Nokia E7: Pretty, hot and tempting

Saturday night, I was dressed to kill, spotting a pink TM lewin shirt, a pair of sky blue Wrangler jeans, Armani belt and black Paul Smith footwear, fresh boy! On my wrist, I had a Baume & Mercier watch on and gold Christian Dior wrist chain. Geez, I was fully equipped to make that kill tonight, if you catch my drift. I stepped into Number 10 Restaurant and bar, got myself a bottle of Heineken, picked a spot in the bar with a pleasant view, sat down to enjoy the appealing flavor of a perfectly brewed beer.

After a few minutes, Alex came in and we exchanged pleasantries. I had earlier spoken with Alex and we agreed to meet at the bar. Alex is quite a catch with the ladies but honestly I get fed up with his overly boring gist of his numerous escapades. Anyway, he sat down and as expected the next thing he said was: “Dude, I was with one cute babe last night……” Hear we go again, I murmured. Just as we were about to get into another long and windy argument about how insensitive I was, a guy stepped into the bar.

In his hands was the most beautiful….goodness! My mouth was agape for at least ten seconds before I got a hold of myself. It was my first time of seeing something like this, lord have mercy! Stunningly beautiful, that’s what ‘she’ was. We (I and Alex) practically drooled at what we saw – one of the sexiest we have ever seen. The glossy lines, hoary colour and nice curves screamed, “Look at me! Hold me!! Touch me!!!” God knows, I wanted to. I am trying not to over flog it, but if ‘bling’ and ‘effizy’ is your thing, taking this ‘sassy babe’ with you to any meeting or social event is bound to get heads turning.

I was tempted into snatching the ‘hottie’ from the guy. Sweet memories of the pastor preaching on the pulpit filled my mind. Just like a sledge hammer slamming against the anvil, I heard a voice, ‘Thou shall not covet you neighbours wife or property’. I turned to Alex and with an ecstatic tone said, “Lexy, check out this Nokia E7, this phone is off the hinges man!” Got ya! I hope you guys were not having any grimy thoughts. I can’t believe this….I mean, come on! This is a Business newspaper not Hints or Hearts magazine. Nevertheless, the Nokia E7 actually makes the N8 look very unattractive.

I use an N8 but I was practically lusting after the new communicator in this guy’s hands. The dude, who later identified himself as Abdulrasheed, a staff of MTN Nigeria, was not a natural flaunter. I could tell by just looking at him, but the E7 made him look like a ‘pro’. Filled with excitement, I asked him, ‘where did you buy the device?’ He replied: ‘It’s not in the market yet, I had to order it. It’s a nice phone. It provides direct, secure and real-time access to e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks and the corporate directory through Microsoft Exchange servers, and Office Communicator Mobile, developed by Microsoft for Nokia smartphones, which brings presence and corporate e instant messaging.’

He went on, “With its tilting 4 inch clear black display, full keyboard and a fast access to a wide variety of apps directly on the homescreen, the Nokia E7 is the key to having a successful day in or out of the office. The E7 supports business applications from leading enterprise technology firms including IBM and Microsoft.” I was blown away by his in-depth knowledge of Nokia devices and was forced to ask him, do you also work with Nokia sales and marketing department? He smiled and said, ‘I am just a phone freek’.

Over the years, we've seen a steady stream of business and messaging-centric landscape QWERTY smartphones come and go, with HTC arguably leading the pack via its collection of Windows Mobile, Android, and WP7 devices featuring sliding keyboards and tilt-out displays. But few of HTC's offerings are as iconic or memorable as Nokia's line of Communicator clamshell phones -- starting with the Nokia 9000 in 1996, continuing with Symbian S80 models, and culminating with the Nokia E90 atop S60v3. The Nokia E7 is the latest Communicator in this distinguished series and the manufacturer’s current flagship device, dethroning the Nokia N8 which continues on as the company's media mogul.

A lot has changed in the six months since the N8 was introduced, including Nokia’s recent partnership with Microsoft and the stunning announcement that it will be adopting Windows Phone for future high-end smartphones. So, is the E7 -- which is finally shipping in the United States of America (USA) -- the greatest Communicator to date? Can it carry the torch for Symbian in the immediate future? And more importantly, how does it fare in today’s shark-infested Android and iOS waters?

Hardware

Let's make one thing abundantly clear: black or silver, the Nokia E7 is one gorgeous piece of hardware. It might not have the proportions of the Dieter Rams-inspired iPhone 4, but it's a handsome and refined phone that can definitely compete in terms of materials and build quality. The E7 design language mimics its N8 sibling, and consists of a flattened aluminum cylinder that features a 4-inch glass-capacitive touchscreen on one side, a glass window protecting the 8 megapixel camera and dual-LED flash on the other side, and tapered plastic covers hiding antennas and connectors at each end.

From the front the E7 looks like a larger N8, but in order to accommodate the physical keyboard, the body is sliced longitudinally into two sections. The thinner "half" houses the tilt-out display and the menu key (centered below the touchscreen), the other "half" contains the keyboard, the camera, and most of the electronics. Without a camera pod sticking out the back, the E7 ends up being thinner than the N8 overall, and one of the slimmest landscape QWERTY devices we've come across. The E7 feels hefty in a reassuring, confidence-inspiring way -- as a point of reference, it's almost the same weight and size as the HTC Thunderbolt, but about 6 mm (1/4-inch) narrower.

Fit and finish are impeccable, and so is the attention to detail: there's a machined and polished bevel surrounding the camera window in the back of the E7 and lining the edge of every control on the aluminum body. The top cap contains a 3.5 mm headphone jack, the power / profile key, a mini-HDMI port (behind a plastic door), and a micro-USB connector with a charge indicator. At the opposite end, the bottom cap hosts a microphone and a single speaker. We found a few niggles here.

While the headphone jack supports stereo accessories (3-pin) without any problems, it's electrically incompatible with most non-Nokia headsets (4-pin). The speaker is very loud and clear but is positioned such that it becomes muffled slightly as soon as the phone is placed face-up on any flat surface. On the right edge of the E7 you'll find a SIM tray (that's easily removed with a fingernail), a volume slider (which feels downright awkward), and the camera shutter button. The screen-locking slider benefits from the same excellent spring action as on the N8 but lives by itself on the left edge, where it's easier to access when using the keyboard.

Camera

The E7 is equipped with an 8 megapixel EDoF (Extended Depth of Field) camera and dual-LED flash. In typical Nokia fashion the optics and sensor is top notch. This, together with superior image processing results in beautiful shots. As you can see in our sample pictures, color balance and exposure are excellent, and noise is kept under control without obliterating detail. While it's no match for the phenomenal N8, the E7 camera stands out amongst today's smartphones. There's however one massive, glaring problem -- the elephant in the room, if you will -- and that's the EDoF lens.

Depth of field becomes meaningless with this camera. Sure, everything from 60cm (two feet) to infinity is perfectly in focus, but just like with a fixed-focus lens it's impossible to take closeup shots. Nokia waxes poetic about how EDoF means no moving parts, allows for a thinner device, improves shooting speed, and makes it easier for the average person to use the camera. We're reminded how the 8 megapixel sensor captures enough information that images can be enlarged and cropped without a huge impact on quality. This is all true, but we feel EDoF is too much of a compromise especially when it's combined with a decent sensor and optics. It just takes away an entire layer of creativity from the picture taking experience when compared to an autofocus lens.

Software

We're going to be frank here: Symbian breaks what is otherwise great hardware. Most of what we mentioned about the software in our N8 review applies to the E7 -- it's the same tired routine, a frustrating user experience that quickly becomes a burden day-to-day. Now, before you get up in arms, you have to remember that we've been Symbian users for a very long time, so we're well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of this once-glorious OS.

The sad reality is that when measured against other major platforms Symbian is no longer competitive, especially at the high-end of the market, and that's even true today than it was six months ago after the launch of the N8. With that disclaimer out of the way, let's look at some specifics. Our European review unit was running what was formerly known as) Symbian^3 PR1.1 while our US model was one release behind at PR1.0, and both devices were using browser version 7.2.

Cybercafé patronage drops as Nigerians opt for individual subscription

Ben Uzor Jr

Cybercafé patronage in the country is declining in favour of individual subscription as telecommunications operators (Telcos) continue to roll out cheaper and innovative broadband internet services, industry analysts told BusinessDay at the weekend. Confirming the development, Ross Bateson, spokesperson for the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) told BusinessDay that only 66 percent of users accessed the internet from a cybercafé in 2009 down from 82 percent in 2008, as workplace, home and mobile usage increased.

“Cyber usage is declining in favour of individual subscription”, he said. An analyst told BusinessDay this has also translated into revenue loss for operators of Cybercafes and job loss for those who work in those places. A prominent analyst told BusinessDay earlier that the bulk of telecoms revenue was expected to come from mobile broadband and data services in the next five years.

To this effect, mobile network operators are paying keen attention to data (internet) services as the new revenue generating stream. However, a new report from the GSMA, a global body representing the interests of mobile operators, indicated that 31 million Nigerians accessed the internet in 2009. Other estimates put the figure as high as 43 million. According to Bateson, broadband internet usage will be driven essentially by an increase in personal computer (PC) ownership, expected to rise from 7 percent of households in 2009 to 13 percent in 2014.

Gbenga Adesanya, a telecom analyst, agrees with Bateson; claiming that low-end smartphones and PCs will increasingly become the preferred consumer broadband devices. Industry analysts maintain that with the proliferation of underwater cables on the country’s coastline, and by virtue of their unified license - designed to allow them offer a bouquet of services - telcos are offering innovative and affordable internet services geared towards meeting the growing internet demands of Nigerians.

As of today, MTN, Globacom, Airtel, Starcomms, Visafone, ZoomMobile and even new entrant Etisalat, offer broadband internet services to Nigerians. Conversely, stakeholders in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector have said that Nigeria’s cybercafé industry could spring up again and become an enterprise haven if operators are focused and geared up to bring to bear the required professionalism and innovation into the business, without necessarily succumbing to the evident infrastructural challenges facing the industry.

They blamed that failure of the industry on wrong use of application and the absence of professional advice. For the industry to be revived, they suggested that operational challenges such as bandwidth unavailability due to high cost, power, poor technology infrastructure, unfriendly taxation for Internet service providers (ISPs), unaffordable modems and electronic fraud must be fully addressed. Lanre Ajayi, past president, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), pointed out that only a change of approach will help revive the ailing industry and avert its imminent collapse.

According to him, changing of tactics has become necessary in view of the dynamics inherent in running a Cybercafé enterprise in modern day business environment; especially as it relates to emerging technologies. Ajayi observed that the demand for internet services had started increasing; this is in addition to steady adoption of online payment in the government establishments across the country in line with the global best practices. This, he added to a large extent underscores the need for evolution of Cyber business in Nigeria, built on strong business ideals and professional competence.

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Broadband to generate N598 billion for Nigeria’s economy by 2015, says GSMA

Ben Uzor Jr & Biodun Coker

Indications are that Nigeria’s wireless broadband market will have a direct revenue impact of N598 billion by 2015, the Global System for Mobile Association (GSMA), a global body representing the interests of mobile operators, predicted yesterday. A new report made available to BusinessDay revealed that mobile broadband can potentially contribute over 1 percent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and 1.7 percent of non-oil GDP in 2015, supporting diversification of the Nigerian economy.

Such economic gain, the GSMA however maintained, would depend on a positive environment created by all stakeholders with regard to infrastructural development, frequency spectrum management, and access to internet for women and rural citizens. The report further asserts that if positive policy actions are effectively taken by the federal government to remove barriers to mobile broadband adoption and delivery in the country, the benefits to GDP in 2015 will be an additional N190 billion.

However, according to the GSMA, in bringing this projection to fruition, government support could take the form of harmonisation of tax and levies, as well as proper management of national frequency spectrum. “The federal government must reduce the 35 percent tax level faced by Nigerian mobile operators, a tax which is double the global average. The federal government must also implement harmonised levies or taxes and environmental approvals processes at state and local levels of government”, Ross Bateson, spokesperson for GSMA told BusinessDay in an interview.

According to the study, only 6 percent of all Nigerians currently have access to broadband services, and 74 percent of those do so through mobile broadband. There is little fixed broadband connectivity outside Lagos, and even in cities, most cyber cafes now connect to the internet using wireless services. Bateson said Nigeria’s poor management of national spectrum could slow down foreign direct investment in the telecoms sector, thus reducing the uptake and growth of mobile broadband.

“The 2.3 GHz award process has been mired in controversy for over a year. More than 2 years have passed since 2.5 GHz was proposed to be offered by NCC, and negotiations over its use are yet to be concluded. There is a lack of clarity over when the vital Digital Dividend spectrum will be passed to the NCC for use by operators, which could dramatically increase mobile broadband coverage”. The GSMA spokesman called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that spectrum is made available quickly and with maximum transparency, using international harmonised band plans.

Bateson also pointed out that the federal government must, as a matter of expediency, implement e-government initiative, including online transactions, for license and levy payment, and support the development of web content and applications as well as commit to publishing state-owned datasets (e.g. population, geography and financial), so that entrepreneurs can easily leverage their benefits.

The report also forecast that wireless broadband will create N410 billion of indirect value through 2015 in various sectors of the economy, namely: Manufacturing, services, and agriculture; diversifying outside the oil and gas industry. This, the report noted, was because industrial productivity increases as workers increasingly use e-mail and electronic file exchange, thus providing quicker access to businesses’ critical information and faster access to more distant customers and suppliers.

Another core benefit the report alludes to is that improved broadband would increase the attractiveness of Nigeria to foreign investors. Over 30 million Nigerians accessed the internet in 2009, increasingly choosing personal subscription over cybercafé access, the report disclosed. In addition, only 66 percent of users accessed the internet from a cybercafé in 2009. This represents a drop from 82 percent the year before as workplace, home and mobile usage increased.

Key metrics confirming the direct impact of wireless broadband penetration on the Nigerian economy shows that the number of users will increase from 1.3 million in 2010 to 13.9 million in 2015. This figure could grow further with the enormous bandwidth capacity emanating from two submarine cables. Conversely, the GSMA has called on the federal government to adopt best practices spectrum policy, with spectrum resources managed by one entity in order to improve penetration.

However, the GSMA fingered power supply as a key barrier to widening broadband usage in Nigeria. “In Nigeria, where generators work for up to 22 hours a day, two generators (costing in total $40, 000) are typically used to power a base station. In more energy reliable markets such as Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania, the cost is about half. “Benchmarks show that OPEX (Operating Expenditure) spend on power per telecom tower in Nigeria is as high as $2, 000 compared to $429 in India”, the report stated.

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