My New Handphone - Nokia E71

 Two days ago, my two friends and I went to Far East Plaza to get a handphone each since we needed the handphones to do some testing and data gathering. Anyway, when it comes to handphones, I am usually not really particular about the functionality, since I don’t normally use them anyway. My last phone, Sony Ericcson K810i, managed to impress me quite a lot with the 3.2megapixel camera, built with Cybershot technology.

Although it seems like just a small improvement over a 2megapixel camera, it turns out that my pictures were of far higher quality than my previous 2 megapixel phone. With this phone, I grew very attached to Sony Ericcson and I started developing a fetish for snapping photographs and I used to hate taking pictures. When I have to stop using my K810i after returning to serve, I was greatly saddened by the separation of my handphone from my hands as I stooped as low as using a super lousy handphone that cannot even send SMS to more than one person, unless I type the SMS multiple times.

Two days ago, when I was about to get a handphone, my choices were limited to Nokia sets since that’s the model we have developed for. Even as I reminisce over the fond memories which I had with my k810i and all the wonderful pictures it captured for me, I still had to get a Nokia phone. To be honest, I was very apprenhensive about getting a Nokia phone after growing so attached to my k810i and getting so accustomed to the controls.

When I reached the mobile phone store with my friends, I looked around and saw someone looking at a Nokia handphone that caught my eye immediately… the phone had a QWERTY keypad. Call me stupid or whatever, but I did not know that there are such slim phones that came with QWERTY keypad and it totally got me bewitched. Without going too deep into the details, I ultimately purchased the phone, a Nokia E71. My friends purchased other models: E66 and N78.

I did not touch the phone at all for the first day, since I just set it aside to charge for the full 8 hours, although I think I charged it for much longer. After charging, I started learning to use the phone since it is going to be my buddy for the next year ahead. It’s quite a great shift from a normal handphone keypad to a QWERTY keypad, but generally, they have about the same features.

Once I start using the phone, I began to fall in love with it. Firstly, the QWERTY keypad means that I can now type much faster on my phone than in the past. I used to hate sending SMSes because it’s frustrating to type so slow, but I no longer have that problem. Typing a SMS with a QWERTY keypad is fast and I may now even type SMSes faster than some of the certified SMS typists, since they are naturally disadvantaged and have to type more keys to get one character out.

The second feature I really liked is the voice recognition. I was surprised to use the functionality with such success that it can even recognise chinese names. I managed to find most of my friends quite easily and I think it’s much better than to scroll through contacts and dig for one specified person. However, I think it will be much cooler if it can help me type out SMSes through voice recognition. It may probably come true in a year later or something.

The third thing I like about it is its design. I just thinks it looks cool and I don’t need to explain this since it’s subjective and varies with each person. Someone else may think that I have bad taste instead. Fourth, I like the fact that I can set up my emails on the phone and it will be much more convenient to check my emails from anywhere I am. Fifth, it has wifi. Although I have not been able to get a network apart from my home as of now yet, I think it’s simply cool.

Anyway, after falling in love with the phone, I went online to do some checking of the background just to make sure that my lover does not have some dubious background. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I have just scratched the tip of the iceberg and there are many more features in the phone which I may probably never use. As of now though, all I have to say is… I’m in love once again.