Nokia E51

(Mobile phones)

"I've had this phone for just under a week now, and I'm quite impressed with it. It's a S60 3rd Ed FP1 phone, so it's fairly packed with features, but I'm quite impressed by it's overall quality. Much better call quality than my Nokia 6300 and it feels like it's built to last - although only time will tell. There are some useful shortcut buttons - although the main center button and directional control could have been used to do more. Some minor features have disappeared - one example is control over snooze time, which can no longer be changed. It's a pity it's gone, but it's nothing to cry over.
All things considered, this stacks up very well against phones of it's class, although you realize it's a shame the camera is on the back when you go to make a video call (go figure Nokia ;-)
I won't be taking it back unless it breaks down, which doesn't seem too likely."

Review date: 2 Feb, 2009

Nokia 6300

(Mobile phones)

"The design is minimalist and kinda beautiful, imo. The features are very good for a phone in this price range and it feels solid and comfortable in the hand.
Battery power is hit by a bright display and a poor default power conservation policy - but it's not too bad, giving about 3 days with moderate usage.
Quality is a bit poor, I think. I turned on voice enhancement and noticed a terrible whine/howl that would occour for a second when I answered a call. I turned off voice enhancement and expected the problem to go away - it didn't.
Another issue is with small cracks that appear in the keypad.
Defects of any kind are not something I'd associate with Nokia, who normally make rock-solid workmanlike handsets that quietly impress you. This phone is immediately attractive, but over time you notice faults. This is not the Nokia way.
Still, I'd recommend it, since not every phone is affected in the same way, and I know many people who have had no problems with them."

Review date: 1 Feb, 2009