NOKIA E51. FINALLY IT MAKES SENSE.

For over a decade now, mobile phones have come in all shapes and sizes and are available in so many different form factors. So much so that trying to find one that fits your hands like a good pair of gloves is enough to make your head spin. And I should know. December 27, 2007 was my 11th anniversary as DST Prima subscriber and in the time the mobile phone market exploded, my head has been in a constant state of Russian roulette each time I looked and gave up. This means I have not, in the past decade, owned many phones. The phones I have and do own have always been a Nokia—Walk on the Blue Side 8250, 6020 and very recently, the E51—the one that makes the most sense, to me!

nokia-e51.jpg
Nokia E51 © Jan Shim Photography

I know for a fact that I am not alone when I say I am perhaps also a decade behind most people when it comes to mobile phone ownership. Would you believe until I got the E51, I’ve never had a phone that had capabilities in MP3 audio, Wifi, high definition LCD, Emails—sad but true. The time between the 8250 and the E51 had left me in the stone age of mobile communications. Quite the irony for an IT exec whose career spanned just as long.

Why the E51? For starters, the form factor (called the Candy Bar) is just right and the phone oozes appeal in every sense of the world—slim, black, stainless steel casing, improved keypad ergonomics and most of all not obvious to non-Nokia users are the interface improvements and extremely intuitive/common sense menus. Plenty of E51 specs and reviews on the web so I shan’t repeat them here.

Calender and Appointments. While this isn’t any ground-breaking news, I can finally sync my Outlook calendar between my PC and laptop (a big big thumbs-up). Anyone who’s tried to keep two instances of their Outlook calendar in sync between two or more computers know how inconvenient it is and there are no tools that let you accomplish this without going Ggrrrr! The E51 once connected with either computer automatically performs the updates. For years, I’ve had to wait to power up my laptop or PC to check my calendar then get back to clients if I was available for a job. That’s no longer the case as long as they’re sync’d.

The Screen. The LCD is the one single component that we spend 100% of the time using and looking at. While just 2-inch, the 240 x 320 pixel LCD supports 16 million colours and amazingly high resolution that make the graphics pop! Also, the transreflective LCD ensures visual legibility even in bright sunlight!

Migration. Moving from one Nokia to another is a cinch. Nokia has a tool called SWITCH which can very easily transfer/synchronize all your Contacts and Notes from your other Nokia phones using infrared (a transfer protocol that’s available on even the most basic of models) so if you have several hundred contacts, there’s no fuss.

FM Radio. Every country has a popular radio station but when we’re abroad, we don’t bother tuning in for obvious reasons. We’re hardly in the hotel room and nobody carries a radio in their pockets. I can think of more than one reason where a handy FM Radio is useful.

Multimedia capabilities: includes RealPlayer for MPEG-4, MP4, 3GP, RV, RA, AMR and MIDI playback while Music Player plays back sound files in MP3 and AAC extensions. Though not a music head, I’m impressed with the high fidelity this phone is capable of. For those of you who use a Recorder this phone is also a high quality voice recorder and lets you record up to 60 minutes of voice memo. I’m guessing one hour of voice recording is quite good though I am unable to find info of whether recording time can be extended if saving to external MicroSD card (recorder function activated via a factory programmed but user configurable shortcut key—essentially by pressing the Email Icon for one second)

Mobility and Connectivity. With WiFi technology, I can now sign on to the many free internet services available today when I am on the road and check my emails when I prefer not to have the burden of my 15.4″ laptop with me (in the absence of WiFi connectivity, there’s also the provider’s GPRS packet service though whether that’s roamed or not remains to be discovered). For instance, I posted my first blog comment on the E51 while I was taking a break in between my badminton game where the venue has free public WiFi access. Also, I should mention the use of standard miniUSB slot is a big bonus compared to proprietary connectors still used in many newer Nokia phones. You can very easily find miniUSB cables used in items such as Flash card readers, same USB cables supplied with most digital cameras I know so forgetting to bring one or misplacing the original is not life threatening!

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© Jan Shim Photography

There are many more features on the E51 that makes the phone worthy. In short, it has made mobile communication interesting again for me. I was on the verge of switching to EASI Pre Paid end last year when I thought all I needed was text messaging and the occasional phone call. With my work now taking me on the road more than before, a laptop isn’t always a practical solution!

Update: May 23 2008 Since this post I have connected the phone to my laptop as a HSDPA modem and have successful gone online using Nokia PC Suite software. The E51 though a full HSDPA-compliant device is not capable of connecting at 7.2mbps due to (I suspect) Windows hardware driver limitation. It appears to always connect at 480kbps and actual throughput is decent to get work done on the go!


E51 with standard Mini-USB connector © Jan Shim Photography

78 thoughts on “NOKIA E51. FINALLY IT MAKES SENSE.”

  1. Jan, you know what? I have been looking for another phone that looks slim, classy and yet function well without paying too much.. And i think i might just get E51 instead after reading your blog….

    And it is cheap here in Singapore if i renew my phone. I just don’t want to see my Nokia phone hang up on me or shut down for no apparent reason… This looks stable enuf…. 😀

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  2. I disagree on the last point, yes a laptop isn’t always a practical solution, but only when it’s a 15.4″. 😛

    I have a 12″ Acer laptop, it’s light and has a long lasting battery life, and I awlays carry it around with me whereever I go. 😀

    And I haven’t used a Nokia in about 5+ years, I am body and soul, a Sony Ericsson guy. 😀 Currently using the W580i, music sounds awesome on it and the novelty of the “shake it” hasn’t worn of yet, so probably won’t change it for a while.

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  3. A laptop regardless of its size including a 17″ one is fine if that’s all you have to look after. However, when you’re on the road with the other 18-kg of camera equipment (Yes, they really do weigh that much fully laden stuffed into the Lowepro CompuTrekker AW Plus), each item of significant proportions that I can afford NOT to bring with me is godsend. Laptop, lenses and camera bodies should never be left inside the car unless it’s parked in the basement and goes without saying, keep them out of sight of prying eyes.

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  4. 18 kilos ?!? You must have really bad shoulder cramps. 😛

    And yes, now I understand what you meant. If I was carrying that much equipment, even a 10″ laptop would seem like a burden.

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  5. Jaslyn, the E51 is often compared to its big brother, the E90 Communicator which costs 3 times as much and according to many review sites, the E51 and E90 are virtually identical except for the form factor, wide-screen LCD, QWERTY keyboard and the hefty price tag! In my research leading up to the E51, I looked at the E61i and E90 each of them has their merits except one factor that nailed it for me—the phone’s form factor must be comfortable and completely operational in my left hand (for reasons I rather not say). The most shocking aspect of the E51 is very likely the price tag—at less than $500 one wouldn’t expect a phone with this much bells and whistles that the critics have trouble finding fault with!

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  6. Jan,

    After reading your comment on E51, really make me wonder if I should get one for myself instead of N95 or N82. I like Candy phone rather than flip or slide phone.

    Also, for the pain on the shoulder after so much of weigh, do try the moving cupping instead of stationery cupping. The moving cupping help to improve blood circulation and take off the pain and tension better. Trust me!

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  7. I am actually looking for a phone since my current one is finally showing signs of damage from the countless number of drops by careless and naughty hands.

    Reading your reviews, looking at how it actually looks like and knowing the local price – I think I will convince myself to get a new phone too. I wonder if they have it in red…

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  8. @ Drifting Cloud / Jewelle

    This is the first time I came across a phone that’s described with a “Candy Bar” form factor. Fascinating but I suppose a lot of research goes into analysing consumer behaviour and preferences to reach that conclusion. The E51 is sexy slim and compared to the model it replaces (E50) it’s a significant step forward in [text] appeal considering I only use the phone for text messaging and emails.

    One really cool feature is the notification light that you can set to blink from 5 mins to 2 hours max. Nice high intensity blue LED reminds you of missed calls or unread SMS/Emails when your custom ring tones and vibration alerts fail you!

    The phone is also available into two other colors–gold and chrome. With Nokia taking such a beating with their recent spade of bad chroming, I’m not so sure if the E51 has the same sort of chroming considering it’s stainless steel not plastic so it may be more permanent. The gold one is very elegant and if I wasn’t a big fan of all things black, I’d be sporting either a gold or chrome piece though you should be warned that it’s a finger print magnet (I read somewhere that the gold/chrome fare worse in this department).

    I got mine from INCOMM as I have regard for their one year warranty more than other sources. On top of that, there’s 5% discount if you present the DST Prima Privilege card or HSBC Premier (there may be other discount privileges too, be sure to ask).

    As for moving cupping, I’ll be sure to check with the guy doing it next time though I have a feeling it’s not something they do.

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  9. Well if you are in bsb, can drop by my aunt’s alternative clinic, it’s one of the specialties. Paiseh to say that, I am the one developing it for her clinic, it is done with combination of both moving cupping and a good back and shoulder massage. Good relief especially after tired days.

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  10. I just found out from my sis in law who frequents Healing Touch that they do have the moving cupping. Drop me a line the whereabouts of your aunt’s clinic and I’ll check it out. In your honour, if the day is still bright, I’ll be sure to take a look at the clouds first before stepping inside :).

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  11. Hi Jan, I have been waiting for a (local) review on the E51 for some time and you seem to be the first (and only one) that I can find. There’s one question I just have to ask: Do you find the side and top buttons (volume control, power buttons) extremely stiff? I actually went to Incomm the other day just to have a feel of the E51 and noticed that the power button on the top has had ‘markings’ that seemed like ppl were applying a lot of pressure on it just to turn it on or off. Do you have any comment on that?

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  12. Nothing like a review from someone who actually uses one and I’ve used it since last Christmas and it continues to be a productivity tool for me or for anyone who is on the road a lot.

    Eric, the buttons are indeed stiffer than your average phones and certainly stiffer than they need to be but I only find the power button to be really stiff. The volume controls are acceptable. Lucky for me, I do not switch my phone off unless I have to (such as places that mandates doing so), I would instead just hold down # to switch into silent mode when noise might be disturbing.

    I can see how switching if off might be uncomfortable for some just as switching it on all the same. But hey, this phone packs a mean punch when it comes to the features it has over many others. I even consider it a worthy substitute for a notebook if emails and web news are your thing.

    I wouldn’t even bother with instant messenger. The screen is too small. End of story. But I have to emphasize that the transreflective LCD is brilliant in the hot sun. You might have seen photos of crabs and others that were shot at the beach. In between pictures, I checked my emails a few times in near-noon bright sunlight and the fonts are completely legible. It’s that good you find it hard to believe!

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  13. Hi,

    Excellent article! Honestly it stands out with its original flavour among lots of E51 review floating in net. I am very impressed!

    I am about to upgrade to a latest smartphone, preferably of Nokia. I use my cellphone mainly for taking notes, organising my tasks and appointments, doing some office job in word and excel, emailing, moderate web browsing. And I sometimes listen to music and take occational snaps, though these are not of that priority.

    Could you KINDLY tell me if I can use Nokia E51 as a laptop-substitute on the go (I’ll buy edit version of Quick Office)? I would be obliged if you kindly mail me your valued opinion.

    Thanks a lot in advance!

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  14. Prosenjitz,

    Thanks for your comments. I’m honoured.

    The questions you ask are probably on the minds of many users/executives so I’ll answer them here (also for my own benefit as there are a number of features I do not personally use).

    Taking notes, Organising my tasks and Appointments
    Part of the Nokia Office Tools are ‘Active Notes’ and ‘Notes’. An excerpt from the User’s Guide …

    Active Notes allows you to create, edit and view different kinds of notes, for example, meeting memos, hobby notes, or shopping lists. You can insert images, videos, and sound in the notes. You can link notes to other applications such as Contacts and send notes to others.

    Notes You can create and send notes to other compatible devices and save received plain text files (.txt format) to Notes.

    For tasks and appointments, I have my Microsoft Outlook Calendar and its corresponding alarms sync between my PC, Laptop and E51. Works very well.

    Word and Excel, emailing, moderate web browsing
    I’ve not used Nokia QuickOffice to look at documents I received via email attachments, something I would normally leave till I’m home. E51 comes with Adobe PDF Reader LE 1.5 is handy. For emails, I have Gmail and Yahoo POP3 and SMTP configured so I can compose my emails offline then connect to 3.5G to send them off. It’s such a gem to be able to read my emails on the move esp now that we have 3.5G opening large attachments aren’t a problem anymore compared to the days of GPRS. Web browsing in either the portrait or landscape orientation is good enough for me. E51’s high resolution screen makes event the tiniest fonts legible (of course, this also depends on your eyesight).

    I would imagine if you’re going to spend a lot of time with Word, Excel and web browsing, a phone with a much larger screen such as the E90 Communication would make more sense not forgetting the convenience of the QWERTY keyboard. I nearly got the E61i because of the larger LCD but its form factor made one-hand operation somewhat a challenge. My criteria was that the phone had to be completely functional in my left hand.

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  15. Seems a pattern is developing between photographers and the E51 phone although a small sampling of owners isn’t much to go by.

    I’m adamant about doubling the E51 as a HSDPA device when I need to occasionally connect my laptop to the internet. So when I discovered that the Nokia provides a driver that is only capable of connecting at a max 921,000 bps I pursued the matter further with Nokia Careline (Singapore).

    In a number of email exchanges before I had a chance to evaluate the GO! USB modem, Nokia rep tried to convince me that the maximum limit was a Microsoft Windows matter. When I had a chance to install DST’s modem, this immediately dispelled that notion when I saw a driver capable of 7,200,000 bps installed. If the E51 was truly a HSDPA-capable device whether on its own or being connected and used externally surely a device driver that reflects the HSDPA speed was necessary

    Ultimately, when presented with this argument, Nokia responded differently …

    In response to your enquiry, please be advised that I have forwarded your suggestion to our technical department for future reviews. Nokia values all constructive suggestions that we receive as this gives us a gainful insight towards developing and providing greater technology, products and services to our customers. The suggestion you have made will not go unnoticed and we will strive to ensure that every effort is made to assure our customers of the level of commitment available.

    Once again, thank you for the suggestion.

    Let’s see!

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  16. Hi Jan, just started reading your blog as of today and found it interesting. (lots to say bout that) ;).

    Anywhoo….would like your assistance or input on how to be able to send faxes with a laptop using mobile phones as the modem. Been to some shops and spoke to technical support personnel of those shops and was unable to come up with a solution.

    Several websites that i visited as well were of no help.

    I own a nokia E90. — Rizal Ali

    I’m afraid I have bad news. While researching the answer to your question, I discovered that 3G/3.5G networks do not support faxing (assuming you’re on 3.5G). It’s reported that in order for faxing to work, the phone needs to drop down to GSM mode and use an online fax service that provide inbound and outbound fax capabilities. I’m not sure how logistically and financially practical using one of these services is. One site recommends MyFax by Protus IP Solutions Inc and you can read more about it here.

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  17. I had a Nokia E 51 for about 2 weeks before it was stolen!!! since I need a new phone im thinking of buying the E 51 again.
    The main reason is the slim version and when im wearing a suit the less weight I have the better (other other things being my wallet, keys, card holder, security pass) hence the E61i is out.

    The questions I have are:

    1. Can the E51 sync with outlook for contacts?

    2. Is there any program where I can check my email directly such as you have outlook for windows mobile by using Wi-Fi? I DONT need a blackberry style push email. I can live without that but I would like an alternative to opening up explorer, going to a website and enterting my details everytime I want to check my mail.

    3. Anyway I can get rid of the click noise on the camera?

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  18. Hi Kimi,

    Sorry about the theft—I guess it’s just that good 🙂

    I like the E51 for the same reason you do—slim and above all, functional. I wouldn’t have mind the E61i that much if it wasn’t because of the QWERTY keyboard. I think I’ll have a hard time learning it. A little inconvenience of the E51’s dictionary toggle on/off I find acceptable unless for the occasional onset of RSI during prolonged use.

    1. Can the E51 sync with outlook for contacts?

    Yes. The following items are and can be selective synchronised: Calendar/TO-do Items | Contact Items | Notes Items | Bookmark Items | File and Folder Items

    2. Is there any program where I can check my email directly such as you have outlook for windows mobile by using Wi-Fi?

    I recently got asked a similar question, does E51 sync Outlook Emails. I said NO for an obvious reason. Outlook is not an email, it’s simply a POP3/SMTP mailbox that would work with any independent emails from your ISP or Gmail/Yahoo Emails as long there are configurable POP/SMTP parameters.

    I DONT need a blackberry style push email. I can live without that but I would like an alternative to opening up explorer, going to a website and enterting my details everytime I want to check my mail.

    One of the things I like about the E51 is its ability to automatically configure POP/SMTP settings for popular email such as Gmail and Yahoo. I have these accounts set up on my phone that directly checks the Gmail and Yahoo servers for new mails via either my provider’s 3.5G internet gateway (chargeable) or any free WiFi access points. Works brilliantly eitherway. There is no way I am going to go online in the tiny screen to sign-in a web-based email interface to check my mails—that would simply be too painful and awfully inconvenient to the point of counter productive!

    3. Anyway I can get rid of the click noise on the camera?

    Probably no. I’ve not come across a switch that toggles the noise. It’s very annoying and absolutely unnecessary. Apparently the clicking noise (and red LED light for video recording on other models) are both privacy protection devices, designed to notify the people being photographed/filmed. It may even be a legal requirement in my countries seeing how in recent memory, evidence from a mobile phone video recording may have been used in court. Apparently, turning off the Warning Tones in General Profile has worked for some models but on the E51, it doesn’t.

    Setting up Gmail on the E51 for the first time for instance, follow these steps:

    Menu | Messaging | Options | Settings | E-mail | Options | New mailbox | POP3 | enter username@gmail.com | ….

    Username: username@gmail.com

    Password:

    Incoming Mail Server: pop.gmail.com

    Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.gmail.com

    Access Point in use: Always ask

    Mailbox Name: Gmail

    Mailbox Type: POP3

    Security ports: SSL/TLS

    Port: Default

    APOP Secure Login: Off

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    1. Can you please help to define yahoomail in the inbuilt messaging for Nokia E51 ? i have tried everything that i knew, like entering mail servers incoming :pop.mail.yahoo.com i tried also with pop.yahoo.com,pop.n.mail.yahoo.com, and out going :smtp.mail.yahoo.com and others resp.
      So please can you guide me to insert the perfect settings so i can get my yahoo mails on my device.

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      1. Sohilraj,

        While Gmail provides free POP and SMTP, Yahoo does not. That’s why you were unable to get the settings to work unless you pay for Yahoo Mail Plus. I subscribed to Mail Plus once but gave it up once I decided to stay with Gmail. If you have to have Yahoo mail on your phone, try Yahoo Mobile: http://mobile.yahoo.com/mail

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  19. I’ve just made what may be considered a significant discovery. It used to be that we were able to charge our GSM phones with a USB “charger” cable before the generation of polyphonic phones entered the market. They changed the phone’s power management and needed a compatible phone charger that ended the era of USB charger cable. Not only were these cables no longer usable, car cigarette chargers also suffered similar fate!

    GOOD NEWS! I discovered that an old car charger for an earlier model Nokia phone works with the E51 and no only that, the once defunct USB charger functions again. What this means for mobile computing users is you can now charge the E51 using a spare USB port on the laptop while the phone is used as a HSDPA device to connect to the internet. Of course, this also means extra power drain on the laptop’s power

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  20. Thanks for the quick and informative reply!

    Nokia now also has the E66 (successor to the E65). I got a E65 for my office staff and while he likes it Im not too keen on the size and the usability of the E65 (the keypad buttons just seem a little different)

    BUT i do kind of like the E66 (maybe cause its new :P)

    and good news about the Laptop charging bit about the E51!

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  21. BUT i do kind of like the E66 (maybe cause its new :P)

    Maybe 😛

    The lure of being new and the attraction of being different. Two deadly mix. I sense TROUBLE! 🙂

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  22. hi Jan,

    I have yet to buy a E51, but interested to get one. I wonder how the E51 device is connected to the laptop for HDSPA access. Is it done via bluetooth or USB cable ? My laptop does not have an in-built Bluetooth. Appreciate your advice.

    Thanks alot.

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  23. One of the best things about the E51 is that it uses industry standard USB cable. By standard, I refer to the same cable that devices such as media card readers. This is particularly important because unlike other Nokia phones that use proprietary connectors, this cable is easily available. I am a photographer and always carry a card reader in the bag. Failing this, it’s just as easy to borrow one from a friend (some portable USB 2.5″ drive enclosures use them too).

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  24. Hi there!
    I was wondering, has anyone yet succeeded using its E51 as a wireless (wifi, wlan) modem for his compter. I will be living in another house for the next two months, but i cannot connect to the wireless network over mz laptop´s wifi. Over my E51 however there were no problems, but browsing on the small handy screen is not that fun. so I tried connecting to the Internet over the notebook, using my phone as a modem. It always tried connecting over the 3G mobile network and not over the wifi. Any ideas or software?
    Greetings,
    Georgi

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  25. Technically I think its possible but it’s just not possible with a cell phone. Imagine the possibility of cell phones becoming access points—WHOA! Remotely activate all the phones in the country and we instantly have free national WiFi. Now that would be a seriously cool idea. Besides, there would be no service overlap between a laptop and Nokia PC Suite’s connectivity offering.

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  26. Install Nokia PC Suite software that comes with the phone (there are several new updates since the phone’s release so be sure to update). I recommend connecting the phone to the laptop via USB cable (making sure you are using a high speed USB port). But, if you do not have PC Suite installed yet, do not connect the phone until instructed to do so. Once you have software installed and successfully established connection with the E51, click on the green globe icon “Connect to the Internet” and proceed from there. It’s that simple, really.

    At this point, you should see connected speeds of around 480kbps. When you get there, we can then talk about how you can change the speed to 960 kbps (varies with 3G provider and location).

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  27. I just purchased E51 and want to setup my Yahoo Access I can connect WLAN can some one tell me what setup I should in my Handphone do to get Email Access….

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  28. The easiest method to do this is to download Yahoo! Go via the phone’s “Download!” and you’ll get a mobile version of Yahoo web mail. Yahoo does not provide free POP3 or IMAP access so unless you’re a Yahoo! MAIL PLUS subscriber there’s no other method to retrieve your emails.

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  29. I really like it except battery life can be a bit short! especially using internet and other apps. I needed frequent charging and so Hacked together a DIY USB CHARGER for this phone since I sometimes wanted the charger when I had left it at home or one of the locations I work. Here is how:
    -get the correct adaptor plug (the tiny female plug at the ned o fthe standard nokia power adaptor). I did not find one but a friend gave me hers since the charger was damaged
    -get a USB female plug (I cut one off a dead mouse)
    -get a Y-USB lead that can be plugged in to both ports of your computer. I had one of these that came with a external HDD unit. This is important- the charging needs 800mA but a USB port limits to 500mA..so use two together to get 1000mA out.
    Now, join USB female plug to phone plug (check polarity with voltmeter). Connect up to the Y-USB that is in turn connected to laptop. Voila! USB charging where ever you find a computer

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  30. Sweet zcat. You would think that they could have built in the USB charging into the USB-USBmini data cable. Cant see why not?.

    I also forget that silly little charger to plug into mains and if I do find it then then I struggle to find two pin adapter
    The USB charging is the way to go

    Why not a phone with built in USB charger any way? All the proprietary plugs drive me nuts
    Just like why not put a flashlight on all phone standard?

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  31. How do I connect the E51 to the internet through a notebook pc connected to the internet? That is I want to use the notebook as a modem? this is to tap the internet connection of the notebook.

    Also this is to use the free version of skypee on the E51?

    Thanks and regards.

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  32. B T Sim

    Instruction to use the E51 as a HSDPA modem was posted earlier (5th post up before yours or click here). As the E51 uses industry standard USB cable, please connect using a cable instead of Bluetooth or Infra-red. I don’t use Skype and have never tried to install or use one on the E51, can’t help there!

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  33. I want to use the E51 to access the internet thru the notebook attached to a LAN and save on phone charges. Is your procedure correct and which icon on PC suite do I select to do so?
    Thanks.

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  34. Apologies for misreading your original question. What you have in mind cannot work with the E51 or any other Nokia phone for that matter. In fact, because the E51 is WIFI capable, you’re expected to access the LAN wirelessly and not complicate things by connecting it to a laptop. If you do not have a wireless router/LAN I think you can configure your laptop to be a wireless router (you’ll have to consult a PC savvy friend or Google for ideas).

    There are VOIP applications such as FRING that supports Skype and popular instant messenger network. Is this what you had in mind? Nokia supports an app called Gizmo that works like Skype and you can talk freely to another phone that has Gizmo installed. This is something I had previously installed and tested. The voice quality is great but like any other VOIP technology, expect some lag.

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  35. Thanks again.

    I have no problem with the Wifi on the E51.However,presently I have problems installing Fring and may try Gizmo.

    At home I can use the E51 to piggy on the wireless LAN.

    There are some office location that do not allow wireless but only wired internet connections and these are the places that gave rise to my question.

    When I have the time at such locations, I will seek advice to configure the laptop to be a wireless router.

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  36. I made a comment on my personal experience with FRING in my E71 post. I don’t know if between then and now Fring has improved but first since my first impression of it was not good, I don’t plan to install it anytime soon. In fact, just a quick look at the Fring Community (Symbian Bug Report and General Feedback) you’ll quickly see the countless problems others are experiencing. I’m afraid there aren’t many Symbian VOIP apps that support Skype, if that’s the thing you must have.

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  37. I saw that you can also sync tasks along with calendar. Before I buy this wonderful device, I want to confirm that I can copy my Outlook Calendar, Outlook Tasks and Outlook Contacts onto E51. Is that right?

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  38. Sanjay,

    On the WHAT TO SYNCHRONISE menu, users have the following checkboxes:

    [ ] CALENDAR/TO-DO ITEMS
    [ ] CONTACT ITEMS
    [ ] NOTES ITEMS
    [ ] BOOKMARK ITEMS
    [ ] FILE AND FOLDER ITEMS

    I only sync my Outlook calendar entries so I cannot say if the other items get imported 100% and what problems you may encounter, etc. Perhaps someone who does and happen to come across this comment may offer a more assuring response.

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  39. i have an E51 bought – i feel great having it. I just opened Download of the menu and updated it and saw Devicescape ready to install. So there I was. However, how does Devicescape work with E51, when it ask to sign up e-mail and passwrd, no characters can be typed in the boxes.

    Keep up the good work Jan.

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  40. after much thinking I finally went and got another E51 (my old was stolen)

    everything is good but for some reason within the messages option when I try and set-up my gmail account – it doesn’t seem to work.

    I try and download emails but nothing works – surprisingly I can send an email from the E51 – I sent a test message to my gmail account and I can see it on my pc but not on my E51.

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  41. Im new to the whole web side of phone and have just bought an e51. I need someone to explain to me if i can connect my e51 to my computer(ive done) and browse the internet on my phone using my internet connection from my computer.
    Any help is much appreciated.

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  42. @Kimi
    My gmail inbox on my E51 is fine, perhaps you would like tto make sure you have the right gmail configurations when setting up the account

    I am using the IMAP settings
    Incoming mail server: imap.gmail.com
    Mailbox type: IMAP4
    Security (ports): SSL/TLS
    Port: Default
    Note that your user name should be your entire email address including “@gmail.com”

    You will also have to change the settings in your actual gmail account as well (http://mail.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=12769)

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  43. I was a bit surprised that nokia pc quite has no wlan connectivity option. It certainly should be faster than bluetooth. Phone has features like voIP so data connection should be possible. Does anybody know how to connect pc an e51 through wlan for data transfer?

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  44. I think there was a time I tried to setup Bluetooth to see what the novelty is all about. After attempting it and putting up with the “data security” nonsense, I decided never to bother with the technology again. I use WiFi a lot even though I don’t like wireless very much but it’s very convenient (when it works). However, I don’t see the point of syncing calendar wirelessly. Cable transfers are so fast and effortless (well, a very small effort to make sure you have the cable with you all the time).

    The E51 uses standard USB cable so unlike my E71’s proprietary connector. Besides, if wireless did exist, you might find your calendar broadcasted to everyone in your housing area (that would make thing really interesting). Not everyone has their wireless on WEP.

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  45. Hi Jan,

    I’m not a very techie person and i love my e51 w/ it’s many user friendly functions but upon reading blogs i learned that i could use my phone more if i can only set it up to do so, i want to be able to use it’s video streaming capabilities and watch tv and videos on my phone but i dont know how to set it up, i tried having my service provider w/c was globe send me the configurations and i’ve saved the settings but it’s not functioning, i dont know how to really set it up. can you help me? please.. tnx…

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  46. Jingay,

    Thanks for writing. When I was using the E51 I never did explore the extended functionality of what the phone may be (fully) capable of beyond that of calls, SMS and Emails. I’ve since given the phone to a family member and switched to the E71. Sorry I cannot offer any configuration tip!

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  47. Technically I think its possible but it’s just not possible with a cell phone. Imagine the possibility of cell phones becoming access points—WHOA!

    Of course it is possible!

    Just use software like walking hot spot or joikuspot. Wlan is many times faster than bluetooth. And its good to get rid of wires sometimes.. But that of course will drain battery much faster.

    As for data transfer I’d say cable connection is a bit slow especially when I want to copy few GB of music or whatever. I can insert memory card directly into my laptop and this will be ~50 times faster.

    JINGAY ALISON
    If you can browse wap pages there should be no problem. Just make sure realplayer has the same access point and you should be able to watch streaming videos. Hope this helps.

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  48. Just unpacked my Nokia e51, can anyone tell me how I get it to go online please?

    GREAT! Now, unpack the manual and read it! I cannot tell you how to configure your E51 to go online in relation to your service provider’s settings but my son who uses the E51 just scans the home WiFi network and is able to go online with no fuss other than screen being too small.

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  49. I’m not sure if this idea of using the E51 as a WiFi beacon is possible or not. Assuming it’s possible, it would not be entirely practical to do so since the E51 drains battery quite fast. If my laptop’s WiFi died (very unlikely) I would use a USB wireless device instead without worrying about power drain.

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  50. I would say it is not practical to buy USB WiFi when you already have one in your phone. And no need to worry about laptop’s wifi, unless you have HP laptop.

    Does anybody know what’s the download speed over WiFi on E51? Couldn’t test that myself yet, but I think it is slower compared to computer’s.

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  51. Jan,
    new to E51. Got it working to internet via PC Suite, ok. No probs. Got my E51 working to my laptop via Bluetooth to connect laptop to the internet (need it for Hotel working as cheaper than using hotel internet conections), excellent for just email and basic internet browsing. Also means I can sit where I want in the room with my laptop and put the phone by the window when it is hard to get a 3G signal sitting at the desk, so the PC Suite cable is useless if the phone cannot get a signal at the desk I am working from. Whilst I can connect the laptop using Bluetooth then to 3G, I was trying to use Ad-hoc WLAN, laptop to E51 via wireless with no success. Do you or anyone know if this is possible, I just cannot seem to figure it out. Expect it will be nugatory work in the end (limited speeds set, as you mentioned way back) but would like to try, just to see if it can be done.
    Best regards, good info here on your site, Steve

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  52. my question is: i just bought a nokia E51. i’ve a nokia 6020 which quiet old. i still haven’t inserted the simcard in the E51!how do i transfer all the old but important messages from the nokia 6020 to nokia E51??
    any simple ways

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    1. Hi Nana, the first thing that comes to mind is that it may be theoretically possible using Nokia’s Content Copier and selecting [Messages] and unchecking everything else. The Content Copier is part of the Nokia PC Suite and I use it periodically to backup my E71 though I’ve never had to transfer messages from phone of one generation or another. This is the time to find out if Nokia PC Suite supports this 🙂

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