Life with the Nokia E72
I’ve been using the Nokia E72 as my primary business phone for about a month now, and of course it’s been a huge improvement over my standard-issue BlackBerry :)
While the E72 build quality is very good, it’s not as solid as the other Eseries devices I’ve played with. The battery door feels somewhat loose, and it’s easy to push the release button by accident. There’s also some light leaking from the edges of the keys surrounding the D-pad. Still, the materials used (such as stainless steel) are really nice…
The keyboard is simply fantastic – I’ve never been so comfortable typing on such a small keyboard, and it’s quiet too (essential for those inevitable Twitter conversations in meetings). The screen is the right size for a non-touch device, and looks great under all viewing conditions.
The D-pad incorporates an optical trackpad which, unfortunately, often interferes with normal input even after a period of adjustment. Sure, it’s interesting, but it’s not particularly useful.
Like the E75, the E72 features a regular 3.5 mm audio jack and charges via either USB or the standard Nokia power connector. Battery life is phenomenal, so charging almost becomes an afterthought – I managed 2 days of intensive use on a single charge during a recent conference!
I’m connecting to a Microsoft Exchange server, and things are mostly working as expected. Occasionally the mail client hangs when sending messages (perhaps it’s server related), and I’m not sure how to check other people’s availability when scheduling events in the calendar (any advice?)
Despite running the latest firmware, the E72 is less stable than I expected. For example, it sometimes hangs on the access point menu when attempting to switch between 3G and WiFi during standby.
The 5 megapixel camera takes absolutely stunning pictures for a business phone, achieving Nseries levels of quality – thankfully, the E72 obliterates the lackluster E71 in this area. See for yourself (click to enlarge):
Stay tuned for a full camera review…
So far, the E72 is shaping up to be my favorite Eseries device of all time. It’s an impressive, well-rounded performer in an attractive package – let’s just hope Nokia irons out the remaining bugs!
Categories
8320, BlackBerry, E71, E72, E75, experiences, Images, Nokia, thoughts
tnkgrl Mobile: Tech that Matters 
So you are using the optical navi key?
Yes I think I mentioned that.
Hey tnkgrl,
Have you noticed any color tinting with the E72 camera? My E71’s camera was absolutely frustrating (I switched to an iPhone 2G for a bit just to have the better color reproduction), and now I’ve swapped that off for an E75. But, weirdly enough, there seems to be a (slight) pinkish hue in the left side of the frame. I looooove candybar-style handsets and therefore miss my N82 but I really need a keyboard these days. Would you say that the E72 is, for all useful purposes, a good combination of the N82 and E71?
-Maptor
No tinting issues with either the E75 or E72 – both have been miles ahead of the E71 in picture quality.
Can you expand on the problem with the optical trackpad?
Are you saying that it picks up accidental input when you’re trying to use the physical D-pad?
I’ve currently got a Sony-Ericsson with a physical joystick and have learnt the hard way that dust and fluff eventually work their way into physical input devices and operation becomes intermittent – ISTR that RIM had the same problem with some of their trackballs. The optical trackpad seems the best solution to me – but I haven’t actually used one!
> Are you saying that it picks up accidental input when you’re trying to use the physical D-pad?
Yes, exactly.
I just bought E72 last week topaz colour made in Finland. I have been using the Palm Treo for a very long time as I love the keyboard and size of the phone.
I have tried the NOKIA touch screen devices – it does not cut it for me.
The E72 is excellent. I have not encountered any of the problems people have been reporting so far on the web. My overall experience is that of a very solid phone, clean interface and in summary a well thought, cut and presented device.
In the calendar view, I wish there was a way I could view the entire year or quarters. This seems to be missing.
The hotmail push mail works perfectly well.
I would not hesitate to recommend this device to any business person.
E72 is an excellent device but i will stick with its smaller brother E52. Give it a try !
Thanks for the review. I’ve been using my E71 for over a year now and I love it. Was considering a move to the E72 when it dies. Best feature: Joikuspot. WiFi tethering is the BEST – and it costs less than any other solution because I only have to buy ONE data plan.
Which service are you using on the E72? Tmobile or ATT ? How do you like the service on it.
Thanks
I’m using AT&T since the E72 does not support 3G bands for T-Mobile in the US.
Great . Thank you. I just heard that t mobile is releasing the E73 and wonder how good of a device it is. Remember that AAT had a the E71-x which was not as good as nokia e71.
Thanks
The E72 improves upon the E71/E71x in several ways. My E72 review unit is unlocked, so it is not crippled by custom firmware in any way.
IS UMA supported on nokia e72 for mobile calling?
No, unfortunately.