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).
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?
[...] symbianworld. You can find the review here. The Nokia E63 is a quad-band GSM with UMTS support. It. Nokia E63 Review | YugaTech | Philippines, Technology News & ReviewsDec 11, 2008 … The Nokia E63 also shed off all of the external buttons on the sides � the [...]
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?