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Monday August 21, 2006
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 I've spent the past week with a pre-production model of Nokia's new E62 smartphone, and I'm extremely impressed. With a very usable keyboard, a big screen, lots of email options and two terrific Web browsers available, this is GSM's answer to Verizon's Motorola Q. (The E62 will probably appear on T-Mobile or Cingular.) As long as Nokia can deliver stable software, the E62 could outmatch the popular Q in nearly every area of performance; PDFs look gorgeous on this thing, and push email comes through beautifully (even though the Good push client I was using eats up battery life.) If you haven't used Nokia's new Web browser, your eyes will goggle -- this looks more desktop-web-browsing-like than any handheld I've ever seen. Yes, the built-in EDGE modem is slower than Cingular's new HSDPA network, but given the pathetic buildout of Cingular's HSDPA I can understand Nokia wanting to go with the more popular standard for now.
One odd omission from a consumer perspective is some sort of desktop software to help you reformat video to play on the device. You can play video on the E62, but it requires some geekery to figure out how to transcode it. Maybe this is just that I'm less experienced with the E62's Symbian operating system than I am with Palm and Windows Mobile, but the latter two OSes basically let you drag and drop video into their desktop software. Symbian is like the soccer of handheld OSes, tremendously popular in Europe but mysterious to most Americans. Ultimately, that will be the E62's challenge: businesses, who could most benefit from the device, may be loathe to adopt the so far unfamiliar Symbian OS. But those who overlook the E62 simply because it isn't part of their Microsoft volume-license contracts will be missing out on a terrific handheld. Read more in my full review on PCMag.com.
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August 21, 2006 8:11 AM
the e-62 is an elegant piece of hardware but, in my line of work (i drive an 18 wheeler) it's way too much and way too little...... i'll be first in line when the us version of the e-70 hits these shores.... it messages and emails, it's rugged and compact and it will get and hold a signal in remote areas, if it's anything like my trusty old nokia 6800..... if you think you have a killer smartphone come to argyle, iowa or st. ansgar iowa and see if you can fire it up and surf (i drive through these towns 6 times weekly).....
September 1, 2006 2:10 PM
I think the E61/62 are perfect for the US. Its alot more familiar when compared to windows devices. All the new NSeries and Eseries are essentially the same underneath. But what seperates them is simply the form factor and ready installed/bundled software. Eseries being more business ready. Although Nokia do need to start conforming to US 3G standards. In the UK these are very very popular 3G devices. I would find it hard to rely on Edge :P WiFi rocks on the other hand. Software wise there is loads. Being Symbian you get interesting software nearly everyday. In regards to video conversion dont bother with nokia's multimedia player (in pc suite)to convert as its pretty crappy quality unless you want to save on space. I'd use Super encoder or something to do the job instead.
September 30, 2006 1:47 PM
This device is awesome! Very stable on Goodlink email and the voice quality is what I would expect from Nokia. The battery is great and again something I would expect from Nokia. This IS the Q killer.
October 13, 2006 6:39 PM
I'd love to have an EVDO hi-speed web browser, but I refuse to pay $500 for another phone (as I did the now cheap Razr). That said, the winning points for the E62 for me are the window-in-window web browser and the customizable ring profiles. Instead of having my phone on vibrate at my desk and missing calls, I can customize one with a lower volume and hear my calls without disturbng co-workers. When I'm outside, I can customize it to ring very loud. When in a meeting I may customize a profile that vibrates only when my work team calls. That makes up for the crappy-looking Symbian OS. The only thing I really don't like so far is the difficulty to type with one-hand. I am a female with small hands, but I was able to do this on the BlackBerry. I feel that I'm going to drop the E62 and alwys end up using two hands. I also don't like the delayed opening of BB connect email, so I use Gmail. My attachments also open funny in BB connect's in box. again, I forward them to Gmail and they work okay. Cingular's staff is not familiar enough to help, and I even went to the Nokia store...no luck. No phone is ideal to me yes, but of Cingular's options, this is ideal for the here and now for me.
October 13, 2006 6:39 PM
I'd love to have an EVDO hi-speed web browser, but I refuse to pay $500 for another phone (as I did the now cheap Razr). That said, the winning points for the E62 for me are the window-in-window web browser and the customizable ring profiles. Instead of having my phone on vibrate at my desk and missing calls, I can customize one with a lower volume and hear my calls without disturbng co-workers. When I'm outside, I can customize it to ring very loud. When in a meeting I may customize a profile that vibrates only when my work team calls. That makes up for the crappy-looking Symbian OS. The only thing I really don't like so far is the difficulty to type with one-hand. I am a female with small hands, but I was able to do this on the BlackBerry. I feel that I'm going to drop the E62 and alwys end up using two hands. I also don't like the delayed opening of BB connect email, so I use Gmail. My attachments also open funny in BB connect's in box. again, I forward them to Gmail and they work okay. Cingular's staff is not familiar enough to help, and I even went to the Nokia store...no luck. No phone is ideal to me yes, but of Cingular's options, this is ideal for the here and now for me.
October 13, 2006 6:40 PM
I'd love to have an EVDO hi-speed web browser, but I refuse to pay $500 for another phone (as I did the now cheap Razr). That said, the winning points for the E62 for me are the window-in-window web browser and the customizable ring profiles. Instead of having my phone on vibrate at my desk and missing calls, I can customize one with a lower volume and hear my calls without disturbng co-workers. When I'm outside, I can customize it to ring very loud. When in a meeting I may customize a profile that vibrates only when my work team calls. That makes up for the crappy-looking Symbian OS. The only thing I really don't like so far is the difficulty to type with one-hand. I am a female with small hands, but I was able to do this on the BlackBerry. I feel that I'm going to drop the E62 and alwys end up using two hands. I also don't like the delayed opening of BB connect email, so I use Gmail. My attachments also open funny in BB connect's in box. again, I forward them to Gmail and they work okay. Cingular's staff is not familiar enough to help, and I even went to the Nokia store...no luck. No phone is ideal to me yes, but of Cingular's options, this is ideal for the here and now for me.