*OFFICIAL THREAD: Nokia E72

[Drillbit]

I'll pass on any CDMA phone...

In the US, with 5x more coverage I would pick on a CDMA phone. Unless you travel then I would pick a world phone like the Tour, which has both CDMA and GSM and 3G to boot.

[Drillbit]

would have to agree with your comments the E71 has the best keyboard and it feels solid in your hands. The blackberry's are configured around cheaper plastic housings and yes the keys on the bold were good but too much cheap plastic for a professional tool. The E71 will definitely go down as one of the best Nokia Phones. I am looking forward to the E72. I considered the Onyx 9700 but once again just feels too cheap and overly light.

Bold uses leather on the back. The Tour uses tough neoprene rubber that gives you a good grip so you won't be dropping the phone.

I tried the keyboard on the E71 and its okay, but its a bit narrow for two handed thumb typing which is generally faster. When it comes to one handed thumb typing its appears to be perfect.

When it comes to type speed I favor Blackberry because of the way, certain things are entered. If you want to capitalize you just press on the key longer. You don't have to enter a mode key to get capital.

In addition on the E71 there are six smaller buttons tightly packed on the center console of the phone. On the Blackberry there are only four, which is easier and very less confusing - call, menu, back and disconnect.

Blackberry's weakness is the trackball which they are addressing on new generations, like the 8520 and Bold2, with a new optical trackpad. The Nokia has a neat trackpad that while slower to navigate than the BB trackball, is less prone to wear and more accurate, meaning less overshoot and presses more positively.

[rf12]

So it's out in two countries as of today? There is hope.

I am in Thailand for another two weeks. I'll get one if it's out before I fly back.

The E72 is worth getting besides an iPhone 3G S and over any other phone avail or announced right now.

Calls to cancel it are unfounded.

I love the E71 (have two of them) despite its glaring shortcomings, thanks Nokia.

For me, if for anything, it's worth it just for the built-in VoIP SIP client, form factor, design and build quality.
The rest I critize but I can live with.

Now that the E72 offers a stronger CPU, better camera, USB chargimg, tri-band WCDMA (instead of just dual-band on the E71), a 3.5mm jack with a dedicated audio chip, same size and weight, I'll probably get two again: E72-1 and E72-2.

[Tsting]

So it's out in two countries as of today? There is hope.

I am in Thailand for another two weeks. I'll get one if it's out before I fly back.

.......

You might be in luck.

Here in Singapore, a couple of small independent shops have just started selling the E72 this week, at about USD475.

The major telcos have their stocks in, and are expected to release them this weekend at just under USD500, without contract.

Export sets have already be floating around in Malaysia (over the border from Thailand) for over a week now, with an official release expected this week or next.


Though... I'm cautious about buying a handset from overseas.
With the lack of international warrenty, and with nokia sets infamously prone to defects and their crap return policy (at least here in SIngapore), isn't that a big risk unless the prices are significantly cheaper?

[rf12]

Glad to read. Thank you for the intel.

I always wanted to know how those dealers get access to stock. Do you know what the channels are, the biggest wholesalers etc.?
I was told everything goes through Hong-Kong, is it true?

Put it on your Amex and they will take care of you if anything goes wrong.
They will also double the original manufacturer's warranty (Amex, Visa and Mastercard all offer this feature by the way).

As for price, it will drop $130-150 within about one year of launching but it is what it is if you want it right NOW. :-)

[Tsting]

Glad to read. Thank you for the intel.

I always wanted to know how those dealers get access to stock. Do you know what the channels are, the biggest wholesalers etc.?
I was told everything goes through Hong-Kong, is it true?

No idea.. I guess they get it from wherever they can..
Early stocks were perhaps from Indonesia.. where it was prelauched about amonth ago

Just a little update (from few hours ago)..
Quite a few guys have already bought their official (local warrenty) sets here in SIngapore and Malaysia.

I'm waiting for this weekend to sign up a contract with the telcos.

Put it on your Amex and they will take care of you if anything goes wrong.
They will also double the original manufacturer's warranty (Amex, Visa and Mastercard all offer this feature by the way).

I guess.. we don't have that option here in Singapore. At least... not from what I heard.
The 3 telcos do NOT have an exchange policy. (with Iphone being the only exception)
Should your phone even fail to start up, they refer you to the manufacturer's care centres.
And Nokia Care Centre (singapore) is notorious for their No-Exchange policy.

There was a case a couple of years back when a customer with a non-functioning phone failed to get his set repaired, and had to apply to the small claims tribunal. With NCC failing to show up for the hearings, the customer ended up winning the case and awarded the full cost of the phone. Nokia refused to make settlement, till the day the customer showed up at the office with a Writ of Seizure and Sale with the balif officer

Thats when they finally paid (phone + other costs).

[rf12]

Great story.

It sounds it pays to be wait-out the early production batch to be sold first.

Thanks for the pointers.
I know it's a capital intensive business and the margins are small.

I had sold about 30 iPhone when it first came out to one person who had committed all this money and only stood to make about 15% profit net after dealing with the headaches of exporting them etc.
And That was for a sought-after device. Must be tough for "common" devices since very few generate a huge pent-up demand and command a premium once the supply gates open.

I am sure American Express has a presence in Singapore. I charge everything to Amex and they have come through numerous numerous times over the last 15 years I've been using them.

[Masula]

Just now I saw Nokia E72 (RM-529) NAM version frimware on NAVIFRIM, product codes are 0573646-BLACK, 0584225-BROWN, 0586710-GREY It should be out pretty soon.......

[wirelessgal]

MCO will have the Euro/Asia version on November 11th. The NAM has been pushed back to December 23rd. according to their site. But I'm hoping other retailers will get them sooner.

[Slickmoto]

MCO will have the Euro/Asia version on November 11th. The NAM has been pushed back to December 23rd. according to their site. But I'm hoping other retailers will get them sooner.

What's MCO?

[Nodakawa]

What's MCO?

Mobile city online

[Tintin123]

If Nokia USA management has anything in their head then E72 NAM should be released before the Black Friday. But, do they really have a brain? The company is now ran by the stupid chimps, so may be not. We will see.

Tintin

[Slickmoto]

It looks like the E72 Euro edition is available by several Ebay sellers if you do a quick search on the E72. It doesn't look like the regular pre-orders either.

[wirelessgal]

If Nokia USA management has anything in their head then E72 NAM should be released before the Black Friday. But, do they really have a brain? The company is now ran by the stupid chimps, so may be not. We will see.

Tintin

If they had brains Nokia would release E72 NAM right now. The BB 9700 is slowly rolling out to other countries. I mean really now, the E72 was announced in June and it just got released in Singapore this week. The BB 9700 was officially announced last month and was released to Canada last week and are hitting other countries this week. Whether people hate Blackberry or iPhone, they do not make their customers wait more than 6 months before the phone is released.

[finaldecision]

Wgal, If Nokia does not delay release then it won't be called Nokia :P It's Nokia's tendency. Remember N96?
e72 Nam variant is not even on pre order on nokiausa.com and I wonder typically after nokiausa.com puts up for preorder, it takes a month. Of course, it's subjective. I've seen 90% of Nokia phones go to HongKong/Singapore sellers first, N97 was exception.