Both BlackBerry and Nokia are the big names in the mobile handset market. Just the names of these brands can sell thousands of their models as soon as they are launched. But Bold 9000 from BlackBerry and E71 from Nokia are two mobile handsets which are champions at their own capability. Outstanding features combined with full QWERTY keyboard makes them a good choice for the business users. But which one is the better and which one is not that good? We have made a detailed comparative analysis to determine the answer. Have a look at our comparative study.
1. Design
BlackBerry Bold : This is the best BlackBerry Phone ever made. The QWERTY keys are reasonable sized and still there is a clean look to the device with good build quality to suit corporate usage. It face has a good size of 114 X 66 mm to account for the keyboard and the 14mm thickness is also manageable. The weight of 135g feels light for a device of its size.
Nokia E71 : This phone also talks about the design revolution in Nokia’s part. The minimalist design with solid metal rear, chrome trimmed front and flat design will please any businessman. The face has same length like the BlackBerry at 114mm but it is not that much wide like Bold and is only 57mm wide and a lot slim at only 10mm. The wieght of 127g is also lesser than the BlackBerry.
Conclusion : Though it is much more subjective to decide which one looks better, I would prefer Nokia E71 for its sleek looks and high pocketability.
2. Display
BlackBerry Bold : It has a 2.6 inches display with 480 X 320 pixels resolution. The display is very very sharp and has good readability in every situation though it lacks in some color showing only 65K colors.
Nokia E71 : It has a little smaller display measuring in at 2.36 inches and showing only 320 X 240 pixels. The colors are very rich and shows full 16M color range which the blackberry bold cannot.
Conclusion : Though the BlackBerry Bold lacks in color in comparison to Nokia E71 display, it is not the most necessary thing for the business users. Business User will like the higher resolution display of Bold for its good legibility. We think BlackBerry is a winner here in the display department.
3. OS, Apps and Interface
BlackBerry Bold : RIM surely has a great OS going for them in their BlackBerry devices but we can’t help criticize them on the ground of no change for a long time. Again, the messaging is the best for any mobile devices but today people want to do more while doing less.
Nokia E71 : It bears the old tried and tested S60 OS which some users may find difficult to use with overwhelming options to go through. But a Nokia user would feel home using this device. Also there are tons of apps available which you can use on the Symbian 60 OS.
Conclusion : Messaging is still one of the strongest points of the BlackBerry devices and though Nokia has thousands of Apps to handle messaging, they are not as efficient as that of BlackBerry’s. However, the availability of apps for S60 takes itself to a better ground and I can find no clear winner here.
4. Keypad and Navigation
BlackBerry Bold : Blackberry devices are known for their full QWERTY keyboards and Bold is no exception. The keys are well spaced and slightly angled so that they are easy to be pressed by your thumb. There is also the popular trackball which provides the easy way to navigate the menus and scrolling through the webpages.
Nokia E71 : Cramming all the QWERTY keys into a narrow space wasn’t an easy task but Nokia has beautifully engineered it to solve the problem. The buttons are slightly domed so that you won’t press the neighboring keys very often. The frequently used keys like full stop, comma and @ symbol are instantly accessible without needing to press any key like symbol or shift. The D-pad also works well for navigating through the menus.
Conclusion : Though Nokia E71 has a beautiful keyboard, it sometimes does feel a little cramped. The extra space offered by BlackBerry is really a bliss for the fat-fingered ones. The BlackBerry keyboard is a clear winner here as one would expect despite the most honest effort by Nokia. Also the trackball of BlackBerry is more helpful than the D Pad of Nokia.
5. Connectivity
BlackBerry Bold : It is a quad band GSM phone supporting 850/900/1800/1900 bands which means it can be used all over the world without any problem. There is also 3G Connectivity supporting 850/1900/2100 frequency bands. Other connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GPRS or EDGE connectivity. Call Quality was also good on the device even in low signal zones.
Nokia E71 : It is also a quad band phone and there is 3G connectivity as well as other WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, GPRS and EDGE connectivity. It misses out nothing in connectivity options like the BlackBerry.
Conclusion : Both the phones have the full range of connectivity options and there is nothing to complain about them in the connectivity department.
6. Multimedia and Internet Browsing
BlackBerry Bold : It offers amazing audio and video quality. The speakers are brilliant though we think that colors could be a little better on the device. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack to connect your favorite headphones.
Nokia E71 : The support of various video and audio formats makes it a good multimedia device but the quality doesn’t match up with the bold somehow. The web browser has support of Flash Lite 3.0 which makes it capable to view YouTube Videos within the browser.
Conclusion : Though both the devices are categorized for business usage, they doesn’t disappoint you in the multimedia department either.
7. Camera
BlackBerry Bold : It has a 2MP camera with LED Flash. There is no autofocus capability which makes the pictures dull and void of any sharpness.
Nokia E71 : It has nice and decent 3.15MP camera unit with autofocus capability and LED Flash.
Conclusion : The Nokia E71 camera is a clear winner here.
8. Battery Life
BlackBerry Bold : The bold also has a standard Lithium Ion battery of 1500mAh capacity. The rated standby time is upto 310h and upto 5h talktime.
Nokia E71 : The E71 has a Lithium Polymer battery of 1500mAh capacity. It has a rated battery life of 410h standby time and up to 10.5 h talktime in 2G connection.
Conclusion : Though the rated battery life shows that the Nokia has a better battery life than the BlackBerry, in our tests we found BlackBerry’s battery fighting toe to toe with the Nokia E71.
9. Price
BlackBerry Bold : It is available at around $500 for unlocked model.
Nokia E71 : It is available at around $320 for unlocked model.
Conclusion : Pricing is a clear advantage to go for Nokia E71.
10. Overall
BlackBerry Bold : This is a tried and tested device for the business user with its awesome messaging capability.
Nokia E71 : It has some edge over the Bold with its lower price, better camera and thousands of apps available for its OS.
Conclusion : At the end of the day, the battle seems to be a tie. Both the devices have their own pros and cons and it is more of a personal preference which one you’d like. As for me, I like the Nokia E71 as I am an avid Nokia lover.
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