Nokia 7710 review: Is this the right track?

Nokia 7710 is equipped with RealPlayer for playing video. In fullscreen mode it is really a good multimedia experience.

Video records overview • playback in a small window and in fullscreen mode

Nokia will offer an accessory Nokia Streamer SU-22 (not included in the standard package). When connected to Nokia 7710, it allows watching digital TV in chosen countries.

The TV module will be probably plugged to some of the connectors under the back cover

Normal messaging

We are back at boring functions of a mobile phone, namely at messages. Nokia 7710 understands text messages, multimedia messages and emails. Because it is a smartphone, one can install instant messaging application and in some time Push to Talk function.

Inbox (fullscreen mode with a command bar) • folders with messages

One application is managing all messages - I especially mind long time lags; especially when the system releases it from the memory. Text messages editor is clear and it counts down written characters from the beginning. In addition, you can activate delivery reports (for all messages or individually) but the report will appear on the display for couple of seconds, it is not saved anywhere.

Writing a text message

In multimedia messages editor all objects are composed on a page so a text appears beside a picture. You can insert a graphical file, a video from the memory, to add a sketch drawn with the pen, a music file or just captured image.

It's possible to draw on the touchscreen display • and send the result in an MMS • of course you can insert a picture

Email is not bad but we have seen better

Email browser supports POP3 and IMAP4 protocols, you can work with more accounts at once. Possibilities are quite standard; mailbox handling could be better from ergonomics point of view. I have the same reproach to some other applications: they permanently push me to open the menu and search for necessary command. I would appreciate just a simple icon on the display. Nokia 7710 allows for messages a manual setting of functions assignment to three software buttons on the command bar but you can choose only among four selections without Receive emails function…

Emails overview • you have to go through the menu to download an email

…but you can set an automatic check of emails in remote mailbox or to set an interval (5 minutes minimum), days and time range when it will download emails. You can also select whether you want to download just headers or complete emails with attachments. Additionally, SMTP verification, secure connection and ports settings are available.

Nokia 7710 can read HTML formatted emails and moreover, it keeps their formatting. Of course, it handles sending and receiving attachments.

HMTL formatted email • message with attachments

Email client is not bad but compared to Nokia 9300 and 9500 mail clients, lacks some functionality and usability.

Office applications

Nokia 7710 is equipped with applications, which can handle the most important office documents. There is a text editor, spreadsheet processor, presentations viewer and Acrobat Reader (install on demand). With the text editor and the spreadsheet processor, it is possible to create text documents and tables right in the smartphone, the rest are just viewers without a possibility to edit anything.

I practiced the potential of these programs with several documents with different difficulty level.

Simple text in Word: no remarks. After editing the text in the smartphone, I sent a document to a PC where all changes I made were displayed correctly.

Word document in the smartphone

Simple table in Excel: I opened a file in the smartphone and it looked exactly as in a PC Excel. After editing, I loaded the file to a PC where all changes were shown correctly.

Simple table

More complicated text in Word: it was a news release with a graphical header and advanced formatting. Graphics in header on the 7710 disappeared and I discovered some problems with text alignment on width - there were frequently big spaces between words because the 7710 cannot split. Otherwise, the text was readable without problems.

Graphical header is gone

More complicated table in Excel, including formulas and graphs: In this case the conversion during the file opening took longer. The table looked visually good but only simple formulas were transferred correctly (addition, subtract …). For example, instead of basic function SUMA just a result number appeared. On the other hand, the graphs were looking well.

On the cursor's place there should be a formula =SUMA() • graphs were transferred correctly

PowerPoint presentation: pictures are displayed correctly. Because Nokia 7710 has different format of display than computers, pictures are either small or too large for the display. Therefore, it is suitable to use widescreen format for presentations at the 7710.

PDF documents: PDF is quite massive format and its viewing is quite uncomfortable, as with other pocket devices. Still it is better, of course, than not to read a PDF file at all.

PDF document: By representation, I would say that Acrobat Reader was originally designed for smartphones 9300/9500 with narrower display