The 'Ruby Red' E63
This post is a rather special post! Chiefly because it’s the 100th post on this blog. I am very excited about it, and I would like to thank my parents, my girl friend, Ricky Cadden aka Symbian Guru, Rita aka Dotsisx, Clinton Jeff aka CJ, Ravindra, Renegade Fanboy, WOMWorld and so many more! Thanks to all of your love and support, I have accomplished this much.
Let me get down to the business at hand, This is the last part of the review of the E63. I have already looked at many aspects of the E63 like design, lighting, software, music, battery, screen. I have also looked at the camera and the accessories that are a part of the E63.
Let’s now see what the e63 is capable of in these aspects…
Internet:
The web browser found on the E63 has the same web kit that is found in the Apple iPhone, but S60 web browser can play ‘flash’ content within the website.
The S60 web browser is a good and sturdy web browser. This same browser does duty on all S60 phones of Nokia. Though, Eseries gets a slightly tweaked ’secure’ version as compared to the Nseries or even the regular series. It is the same browser which was doing duty on the E66 and E71. So, there is nothing new to talk about it as I have covered this aspect in great detail here and here. The only thing missing as I have stated many times is the lack of tabbed browsing. I really do not know what has prevented S60 and Nokia from implementing it. I don’t know if other browsers on other platforms offer tabbed browsing or not, I want tabbed browsing and I want it fast!
I have also been using ‘Resco News’, ‘Fring’ and Nokia Messaging (formerly NES), to get information, mail from the internet, and I did not face any problems getting these applications to work seamlessly. The internet radio application has also been reworked a bit, as the different screen orientation created a few issues with the earlier version.
Probably the one thing I did not like about the E63 is the speed it delivers when being used as a modem. With the E71 and the N82, I was getting speeds of 460.8kbps and with the E63 its not more than 115.2kbps. I was disappointed with that as the there was noticeable difference in speeds. The phone also lacks 3G support.
On the whole I would five the E63 an 7.5/10. The E63 losing out on the slow speeds it was giving when used as a modem and absence of tabbed browsing.
Maps:
Firstly before you get your hopes up, let me categorically tell you, the E63 does not have GPS functionality. If you do want to use GPS, then you must buy the external GPS devices which can connect with the E63 via bluetooth.
This is a rather glaring omission for the E63 considering the global market, but when you consider India, I don’t think many people know that it exists and/or know how to use it also. With India not being fully covered by Navteq, Maps or GPS for that matter becomes useless and an almost redundant feature like the PTT feature which does not work in India at all.
However, I doubt it becoming a deal breaker for potential customers of this device.
I will not be giving any scores for this aspect as it does not exist for the device in question.
Conclusion:
The E63 is definitely a new direction that Nokia has taken for Eseries. The E63 which is a ‘cheaper E71′ is very practical and good. The keypad can be a bother to many people because it is cramped and the size of the keys, small. I did not have any problems however. The ‘cost cutting’ carried out for this phone is mind boggling. When compared to the E71, there is a marked difference between the two. But mind you, in terms of fit and finish, both are on par. The E63 with its 3.5mm plug clearly shows its musical intentions and capabilities and mind you, it did not disappoint at all! The camera is lacklustre but I don’t think this phone will be bought for its camera. On the internet and maps front, I don’t need to say anything since oyu have just read about it.
With this comes to end the review of the E63. I hope that the review has given you a good understanding of the phone & its capabilities and at the same time, helped you in deciding for or against buying the device. I will be very happy to know what you think about the review and the phone too. Leave a comment below!
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- The ‘Ruby Red’ E63
dear aditya
congrats!!!! you have posted one of the best reviews of E63 i have found till date in the whole web.
i want to purchase the E63 at Rs 13,900 but a few questions (i dont want to pay Rs 20,000 for E71)
-why is HSDPA not inbuilt in E63, while it is in E51?
-why it is not 3.5G while E51 and E71 has?
-whats nokia thinking when it takes HSDPA & 3.5 out of E63 while it is at a lower priced E51?
-is E51 better than E63?
-since E63 has S60 third edition, feature pack 3 (same as E71) isnt it better thatn E51 and E61i/
-is nokia coming up with a new version of E51?
-can ppt be edited in E63, i have heard word and xls files can be, so as the email?
-can one find better business phones in the range Rs 10,000 to 14,000 than E63?
-since 5800 is the only S60 5th edition, can be tweak/hack and do email and edit files like E-series; then it would be better
thanks
rajneesh
@ Rajneesh
Thank you for your appreciation. I am happy it is of use to you.
The E63 is very much an E71 from the inside.
Though there are a few things that as missing as I have written about them in my review.
Now for answers to your questions…
The E63 is not meant to be a 3G phone, but is rather a poor man’s E71. But is no way a ‘cheap’ phone.
HSDPA is 3.5G. The E63 does not have 3G support, so the chances of it having 3.5G also don’t exist. In India neither of them exist (3G and 3.5G).
The E63 is the successor to the E62 phone which also offered only EDGE support and no 3G(which is why the E63 lacks 3G). Also I think the lack of 3G support in India will not make a difference since we do not have 3G.
The E51 is a good phone, but the benefits of having a larger screen and QWERTY keyboard is more than having 3G or 3.5G in my opinion. QWERTY devices are more practical and easy to use in everyday life. the E51 is a regular phone and the internals are same as that of the Nokia 6120. Mind you the E51 is an entry level business device while the E63 is easily a notch or two higher.
The E63 is a S60 3rd edition device with FP2(not FP3) which as you pointed out is the same found on the E71. The difference between FP1 and FP2 are many,apart from just visual ones. But yes, the FP2 is better than E51’s S60 3rd edition FP1.
I doubt there is a new E51 coming as the camera-free version has been out for quite some time.
You are right, the E63 allows editing of word, excel and powerpoint files. Email facility exists in all the S60 devices. May I suggest you try out the Nokia Messaging application. It has been written about on this blog. It is a great application from Nokia for handling your emails.
I think for the price the E63 is a very good deal. Better then the E51 also. There are other ‘business’ phones but not in S60. you will find them using WinMo. personally don’t like WinMo, too outdated and just too resource hungry.
5800 is a completely different device and as I said earlier all S60 devices have email functionality out of the box. You don’t need to hack/tweak it. For editing files you will have to purchase QuickOffice (You can do that from the software store on the blog!). Please do not use hacked and/or pirated copies of QuickOffice.
I hope that this further helps you Rajneesh in making a choice between the two phones, E51 and E63.
I am amazed with it. It is a good thing for my research. Thanks
E51 is actually technically identical to e71, i mean in terms of circutry, cpu, etc.. Other than circuits for the bigger screen, af camera and keypad. As a serious international business user, I use e51, 71. But i wont suggest e63 if ur r hardcore bussiness user. Its no good if u r travelling to any country with 3.5g support. E51 is actually only the second set by nokia with HSDPA support, while e63 is not there. Who ever says e63 is a notch above is not a serious bussines user. And imagine using a plastic set wearing business suit.. 63 is a cheap alternative to 71, and 51 is for those who want performance and style, who dont mind paying equal to 63 to avoid plastic and need a serios buss phone in international use. By the way, this is typed using a e51. I need e71 querty only while using lotus notes, within my country..
P.S. For better info on e51 and e63, look them up individually on wikipedia.. U’ll know which 1 better caters ur need..
@ Ashique
I think E51 shares the same internals as the Nokia 6120 if I’m not mistaken, maybe the three of them have same internals, that could be possible too.
About the debate between the E51 and E63. If you live in India or for that matter any country where 3G or HSDPA doesn’t exist, having that feature or not makes no difference.
But I agree with you that if you are traveling abroad and if you do intend to use your device there, the E51 and E71 would be an asset. As for the E63 being a notch higher, the E63 has a QWERTY keypad, document (.doc, .ppt, and .xls files)editing out of the box and all the security features the E71 has. I think that makes it a notch higher than the E51, but that’s my view. I could be wrong.
If you were only concentrating on looks, the E51 is obviously much better in looks than the E63. Steel obviously looks better than Plastic.
And by the way, Blackberry phones are plastic handsets too, yet people wearing suits have developed a fondness for it.
Aditya,
As i mentioned, its a question of ur need that u want to be catered with, in my case a 3.5g is higher than 2g set.. But i m a techno.. I guess india will soon hv 3g network, even some othr neighbors like Pak and BD are having it by this year.. So u can imagine the speed 51 and 71 will harness in browsing.. As for blackberry, the design is very business looking, they dont look as cut back as 63, i think u agree. (nokia has this tendency to make lower version sets look cheap.. Finnish marketing i guess) and 51 and 71 both are BB enabled. I dont know about 63 about this aspect. The point is, e63 is not a bad set at all, but has a certain cutback look, feel and features to it (as i said, in my usesage environment, not eveyone’s, which can be better or worse than my environment, and thts nt my point). But yes, i agree tht if u dont need hyper performance of e51 or e71, i.e. 3.5 or even 3G and dont need taking out of ur cell while professional business negotiations, 63 will do. In my opinion, its more of half business and half entertainment (3.5mm jack and bigger screen, though inferior in browsing speed to the other two) set. I stick to the standing.. Lookup in wikipedia, and decide which suits ur needs.
I agree that there is a ‘cutback’ feel to the E63, something I have highlighted very prominently in my reviews. India will soon (hopefully) have a 3G network, but the question is will it be affordable (that’s another question altogether!)
If you do use your phone in the environments like yours, I guess the E51 or E71 would be more professional. Then again the E63 is not meant for that target segment. The target segment for the E63, I feel is slightly different. The E63 is predominantly a business phone but with better entertainment features.
Hey Adi, Sean here (ur classmate from vincents) hope u remember me. so nice to see u r homepage. i wanted to go in for a new phone but was getting a lil confused .
Let me tell u what i want.
I message a lot . heavy messaging.
Calls are ok.
pics n camera – i want decent ones. not blured n unreadable.
like to view videos n use GPRS to download a few stuff..
listen to music while i am driving or just chilling ..
I want gooooodd batterrry though (very imp).. can u suggest me a good phone.
I was looking at the N82 , E63… please give me u r suggestions or diff phone since i am not too good in this.
Thanks man…
Hey Adi, Sean Tucker from Vincents. Did u get my earlier mail. Please confirm. Needed some advise from you on phones.
Please mail me.
Thanks..
I think your blog need a new wordpress template. Downalod it from http://genericwpthemes.com . The site has nice and unique wordpress templates.
I must say that you provide genuine, quality information. Thanks for this!
BTW, dpn’t you think your blog needs a better wordpress template?
Maybe it does, But with the limited options being available, I’m afraid I can’t find anything quite eye catching and unique.
Thanks for the good word!
hi,
.
i just read yr full review of E63.I am considering it to buy..I have been a user of E51 from 1 yr…until few weeks before when i lost my e51
Apart from e63 being good or nearly good than e71 (with lesser price too) I want to the problems of E63 .. feature like no volume button , poor camera , and no good on board speaker and no email config and no 3G support doesnt bother me….E51 also had a terrible sound..but it went well with me. I have stereo bluetooth headphone n will be using that..
So sir plz tell me the problems of e63 if any like hangign issues ..or software bugs..or camera bugs…or any other bugssss…….does anyone recommend me anyother phone..!!!!!!
!!!!!!!plz reply to my email or here only .
i can spend 25,000 rs max…but who doesnt want to save tooo
abhishekk1987@gmail.com
The absence of a volume button is not an issue as the D-Pad takes over that role, so you won’t have issues there. The camera is poor, but it was not supposed to be it’s strong points to begin with. During my time trialling the phone.. I did not find any bugs with any of the things you’ve inquired about.
BTW, E63 does have email configuration… if you are looking for the one that the E75 has, fret not just go to “email.nokia.com” register there and download the application on the E63.. and you will have the same Email app that is built into the E75.
If you are looking for a smart buy… this is a good phone.
Thanks for reply sir,
Today i saw E71 with one of my friends..n just held it for few sec..it was good phone..n yah mettalic body rocks…like my earlier E51…..and now i really thinking HOW CAN THE 2 PHONE BE EXACTLY SAME WITH I MEAN HARDWARE N PROCESSOR N proces so different…..(minus camera n other button stuff) still there must be something which makes e63 inferior……
i will try to find out this thing first….
can u guide me in between htc touch pro, E90,E71,E63, evn xperia n samsung innova…..i havent useed any much….but my all time fav over yrs in nokia E90 ..but i m thinking its tooo old in front of E75 n E71 n other new stuff?? as such E90 rocvks …..
thanks in advance..i hope u got my question !!!!
@ abhishek..
the E63 is the same as the E71… minus a few things. The E63 is not inferior, it’s just aimed for a different set of customers.
Now regarding the second part, you are asking me which phone you should consider buying, if I’m not wrong?
You have a wide choice available, but I’m feeling you are also confused with respect to what you want your phone to do, or rather what you want from your phone.
First decide what you want from your phone, do you want a QWERTY device or a touchscreen or both? You are confusing yourself with the choices. You have a good budget so choose wisely.
I have a review of the E71 on my blog, so that should help you a bit. The E90 might be out of your budget that you stated earlier.
E90 as far i heard is now under 30k now..???
and yah E63 not being inferior..i read in a nokia blog from a business user that was complanining to nokia executives that Its wrong on nokia part to put a less buggy phone e63 in market with E71. n he himself was E71 user..so he was feeling offeneded
.
rest u are right in saying abt confusing thing….well i tell you…i want a good solid phone with minimum bugs…and touch screen i like .but aftre using ipod touch for some time…i thought its good to show off..but my experience for.a item like phone which is to be used so often.. n so roughly also sometimes..so how can touch screens can provide a long n scratch less life….may be i m worng inn my thinking..but that wat i think….and qwerty keyboard i have never used on my phone..as none of earlier phones had it..but it will be easier with it i guess…..rest i use phone for wifi, phone book n contacts synchronizing stuff and huge use of calendars and reminders , music also a lot and reading pdf n documents also….and at this range camera is always avalable thats good add on….
With your budget, and what you have said, the E75 is your phone. it has all of the things you want from a phone. Also once you’ve used a QWERTY phone, even a touchscreen feels lame. I have always desired a QWERTY ever since I trialled the E71. the E63 is the closest to a practical 2nd phone for me and as a business phone the E63 makes more sense, but that’s my 2 cents!
Hi Aditya,
I am thinking of buying the new black E63(looks great in black), the only thing I am not sure about is the lack of GPS. You mentioned in your review that GPS is redundant in India, can you please elaborate on that as I have never used GPS in India so I am not sure how well it works.
I stay in New Delhi but will move to Hyderabad next month.
Thanks
Aseem
If i dont need a GPS in India.. and metal is to plastic doesnt really matter. i need severely smooth to do list multitabbed functions and non stop push messaging.. setting up factories.. non stop mailing. I Think the plastic body is more hardy for extreme environments?
Is the E63 slower than the E 71? as in speed of operating applications going through menus? Why should i buy a E71 unless i only want a metal body and GPS.
what are these other features as per business requirements that you talk abt the E71 has?
i am seeing absoulutely no solid reason in your review for one to choose the E71 over the E63 other than the metal body and GPS.
Pls respond, i really need to buy either one soon.
Aseem,
The E63 is a great phone. for being able to use GPS feature Nokia uses its own proprietary software, Nokia Maps. This application unfortunately has only a few cities covered in India. So if you are going to cities not covered by the app, you will not be able to see anything but green colour.
That was precisely why I said that GPS is redundant in India. The hardware and feature is great, its just that there are no maps available. However if you are able to get your hands on an application which gives you maps for a large no. of Indian cities, you should consider upgrading to the E71.
Rajiv,
The E63 is not slower than the E71 as it is the same almost the same hardware. The two have the same screen, operating system, processor, RAM, etc.
Also with respect to me recommending the E71 over the E63 has some reasons. I think you should read the reviews on both of them which are there on my blog before making such comments. Those two thing stated by you are just one of them. I don’t recommend one handset over the other merely on the basis of looks only.
With respect to extra features, please be precise in what you want to know?
What you want should be clear once you have read the reviews. Happy shopping.
hello sir,
thankss
i just today bought E63 black colour. from chandigarh
.well sir can u plz tell me .. are there any pre loaded applications installed on nomkia 1 gb card which is bundled with the phone..actually i have reaplaced nokia 1 gb card with kingston 4 gb microsd card…so i cudnt even know whether any applications are there or not…plz be confirm in wat ever u say..
Well I always insist on keeping the memory card that comes with the phone. Lately Nokia has started bundling the PC Suite and other softwares within the Micro SD card itself. Additionally, the activation to some apps might also be through the card as the application is not installed on the phone and the installer file is on the card.
Adithya,
I found this deal in amazon (I stay in the US)http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/ref=pe_53870_12229200_pe_t4/B00212HNA0 and I am considering to purchase it for my dad (who is in India)… However, I am not sure whether it be compatible with the GSM Mobile operators in India (Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone et all)… Can you kindly have a look at this and let me know whether this will work in India or not.
This phone supports 900MHz and 1800MHz bands. What this means is that you will be able to use this phone in India. If, however you plan to use it for 3G, I don’t think it will work. So you will be able to use EDGE speeds. In all other respects, for your dad it will function like the E63 you get in India. I hope that helps…
Perfecto!
That certainly helps!!
I am buyin it. Thanks tons for the prompt, crisp and quick response.
God bless!
hey abhishek,
i am living in hyderabad…i would like to buy an E63, i just want to know if its worth its price…i need it to support wi-fi…since i wont have a laptop for a while…i also want to know if there is a better phone in this range which can support 3G…although i read elsewhere that E63 has a 3G support..also…will i need some other hardware for the wi-fi connection???? please let me know quickly
@vishruti
There is nobody by the name of abhishek working for this blog. May be I can help?
The E63 will not need any hardware for it to access the Wifi connection that you have. 3G support is there on the E63, but AFAIK it is only supporting the US 3G bands. In India, it is absolutely meaningless to buy a 3G devices especially when 3G is not there in India. Within your budget, you have already chosen a strong player. the E63 is robust and extremely stable to use. I would recommend this only
well aditya sir has answered all yr queries…
i wud just like to add that yes E63 is a very good buy…and i have experienced no problems in it till now….
and yes 3G service availability in India and that too for masses ,affordable is no where in near future. Govt has been delaying the auction of spectrum… Aditya Sir do u have any idea when is this number portability service finally will start ….!!! all the telecom players have been delaying the start of this service …….!!!!!
Hi Aditya, I have been using E63 for a week and the music/battery performance is awesome compared to my old phone the Nokia 6300. Am getting used to typing on this and have come to speed quite quickly now after a week.
GPS and HSDPA not so useful in India, so I have preferred E63 over E71 and also the E71 was more slippery and prone to finger prints and heated up significantly after 20mins of call. E63 has lower price, same specs, 3.5mm headphone jack, torch, more relevant keys, and Google maps without GPS is OK for me.
Have bought a total black version of E63 in Hyderabad from Nokia Priority Dealer for 12,500/- Rs. It includes 1GB card, headset, micro USB cable, battery & charger. The dealer was quoting Rs 19,500/- for E71. Have gone for screen guard(Rs 100/-), and a good rubber textured transparent cover(add 100/-). I felt that the leather pouch is very cumbursome, and it is difficult to take out the phone single handed while driving or regular usage.
The E63 battery lasted 3 days on this phone after a full charge with moderate phone/music/games/web usage. I had researched the market for business phones with WIFI under 15K and nothing came close to E63. The possible contenders are the Windows touch phones HTC Viva(~15K), Asus P320(~12.5K). The only other QWERTY competitors were Motorola Q9H(~16K), Sony Ericsson P1i(~16.5K) and grey market unlocked BlackBerry Curve(~12K to 18K). After a lot of research, I can say that E63 is the most value for money business phone available in India. Pairing E63 with computer headphones makes a lot of difference in sound output.
Can you tell me whether to go for a good quality earphone (Eg: Creative EP-630 ~800/-) or to go for a stereo bluetooth headset, or to go for the Nokia N82 headset. What is cost involved in option 2 and 3 and sound clarity when compared to the EP-630.
Aditya, I have checked the E71 on my friends mobile and it seems similar in speed, so I do not think it has got any difference in speeds for dialup as well as WIFI connections. Please clarify and check the phone again on this aspect.
Hi All, have been using the black E63 for over a week and am very pleased with this phone after having lost my old Nokia 6300. Have bought it from a Nokia priority dealer in Hyderabad for Rs 12,500/- and it inluded the 1 GB card, USB cable, battery & charger. The same dealer was quoting 19,500/- for an E71.
The other phones considered were HTC 3400(~10k), HTC Viva(~15K), Sony Ericsson P1i(~16K), Asus P320(12.5K), Motorola Q9H(~16.5K), E71, grey market unlocked Blackberry curve models(12K to 18k) and in the end I have to say the E63 came out tops among these. It is the best bang for buck business phone available during these recession times.
Advantages over E71: more BlackBerry type of grip and feel, more relevant keys, 3.5mm headphone jack, torch, approx ~7K less with just about same specs. Only lacking are HSDPA(3.5G)
Aditya: I am considering buying a good pair of headphones i) (Creative EP-630 ~800/-) or the ii) N82 headphones (what is the price of these) and which would be better among the two. Also would the inbuilt phone radio work with i) and ii).
The N82 headphones are good buy! I prefer them over the expensive headphones that come with the N96… I don’t know how the creative ones will be. As for the radio part.. I haven’t tried using the radio over a non-Nokia pair of headphones.
Why not go to a Croma store and check them out or borrow a friend’s earphones or headphones. If it works then it will work for any headphones/earphones.
Hey aditya,
First of all congrats on the lovely feedback on E63.
I have a quwstion for you. My friend wants to buy a good mobile after alomst 6 years dragging with an old nokia cell. i personally want her to buy a smart phone, the reason being that she has a good samsung mp3 player as well as a good olympus digital camers so inclination towards a a music phone or a camera phone is not what she is looking for.
She recently got through a good job and i feel its high time that she carries a good new generation phone. She has asked me to sort down few phones for her. One f the first model that came to my mind was the nokia E-series. but wasnt sure which one. I feel E-63 is a good choice but my concern is that it might make her feel as a complicated phone as generally she is not much of an techy explorer type lke many other ladies may feel. So that doubt always stays in mind that what if i suggest her this phone and she spends some good amount of money on it and then feel that she is unable to cope up with the new generation smart phones and end up getting confused with all the features.
So what i want to know is what would be your recomendation from a women’s point of view. SHe has gadgets and she uses them well but still the question remains that is E-63 the best option or any other phone, maybe not of the E-series or even a non nokia phone.
THanks a lot.
Debraj
The E63 is not a complicated phone. But, initially moving onto a smartphone will mean learning it, hence initially it will be ‘difficult’. Most of the features are common across all brands like calling and so on. I always advise reading the manual once or twice to get the hang of the features and workings of any phone. I do it myself even now with every phone.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, there’s nothing better than a smartphone. The E63 makes for a good choice, it’s a stable phone and a very good business phone. I’m sure you have read the review of it and the E71.
The E63 is definitely a good choice!
There are just two things I will leave you with…
1. Understand your needs first and then look if your budget has those things. Don’t buy an expensive phone if you aren’t going to use most of the features or if you only need to make calls and SMSes.
2. Smartphones are the future, you have to learn to use it today or tomorrow, with technology changing and evolving so rapidly, now seems a better time than later, to learn how to use a smartphone.
Your friend must now see how she can marry both. I hope I’ve been of some help to you and your friend. Do let me know what decision you take…
Hey Ad,
What you just said is absolutely right. if the phone, and not only phone, but any product for that matter, is not used to the fullest then its no point buying one. But its also true that smart phones are the future, and better to start learning bout it as soon possible.
so thanks a lot. i shall keep posting about whatever decision she makes
Apart from that, i just saw a new arrval in nokia website which is nokia 6208. Seemed pretty interesting and promising to me. So can we expect a review about that soon too???
Thanks a lot
Debraj
Hi Aditya,
I have read this in one of your previous posts on E63 and yes I did face this problem. But could you tell me how I can transfer my music files without encountering this problem?
“The E63’s software is a little buggy, like when you connect the phone to the USB and the music player application is working in the background it stops and says that ‘USB connection in progress‘ at this point whether the phone is connected to the computer in PC Suite mode makes no difference, the music player stops functioning and even after disconnecting it doesn’t stop flashing that message, one has to switch off the phone and restart it to use the music player option.”
Thanks in advance for the reply
Kind Regards
Rangan