In a nutshell: The Nokia E72 is a true competitor to the
BlackBerry Bold 9700. With full support for push email, attachment
editing and web browsing, Nokia offers a real alternative. The E72
also features a 5 megapixel camera, video calling, a media player,
FM radio and GPS with Ovi Maps. Ultra-fast data access, WiFi, and
stunning battery life complete the package. It's available in a
choice of Black, Grey, Brown or White. Best buy:
*Free* with free line rental from Mobiles.co.uk
(Grey) or Dialaphone
(Black) or Dialaphone
(White).
Review:
March 2010.
The E72 is a straightforward upgrade
of the very successful Nokia E71. The
E71 was a very close rival to the BlackBerry
Bold, and the E72 delivers almost everything that we were hoping
for as an upgrade. But time has marched onwards and the E72 now
has to compete with the upgrade to the Bold, the BlackBerry
Bold 9700. Has it got what it takes to finally knock BlackBerry
off its perch?
The first thing to note is that physically there's
almost nothing between the E72 and the E71. They look virtually
identical, have the same size and weight and the keyboard feels
the same. That's a pity, because whilst the QWERTY keyboard is good,
it isn't quite up to the very high standards set by the Bold or
Bold 9700. What a shame, because Nokia have proved that they can
make brilliant keyboards - the Nokia E63
has quite probably the best phone keyboard of all time! The E72
is a lot slimmer than the Bold 9700, so if you want something slim
enough to fit in a shirt pocket, the Nokia might be the one to choose.
The display on the E72 is exactly the same as the
E71, which is another disappointment. We were hoping for an increase
in resolution above 240 x 320 pixels. For instance, the Bold 9700
has more than double the number of pixels. Still, it's a good display
with excellent clarity.
It's messaging that is the reason for buying the
E72 of course, and it doesn't fail to deliver. The device is excellent
for both text messaging and push email, with support for IMAP, POP
and SMTP email protocols. Attachments are supported, and the Quickoffice
application lets you view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.
The E72 is fully equipped for security, with a keypad lock, remote
lock and even encryption for data stored in memory or on the memory
card. Full support for Virtual Private Networks is provided.
The E72 can be used handsfree, with either a handsfree
speaker or a Bluetooth wireless headset, combined with both speaker-dependent
and speaker-independent voice dialling. You can set the phone to
answer automatically when using a headset or a car kit.
The E72 beats the BlackBerry when it comes to media,
with a very good 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and digital
zoom. It also has an excellent video camera capable of recording
at up to 640 x 480 pixels, and it has a secondary camera for video
calling too. The E72 can handle music playback, and has the added
attraction of a 3.5mm audio headphone jack. There's
also an FM radio with RDS support.
The Nokia also includes integrated A-GPS satellite
navigation, with the Ovi Maps application pre-installed.
You can also use the phone for web browsing. The
built-in browser can handle XHTML, Javascript, stylesheets and Flash,
so is able to display most websites correctly. You can use the Navi™Key
very effectively to zoom in on web pages, a bit like the iPhone.
The E72 features HSDPA with ultra-fast data downloads of up to 10.2
Mbps supported. That's pretty well as fast as it gets in 2010.
The E72 has excellent connectivity too, with support
for Bluetooth 2.0 (with Enhanced Data Rate), micro USB and WLAN.
The internal memory has been increased to a sizeable
250 MB, and the phone supports microSD memory cards up to 16GB,
twice the capability of the E71.
We're impressed by battery life too. The E72 has
a monster 1500 mAh Li-Ion battery which delivers stellar performance.
You'll struggle to find a phone with better battery life than the
E72.
So, the E72 has many strong features, and it isn't
an expensive phone either, being available free on contract at around
the £25 per month level. At this price, we can ignore the
fact that the screen and keyboard don't quite match those of the
BlackBerry Bold 9700, and
we'll remind ourselves that the Nokia is a lot slimmer than the
BlackBerry and has a better camera too! if you want the best business
phone possible and money is no object, then we'd choose the BlackBerry,
but for everyone else, the E72 is an excellent alternative.
Features of the Nokia E72 include:
5 megapixel camera with autofocus, LED flash
and 5x digital zoom
VGA video camera with 10x digital zoom / Secondary
video camera
Display: TFT, 16 million colours, 240 x 320
pixels (2.36 inches)
Music Player (MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+ formats)
FM radio with RDS support
MP3 ringtones / video ringtones
Speakerphone
Voice memo recording
Integrated A-GPS with compass and Ovi Maps
Messaging: SMS, MMS, email
(POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP protocols), Instant messaging with Presence-enhanced
contacts
Attachment viewer for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint
and Excel
Symbian and Java™ MIDP 2.0 applications
Internet: Web browser, Flash Lite 3.0, WAP,
GPRS, EDGE, HSPA
up to 10.2 Mbps download
Connectivity: WLAN 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
with EDR, micro-USB, Infrared, data modem, 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory: 250 Mbytes plus support for microSD
cards (up to 16 GB)
Vibration alert
Quadband (850/900/1800/1900) plus 3G HSPA
Size: 114 x 58 x 10 mm
Weight: 128g
Talktime: 5 hours (3G) - 12.5 hours (2G)
Battery standby: 490 hours - 570 hours
Nokia E72 Consumer
Reviews
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Average
rating from 37 reviews:
Reviewed by Kim from England on
31st Aug 2010
I've had this phone for 4 months and it crashes ALOT. The space
bar stops working meaning i have to turn my phone off and on again.
The phone sometimes doesn't let me send messages so i have to re-set
my phone meaning everything is deleted off my phone :( Rating:
Reviewed by Ted from England on
21st Aug 2010
It is a really good phone, although it freezes A LOT Rating:
Reviewed by Anthony from Israel on
20th Aug 2010
I love my E72 and would not go back to blackberry its easy to use
and watch movies with bluetooth headset which automatically reconects
for the next time use although the resolution is not as good it
still provides superb quality when watching them. On top of that
you do not need a seperate blackberry package just a simple internet
package will sueit this phone love it very happy with it and the
price does not matter to me LOOOOVVVIIINN it Rating:
Reviewed by sammy from england on
14th Aug 2010
i just got it n its amazing!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Ben773 from UK on
10th Aug 2010
The Nokia E72 has many positive features though also a few of unexpected
disappointments. I find it frustrating how often the internet freezes/says
it's not available. I've even contacted my service provider who
sent me a new sim card though the problem still occurs. Maybe a
service provider issue though I'm not convinced. What definately
isn't related to my service provider is the screen and font size
of the E72. For a smart phone it is too small when compared against
its rivals such as the Blackberry. Browsing the internet can be
a real challenge. Finally, I find the complexity of the camera inhibitive.
On many occasions I have missed a good photo opportunity because
the options prevent a "quick snap" on the spur of the moment! Rating:
Reviewed by coghit from italy on
6th Aug 2010
the Best phone, when it works! freeze to often. Rating:
Reviewed by bob from hawaii on
30th Jul 2010
this phone is amazing and i love it to peices. GET IT Rating:
Reviewed by keziah from uk on
22nd Jul 2010
i have got the nokia e72 and i think it is so great i can't leave
it alone now. BEST PHONE I EVER HAD !!!!!!!!!!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Minty from UK on
20th Jul 2010
I've just got this phone and I already think we're going to get
along well. Apart from one website it just refuses to load (the
scroll page of Dragon Cave, for those that care and that made the
phone freeze so I had to turn it off and on again) I've had no problems
at all. Shame though, seeing as my old E63 managed to handle the
page easily, so I don't quite understand it... hence the one star
mark down (what can I say? I adore DragCave). There is so much that
I am stumped by, but seeing as I shan't be using it for business,
only pleasure, I'm not too fussed. It was a bargain, too, as I got
it on the £15 Web tariff from Virgin Mobile. As I say, it's early
days so things could go wrong, but my first impression, and a couple
of hours compulsive use has me saying well done Nokia :) I've never
even touched an iPhone so I can't compare them... but my Mum has
the Blackberry 9700 Bold and I must admit to preferring the E72,
the Bold seems so overwhelmingly complex to me, but then again it
wasn't my phone so I was wary of pressing too many buttons and causing
trouble, lol. If any little problems arise in the future, I'll be
right back to list them all, lol. Rating:
Reviewed by Stuart P from United Kingdom
on 18th Jul 2010
Owned the E71 for about 6 months and then upgraded to E72. Both
phones are excellent business phones with a mass of features. I
previously owned the Iphone 2G and 3G models but would not go back
to touchscreen. I like the tactile feel of a QWERTY keyboard and
they don't come much better than the E Series phones. The E72 looks
good, feels good and is well worthing shelling out for. Rating:
Reviewed by John Glover from United
Kingdom on 16th Jul 2010
Phone is outstanding and am more than pleased. But the manual supplied
leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe someone should write a book as
per apple Rating:
Reviewed by asboste from UK on
9th Jul 2010
Bought this phone for business as I have had iPhone and Blackberry
earlier. The Nokia looks great feels good and battery life is amazing
compared to the iPhone and BB (2 -3 days VERY heavy usage). Email
client fior exchange is OK, Hotmail not bad, but the software is
absolute rubbish. The symbian OS looks like it came out of noahs
ark, it seriously lets it down. When running muliple apps it slows
down incredibly and freezes all of the time. I constantly have to
switch off and on. Upgraded to the latest Nokia software and had
a day of trouble eventually got it going again (and I am an electronics
techie!!). Today radio wont work, switch on and off and it came
back! Bluetooth randomly disconnects from my carkit when it feels
like, again on and off and it comes back! If you have it set to
auto push mail and you try and use it while it happend to be syncing
forget it it runs like a dog. Sorry Nokia nice try but OS and speed
are very poor. Looking at a HTC now. Rating:
Reviewed by Andy H from England on
7th Jul 2010
Got to say this is the best phone i've ever had. I've had it for
two weeks now and it does exactly what i wanted it to. If you want
to keep up with your hotmail/live account on the go then this phone
must be considered. Also great camera. Only downside is the satnav
is not a patch on tomtom but as it's free you can't argue with it! Rating:
Reviewed by nikk from india on
6th Jul 2010
hi this is nikk.i like your model E72.i using that model wright
now. Rating:
Reviewed by MG from Devon, England on
3rd Jul 2010
Ummd and aaahd about the Nokia E72. 1st one froze. 2nd one had poor
build on screen face. 3rd one good so far. Feels good in the hand.
Mostly fast althouth this may depend on network coverage. Keys are
small and I've found that I often double up on keys. Haven't used
the Blackberry so can't compare. Battery excellent. Rating:
Reviewed by nellie from UK on
1st Jul 2010
This phone is sooooooo sloooooow. rubbish rubbish rubbish. give
me an iphone or desire any day Rating:
Reviewed by abhishek agarwal from india
on 27th Jun 2010
i loved it............... Rating:
Reviewed by Nceba Ntweni from South
Africa on 24th Jun 2010
Fantastic ! ! I have yet to buy the phone but seeing and using my
girlfriend's,has made realise that I'd rather go for the Nokia E72
than the Black Berry I fancied.Having been a Nokia man all my life,I
realise what a great investment I will be making. Kudos to Nokia
for this magnificent piece ! Rating:
Reviewed by Mohyadiin Omar from Somalia
on 22nd Jun 2010
I am the person who left the previous 5 star review. While I stand
by my previous review, I like to give this phone 4 stars. I was
too generous earlier. It is still fabulous but the radio is a letdown.
When the radio is on and the loudspeaker is on, there is a degree
of echoing that is irritating. When the headphone is on, it is perfect.
That is my only complain. If you are not a radio fan, then you have
a fastastic mobile that could rival any blackberry phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Mohyadiin omar from Somalia
on 12th Jun 2010
Fantastic! In fact, words fail me to review this phone. Nokia e72
is the best phone that Nokia has ever manufactured. Texting is easier
and a lot quicker thanks to the QWERTY keyboard. The camera is great.
Pictures are stunning in broad daylight. Of course a dedicated camera
would produce a much better result, but this is a camera phone and
it is good enough for me. Also there is a free GPS as opposed to
aGPS, which cost you in data connections. But you have to dowload
your free SatNav from Nokia website first to realise this great
feature. The Satnav is just as good as TOMTOM and you NO pennies
for it. So you have great phone with qwerty keyboad, great camera
and a wonderful satnav for a good measure. Plus a great battery
life. Seriously, what else do you need? The phone has many useful
features including Wi-Fi and radio including internet radio(connection
could be through Wi-Fi if you don't have your own internet from
the mobile services operator). But the Internet feature is only
available when you upgrade the phone's software. without the upgrade,
it is just good old FM radio. After the updating available for free
from Nokia website, you will notice an Internet radio added to the
mix. what is so wonderful about this is that the Internet radio
picks all the Internet radio stations for you automatically. All
you have to do is to just go through stations one by one(there are
thousands)and add what you like in your favourites. What's more,
when the Internet radio is tuned in, the headphones are not needed.
The unit works as if it is a dedicated radio. That is a wonderful
addition for a radio junks like me. If I have to pick a fight with
Nokia, I would ask why they put the loadspeaker at the back of the
phone?. The sound comes out a bit muffled when the phone is on surface
and the loadspeaker is on. It should be on the front or sideways.
But that is just small stuff. Well, there is no perfection is this
world. Is there? Rating:
Reviewed by Sardar Khan from Dubai -
Uae on 6th Jun 2010
I was planning to buy BB 9700 but was little confused to buy with
Etisalat or Du subscription. I just scroled the net & found the
E72 the best for my choice as most of the features are better than
the BB's. Nice choices of colour. I am fully satisfy to own E72
in comparisson with BB or I-phone. Rating:
Reviewed by Scott from UK on
31st May 2010
my e72 is probably the best phone i personally have ever used. Ive
tried out both blackberry bolds, the samsung omnia pro and the iphone.
the e72 out classes them all with fast 3g web browsing, multitasking
with apps, an good quality camera and a simple qwerty keyboard,
and whats even better for all of this is the price! 5 stars for
pure Nokia excellence Rating:
Reviewed by Dr A A saiyyed from india
on 20th May 2010
I am using E72 since 5 months now. Its an excellent all rounder.
Only one thing thats annoying is its poor earpiece volume. Can anybody
tell , is it my handsets problem or in general problem of E72? Anybody
, pls help. Rating:
Reviewed by nottmbantam from Saudi Arabia
on 2nd May 2010
I bought this handset a few days ago, as I wanted a phone with a
qwerty keyboard. THe Blackberry models in teh same price bracket
either didn't have 3G ( eg Curve - 2G only ) or the camera wasn't
as good ( Bold, only a 2mp camera ) , so this seemed a pretty good
bet. I had sold my N97, and had gone back to using my N95 , so missed
the k/b on the N97. As I had bought the N97 as a PAYG handset and
was left ultimately disapointed, I didn't want to be spending another
£500. I also work abroad, I wanted an unlocked handset, so paid
around £245 for this, cheaper than some of the BB Models. Ok - first
impressions - nice looking phone, very handsome, nice weight in
the hand, nice and slim, quite ergonomic really. One downside is
that I find the k/b a little too compact after the N97, which is
quite nicely spaced out, but I do like the fact that the main punctuation
marks are easy toa ccess, rather than to go through the 'Symbols'
sub menu. Screen size is more than adequate, even when surfing.
I am using Opera Mobile, which zooms into web pages quite effortlessly.
I have also updated the phone's firmware to v31, and did a hard
re-set. From building the phone up from scratch, I found the initial
email set up a bit 'glitchy', as it didn't run smoothly. I did get
there in the end, and since then, my Gmail account works perfectly.I
think the best way is to first set the 'Destinations' for the device,
then go into setting up email. The camera is good, and more than
adequate - not as good as the N95, optics are not same standard,
but when viewing the pics on a laptop screen, they are pretty decent.
Video recording although is only at 15 fps, is again good enough.
Obviously the newer phones now are recording in HD, but this is
in essence a messaging phone . business phone, so the video recording
facility aint gonna be pulling up trees, but it does the job. THe
other media apps are fine, FM radio now has Internet Radio as part
of the new formware, gallery , video centre are pretty similar to
other Symbian phones. The shortcut keys are useful, although I would
like the option to customise the home screen a little more. The
application shortcuts are cahngeable, but the list of items below
that are the ones I'd like to change. I like the fact I can switch
to 'Personal' mode and then have a different set of shortcuts, so
in effect giving a much wider range of shortcuts is needed. Menu
is good, Control Panel is very good I have to say, and easy to access
all aspects of the phone's operation. I don't miss the touchscreen
of the N97, as I find it as quick using the D Pad. I'm not sure
about the optical navi key - in reality, the surface area is a little
small really to be quick when using it, it's quicker just pressing
the four direction keys. I find the loudspeaker in a bit of an odd
place really - is it just me? It's on the back of the phone, so
if the phone is on a desk surface, and I'm using it on the the loudspeaker,
the sound is muffled. The only problem with volume is that it's
perhaps too loud (!) , as it makes the speaker vibrate too much
and can almost distort the sound. Maybe speaker at the side of the
phone, or even stereo speakers built into the sides? Being picky
here, but this IS a review. I have put in a 8gb memory card, and
have installed the main key apps I use- all work very well and without
problems - Skype, Joikuspot, Opera, fring. Battery life seems pretty
good, the phone is always on 3G, always connected to the internet,
and will last for a good two days. So, in summary, I think it's
very very nearly perfect for what it's intended for, maybe a few
very minor improvements. Looking through the stars ratings and what
they mean, it is in my view an excellent phone, so hence 4 stars.
A few minor improvements and it would be outstanding. Rating:
Reviewed by Dariush from UK on
29th Apr 2010
Really recommend this phone, absolutely everything you could want!
I'm on a contract with Virgin and with free internet it's a great
phone! Battery Life= 3/4 days V.HEAVY USAGE! (you can turn on power
saving though- gives you up to a week usage) Applications= Absolutely
everything you could want and lots of free downloads from Ovi! Ease
of Use= My mum could use it! (Very easy) Bad Points= NEED A MEMORY
CARD (actually comes with 4gb which is great but get a larger one
for music etc...) Best Phone I have ever had, hands down! Rating:
Reviewed by nellie from UK on
29th Apr 2010
stupid battery cover. Other than that this phone is ok and getting
better with each firmware update. Rating:
Reviewed by Annie from UK on
14th Apr 2010
Recently got this phone on contract from O2! And all i can say is
it's easily the best phone i have ever owned! No problems at all
easy to figure out battery life is good! Camera is better in daylight
than inside but nothing is perfect... well done Nokia on this onee!
Five star rating! Rating:
Reviewed by izzah from England on
13th Apr 2010
my Nokia E72 handest is definetly something, it never slows down
at all or plays up like my old nokis 6500 slide, the phone has impressed
me so much, especially considering that im only 13, the only problem
is not the phone but owning this phone means that it is a good target
for thieves, but its music players is good, and the camera is also
excellent, i also love the secondary camera, its not amazing but
it is good when i take pics of me with friends and family n:) five
star product ***** Rating:
Reviewed by Mick from England on
10th Apr 2010
Quite simply, the best phone I've ever had. Superb Rating:
Reviewed by Keith from UK on
13th Mar 2010
The E 72 is the best phone I've ever owned and I love the push e
mail the maps feature (also Google maps). Camera is poor indoors,
but OK in good light. Biggest disappointment is the battery life.
It tends to go on to low battery saving mode at about 40% charge
which is irritating to say the least. If you use your gadgets, it
will be on charge every day. Number of useful free apps is growing
by the day. Keyboard is easy to use even if you have big fingers
like mine. Love the way it will latch on to wireless net if one
is available. There is nothing I don't like about this phone, except
the battery life. Rating:
Reviewed by Arshad Mehmood from Pakistan
on 11th Mar 2010
Every thing excellent except screen resolution. Come on nokia u
can do bit more. Rating:
Reviewed by Reza from Iran on
10th Mar 2010
In one word Aaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwssssssssooooooooooommmmmmmmeeee Rating:
Reviewed by Adel El Husseiny from Egypt
on 9th Mar 2010
outstanding Mobile. excellent Battery. well done Nokia. Rating:
Reviewed by Michael from United Kingdom
on 6th Mar 2010
I recently upgraded to the Nokia E72, having used a Nokia 6300 for
the last 18 months(which was probably one of the most reliable &
user-friendly phones I have ever had). Initially, I found using
the Nokia E72's Symbian S60 software more complicated than the 6300's
S40 software, but having played around with the E72 for about a
fortnight & getting used to the phone, I have to say I am impressed
at it's capabilities. More amazing is the fact that all of the E72's
tech & features are packed into such a slimline & compact phone
- hats off to Nokia for achieving this! I primarily wanted a phone
for internet/e-mail on the move, and the E72 doesn't disappoint.
Whether using Wi-fi or 3.5G, the phone is fast, and browsing the
net is a breeze. I would recommend downloading the Skyfire Web Browsing
App, as I find to be a bit better than the standard pre-installed
internet browser. Good points of the phone? The call quality on
the E72 is crystal-clear, the processor is super-fast (a friend
told me that it is faster than the N97's processor? If so, that
it impressive!), and the camera (whilst not featuring Carl Zeiss
optics) is good for the casual snapper. The QWERTY keypad is suprisingly
usable (despite the small keys), and a 3.5mm headphone jack is included
for listening to music on the move. Oh, and the phone looks fantastic
- several people have commented on the nice design of the phone!
So what's not so good about the E72? Not much! The optical track-pad
can be a little temperamental at times, so you will need to adjust
the sensitivity to your personal preference. The screen resolution
should really be a bit higher, but Nokia will no doubt improve this
feature when they release the E73. On a more general note, Nokia's
Ovi Store doesn't have a huge range of apps for the E72 yet (in
comparison to the amount of apps available to iPhone or Android
users), but more apps are starting to appear & it's worth browsing
the wider net to find out what apps are coming out. For those upgrading
from the E71 - whether or not it is worth the upgrade will depend
on whether the improvements matter to the individual user, as the
phones are broadly similar. But on the face of it, there seems to
be some great deals around on most of the UK networks for the E72.
Overall, I am very impressed with the Nokia E72, and I highly recommend
it as it more than exceeds my requirements. Well done Nokia - keep
up the good work! PS. Neil from UK - If your E72 is freezing, it
is worth downloading the firmware updates that Nokia have released
- a v22.007 update was released in early January, and a v023.002
update came out in mid-February. Both are worth downloading, and
the v023.002 update in particular has certainly stabilised the Symbian
operating system. Rating:
Reviewed by Nick from UK on 5th
Mar 2010
An epic phone! does everything from communicating in every fashion
from texts to msn, to taking excellent pictures. great build quality
too but I have to say that I.m not entirely sure what the reviewer
of this article is on about with the keyboard as I find it to be
excellent. the bold was spongy and the buttons smaller and harder
to use. Overall a faultless phone with a fantastic price Rating:
Reviewed by Ng'andwe from Zambia on
3rd Mar 2010
Excellent phone. No problems. Rating:
Reviewed by neil from uk on 2nd
Mar 2010
i have both , e72 freezes and needs rebooting a lot the 9700 bold
is by far the best phone ive ever owned , and ive had dozens Rating:
