Monday, August 11, 2008
The E71 Goes Head To Head With The iPhone On The Gadget Show
Topics: E71 Reviews, E71 Videos 7 commentsRecently the UK Channel 5's popular tech program called The Gadget Show pitted the Nokia E71 against the popular but overrated Apple iPhone. Needless to say the E71 help up well agains the iPhone. I actually missed the show but according to Dial-a-Phone's Mobile Blog the E71 came out on top in a few key areas.
For instance, talking about Maps and the two phones, Dial-a-Phone says,
Channel 5’s Gadget Show team challenged the two handsets to guide them to a London Underground station, a test which the Nokia E71 ended up winning thanks to a more reliable GPS signal. Nokia Maps comes pre-installed, with a library of 200 different maps available for download. If you prefer not to use Nokia Maps, you can also install your own choice of GPS software. Since the E71 features Assisted GPS, lock-on times are lessened in some circumstances.
Not bad considering the larger and more vibrant screen on the iPhone. Without getting a GPS lock in a reasonable time the service is then rendered useless.
It's also interesting to note that Dial-a-Phone made a bold statement calling the Nokia E71 "one of the best business phones period". I really have to agree on that one. What do you think?
To read more about the E71 being featured on the Gadget Show click here. The E71 and iPhone actually got the same score at the end. What a battle.
Have any of you spotted this video floating around the web? I'm interested in seeing it myself.
August 11, 2008 7:52 PM
Hello,
I just purchased a brand new E71, the US version. I've been playing with it the past few days and I'm not very happy with it. I primarily bought the phone for e-mail/WEB, GPS & maps. However, I'm seeing the following issues:
1- My first and foremost problem is the GPS lock times. No matter where I am, downtown Boston with a lot of buildings, or suburban Massachusetts with no buildings around and clear view of the sky in all directions, E71 takes a long time (5+ minutes) to get the first position. I find this simply unacceptable. Are there any other e71 users out here? What are your experiences? Are there any settings that I need to change (positioning server, etc)? In the settings, currently all the GPS positioning methods are enabled, including AGPS. But even without AGPS, shouldn't I be getting a lock quickly if I don't have any obstructions in the sky (tall buildings, etc)? My experience with iPhone GPS has been so much better.
2- WLAN connections appear to be very slow during web surfing. Again my comparison is with an iPhone. I've tried connecting an iPhone and E71 to the same WLAN network and load up a few web pages. There was no comparison, the iPhone killed my E71 in all cases :smileysad: This was very disappointing. Is there a web page or an application that can help me measure my phones download/upload speed in my WLAN at home?
I have not been able to get past the above two issues during the past week and I'd appreciate help and advice. I had high hopes for this device (been a Nokia fan for 15+ years now), but I'll have to return this if I can't get past these issues.
Sincerely
e71guy
August 12, 2008 10:47 AM
To answer your questions.
1. That is unacceptable. Maybe there is a problem with your device? Are you using Nokia Maps? If so, try Google Maps and see if you get a faster GPS lock. Mine locks in about 10 seconds in download LA.
2. I don't know of an application that ca measure your speed. I know there are websites that measure your speed. Have you tried using Opera Mini?
I hope you get your problems solved.
September 9, 2008 9:06 AM
1. My GPS lock times are very good - can't complain, on the average of maybe 10 seconds in the city.
2. I can't compare to iPhone, but try different WLANs, encrypted/decrypted, b,g,n etc. Try holding a phone differently, since I heard somewhere that its antenna is in the bottom part..
January 7, 2009 2:43 PM
I get very good GPS use from my phone. However in places with high rise building, the GPS lock take slightly longer.
WLAN has been great too. Sorry but I dont know why you're facing these problems.
January 9, 2009 8:09 AM
Hello,
I don't know where to post this message but has anyone tried Snaptu (www.snaptu.com) on his device ?
I've just tested it and I find it amazing the way it allows me to browse Facebook..
Does someone know any other application of this type ?
January 10, 2009 5:48 PM
I have noticed that I can get my position more quickly if I go online when asked by the map program. I suspected that this might have something to do with AGPS. So, I checked out Wiki and got this:
"A typical A-GPS-enabled cell phone will use a data connection (internet, or other) to contact the assistance server. ..."
And that cleared my suspicious.
January 22, 2009 7:08 PM
I experienced with my Nokia E71 that the position of the phone is related to the lock on time.
Try this; go outside, go to Menu -> GPS then turn your phone around with the camera facing the sky then click on 'GPS data'. And I got it locked on GPS within 10 seconds.
Does it work? and does anybody know where the GPS receiver is located in the phone?