Nokia E65 review

Four new elements

Few novelties are visible immediately. What you will definitely not overlook in Nokia E65, however, is its four new functional keys located beneath the display. Each of them has a specific function. The icon of the first key is more or less clear: a simple compilation of pre-selected conference call; the phone allows you to choose the participants directly from the phonebook.

A closer look at the four new functional keys

The second functional key carries the logo of a ring star. It is an equivalent to the multimedia key present in all models from the N series collection, that is, it carries out any preset task. The image in the top right key is more than evident: shortcut access to the phonebook. The last key silences or activates the microphone during ongoing calls.

The function of each of the rest of the keys edging the four functional keys is rather obvious: context keys, a call-control key, a menu-access key, and a deleting „C“ key. All of them, however, require some practice as their marginal areas are inactive and thus you have to first get used to the slim profile of the phone and then make sure you press keys? centers.

Numeric keypad • keys are low merging virtually into the surrounding surface

Let’s now have a look at the internal, main keypad of Nokia E65. As pattern from the above images, each side of this keypad is narrower by approximately 5 mm due to the rails of the sliding mechanism. Missing millimeters are most perceptible on the keys; the latter are narrow, equally sized, with low uplift and virtually inaudible press response. There is sag in the middle of each key. To sum up, typing on Nokia E65?s internal keypad is an easy task, it is really comfortable. On the other side, it may not turn to be an easy job for SMS fans with large fingers.

The keypad backlighting is controlled through a light sensor in the top right corner above the main display. On bright sunny days it does not even get activated. At night it is decently white and evenly distributed under the entire keypad, except under its very right margins.

Big, yet so fine

The light sensor controlling the keypad backlighting also serves the display illumination. The latter is fully active on sunny days while at night it is easier to read even at lower light conditions. If default settings do not meet your expectations, feel free to modify them according to your will.

Display • display backlighting • full-scale backlighting • keypad detail in the dark

The display itself is by a millimeter narrower and by 4 millimeters longer than the display of the forerunner Nokia E60. Even so its grid is very fine with particular irregularities being visible to very demanding users only. The pity here is that resolution has been cut back to the standard 240 x 320 pixels. The color depth has remained unchanged - the display is capable of visualizing up to 16M colors.

Do you remember our critical remarks on the miniature font of the date and time details on the screen-saver of the main display in former Nokia phones? Well, it seems that those times are gone for good. In Nokia E65 both date and time in the strip screen-saver are larger and thus visible from distance.

No changes in Symbian

The OS is the same, yet a bit different. Nokia E65 uses the last edition of the operational system Symbian OS 9.1 with S60 3rd Edition user interface. Nonetheless, you will probably be dissatisfied. Already 2 new Feature Packs have been introduced for the S60 3rd Edition platform - they supply it with new functions and some other updates. Considering that Nokia E65 was one of the hottest newcomers at the 3GSM congress in Barcelona last month, at least Feature Pack 1 would have been highly appreciated.

Compared to older Symbian versions in terms of software design this last edition is safer and far more efficient, which has a lot to do with the fact that each single program used in the phone, even the cheapest one, requires a special certificate. In this new system you can update firmware without visiting the respective authorized service dealer. This last Symbian also provides USB support, but the memory of the phone is not accessible in USB mode. For this reason you need to get yourself an additional memory card.