Howdy,
Well, I just received my E61i yesterday. Initially my plan was to wait for the E90, but I started thinking more logically about my usage. How often would I need inbuilt GPS and how often would I require a high specced camera and so forth... After-all I can type just as fast on my E61 (if not faster) than I could on my 9500 and 9300. Of course the E90 has a marvelous screen size/resolution, but then again that would require opening the cover and using it two-handed. The jury is still out on the verdict though. After-all I am merely a weak human and may still end up getting an E90 later on. :redface:
Those things that really annoyed me about my E61 - and on top of that list was the god aweful joystick (I've previously written a long rant about it on this forum), and there have been times were I really missed having a camera in my phone. So I decided to get the E61i(mproved version) to see just how much of an improvement it really is. Let me just say; It certainly is the small things that matter. So far I'm loving it!
First of all the looks: It looks so much more stylish with the black together with the silver metal casing, and it is quite a bit thinner - you really feel the difference.
Hardware: I only have one word to describe the build-quality; SUPERB! As far as the keyboard goes the keys are more sqarish and a bit smaller (except for the bottom line of keys), a bit more 'curved' and maybe slightly more space between them. But to be honest I found the E61 keyboard great as well, and haven't noticed much difference in typing speed, but I suppose more time is needed to really come up with a verdict on that one. It is certainly in no way worse than the E61 though - worst case scenario is that they are comparable...
And now, the most important part - the d-pad is a HUGE step up from the abysmal joystick found in its predecessor - the E61 (in my personal opinion of course). The d-pad finally makes navigation feel like a breeze. And on a side-note it finally makes playing all those great Sega Megadrive games a real joy. I used to own a Megadrive as a teenager and it is great reliving those days.
Other hardware improvements include a more recessed voice record button that actually requires TWO clicks to start recording now - no more accidental recording of voice notes - GREAT. And of course you now have two extra buttons - Contacts and 'My own' (-configurable). The W-Lan coverage (reach) also appears to be a tad better on this model compared to the E61. I can now easily connect to a router from a distance I previously had trouble connecting.
Camera: Haven't had much time to play with it yet, but seems good enough for a few snaps and video clips when out and about. The quality does seem quite a lot better than the N70 I had a while back. Here is a short video I shot earlier today using the E61i: http://www.home.no/memento_mori/%20pics%20&%20vids/20042007(001).mp4
Software: It does actually feel quite a bit faster than the E61 - which may either be due to software optimizations or it may be because I still don't have a MicroSD card in it. There are also quite a few minor software changes/improvements here and there... Like you can now set the blinking light to also include SMS, MMS and missed calls, in addition to e-mail. And the standby screen is now more configurable, etc.
Well, that's all I can think of for now... I hope this little preview may have been useful to some, and if you have any questions feel free to ask! 😊
Cheers!