I usually love making assumptions about handsets before having them in my hand even for a few seconds, and I definitely like being proven wrong about them. That happened with the N82 which I first believed was a silly replacement for the N95 until it bluffed me with its full package, the E71 whose design I despised on press images and thought wasn’t appropriate for my usage to later discover that it was and still is the best phone I’ve ever held. It also happened with the N97 which I thought would undoubtedly be my next handset and a great replacement for the combination of E71/N82 until I trialled it and found out that the smallest things (battery, internal memory, lack of free office) were broken beyond repair and formed a real deal breaker for me. Enter the Nokia E72 which has been on my radar for a while now.
Jeb Brilliant makes a good point on why he’ll upgrade to the E72 from his favorite device which happens to be the same as mine, the E71. He specifically mentions the camera improvement, which will prevent him from carrying a separate point-and-shoot digicam all the time and will hence provide a much better converged solution. But I think the improvements brought by the E72 go way beyond a simple boost in Megapixels.
Hardware-wise
- Accelerometer: i once said that the one thing that I really miss on the E71 is the accelerometer, the E72 brings it, enabling all the apps and games that require it.
- Better video recording: not only is the still image capture boosted from 3.2 to 5MP, but also video recording resolution is doubled. Granted, we’re still on 15fps, but a better resolution with the possibility to use the flash in video recording are nice upgrades.
- 3.5mm headset plug: so long small 2.5 plug and welcome standardized format! Using any headset is no longer an issue.
- MicroUSB charging: the E72 has the usual pin charger but also supports microUSB charging so you can charge it from any computer.
- Battery life improvements: if you thought the E71′s battery life was phenomenal, then the E72 should blow you away with power management improvements.
- Optical scroll: I haven’t tried it yet, but it seems as though it’ll improve the scrolling a lot.
- 600 Mhz processor: with a 369 Mhz processor, the E71 was fast and snappy, now imagine a 600 Mhz processor!
- 250 Mb internal memory: with 128Mb on the E71, we had a little over 100Mb free and we could install all apps and games on there. With the E72, we’re guaranteed at least 200Mb free and that should be awesome for installation but also leave some free space to receive a ton of files over bluetooth for eg.
- Built-in compass
- Dedicated torch key
- Brushed metal backcover (no fingerprints)
- Active noise cancellation.
Software-wise
- Feature Pack 2: for some, the best feature of FP2 is the access point handling in Destinations. For me, it’s the OTA updates and UDP, this is crucial given that I have a Mac as a computer and NSU is a huge pain in the ass to use on a Mac.
- Better default icons: the E71 definitely has the ugliest set of icons known to man, but the E72 comes with the new set of icons so you can install the lighter default version of themes without losing much on aesthetics.
- Pre-installed Nokia Maps 3.0, N-Gage, Nokia Messaging: these 3 programs that eat tens of megabytes of internal memory when installed separately come in by default which should definitely spare some MBs.
- Improved multimedia support: the E71/E66 were the first Eseries devices to copy the improved multimedia software from Nseries, but the E72 should make that even better with N-Gage, UPnP, Panorama mode for shots, a better Gallery view…
As you see, there’s much more in the E72 package than a camera improvement though undoubtfully, it’ll be the main reason E71 owners will upgrade as they can finally leave home without a standalone point-and-shoot and count on their mobile for decent pics. For me, a tried and true E71 fan, the E72 fixes even the smallest nibbles that I have with the E71 and adds some options that are unbelievably drool-worthy. If you own an E71, make sure to voice your opinions on the E72 in the comments below: are you considering an upgrade to the E72 or are you ready to go touchscreen or to leave to a different OS?
I don’t know about others but when i start reading an article on SG, the first thing I read is WHO its by. In the new layout, the author is written all the way down and its really inconvenient. It would be great if that could be fixed. And E72 FTW!
One thing ppl seem to not notice is most Nokia phones w/ 3.5mm port have tv-out functionality (minus the N86). As the E series are becoming more multimedia phones, especially w/ n-Gage preinstalled, it is great to connect phones to a larger screen for viewing. Why Nokia couldn’t cram this in also is beyond me. Price permitting and Nokia being able to fix Ovi, I will get this phone nxt.
But still low resolution (320 x 240) screen – far behind competition and frankly pretty useless for web browsing etc.
Great post! Quite good argumentation. I am willing to upgrade but lets see when the phone is finally out. There is a lot of juice in the E71 still. I wonder if Nokia will decide to make some radical firmware updates for it. From the E72 I would miss the fp2 and the memory imporvement the most.
After owning an E61i I ‘upgraded’ to an E71. Some days ago, when I was using my good old E61i again I noticed just how much of an improvement the E71 is over my old phone. So, upgrading again to the E72 seems like a logical thing to do. The camera is one thing I would like to see improved and the E72 can be an improvement to shoot better pics. The 3,5mm jack makes it possible for me to use my Shure earphones with my phone, so maybe I will also use my phone for music purposes in the future, which I’m not doing now. But then Nokia made the N900 public and it’s release date won’t be very far from today . Although a different OS, I think the N900 will be a great overall experience with full web-support. Since I’m using my E71 mostly for webbrowsing and other web-related apps like twitter, the N900 is a serious competitor to replace my current phone. But then again, the N900 won’t support Gravity and that’s the app I use most on the E71. I think I need some more weeks to make up my mind and read some more reviews. A brief look at history tells me that Nokia will give me those much needed weeks, so I will continue reading about the E72 and hopefully the N900 here at symbianguru.
I know I’m a bit different, but I’ll miss the lack of IR on the E72. I still find that most laptops don’t have Bluetooth, but they still have IR.
These are EXACTLY the reasons why I’m going to get the E72. Another points are the Bluetooth implementation (I’m using my car radio for handsfree and BT audio with the E71 and am having problems that vanished with the E75, so I hope it’ll work with the E72, too) and slightly larger keys. If the E72 holds what it promises it is my next phone.
I am also planning to upgrade to the E72 from my E71 which has been and still is the best device i ever owned.dont understand the touch screen craze,think that the e71 has been the most straight forward easy to use phone with all the aspects one could want.Problem is ,as with many other phones,in many cases a great phone on specs does not turn out to be a great phone,the latest example is the N 97 which lasted less than an hour with me,I do belive that so far if one wants a touch screen phone then the answer is the iphone.
What I look forward to most in the E72 is the improved battery life,I know the E 71 has a great battery but that spoiled into using and staying connected on many programs(slick,seven,gravity…) that it hardly lasts a day specially if I walk and use sports tracker for a long period.
[quote]I don’t know about others but when i start reading an article on SG, the first thing I read is WHO its by. In the new layout, the author is written all the way down and its really inconvenient. It would be great if that could be fixed[/quote]
Agreed. I tried to send a message using the contact form, but it seems to be broken, but I’m glad somebody else noticed.
Here’s my take on your points Dotsisx:
[u][b]Hardware wise:[/b][/u]
1. [b]Accelorometer:[/b] Valid point. There are not that many useful apps for that out there, but it can be nice for playing Frozen Bubble and also for the “tap to snooze” and “turn to mute” gestures.
2. [b]Better video recording:[/b] Bullshit. You’re BS’ing yourself on that one Dotsisx…and you know it. Nokia will screw it badly on purpose. Heck, it’s already screwed and you said it: 15fps. I really hope the camera will be “N95 grade” though, ’cause I really miss a good camera with geotagging capabilities on my E71.
3. [b]3.5mm headset plug:[/b] Valid point. I woould love writing a few sms and email while listening to a good tune.
4. [b]Micro USB charging:[/b] Valid point. Even though the E71 battery life is so good that I don’t miss that one. MicroUSB is more of a necessity for shitty battery life devices.
5. [b]Battery life improvement:[/b] Valid point. The good will become even better. What’s bad about that ?
6. [b]Optical scroll:[/b] Bullshit. A pure marketing gimmick I think, unless Nokia implements some kind of kinetic scrolling so that it will continue scrolling depending of how fast you swipe… Seriously, if you have to swipe again, and again, and again, how can it be an improvement compared to pushing and holding a regular scroll pad ?
7. [b]600 Mhz processor:[/b] Valid point. Even though I think it will mostly help compensate the animations in the menu. I mean, can the E71 be made any faster ? Really ??!
8. [b]250 Mb internal memory:[/b] Valid point. More memory ? Me won’t say no, even if me don’t really need it.
9. [b]Built-in compass:[/b] Little improvement for GPS, that’s all.
10. [b]Dedicated torch keys:[/b] I recently bought a powerful led keychain torch. Me don’t need it.
11. [b]Brushed metal backcover:[/b] Big improvement. Shiny devices are for kids and average joe. Real, power users want a device they can rely on without cleaning it everytime. Stop the shiny trend Nokia, we were happy users before you jumped on the Bling Bling Bandwagon.
12. [b]Active noise cancellation:[/b] Big improvement if it really works. Me want.
[u][b]Software-wise:[/b][/u]
1. [b]Feature Pack 2:[/b] Valid point. Maybe THE reason why I’m tempted. All the small improvements are always welcome. But UDP is a little BS in my opinion: the E71 is very stable, and if you don’t update it anymore why would you want UDP ?? OTA totally rocks on the other hand though.
2. [b]Better default icons:[/b] BULLSHIT. Nokia made Carbide, and then there was themes. And all was good ever since: “even if her face was screwed to begin with, she could put the mask on, and they were happy again” :).
3. [b]Pre-installed Nokia Maps 3.0, N-Gage, Nokia Messaging:[/b] BS, Valid point, BS ?. Maps 3.0 is available for download, and I have it on the E71, so total BS here. N-Gage is cool, but I hope it will work smoothly. For Nokia Messaging I don’t know. The version you can download on the E71 is kinda shitty (it never worked very well for me, I use PM instead). How much better is it on the E75 for instance ? Do you think the E72 client will be better than anything made available for download for E71 ?
2. [b]Improved multimedia support:[/b] Valid point. Improved multimedia capabilities is what users I waiting for on E72 I think. A crappy camera will break it for me though…
So, all in all I’m still hesitating.
If the multimedia part isn’t dramatically increased, the E72 will become a minor upgrade to my eyes.
No matter how it will turn, I won’t be cashing out for it anytime soon I think: too much devices in the cooking from Nokia and I’m waiting for some radical change. I want a ‘big’ touchscreen device for a better web surfing experience, but I won’t give the full keyboard up. Let’s see how the N900 turns out, and what are Nokia plans for the next (post E72) ESeries device.
Rita, I couldn’t agree more! Your previous article about the E-series being the new N-series is even more true with N-Gage being included on recent E-series phones. Personally, not a selling point for me, but continues to blur the distinction.
Yes, I will be buying the E72, but likely about 3-6 months after it comes out so the price will be lower and a few firmware updates will be out.
All of the “previews” I’ve seen tend to comment on the camera, but as much as I loath my E71′s camera, that one fix wouldn’t be worth me upgrading a year-old phone for. It’s the 3.5mm audio port (great for plugging into car radios to hear podcasts), FP2 with its UDP (but then, us NAM users will need firmware updates to actually find this of use! ;) ), and the increased memory that really intrigue me. And yes, I have run out of memory on the E71 while installing Maps 3.0, so there is room to improve there!
My E71 can get a bit sluggish, so the faster processor should be nice as long as it doesn’t eat up the battery too much.
I wonder if the compass will help with pedestrian navigation. A lifetime pedestrian license for Ovi Maps will give me plenty of time to try it out!
daClaus, that’s good to hear regarding the Bluetooth performance. I use stereo bluetooth for hours a day on my E71 but sometimes it can get flaky, especially when using WiFi. Hopefully this new hardware will address that!
Merlin, what’s with you? Is calling Dotsisx a BS’er really necessary? Seriously. And I bet Nokia is removing the torch feature from all future devices because Merlin bought a new keychain. Good call on using UBB code though!
Rita’s points for upgrading to E72 are absolutely valid if you look at it from an active (very active) E71 user. But the point is from an N series user (I am currently on N79, looking to upgrade to an enterprise phone real soon, may be in 3-4 months time), is it worth the upgrade.
I have been doing a lot of research based purely on my needs and not from hardware perspective.
I need 3.5 mm, noise cancellation, maps (they don’t have to be Ovi only, right), games (little bit), mailing (lots), browsing (very much) and little bells and whistles and I think, BB 8900 fits it more than anything else but E72 is a fantastic phone and I second that
@Dotsisx, from where you got information that N-gage will be on E72?
only place where this is mentioned is social media press release on Nokia site.
Even N-gage site doesn’t mention this. This was very important for me as I have 18 games on my N82. I trialled E71 and really liked it, but multimedia , N-gage,3.5mm jack i missed. I am waiting for Nokia to release true N82 successor and then decide whether to go for that or E72.
Please check again about N-gage on E72 with your friends in Nokia and let us know.
I’ve got an E75 which is an FP2 phone as well. I recently tossed my third E75 off a bridge and reverted to my somewhat mauled and broken E71. Why, you ask? Well simply put, the E75 is a piece of s#it. Slow to respond, Nokia’s new Mail app takes minutes to respond.
The E72 seems to fix some of the issues found in the E75, faster processor, more RAM, etc. but I remain a skeptic until I get the E72 in my hand.
Keep your eyes on Craigslist after the release date – if it doesn’t work out with the E72, I’ll be looking to trade it straight up with a lightly-used E71. And it will be over for Nokia and I.
Hmmm,
I’m off your feed and site. I can’t see another 10 reasons I like, 10 reasons I hate or 10 reasons it’s a worthy upgrade or a better iphone article!
C’mon people let’s see some content … real content on those blogs.
You mention some points that you haven’t even tried or tested yourself but you consider them worthy of paying a premium.
Personally, I have the E71 and an HTC Touch Pro, and while I love them equally for completely different reasons, I find myself going back to the Touch Pro more often, despite the general slowness of the UI compared to the E71.
Why?
Screen real estate.
To all the folks saying they still don’t get why the touchscreen craze, it’s screen size, baby. Like we say in motorcycling, “there’s no replacement for displacement”. Once you have full VGA on your phone, it’s hard to chop that real estate in half for browsing and even general navigation.
I love the E71 to death, but I don’t know if I can go back to such a small screen.
‘ve burnt my fingers with touchscreens – Sony Clie (Palm OS), iMate (WinMo) and lately Galaxy (Android). Can never get used to touch typing. Had to buy a wireless keyboard for the first two. Android keyboard is better but can never match the E71.
Tried Palm, liked it but died out. Tried WinMo, found it no good. Android is better but yet to mature. Symbian is the best so will stick to it.
I’d consider upgrading to E71 due to the following (not in order of preference):
1. Optical trackpad (tried it on a Samsung i780 and liked it)
2. Accelerometer
3. Digital Compass
4. Faster processor and more RAM
5. FP2, specially for the Seven HTML email compatibility
6. No complaints with the E71 battery but the better is merrier
7. USB charging and 3.5 mm jack
Wishlist:
1. FM transmitter
2. TV out
3. Blackberry Connect support
If Nokia brings back BB support, it will woo many BB device users.
please ignore they typo. It shd be ‘consider upgrading to E72′
The more I think about it and the more I come to the conclusion that the E72 will be like an “E71 Ultimate Edition”. You know, like a “what it should have been since the beginning” device. Nothing spectacular but a better, more mature overall package. It doesn’t justify any premium price though, so I will definitely wait before considering buying one.
@Brad, Dotsisx:
Don’t get me wrong: I use harsh words but I didn’t mean to be mean (no pun intended). Nothing there was an insult adressed to Rita, my apologies if I sounded so.
And about the torch issue, if I bought a keychain one it’s because I tried to use the E71 led as a torch with a dedicated software, only to realise that it was way too weak. I wouldn’t have bought one if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, and that’s why they’re people like me who are still buying dedicated keychain torches…
Another crap from Nokia.
With the 320 x 240 screen what Multimedia u want to enjoy?
I wish to see Nokia going down soon….
And that will happen very soon…..
I’m all in on this one. The E71 is the best Nokia I’ve ever used to date. E72 fills the holes that needed filling; camera, FP2 (mostly for ‘destinations’), 3.5mm- and one that you’ve overlooked, a big one in my book- the updated 7.1 browser… along with all that new clock speed. Happy to see the digital compass too. Navigation while walking can be a major pain without one. FM transmitter would have been fantastic- but it’s a damn good amount already packed into a very small device.
So yeah, as a current E71 user, I’m all about the E72 right now. My ultimate combo is going to be an E72 and an N900. The latter device will be run without a SIM card, tethered via BT to a 3G network as God intended. It’s a lot of pocketable power, and it will really offer a great deal of flexibility and options for mobility if you were to throw another step in there. E72 for the quick trips to the market and elsewhere, take the N900 along for longer trips away from home while remaining pocketed but still having a good bit of multimedia prowess- or grab your shoulder bag and netbook if you need more power. Hey- maybe Nokia should start making netbooks too, then develop a scalable open source OS to manage all of this mobile hardware- oh, wait a minute…
The E71 was a remarkably well crafted device (despite the growing dust cloud gathering under my screen!) and IMHO one of the best devices that Nokia has ever created. The E72 is going to be all but unstoppable. Yeah, it’s a worthy upgrade. I’m in.
Merlin, you’re a good guy. :) in your defense, there is a Flickr account that has a few photos of a reproduction E72. Another person who is also testing the phone drew a square around the torch button and wrote, ‘useless’. So, it seems that this person testing the phone also found it of little value. For me, I don’t need a ‘torch’ I just need something bright enough to see in a pitch black room. Usually the backlight on the E71 works just fine, even with a black theme. Doesn’t wake the baby up either!
When i trialed the E71 from Womworld i loved the device…
witht the exception of the camera (which has now been slightly improved
with the last FW update) i had nothing negative to say about the device.
the “switch” application was a great addition for “managing” your work/pleasure
personality. the predictive text and auto correction made using the keypad a
bit more of a pleasure for me…and the all-a-round build quality/size was great.
if nokia embraces the e71 functionality and design and improves on it with the E72 (which they seem to have done) no doubt the E72 will be a definite winner.
ps…i too disliked the default icons….a quick installation of the “OVI theme”
sorted this)
when will it come to America??????
I guess there are lots of improvements on the E72 from E71. However they aren’t really Major ones like from N73 to N95 for instance.
Well, I would also like the upgrade, but the somehow it’s also telling me to wait for another big one.
If only the Camera has a VGA recording capability, that would leave me from my N95 8GB when wanting to shoot some videos
This is a great upgrade from E61′s but not E71′s! Nokia needs to use better screens on these phones, preferably touch screens (like palm does)! I have an E71, i’m quite happy with it, one thing that i dont like is the UI, the homescreen is lame with only 6 quick app links, if i have the phone on vibrate i cant see the date, built in calendar really sucks even though this is a business phone go figure, firmware updates are like nightmares you’ll lose all your installed apps totally stupid! some live widgets would be nice on this, one quick look at the screen and you’ll have your weather, calender, music info right on the front screen aka n97 so eventually nokia will have to add touch screens to this aka palm’ style. Best thing for nokia to do would be to buy Palm und use their WebOS which totally looks like where the future of phones is headed.. only thing is Palm is too small to add everything else usually only Nokia offers on their phones.
FM Transmitter still missing
i will surely upgrade to e72 and waiting for its release in india…but i still feel the following could have been added
fm transmitter- when n97 mini has it, than y not e72
n-gage is there for an e series phone than y not tv out
bb connect support would have been much appreciated
and at least 8 gb mem card should have been added
geo-tagging must have certainly been there
camera should have had video recording at 30 fps
instead of the bling bling body as someone above suggested it should have had a rubbery one as chances of slipping would have been reduced
and i got a doubt ,….does the e72 has an anti glare screen just as in e90
Something I realy hate in E71 is that it doesn’t support all the kinds of mp4, and when it supports the video gets a delay. Is this problem solved on E72?
I have the phone with me now, symbian-guru. What would you like me to test?
jon doe can u please tell me about the screens visibilty in screen and hows the overall operating speed of the phone ……also tell me the much talked about track pad……….is it as good as the blackberry trackball
I am eagerly waiting for the E72! It's the best phone that I could ever have imagined and I am definitely going for it. i have an E71 for the time being and it's proved an excellent device! the one coming will definitely make me stay further on eith nokia.
the problem is that i am losing my patience and ther's no sign of the E72 landing on retailer shelves.
I’m curious how more tightly integrated nokia messaging will be on the E72. I’m an E71 user and whilst I really can’t fault the phone, my major gripe is the clunkiness of email as ironic as that may seem (given its marketing). Nokia messaging although provides html mail is super slow and runs as a standalone app. Email on the E71 is lightyears behind blackberry. I am a huge proponent of S60 and nokia, but unless the E72 blows me away with email integration on FP2, I may be forced to look at the bold 9700. Thoughts?
I absolutely love E71 from the moment I saw it and til I tried it for a year now. It has been amazing an definitely user friendly.
I must stay that E72 is putting up the series one notch higher..with it's camera and memory card upsized..I AM toying with the idea of upgrading my current E71 to the highly-regarded E72. Though it may not make sense if you already have a digi cam..and don't really need a bigger memory card..
All in all, the E-71 is the best phone I ever had…til E72 comes along…Omnia II doesn't even come close… :)
I have the E71 and am experiencing many technical difficulties, such as refusing to send messages.. and just recently backlight failure, which refuses to rectify itself now causing me to take it to Nokia Care.
Also i have been unhappy with the amount of fingerprints and stupidity of the camera! the lack of 'torch' feature also annoyed me to no end!
I would loooove to upgrade to the E72, but i have no idea if this will be available in Australia anytime soon?
im using the e71 for a wile now, and i love it, always had nokia, and im sure i wil be getting the new one too, thought about a blackberry, but why go to something else if u like the way it works right?
when is it comming out btw..
and i realy like the camera upgrade, the one it has now makes bad pics, specialy when its getting darker or in house with lights on..
im using the e71 for a wile now, and i love it, always had nokia, and im sure i wil be getting the new one too, thought about a blackberry, but why go to something else if u like the way it works right?
when is it comming out btw..
and i realy like the camera upgrade, the one it has now makes bad pics, specialy when its getting darker or in house with lights on..
Damian, I'm inclined to agree with you. I'm a current E71 owner and have been “underwhelmed” by the email push “solution” Nokia Messaging. No one does email like Blackberry (having formerly owned the BB 8800 device). Were it not for the fact that I can get a cheaper data plan using unbranded, unlocked Nokia devices, I would go back to Blackberry in a heartbeat. However, since I'm a self-described (and proud) tightwad, I'm sticking with the E71 for now. The E72 has multiple technical problems from what I've read of the reviews on Amazon, so I'm going to wait until the firmware updates iron all the problems out.
I am a E71 fan too, I just stumbled upon your posts today really liked them, For now i think i'll stick to E71 cause I believe the even still a phone cam cant replace a point and shoot :) but having said that the 3.5mm jack is welcome
For all those people complaining about tv out, the e72 has a upnp server, so if you have a upnp renderer (like a ps3, xbox, htpc, etc.) you can stream anything to it via the wifi. Who wants to carry a cable?!
No deal – My wishlist for the E71 : larger screen , better keyboard (larger and better traction) , TV-out .
E71 is Stable and capable , no disappointments in terms from battery life or speed either.
Waiting for the next generation phones – next maybe some forthcoming nokia , android or a good battery iphone.
Cheers
The Battery life is undeniably very good and the screen resolution has improved. But why does Nokia dumb it down by removing podcasting and thi nternet radio option? These were avaialbe even on the E63.