Nokia 7710 review: Is this the right track?

At the first sight, it seems that keys on the front part are placed completely chaotically. On the left side is positioned the already mentioned cursor key with confirmation button in the middle. Below that there is a key used for roll out the menu of actual application and for shifting among bookmarks in dialogues. The key for going back to the main display is touching it by its corner.

Keys on the left side

A bar with the list of the running applications appears when you hold the key that is used for going back to the desktop. That is the way to switch from one program to another. Applications are usually not running on the background, hence, it is not possible to look somewhere else while waiting for a web page to load.

By holding the key, you can see the list of the running applications

There are three keys on the right side. The functions of two of them are different in various applications; the bottom one is the escape key. The earphone is in the middle. The keys on the front side are not illuminated, contrary to the volume control keys on the upper edge.

Keys on the right side

Normal size card

A big battery appears after removal of the back cover. The battery has different size than any other Nokia phone. It is Li-Pol battery with 1300 mAh capacity. The producer claims that the smartphone with battery like that lasts up to 14 days on standby or max 12 hours of calls. In fact, I had to charge the phone every day during the testing. Charging takes about three hours.

Look under the back cover

There is also a memory card slot under the back cover. This time Nokia has used normal size MMC card, not a reduced size version. The card is exchangeable during phone's operation; it is necessary to remove back cover first (the phone can recognize the removal). You will get a 128 MB memory card in the package; the smartphone itself features 90 MB internal memory. You cannot insert a SD format memory card in the phone; it just does not fit into the slot. It is necessary to remove the battery to access the SIM card.

Memory card slot and space for a SIM card

The input stylus is hidden in the right front corner of the smartphone. It is a plastic stick with a metal decoration in its upper part. If you lose your stylus, you will find a spare one in the package.

The stylus is hidden in a slot in the corner

Nokia also delivers with the phone a specially constructed black leather case. It protects the smartphone from damage and the display from dirt. It is possible to make calls with the phone in the case if you really try but the sound is not good enough. There are ports in the case for a system connector, for removal of the stylus, for the switch button and three keys for calls control. Unfortunately, it is not possible to hang the case on a belt.

The controls are accessible even if the phone is in the case

A good camera

Besides the embossed Nokia sign on the back of the phone you will find the camera lens. It features 1 MP resolution and you can form your opinion looking at the sample pictures. Comparing the pictures of Nokia 7710, it is obvious they do not belong to the top of the camera phones but on the other hand, it is really not bad. It depends much on the conditions, taken scene and on luck, too.

Nokia 7710 makes better picture from a longer distance than from a shorter; in the latter case, the picture is fuzzy. If you do not need the highest resolution, try middle format 640 x 480 pixels. It makes excellent pictures (see the sample below). The centre of the cursor key is used as a shutter release. Taking pictures is comfortable if you hold the phone in both hands.

Camera lens on the backside

The shooting application can be started only from the menu; there is no key shortcut available. The taken scene is displayed in a small frame in the center. For changing the settings it is necessary to roll out the menu and only 2x zoom is available. The settings menu offers you contrast and brightness adjustment but it is necessary to experiment, as you have to quit the setting dialog to view the result. In addition you can select where the pictures will be saved and to set a picture size in three levels. You can switch off the preview of the picture before saving or set a picture's name.

Camera environment • picture settings • video recording environment

Sample pictures

With and without zoom

Pictures in 640 x 480 resolution look good

Nokia 7710 can also record a video up to 60 minutes with resolution 176 x 144 pixels in 3GP format.

Picture gallery: with preview on the left, text list on the right

How do we call?

With Nokia 7710, we call as with a normal phone. We hold it in hand "standing", which means that the receiver is in the top part. Nokia 7710 is generally intended for right-handers who can use keys on the left side together with the pen or holding the pen in the left hand as well. For telephony it is possible to use the delivered headphones or a Bluetooth connected handsfree.