN
* Data encryption for phone memory and the microSD card
* Internet access if you want to use your phone as a modem for your computer

Technical details

* System: WCDMA 850/2100, WCDMA 900/2100and WCDMA 850/1900, HSDPA, GSM/EGSM 850/900/1800/1900
* User Interface: Symbian S60 platform
* Dimensions: 114 mm x 57 mm x 10 mm (L x W x H)
* Standby time: Up to 17 days (GSM), 20 days (WCDMA)
* Talk time: Up to 10.5 hours (GSM), 4.5 hours(WCDMA)
* Main display: 2.36” QVGA (320×240), 16 million colours
* Battery: BP-4L, 1500 mAh, Li-Po
* Memory: 110 MB internal memory, support for up to 32 GB microSD-HC memory card
* Camera: 3.2 megapixels (2048×1536 pixels), video recording in QVGA quality at 15fps
* WCDMA max download 384 kbps; upload 384 kbps
* HSDPA up to 3.6 Mbps
* WLAN (IEEE 802.11b/g)
* EGPRS multislot class 32, max download 296 kbps; upload 177.6 kbps
* GPS and support for assisted GPS (A-GPS)
* FS-USB, Infrared
* Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0 with A2DP stereo audio, enhanced data rates (EDR)
* 2.5 mm AV connector

What do you think of the Nokia E71? Post your reviews and opinions in the comments.

The Nokia E63 is considered to be a budget business phone. It was released ilate in 2008 and is based on the Symbian S60 platform. It looks similar to the E71, but it’s body is made of plastic instead of steel. The keypad is also made of a slitghtly different material and has a modified layout, but is mostly the same. Most of its other specifications are also the same as the E71′s, but it lacks GPS, infrared, HSDPA, and it has a lower quality camera with a fixed focus lens.

Specifications:

* Form: Monoblock/candybar with full QWERTY keyboard
* Size and Weight: 113 x 59 x 13 mm, Weight: 126 g
* Screen/Display: 320px X 240px, Size 2.36″, Colors: 16 Million
* Operating system: Symbian 9.2, S60 3.1 Edition
* Data/Internet: CSD, HSCSD, GPRS class 32, EDGE class 32, 3G 384/384 kbps, WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g, TCP/IP support
* Connectivity: Micro-USB connector, 3.5 mm Audio jack, Bluetooth 2.0
* Memory: Phone ~100MB free, MicroSD card up to 8 GB
* Software: PDF viewer, Quick office (word / excel / powerpoint editor)
* Camera: 2Mpx (without autofocus), video recording @ 320x240px

What do you think of the Nokia E63? Post your reviews and opinions in the comments.

Cellphones with QWERTY keypads are the latest cool thing to have, especially among people who like to text a lot or who browse the internet and check emails from their mobile phones. They are useful because they have keypads that are similar to computer keypads. This makes it easy to type SMS’s, emails and everything else. They are also better than touchscreen keypads because you can physically feel the keys with your fingers, and because you don’t have to smudge your screen to type.

QWERTY keypad phones used to be quite rare and hard to find a few years ago. Luckily they are quite easy to find now, even though some of them are quite expensive.

How to decide on the best QWERTY phone for you

You need to read up on all the different phone models available and get to know all the features of each one before you can decide which is best for you. It also depends on which features are important to you. Maybe the keys on the keypad matter more than the layout of the phone, or the operating system. You need to think about these things while you look around.

Advantages of having a QWERTY keypad on your mobile phone

It’s convenient for typing because you don’t have to bother with cumbersome dictionaries or bash keys 3 times or more to get the letter you want. You can type almost as fast as you can on a regular computer, it just depends on how fast you can move your thumbs (console gamers will have a huge advantage here with their gamepad experience). If you’re a workaholic, it’s even better because it makes it easy for you to keep up on work related things no matter where you are.

QWERTY phones also have all the same features as other phones and smartphones, like email, internet, MP3′s video and all that other good stuff. Lots of people disagree on a proper definition of a “smart phone”, but they tend to differ from normal phones in two basic ways: how they’re built, and their feature list. A smartphone is a lot like a small computer (like a PDA), and they generally have some kind of operating system, like Windows Mobile, Android or Symbian. The operating system could either open source, like the Android and Symbian OS, or be totally proprietary like on the iPhone or Windows Mobile. With the iPhone, you can’t easily add your own apps that you programmed yourself unless you hack the iPhone (known as jailbreaking). Windows is a little easier but it’s still not open source. So, open source operating systems are better, just because there will always be a way to customize it 100% to your liking. And also because you won’t be supporting anything proprietary.

Mobile phones have become a lot more than just phones these days, now they’re more like little portable computers. QWERTY keypad phones take this one step further and make typing a breeze as well… so, which one will you get? Check out this list to help you decide.

Phones with QWERTY keyboards have grown in popularity over the past couple of years. They fall into two basic categories: smartphones and quick messaging phones. Smartphones (also called PDA’s) are communication and organization devices combined into one gadget, usually with some kind of operating system that isn’t just limited to phone features – ie – you can actually install other applications on it. They generally have larger screens as well and more storage space for files. Quick messaging phones are generally smaller than PDA’s and are just aimed at two things: sending lots of text messages and making phone calls. So they are basically just normal phones that have a QWERTY keyboard as well.

List of Smartphones with QWERTY keyboards

Here are some smartphones that have QWERTY keyboards – not necessarily physical keyboards though, some of these are touchscreen. If you want a list of phones that only have physical QWERTY keyboards (as in, NOT touchscreen), check out this list: QWERTY Keyboard Phones List

HTC DROID ERIS
LG Lotus
Motorola DROID
Motorola Backflip
LG enV3
LG Xenon
BlackBerry Storm
Samsung Mythic
LG Chocolate Touch
HTC Tilt 2
BlackBerry Curve 8530
Samsung Exclaim
BlackBerry Curve 8310
BlackBerry Bold
BlackBerry Bold 9700
Motorola Devour
HTC Hero
BlackBerry Pearl

Phones these days are more like miniature portable computers, many even come with full featured QWERTY keyboards just like computers do. They also support internet connections like HSDPA, HSUPA, EDGE and GPRS, and 3G. They also generally come with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, so you can easily connect to your computer and transfer files between them.

This is a short list of some of the QWERTY keyboard phones available on the market today. This is by no means a complete list, there are probably LOTS more phones that are not listed here, but it can provide a good starting point.

Samsung Alias 2
Features a full QWERTY keyboard, a unique handset design with a dual hinge. Good for email and text messaging.

Samsung SCH-i760
Comes with Windows Mobile 6, includes MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint applications. Also features a full QWERTY keyboard in a horizontal slider. It’s a smartphone aimed at business users.

LG VX9100 enV2
It’s a sleeker version of the LG enV, comes in black or maroon, features V CAST video, music, GPS, and Bluetooth. Features an integrated QWERTY keyboard, large screen and 2.0 megapixel camera.

Samsung SGH-t729
Also called Blast, it’s a Slider phone with hidden full QWERTY keyboard.

LG VX9800
Features a hidden QWERTY keyboard, high-speed data which is good for video and MP3 playing, also has good speakers.

LG KS360
Comes with a slide-out full QWERTY keypad, 2 megapixel camera, MP3 player, and FM radio. Supports Bluetooth.

LG GW520
QWERTY keyboard slides out, features a 3.2MP built in camera that also supports recording video.

Samsung B5310 Genio Slide
Nicely designed phone, full slide out QWERTY keyboard. Supports multiple email accounts, and instant messaging.

LG InTouch Max GW620
It’s an Android phone, so it has access to over 20 000 applications you can download from the market. Most of them are free. So this is a good phone for people who like to personalise things a lot.

Nokia N97 Mini
It’s tiny and has a tilt screen. QWERTY keyboard slides out, and it has a nice big display considering its size.

Nokia N900
Has a touchscreen AND a full QWERTY keyboard for the best of both worlds. Comes with 32GB of storage space, so you can fit plenty of MP3′s and movies on it so you’lll never have to think of ways to entertain yourself ever again.

Nokia E63
Symbian phone, has a full QWERTY keyboard that’s easy to access and not hidden behind anything (no slide or flip), decent display, 2.0 megapixel camera.

Nokia E71
Symbian phone, like the E63, just better camera, also has satellite GPS (but it’s not totally free to use forever).

Nokia E72
Symbian phone, newer model of the E71 – 5 megapixel camera, better audio port, totally free satellite GPS.

Samsung B3410
Samsung Genio Slide
Blackberry 8520 Curve
LG GW520
Samsung B3310
Nokia N97
Blackberry 9700
Blackberry 8900 Curve
Sony X10
BlackBerry Storm 2