Nokia E71 is a device designed for enterprise messaging with an indication GPS for navigation, Microsoft Exchange email support, a VPN for secure communications, and voice over IP (VoIP) for making calls over a Wi-Fi Connection .

Due to become available before the end of July, the E71 is the successor of Nokia E61, but is a thin and more capable device. With its qwerty keyboard, the new model is a clear competitor for RIM BlackBerry, but heavy email users will probably find too narrow in comparison. Nevertheless, we hope that the E71 will find favour as a high-end business phone with its combination of features and battery life decent.

During testing, we found the E71 easier to use than the previous E-series devices, although there are a multitude of configuration settings which will form a management tool essential for planning services for mobilization users.

The aircraft itself is roughly the same size as the curve a BlackBerry, but is slightly heavier at 126g then it is significantly thinner - no more than 10 mm at its thickest. This means that users will not need to make a phone and e-mail device, as was necessary with some larger models BlackBerry. He also robust, thanks to its stainless steel case.

However, the E71 compact design, its qwerty keys are small and close together, even if they have a curved profile to facilitate the press. We used keyboards and tiny telephone had no difficulty typing in the e-mails and text messages using the thumb typing, but colleagues who regularly use a BlackBerry said they found the keys too small for easy use.

Nokia 2.3in 320×240 screen is easy to read in all the brightest, but the sunlight, and phone home screen has shortcuts accessible to functions such as email, calendar, Web browser, a search tool and maps. The user can customize the shortcuts that are displayed.

An interesting feature is the E71 support for a second home screen. This allows users to keep their work and personal use of the device separately. The second screen can be configured with a different background, the application shortcuts and notifications by e-mail in the main screen, and users can switch between the two, at any time.

We found that the small screen means that we pan and zoom a lot when viewing Web pages in the browser Nokia, but we have been able to satisfactorily access to many sites. The E71 is a Flash Lite, which enables users to view Flash content in web pages.

Like many other devices now, E71 supports HSDPA, which extends the bandwidth 3G data to support speeds up to 3.6Mbit / s, although this should not be considered in the practice. It also has 802.11g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and is a quad-band device for making mobile phone calls.

We tested the E71 using a SIM card provided by Vodafone, and we were able to get a 3G data connection virtually all the time, both inside and outside London. This gave a reasonable experience when surfing the Web, but was not as effectively as when using Wi-Fi

The use of Wi-Fi on the E71 is an improvement over the E61. We found we could search for available networks and select one, simply enter the passcode to access. The E71 remembers these parameters and then automatically connect to access points that he knows.

As a messaging device, the E71 is compatible with Microsoft’s ActiveSync protocol for the exchange of messaging systems and its own Nokia Intellisync middleware, which can link with Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino or Novell GroupWise. These suites can also be used to implement management settings, distance and lock or erase the handset. Email support also covers POP3 mail accounts, with a wizard that automates a large part of the configuration.

A pure security feature is that the user can define a word or phrase which locks the device when it is sent to him as an SMS text message. This allows the E71 and a memory card in it to be locked remotely if it is lost or stolen, and requires a PIN to unlock it. The phone responds with a message to let you know that the remote lock has been successful.

For navigation, the E71 supports assisted GPS (A-GPS), which increases the satellite signals with information about the location of the cellular network. Nokia Maps application allows users to get a fix on their location, but we found the device can take up to 20 minutes to get an initial position, which can be frustrating. Nokia cards can also search for equipment and give walking or driving instructions to navigate. It can give voice instructions, but users must pay for this service.

Nokia also includes a VoIP customer with the E71 which allows users to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi This function uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), commonly used by corporate mail servers and IP PBX equipment. We tested with an Internet-based service provider SIP, and found the call quality comparable to that using the cellular network.

SIP configuration requires a lot of information to be provided, which means that most workers are unlikely to be able to establish themselves. It can be set to automatically switch to VoIP calls if it is connected to an authorized Wi-Fi access point, which would allow companies to save money on mobile call ensuring that calls are routed through the company PBX when users are on the spot.

Nokia Mobile VPN IPSec is a client-compatible with Check Point and Cisco gateways, which can be managed by a server. Other applications included with the E71 include Quickoffice, which is compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint (in the formats used for Office 2003). It also has an archive tool, a PDF reader Adobe and a tool for printing.

Although Nokia is a thin line combined, it comes with a decent size 1500mAh battery that seems to offer a long battery life. During tests, we made frequent use of 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS functions, although it is still the E71 lasted about a week between charges. The charger for the handset is also very low - the size of a plug - which makes it easier to transport on journeys.

The E71 supports Micro SD flash memory cards for storing up to a maximum of 8 GB size. The slot is left of the camera, next to the screen, and is protected by a blanket rubbery. Alongside this is a mini-USB connector to link the E71 to a PC for synchronization using Nokia PC Suite. The E71 is also a built-in 3.2 megapixel camera with flash.