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I've been using the Nokia E62 for over a week, and have really tried to like it. Actually, I do like it, but I've decided to return it.

As mentioned previously, the screen is like nothing I have seen on a phone before, the phone audio quality is superb (and loud, I was able to use it on the loud MAX floor), Bluetooth support sets the bar higher than any device I have used previously, and the web browser is phenomenal.

So why am I giving up on it?

Firstly, I just can't get used to how sluggish this phone is. I don't know if it is Symbian or needing a faster processor, but pressing the Address Book button and having to wait 1-4 seconds for it to display is frustrating. When the text message alert pops up and Show is clicked in can take several seconds of staring at a blank screen until anything happens. And even moving from message to message is painfully slow. The device response time is just unacceptable.

Secondly, the applications are simply sub par. The Calendar app is so simplistic that it is basically useless. The SMS app must have been written by people who don't use SMS very much. The Address Book is barely configurable. And the list goes on. It is a shame to see a device with this much potential hampered by such poor applications. About the only really impressive apps are the e-mail clients, which brings me to my final verdict.

Verdict: The Nokia E62 is a very impressive device, and a really good phone. If your primary needs are phone and e-mail then this is hard to beat (which I guess puts the E62 squarely in the Blackberry category). But if you need real PDA functionality, then this won't cut it. For me, e-mail is less important, whereas calendar and SMS and other apps are just as important as the phone itself. That, coupled with a response time that makes the Treo (and even Windows Mobile devices) look snappy, making the E62 unusable for me.

BTW, if you find yourself in the same boat, and want to return the device, use the following code to reset the device back to factory defaults (removing all of your data and configuration): *#7370# (default lock code is 12345).

And so the search for the perfect phone goes on.

Comments

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I looked at the Nokia 62, but decided to try a Blackberry 8700. Too early to tell whether I'll stick with it, though I do prefer it for data entry over the Treo 650 I used previously.

# Posted By Hans | 10/27/06 2:18 PM

Ben -- I totally concurr... I returned my E61 shortly after it arrived. Now I have been using -- and returned back to using -- a Windows Mobile 5 based PDA made by HTC and branded under different names.

# Posted By Stefan | 10/27/06 2:30 PM

Stefan, funny, my wife and son have that same phone (branded as the Cingular 8125). And I am considering getting the same one.

--- Ben

# Posted By Ben Forta | 10/27/06 2:37 PM

For a PDA phone, the imate JASJAM (which is from HTC TyTN) is something I would highly recommend. Phone quality is great. And it runs Windows Mobile 5 so it is features rich. And I can also run FlashLite 2 now on the phone. HeHe...

# Posted By Brian | 10/27/06 8:37 PM

I have the nokia e62 too and also find very frustrating to be forced to wait 1-2 seconds everytime one opens an application or looks for a contact.

I am also looking to change. I might go with the new iPaq or the new Treo 680 or one of the HTC

Ben, how does the Cingular 8125 compares in terms of speed and applications with the nokia?

# Posted By Marc | 10/27/06 10:22 PM

been using the e61 for a while and just hate how slow it is plus the lack of software for it on the mac; still, just as the post says, the basic things i need it for (phone, simple todos etc) work, plus i think one of the reasons i still have it is that i waited for it for damn too long to bring myself to seeing it go off again :)

cheers,
-- eokyere :)

# Posted By Emmanuel Okyere | 10/28/06 11:03 AM

Marc, the Cingular 8125 (HTC) is actually pretty responsive, feels no slower than the Treo P. I am not a big fan of the sliding keyboard though. I mean I like the keyboard and the fact that by sliding it away you have a bigger screen, but when you need to 'press 1 for ...' it's a real pain. In that respect I prefer the Treo or devices with a keyboard on the front. I also seem to find that the Windows Mobile devices in general seem to require more touching specifc locations on the screen more than the Treo, which is a bit of a pain. But as far as speed, and the quality of the applications, the device is great. The calendar app is great, browser is IE so pretty good, contacts app is good, e-mail app is very good. SMS is not great, it is integrated into e-mail app, so no chat mode. And there are loads of downloads available.

--- Ben

# Posted By Ben Forta | 10/28/06 9:03 PM

So what is wrong with the Treo?

# Posted By Marc | 10/28/06 9:11 PM

On this page: http://www.linquist.net/life/2006/10/27/treo-680-c...
You will see a Cingular powerpoint presentation that shows Treo 680 & Cingular 8525 (HTC TyTN) pricing & release information:
- Treo 680: Nov 5th
- Cingular 8525: Oct 29th!

# Posted By Marc | 10/28/06 10:18 PM

Marc, I love the Treo. Well, except for the hanging, the reboots, the poor audio quality, and lousy Bluetooth support. ;-)

--- Ben

# Posted By Ben Forta | 10/28/06 10:29 PM

A few days later and the Blackberry 8700 has been a perfect phone for me. Configured with my corporate, personal, and gmail accounts. Syncs with my corporate and google calendar. Opera Mini in addition to the standard Wap and Http browsers. Easy SSH access to my Linux boxes. And I can tether with my laptop if ever necessary. Only thing I'm missing is Flash Lite. Any word whether this will be coming?

# Posted By Hans | 11/1/06 10:02 PM

Ben,

Take a look at the new Blackberry 8100 ( a.k.a Pearl ). I have an E61 that is now relegated to my desk drawer for exactly the reasons you state. The Pearl is a great phone and a great email client. Super fast and easy to use. My only issue is synching with my MacBook Pro, but I'm hoping the PockeMac folks release support soon.

Regards
Dave.

# Posted By Dave | 11/2/06 12:32 PM

I sold my 8700 in favor of the Nokia E62, and it was worth it. I agree with others that the apps are sub par compared to the Windows devices. But the web browser is amazing. The ability to customize the profiles (ringtones) is priceless. My office profile plays a ringtone, but quietly. It's more appropriate for the office, haha. The contacts is ridiculous as address is not a default field, the line display is awful and the notes field is poorly designed. But the sell of my BB paid for this. No phone is perfect, but the E62 is for me for now.

# Posted By Lillian | 11/3/06 4:03 AM

Ben,

I agree with you (and many others who commented). I was very excited when I saw the e62 as I had been a Nokia user from way back but switched to Treo650 so I could have a PDA. When I saw the e62 I jumped on it but was frustrated from day one when I couldn't load my 15K contact db....the phone has literally been paralyzed after moving this db over from Outlook. I get "out o memory" errors when I try to open the Address Book and even if I do something simple like try to review missed calls -- it is amazing that Nokia would let this occur.

I have escalated my issue to Level 4 (Developer) through Nokia Customer Service but am not hopeful of a positive outcome. My final plan is to just dump my 15K contacts and just use the phone for everything else that it does.

Final Note: I had no problem moving my 15K contact db over to the Palm Treo 650.

Thanks.

charlieb

# Posted By Charlieb | 11/9/06 2:15 PM

Hi,

I'm 100% in the same boat as Charlieb!! I have a Treo 650 and JUMPED on the E62, and I was SO disappointed! I previously owned a Nokia 3650, and aside from the funky key layout (I had the circular keypad), I LOVED the Series 60 UI. Now they come out with this device which has a gorgeous screen, but it too slow and unresponsive compared to the Treo (whose interface leaves a LOT to be desired), but the PIM on PALM is awesome; the contacts on Palm (which originally I hated) is still better than the Series 60v3 address book, and so on. I totally agree that the browser on the E62 is unbelievable (though I often had been getting KERN-EXEC 3 errors when exiting-- not a big deal).

The straw that broke the camel's back was the horrible battery life compared to the Treo. Not only do you have to charge the E62 daily (if you use it alot like I did), but the battery meter is not even close to accurate (I've had to reboot the phone to get the "real" battery life).

I so much wanted to keep this device, but I just couldn't considering all its downsides. Nokia needs to seriously redesign the software in these devices if they want to survive.

--S

# Posted By Seth | 11/25/06 2:42 AM

Funny. I had pretty much the same exact experience. I so so wanted to love the E62, but it felt like a demo model. The UI is very pretty, the sound quality is great, the display is awesome, but when it came down to it, actually using the damn thing was painful.

I could not get Exchange for Mail or Blackberry Connect working with our Exchange server.

Going back to my Blackberry 7290 made me remember what a great product the 7290 is. The screen is sucky compared to current phones. It cant play mp3s, take pics, no speaker phone, but as a mail and phone device, it's superb.

# Posted By enantiodromia | 3/16/07 1:47 PM

I've been using e62 for 2 months now.i love this phone.u cant have everything for such a low price.im ok with the response time.i disagree with the battery time.e62 has a 1500mah batt.which is good enough for 5-6 days (without net usage) for me....all the internet reviews confirms that the battery life is the best u can get in a smartfone..the browsing experience is like a pc..just awesome.the display is very nice.i love the qwerty kboard.for 250$ what more do u want..nice mag alloy scratchproof construction..a scratchproof screen..and phone with good reception and a very good portable videoplayer.

# Posted By Deepak | 9/11/07 5:08 AM

My office profile plays a ringtone, but quietly. It's more appropriate for the office, haha. The contacts is ridiculous as address is not a default field, the line display is awful and the notes field is poorly designed.

# Posted By seo | 3/20/08 4:22 AM

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Goodbye Nokia E62