Nokia E63 Review
The Nokia E63 is the little brother of the superb E71. In this review, I will discuss with you what are the changes in the device and other things concerning the device. Thanks to WOM World for the device.
Advantages
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Good Build Quality
- Fingerprint Proof
- Good Keypad
- Decent Audio Quality
- Good Battery Life
Disadvantages
- Average Camera Quality
- No Auto-focus
- No Volume Keys
- 3.5mm Jack Cover Not Attached to Body
Design, Materials and Build Quality
The E63 follows the same form factor of the E71 i.e. QWERTY candybar. The E63 measures at 113*59*13mm whereas the E71 measures at only 114*57*10mm. Yes the E63 is bigger than the E71 in both width and thickness but is a tad bit shorter. However the main difference is noticed in the thickness of the device. The weight of the device still remains almost the same i.e. 127 grams in E71 and 126 grams in E63. This is one of the things that surprised me the most since the E63 does not contain all the metal body parts of the E71/E-Series and yet is still heavy. The E63 has mostly plastic components and even the battery cover is made of plastic.
The back cover is fingerprint proof due to the matte finish. The front face is also less prone to fingerprints but has a glossy finish. The only region which attracts some fingerprints is the screen. The battery cover removal process is different, you have to unlock it and remove the cover, when your done, fit it back and lock it again. The face of the E63 has the QWERTY keypad, D-Pad, soft keys, light sensor and earpiece. On the top of the device are the loudspeaker and the 3.5mm audio jack. The right side of the device is plain. On the left are the micro-SD slot and micro-USB connector. Since all the connectors are sealed, it prevents dirt/damage. On the bottom are the charger connector, microphone and the lanyard eyelet. The camera module is on the back.
The device fells quite strong and does not creak. But it feels a bit weaker in comparison to the E71. I think the increase in thickness is the factor that makes it feel more solid. The phone is available in two colours-Ruby Red and Ultramarine Blue (The one I’m trialling). Both the colours look good and have good paint-jobs on the device. But the red feels more feminine and blue appeals to the men.
Keys
The E63 QWERTY keypad remains the same in terms of size but it has a better feeling to it. So it is still very comfortable to type on and even better as I think. The E63 has some more keys on the bottom of the keypad and the space key has become smaller to accommodate the extras. The soft keys, shortcut keys and D-Pad remain the same. The Call End key now acts as the Power Key too. This makes it easier to switch off but it also makes accidental switching on/off more possible. The E63 lacks the presence of voice command and volume keys. I feel the lack of volume keys is a disadvantage. Most users are likely to go to the side to increase/decrease the volume before realising the absence and seeking to other means to achieve so.
Call Quality
The earpiece on the E63 looks better than the one on the E71. Sound quality is identical to the E71. There are no hisses/disturbances. The loudness is the same through the earpiece but through the loudspeaker; the volume is a bit lower compared to the E71. There is a feature in which, if you type a certain number/letter, the phone searches in the call records and phonebook and gives you an easier way to call since you don’t have to dial the entire number or enter the contacts.
Screen
The E63 comes with the same 2.36” landscape oriented screen as on the E71. It displays 16 million colours at QVGA resolution and has good sunlight legibility. Since this model is a minor to the E71, having the same screen size can be treated as a good thing.
Messaging
The QWERTY keypad enables quick texting/emailing which is an advantage to most business users. The 4 types of message supported are-SMS, MMS, Audio and E-Mail. The messages can be stored onto the phone memory or onto a memory card.
Connectivity
Everything is in there including 3G, HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, micro-USB and Bluetooth. Data transfer speeds are similar to the E71. The E63 lacks a GPS receiver.
Memory and Performance
The E63 comes equipped with the same 128MB Ram and 369MHz processor as in the E71. But it has an additional 10 MB of internal memory i.e. 120MB in total. There is a micro-SD card slot which supports upto 8GB. I think higher capacities should work considering the fact that most other phone from Nokia with 128MB of Ram managed to get it working. The E63 runs on the S60 V3 Feature Pack 1 and it delivers the same performance as the E71.
Camera
The E63 camera has been downgraded from the 3.2MP AF camera on the E71 to the 2MP fixed focus camera. The camera quality is below average. The lack of autofocus makes the situation worse. The pictures taken appear greenish and have high noise levels. There is an LED flash which can be used as a flashlight and I believe this is the first time in a Nokia that the camera flash can be used as a flashlight. Other companies have had this for many years and its good to see Nokia heading in the right direction.
The lens also lacks protection and thus scratches and smudges appear easily if not taken care of properly. A self-portrait mirror is also there for self-shot assist. The video recording is also bad with maximum of 15fps at QVGA resolution.
Music
The E63 has a decent audio quality through the speakers and the headphones. The audio quality isn’t exceptional but for a business minded handset, it is quite a good performer. A 3.5mm jack is provided for all headphones. The 3.5mm jack is protected by a plastic cover. However this cover is easy to lose as it is not connected with the body. The loudspeaker isn’t as loud as the E71’s.The various formats of audio supported include MP3, AAC, eAAC+ and WMA. Equalizer, stereo-widening and loudness options are available. E63 also supports A2DP Bluetooth profile.
Video
The video/movie experience is also very similar to the E71’s. Videos are playable in fullscreen. Clarity, colours and contrast is good. Real Player supports mp4 and 3gp formats. You can play other formats using 3rd Party Applications. Long videos/movies may not be watchable due to the small screen size. A 2.6” screen would have made a big difference.
Battery Life
The E63 is equipped with the same 1500mAH battery found in the Nokia E71 and it does offer very good battery life as the E71. Nokia claims a standby time of 432 hours and talktime of 11 hours. The battery lasts longer than on the Nokia E71.
Conclusion
The E63 was released as a younger brother to the Nokia E71 and it is indeed one in terms of features too. There are improvements in some areas and flaws in other areas. But overall this comes sufficient for those business users who are looking for a more affordable and multimedia friendly version of the E71.
Check out the E63 specs and E71 specs and our E71 vs E63 Comparison with Photos
