Nokia E51 review: Connecting business

Connectivity is a strong side of E-series

Transferring data is what Nokia E51 really likes to do. Just name the data transfer medium and you can be certain that this handset supports it. MiniUSB v2.0 and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP profile support and IrDA (115 kbps) just start the count. All kinds of network connectivity are also supported - from GPRS and EDGE to 3G with HSDPA support - Nokia E51 has it all. To complete the wireless communication tally, Wi-Fi 802.11g with VoIP over WLAN support is also on board. Even the card slot for microSD cards (up to 4GB supported) is here.

MiniUSB, Bluetooth, IrDA, Wi-Fi and microSD card support in E51

Browsing away

Browsing the internet with Nokia E51 is a pleasure. No matter how elaborate the web page, it fits perfectly on the screen and looks almost exactly like on a PC. The virtual mouse cursor takes browsing another level up.

It is easy to control and generally works great. A mini-map can be activated to help navigating your way around large sites where lots of scrolling is required. Additionally, when you scroll a bit more, a preloaded semitransparent image overlays the page. The zoom level is also adjustable at the expense of only a few key presses.

Normal and landscape views • mini-map and semi-transparent map

The history pages are revealed in 3D like view with the current pick displayed at the center.

The visited pages history has some 3D effects

Organizer

The time-management skills of Nokia Е51 are really top-notch. We start the exploration of the large application package with the calendar. It has three different types of view - monthly, weekly and daily, and four types of events available for setting up - Meeting, Memo, Anniversary and To-do. Every event has its own unique fields, some of which allow an alarm to be activated at a preset time to act as a reminder.

Different calendar views and the events available

The mobile office is presented moderately, with preinstalled applications able to open Word and Excel files seamlessly. Unluckily editing documents is not supported by the included version of the Quickoffice. If you would like to be able to edit these files you will have to purchase the complete application at the Nokia Download center.

Quickoffice is a quick remedy for your daily documents

"...Each of Nokia's Enterprise devices has its strengths, but usually at the expense of a few compromises. The stylish Nokia E51 proves to be a well-balanced performer that will certainly meet the contemporary business requirements. Fine looks are just an added gain..."

Adobe Reader LE is also included and a ZIP manager allows extracting archived files straight from your phone.

Adobe reader and ZIP manager are flawless

The other included organizing and time-management applications are: a feature-rich unit converter, calculator and voice recorder, as well as a Notes application. We are not going to get into detail with them, as their functionality and performance are familiar enough.

Converter, calculator and notes also at hand

Active notes enable users to create notes containing rich text and multimedia items (e.g. pictures, voice clips, video clips). Notes can be synchronized with PC and browsed from your desktop via any XHTML compatible web browser.

Active notes: a notes application on steroids

Another interesting application is the Nokia Team Suite. It provides easy-to-use UI for organizing and facilitating group conference calls, email messages, or text messages.

Team suite offers extended group functions

Conclusion

Each of Nokia's Enterprise devices has its strengths, but usually at the expense of a few compromises. The stylish Nokia E51 proves to be a well-balanced performer that will certainly meet the contemporary business requirements. Fine looks are just an added gain.

Nokia E51 might be the right bestseller stuff not only for business, but for regular users too, for its all-purpose applicability. The 350 USD price tag sure adds to that excitement. With E51 there's one more pro on offer.