Review: Nokia E63

This is it. The change to night shift will finally happen in a couple of days. No more delays and turning back. Starting Monday, I'm gonna be working from 8PM to 5AM. And possibly until 8AM because the OT saga is still going on. So, how am I feeling about this? I'm a little scared, yet excited too. This is something new, and I can't wait to know how it will work out for me and my teammates. Bring it on, night shift! :)

ANYWAY, this is really not about that. This post is a quick review of my recently acquired phone Nokia E63.

Yes, I got the black one. I wanted the red one actually, but the phone store didn't have any stock of it, so I settled for what was left. By the way, I've read that there's a limited edition white E63, but NO THANKS. It looks like a bar of soap.

So how am I gonna do this review? By aspects and bullets, of course. I'm gonna examine the phone's design, functions, and price. Also, there will be comparisons to my usage of my former phone Samsung C3303K Champ, so if you wanna understand those parts, better read my review for that one.

Design

• I wanted a new phone because I got sick of Samsung Champ's touch screen. So I got QWERTY, and I got it real good. However, since my thumbs are abnormally big, typing is still a hit and miss for me. Well, if I really wanted big keys, I should've opted for this phone:

• I love holding my E63. It fits my hand perfectly, it's not too thick nor too thin, the weight is not a burden at all, and the soft finish of the paint is delightful to touch. Look Ma, no fingerprints!
• As opposed to the blue and red choices, black makes it look more like a business phone. And I should start using it like one.

Functions

• The home screen is such a convenience for me. I can put up to 6 frequently used applications there so I don't have to open the menu one by one. Also, there are programs that can be controlled from the home screen once I've activated it, like the Music player, Wi-Fi scanner, and E-mail notification.

• Nokia E63 relies heavily on the Internet. I need to connect first in order to use the interesting functions of the phone, such as Maps, Podcasting, and Internet Radio. Good thing I'm on postpaid, so I have instant access to mobile Internet whenever there's no wi-fi signal around.
• This is NOT a pretentious business phone; it really was made for the working class. But since my job doesn't let me work outside the office, I don't use the E-mail, Quickoffice, Zip, and Printers applications yet. I wanted to use the Adobe PDF reader though for my Harry Potter e-books, but the pre-installed version doesn't fit the file to the screen, so it's a pain to read.
• Thank goodness for the 3.5 mm audio plug! The quality of the sound the included headset produces is off-the-charts BAD, so I'm gonna have to buy a new set soon. Once I have that, plus my spacious micro SD card, I can finally convert my business phone to an iPod whenever I'm on the road and bored.
• It's excellent for social networking. Just connect to free wi-fi, download the right apps (mine are Snaptu, Google, Foursquare, Facebook Chat, and loads of games), and you're in for several hours of fun. Web browsing is alright, but it's much better if you visit a site with a version for mobile web.
• The camera is okay. The 2 MP camera doesn't perform well when there's no sufficient light, so I often have to rely on the flash (which, by the way, also functions as a flashlight). Here's a sample photo:

My messy bed captured with indoor light

Price

• I got it for P7,500. I think it's the second cheapest QWERTY model of Nokia (next to C3), and it happened to be a business phone. Nonetheless, I think it's fairly affordable. This phone is super packed with features that it overwhelmed me when I first got it. What more if I get to use the business applications, right?
• However, the package disappoints. You only get the phone, a charger, a freakin' substandard headset, and the manual. NO DATA CABLE. Fortunately, the one that I use for my Samsung Champ works perfectly on the phone, so it wasn't a problem for me.

Overall, I give Nokia E63 four out of five stars. There may be times when the phone reboots itself, but it's not that big of a deal for me since I think the phone deserves to do that once in a while. It's often the result of my impatience, anyway. LOL!

Well, I really hope that I get the chance to use the business applications someday. It's the core of the phone, so my satisfaction will only be consummated by then. For now, I'm gonna enjoy Nokia E63 as a music player and a social networking platform.

Note: Bedroom photo is mine.
Update: Recently, I experienced a problem with this phone. Read about it here.

Review: Samsung C3303K Champ

I easily get bored. It's one of my biggest problems, actually. That's why you'll find me tweeting "Whoop. There goes my commitment again." once in a while.

Fortunately, I don't get bored with people. I know how to keep real friendships, and I stick myself to my loved ones with super glue. Unfortunately, that's the ONLY thing in my life that I don't get bored with. So you can safely bet that you'll soon be reading more stuff about things that I don't use/eat/play/visit/listen to/wear/do anymore. (But I promise, I will keep updating this blog regularly.)

Like for instance, I'm now getting bored with my Samsung phone. It's a C3303K, a.k.a. Champ. It looks like this:

I got it from my Globe postpaid plan a few months ago, but it didn't come free. I had to shell out additional money to obtain it. The free phones were crappy and I needed an upgrade. It was the cheapest among the phones that were seemingly better than the last one I owned (Motorola Z3), so I chose it.

And now, I don't want it anymore. Well, it's not that I'm hating it, I just want a better phone. A phone that has wi-fi features and a better camera. Okay fine, it's my fault. My flawed research led me to believe that this phone had wi-fi, but it turned out that it doesn't. I can access the Internet but for a price, and most of the time, the web pages load like crap. So that's one major disappointment.

Number 2, I have a major problem with the camera. The resolution (1.3 MP) is good enough, but I just can't freakin' press that freakin' "button" when I want to take a photo without looking at the screen. Whenever I want to take a picture of myself alone or with other people, I have to exert so much effort in positioning my finger correctly on the screen where the "button" is and keep it that way as I angle the phone. It's just... BLEH. Exerting effort on trivial things is never my thing. Consequently, my picture taking habits decreased dramatically, and that's why I don't upload pictures anymore.

But hey, this phone has merits, too. Like most Samsung phones, the music features ROCK. I can play the radio without using earphones, the speakers produce excellent sound (rating: 4.5 stars), and most PC headsets can be plugged in. The widgets feature also makes things convenient for me because I can open any application with just a few, err, touches. And last but not the least... the screen lock button on the side. It's one of my favorites because it locks the screen with just one press and it "eats" people who take time figuring out how to unlock it.

In a nutshell, here's what I don't like about the phone:

• No wi-fi
• Web pages load poorly
• Takes too much effort to take photos
• Good enough camera (best is what we want)
• Unusable while connected to a computer

And here's what I love about it:

• Superb sound and radio functions
• Widgets
• Screen lock button (manual locking)
• Up to 10 alarms (for procrastination)

For some people, the music functions would suffice. But for me, they're not enough to keep me interested in it for a long time. If something's not able to do what I expected it to do, I get bored with it quickly. So, what exactly do I want in a phone? Well, I want it to be an all-in-one device. I should be able to call and send messages with it, surf the Internet with it, listen to music with it, and take pictures with it. I currently don't have a specific model in mind, but as much as possible, I want it to be a smartphone. (No, not a blackberry, please.) That means, I have to start saving up for one. But for now, I'll just envy my sister for having a Nokia E63.

Will you suggest a phone for me? And please do share your experiences with your own Samsung Champ. Comments are very much welcome. =)


P.S.
For an in-depth review of the phone, browse GSM Arena.