The Nokia E63 phone appeared on the market almost 10 years ago, and the manufacturer positions it as a more affordable analogue of the E71 business model. The latter, although it had a lot of interesting and significant advantages in terms of materials and "stuffing", but modest sales figures forced the brand to release something massive in order to pay for the development of this direction.
The form factor of QWERTY phones is not distinguished by an abundance of models, as well as a variety of manufacturers. Nokia, Samsung and through budget Alcatel with Flys - that's all the brands. So the release of each model, and Nokia E63 in particular, is perceived by fans of this form factor as a significant event. We will try to figure out what happened with the venerable brand and whether the gadget is so good in today's realities.
So, we present to your attention a review of the Nokia E63 QWERTY phone. The characteristics of the model, as well as its advantages and disadvantages will be discussed in our article. The device is extremely rare for sale, but you can still buy it in the region of 4-6 thousand rubles at auctions and specialized forums dedicated to rare gadgets.
Appearance
Nokia E63 body dimensions andits style directly indicates that the brand was trying to make the gadget as similar as possible to the premium version of the E71. The model turned out to be almost identical in terms of exterior, but a little thicker than its more noble counterpart. Therefore, holding it in your hands is not as convenient as E71.
"Nokia E63" comes in three colors - dark blue, black and red. The first and second options are calmer and more suitable for serious users, and the last one is bright and expressive - just a godsend for the beautiful half of humanity.
Assembly
There are no complaints about the assembly. Nokia E63, despite its budget positioning, turned out to be surprisingly high quality. There are no cracks, gaps, as well as backlashes and creaks on the case. Judging by the description for the Nokia E63, the main structural material is soft-touch plastic.
The velvety surface almost completely eliminates the collection of dust and fingerprints, and if any appear, they are easily removed with a damp cloth or napkin. The cover, under which the SIM card is hidden, sits securely in the grooves and you will need either good nails or a special tool to remove it.
In general, calling the phone a budget phone or even worse a junk one simply does not turn the tongue. Nokia E63 looks like a copy of the E71 series, but quite decent, and the brand obviously did not save on case materials.
Interfaces
On the left side you can see the micro-USB output, designed to synchronize the device with a PC. Here is a slot for type cardsmicro SD. Both outlets are covered with hinged plugs, so dust and dirt do not collect.
A charger connector is located on the bottom end, and a 3.5 mm mini-jack audio output for a headset is on the top. The latter is protected by a flap, but it is not attached to the case in any way, so it is very easy to lose it, especially if you often listen to music on headphones. There is also a hole for a strap on the case, but such devices are no longer worn around the neck, and they will not add beauty to hanging on the arm.
In the upper front part you can see a small light sensor, speaker grille and the manufacturer's logo. The front camera, alas, is not provided here. Behind is a rear 2-megapixel camera with a flash and a proximity sensor.
Screen
The device received a good matrix for its time with a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels, which is quite enough for a 2.4-inch diagonal. The screen displays 16 million colors, the output picture is pretty and more or less natural.
The display is equipped with an anti-reflective filter, so at least more than half of the data is legible. But under direct sunlight, alas, everything fades and you have to cover the screen with your palm or look for shade.
With standard settings, up to 8 lines of user text and up to 3 service text are placed on the screen. A more advanced mode for people with good eyesight is also available in the settings - up to 14 lines. Font selectedmore or less sensible, so all data is well perceived and read.
Viewing angles are at an acceptable level, but even with a minimal vertical tilt, the colors are thrown into a dance and it is not possible to make out anything. While the horizontal change of the angle has almost no effect on the visualization.
Keyboard
Unlike the exterior, the Nokia E63 keyboard is noticeably different from its older premium brother E71. Here we have additional buttons in the "Space" area and generally larger keys. Users leave mixed reviews about this.
On the one hand, yes, it's easier to work with large buttons, especially if you type with two hands. But on the other hand, the thickness noticeably increased in comparison with the E71 makes the E63 control with one hand less uncomfortable. Nevertheless, you get used to the keyboard pretty quickly, the discomfort disappears already on the second or third day of use.
It is also worth noting that many users complained about the illumination of the work area. It's executed just horribly. The upper part of the keyboard is still somehow visible in the dark, but everything below the QWERTY level begins to fade away and the bottom row with the “Space” is no longer highlighted at all. So here we have a clear savings, coupled with technical flaws.
Performance
The fast (for the Symbian platform) ARM11 processor operating at 369 MHz is responsible for performance. RAM on board is only 128 MB, but forSymbian platform and that's enough.
The interface runs smoothly and without delay, and local applications start very quickly, do not lag or “think” for no apparent reason. As for gaming software, there are simply no demanding and “heavy” toys for the platform. So all applications also run without problems and subsidence in FPS.
More form-factor-specific programs, like WhatsApp or Viber, which allow you to fully appreciate the charms of a mechanical keyboard, do not slow down and work as they should. In this case, stability largely depends on the installed SIM card, as well as the selected mobile operator: the connection is good - there are no lags, the connection is bad - brakes and freezes.
A 110 MB drive is responsible for storing user data. Such volumes are clearly not enough for even the smallest needs, so you can't do without an external memory card. The device supports SD cards up to 8 GB, but this should be enough for music and photo collections. It should also be noted that the functionality provides for "hot" replacement of memory cards, which is useful in some cases.
Autonomy
Nokia has always been famous for its long battery life. Our respondent is no exception. The Nokia E63 battery has a 1500 mAh lithium-polymer type (BP-4L index).
Music, calls, texts, toys andInternet - battery lasts for four days. Such an indicator can be the envy of any smartphone on the Android platform. Of course, the E63 does not have the capabilities of the latter, but its tasks are slightly different.
The only fly in the ointment for the battery is the long charging time. It takes nearly four hours. So in this case it is better to leave the phone connected at night, since the power controller is smart here, there are no oversaturation or other problems.
Summing up
"Nokia E63" is a classic "dialer" in the QWERTY form factor. The call quality of the phone is excellent, provided that the subscriber is in the reception area. There are no subsidences or interruptions during a conversation with subscribers due to the fault of the device.
The gadget fully reveals its potential in SMS messengers like WhatsApp or Viber. Fortunately, the latter received a sensible adaptation to the Symbian platform, so, as a rule, there are no problems with usability.
In general, the model turned out to be successful and the money invested in it is repaid with a vengeance. If you are tired of the android fraternity always asking for an outlet and sensors not working in the cold, then the Nokia E63 is a worthy option.
