Before you continue reading this, please read my review of the Nokia E71 first so you’d get a better perspective of where I am coming from and so I don’t have to repeat the sections where the Nokia E63 is similar to the E71.
Nokia dropped some of the features of the E71 when they introduced the cheaper Nokia E63, but with good reasons. Remember that with all the number smartphones going around, consumers will be price sensitive when making their next purchase. Nokia’s price-point for the E63 (expected to be at Php11,000) combines a good set of features with a really attractive price.
What’s missing?
What went missing – GPS, HSDPA and a lower megapixel camera. Not everyone needs GPS and for most people, it’s not that essential anyway. You still get 3G speeds of which maxes out at 384Kbps – a broadband speed not normally achieved in the real world for most mobile 3G networks. And since the E63 is more geared towards productivity, the reducing the camera from a 3.2 MP autofocus down to 2MP might not disappoint a lot of people who are into this segment.
The Nokia E63 also shed off all of the external buttons on the sides – the volume control and the special back button of the E71. Even the dedicated power button at the top is gone as well as the sound volume at the sides.
Keyboard Improvements
There were some minor complaints about the qwerty keyboard of the E71. Some say it’s too cramped and though I don’t agree, those who were comfortable with the E61 will tell you size and spacing matters. It’s not really a design flaw but rather an engineering limitation – the smaller the phone, the smaller the keyboard and harder to type.
Nokia addressed this with the E63 by making the keypads protrude/bulge a bit more and giving each key press better feedback. Likewise, it’s much softer to type. They’ve also slightly increased the keyboard size and the individual keys. It’s not much but it’s fairly noticeable except fot the space key which got shortened.
Construction Changes
Since Nokia dropped the metal construction in favor of plastic, the Nokia E63 feels lighter to the hands. It has a matte finish so you don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges.
What puzzles me though is why the Nokia E63 is a bit thicker than its predecessor (by more than 2mm). It’s possible that the 3.5mm headphone jack has something to do with it (that’s 1mm). Then, the construction of the back panel that covers the battery was also changed from a clip mechanism to a latch mechanism. Since plastic is not as strong as metal, the latch mechanism works well with it without worrying you’d chip it off. That’s another 1mm.
Value for Money
Don’t think of the Nokia E63 as a downgrade of the E71. Better yet, think of it as an upgrade to the E61 — but much cheaper. That way, you clearly see how much value you are getting with the Nokia E63. You also get the long-lasting 1500mAh battery life. No doubt, I believe the Nokia E63 will be a huge hit to those who bought and loved the E51 and the E61.
I still like my E71 because I am willing to pay premium for those extra features. However, for those who are in a budget (which most people are nowadays) but are looking into a fine qwerty smartphone, the Nokia E63 is the better option because of the bargain price-point.
Update: The Nokia E63 is now shipping with an SRP of Php14,200 (inclusive of 12% tax and foreign exchange adjustment).
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Nice review! I’ll definitely consider it as a “gift” to myself this season!
I will definitely get one myself. Has anybody seen this around yet?
great cell phone, didn’t realize nokia is now releasing cheaper units pack with functionalities.
Yehey! I can’t wait to buy one for myself. The features is just right for me. Thanks for the great review!
It sucks!! You should choose N97 for christmas gift.
it sucks cause it doesn’t have those powerful features, but then again, E63 is catered to people who doesn’t need it or who are on a budget. either way, i think its a great alternative.
Saying it SUCKS may be your opinion but before you share your opinion on how it sucks, have you ever considered the price point and people it is catering to?
Cellphones now have a lot more segments than the old market. This surely hits a certain spot in a segment where price point vs. functionality meets.
Again, voicing your opinion is never a crime (I’m doing that myself) however, you’d look dumb if you did not consider all everything before saying it.
Overall I do hope the phone does not get taxed too much and stays within the 11 – 14k price point so it would sell well. The e71 now can be bought as low as 19k, and some people 5k difference is not that much considering you are getting less power features, but for some it may be the deal breaker.
Hope to be posted when this officially hits the market…I’ve been scouting for this phone, and most of the stores says its going to be early January…hope the price would be good enough for me to consider it as a birthday gift.
someone’s selling this at ebay.ph it cost around 13k w/ free delivery.. but be careful w/ the sellers they might be a scammer.. view their feedback first before buying… =)
huwaw. for a new QWERTY phone in the market with the features it has, it’s very appealing to those who wish to buy themselves a Christmas gift this season.
i’ve had blackberries and treos before, but at that pricepoint, that’s an absolute steal.
i’ll buy this instead of the LG Cookie!!
i was really tempted to buy the Cookie. lol. coz i was comparing e63 to the LG.
hope i’ll love it!
i was choosing between the 2, i mean
Does this model have expandable memory?
dont complain about the features of this phone. its is resonable for its price and one i highly recommend.
its price compensates for the lack of its features, and it seems to be nice, not superior to N71 but far more useful than N61….
if you think it sucks… can you make your own phone?
To Ms. Joyce, before anything else I hope the blog owner won’t mind if I answer your question.
According to the Nokia Philippines website, the Nokia E63 has a “microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 8 GB”. It also has a “110 MB internal dynamic memory”. (Source “http://www.nokia.com.ph/A41415338″)
Hi! I’m a very happy owner of an E63 which I bought two weeks ago in SM Megamall for 12.5 thousand pesos. At the time I was considering the E63, the E71, and the Samsung i780, in the end, the 7 thousand price difference (the E71 and the i780 had prices between 19.5 to 21 thousand) was too good to ignore. The way I looked at it, 7 thousand was too much to pay for the nice extras that the E71 had over the E63 (better 3G, better build quality, better camera *though apparently this is debateable*, more included accessories); on the other hand, there are some things about the E63 that I think are superior to the E71, in particular the qwerty keypad (compare the copy/paste experience on both phones). I’ll be doing a side by side comparison of the two phones on my blog in the next couple of days, for those who are interested.
hello.
ask ko lang. anu klase yung USB port niya?
MiniUSB ba?
@seoulbox – yes, it’s a mini-USB (not the proprietary micro USB of Nokia)
whew.
Okay lang pala siya kahita walang kasamang cable.
Thanks, yuga!
hi. can you tell me which one is better? e63, 371 or samsung f700? thanks
Go for the E71.
After waiting for the product to be available and finding time to look for the best price, I ended up getting the Ultramarine Blue E63 @ Memo Express @ Mega. The phone was priced lowest (after canvassing) @ P12.200 for cash buyers and I got mine @ P14,200 @ 0% interest for 12 months through Citibank. Good price and the warranty is safe (Nokia Care for a year).
The phone so far is doing well, great looking screen and the keypad is responding well. My point of comparison would be my old P1i. Though I miss a scroll key @ the side and the touch screen. But everything else, is great.
The package was pretty basic and some what incomplete. The package contains the phone, 1Gig mem stick, headset, battery and charger. No USB or CD included. I guess since I’ve always bought Sony I got pampered with a complete package. I guess this is how they got to lower the price. I was able to buy a class a cord for P250.
Over all the phone for its price (0% @ 12months saan kapa?), plus its features balances everything out pretty well for me.
dude awesome review, do you have any idea where I can get one of these in the Alabang area?
ayt, thanks
i have the red one.. cool features.. basically a phone to have if your on a tight budget
the upper right and upper left part of my keypad cracked. any ideas where to get a replacement one? how much? thanks.
The Nokia E71 still looks more sleek and professional compared to this phone. The chrome finish on the E71 is a fingerprint magnet though.
do you really need to pay extra to download an ms office for the phone to be able to create/edit/view an office document? or is it already built in and pre-installed?
No it’s pre-installed.
Hi, can anyone recommend which phone would be better for editing (not just viewing) spreadsheets using Quickoffice Premier 6.0 — 6210 classic or E63?
I believe 6210 classic has a 240 x 320, 2 inch screen while E63 has a 320 x 240, 2.36 inch screen. so does this mean that E63 would be better because of the wider aspect ratio and bigger screen, or not necessarily?
E63 also has a bigger and more conventional keyboard. Does this mean that it is easier and less error-prone for entering data, or not necessarily?
Is there any other Nokia device running Symbian S60 3rd Edition that I should consider for editing spreadsheets besides 6210 classic and E63?
Thanks in advance for any help! Am new to Nokia line and Symbian, coming from Sony Ericsson world (T100, T630, T700).
Can you copy+paste using this phone?
guys,
If you want to check the latest prices of all mobile phones available in the Philippines, check this blog site…
http://pinoygadgetprice.blogspot.com
what’s great about this blog is that there is a comparison of prices between stores in the Philippines, so you will get to know where to find the best deal. Cool!
thanks again abe!
how much is e63 as of apriL 2009???
just bought it last week. price is unchanged at Php14200. it works great for me. just realized one setback though. it is not driving-friendly because of the QWERTY keypad. it sucks for a texter like me. other than this, everything else is great.
pwede po bang malaman kung ang E63 is also a windows mobile phone or hindi? ano ba yung Symbian OS9 at yung OTA (over the air) pwede ba akong gumawa ng mga excel at windows using this unit? kung hindi pwede, ano ba pwede nyo ma recommend na unit ng celpone.pasensiya na po medyo eng eng ako sa celphone halos lahat na kasi dito sa amin ganyan ang gamit . thanks sana may sumagot agad
Can anyone give a (best) price update as of today? Location of the retailer would also be helpful. Thanks.
i’m planning to buy this one over the LG cookie ang LG ks360….
do you think my decision is ryt???
@leon if you’re looking for a windows mobile might check the htc touch viva at memoxpress. the price is around 14k. e63 nga pala is a symbian os.
hmm im wondering if i should get this fone over htc touch viva?
I saw from the ebuystore website that this phone is priced at 11,000 or 12,300 depending on the warranty you want. I’m really thinking about buying this phone and it’s really cheap but I’m having second thoughts about the site itself. Any experiences on buying from that site? Check out the links below.
Nokia E63:
http://www.ebuystore.com.ph/products.php?pageview=index&cat_id=1&sub_id=31&pro_id=840
Nokia E63 1yr Official Nokia Care Warranty:
http://www.ebuystore.com.ph/products.php?pageview=index&cat_id=1&sub_id=31&pro_id=778
Smart is offering this phone for their retention, Plan 1200……..
i just got one today!
waahh,,
im planning to buy a nokia phone.. which one is good? Nokia E63 or Nokia 5800?
@joe wala saang site ko po siya pwedeng makita para ma check ko po ang specs niya thanks for the reply on my query
how is the internet for the e63? i’m planning to buy one soon, para at least di ako gamit nang gamit ng laptop dito sa office, tutal naka-wireless naman kami. may mga websites bang hindi siya capable na i-load?
i bought the mobile,it is really fabulous
Hello po. I’m currently using Blackberry Pearl serviced by Smart, I’d like to replace it with Nokia E63. Ask ko lang if E63 work like Blackberry in terms of receiving/sending e-mail? Or you have to connect to internet first before you can read and send e-mails?
Mr. Rotogold, did you get a blackberry account for E63 or just regular Plan1200.
Thanks and best regards.
i’m currently using sony ericsson P990i. I’m thinking of either getting xperia (but so expensive), e75, e71, or e63. i’m intrigued with e63 since it’s cheap. but can it replace my P990i? i’m a heavey user of internet, office documents, pdf, tasks, and notes. ok ba ang e63 on that?
thanks in advance
is this touch phone?
WI-FI BA?
if you want to check cp prices you go to cgena.com
hi! just want to thank you,ive been using my E63 for almost 3months now and i am enjoying it so much. Im glad i read the reviews about cellphones on your site before i bought one, and i got the right choice for me,no regret… with its wi-fi,and using my router,its more easy for me to check my emails around the house, no need to bring my laptop.
wala ba talagang smileys anfg phone na ito?
wala ba talagang smileys ang phone na ito?
g0t my E63 yesterday..and its 0h lala..its an all in 0ne ph0ne…its great for professionals..=) better have 0ne..
i think the e63 is a good one i love d keyboard
i think the e63 is a nice phone its got this well spaced keyboard
Hi, where can i buy E63 below 10k near bacolod? Can you guys help me? I really want this phone so badly.
I bought mine a few months ago. My concern was when my phone ACCIDENTALLY fallen from my lanyard to the solid rocky ground the impact created a dent. The dent was situated in the upper left corner. I was terrified that my phone would be totally wrecked. I’m glad it didn’t turned that way. Yet, I’m still angered with the dent. The impact would really result to that since the hole for a lanyard is located in the lower right corner. It would be the part to be damaged when a similar scenario happens. I was talking to a friend when the incident happened so I was caught up. I regret to have used a detachable lanyard. I just wanted to share my experience. Lesson learned never use a detachable lanyard.
I really wanted a Nokia E71, E75 or 5800 Xpress Music. Well, mom decided to go for the E63 because it cost less. *SIGH*
For buyers it would be better to get a Nokia E71 rather than Nokia E63.
I’m thinking of getting an E63 (as it is cheaper and it has most of what the E71 has to offer), the major downer for me is the E63’s initial colours: Red and Blue. Good thing they came up with black. Only problem is that it’s REALLY hard to find one. Even Nokia stores here in the south don’t have ‘em. *sigh*
Anyhow, could you update us as to where we could grab the black colored ones? XD
anyone experiencing spacebar bug/lag?
type “N O K I A” as fast as you can. Did you notice a delay?
haha, just got mine, yeah there is some sort of delay but still this phone rocks.
yeah .. mine has a delay too.. going to the menu options will take me 3 secs ..the phone would also take about 3 secs before it will show the compose message page.. i have 1gb memory. got 15 pics, 5 musics, what can i do?
Hi, I got this smart phone as a gift from my son on Father’s Day. A very thoughtful and a worthy gift.This phone has got everything inbuilt for the price offered by Nokia. Especially the Black color looks great.Thanks My dear Son.
Nice. The only thing I gave my father was Ice Cream, and he didn’t even eat it as he was coughing like crazy, so I did. XD
@neo, rabby, and julie
I didn’t notice the delay when I “play” with my colleague’s phone. I found it quite snappy actually. Is it that irritating or is it totally negligible? Planning on getting one tomorrow (and say buh-bye to my 5310 T_T).
Anyhow, hoping the “delay” will get fixed via firmware updates.
hi JKisaragi..
the delay is not that irritating.. but i have gotten used to my motorola v3x and my not so techie nokia 2600 which works faster than my nokia e63.
so far, im fairly satisfied with my unit.
Im using the Nokia E63 for 2 months now. So, far it has met all my expectations and I’ve maximized most of its important features, like; Wi-Fi, Office, PDF reader, Calendar, Alarm. In fact im using the phone as a router, everytime my Globe broadband has its down time. Im satisfied with my E63 and I recommend it to my colleagues.
I like your review….keep it up
I have owned the e63 for 3 months now, and I bought it primarily for its touted long talk time, and second for it being feature rich. For its advertised GSM 11 hour talk time, I’d be lucky to hit 8 hours. The phone constantly fails sends sms messages I have to reboot it for it to be resent sucessfully. And the phone occasionally hangs when entering contacts menu with a freshly loaded sim. I’m not sure if I’m the only one getting this type of performance from e63, and I haven’t referred this to nokia support either. Apart from that e63 is bang-for-the-buck for it’s feature-richness and retail price.
how much is this in stores today?
I love this phone, but I can’t get Gmail to work, & I’m not sure if the rest of my Globe connectivity choices is functioning. MyGlobe Connect lang eh. Argh.
how much is the nokia e 63 now?
I have already E63 and we’ve been bond like a month now. I love every moment with it coz it offers me great stuff to explore. Its cheap and very trendy and exciting. Though its a gift from my parents… still its worth to keep and have. Features are amazing and easy to get around, though its 2.0 MP but still it wont sway the idea of a great phone that hit the consumers and phone lovers.
@neo
last time ive checked its at 11k at triangle (pioneer)
I wish e63 is capable of photo editing and has more megapixels. Hope ovi store release a photo editing app.
My phone also lags. I hate it when that happens.
How come I can’t connect whenever I use mine as a modem. I appears that I am connected but I can’t really surf the net.
I am still using my E61i… which I have had since July of 2007… this is the longest I have kept any cellular phone. I wish Nokia had an updated E61i, and not too comfortable with the E63 keypad.
my mom is planning to buy e63, i just wonder how fast it is?
Anyone?
Im quite satisfied with my 6120c’s speed. Which one do you think is faster?
nice cool stuff,not bad for a companion.
ask ko lang po why is it that some characters in the upper most of the screen are slightly faded? is it factory problem??
im using my N95, and this E63 is just a bonus from my plan retention in postpaid, please give me a feedback on this concern
never had this type of curiousity why would nokia have some alphabetical characters faded on the upper most of the screen
to be specific: its like this
in the word messaging….
messag… is clear while the (ing) is slightly faded
same goes for longer characters, please reply asap. Godbless
I have just bought a N63 and am very happy with it. It is the best phone, better than most higher priced ones with all the bells and whistles that one would ordinarily need even as a power user.