Got a quick look at the budget Nokia E5 recently. Before we start, let’s get our expectation sorted out first. This is a budget phone. You won’t get any fanciful specs. Just a low end and cheap phone. But being cheap doesn’t mean that it have to look cheap. Some how the Nokia E5 looks rather decent and feels pretty solid. I’ve seen some budget phone that scream “I’m a cheap phone!!!” when you use it. The Nokia E5 isn’t one of them. In fact, you might be able to fool people into thinking that this phone is rather expensive.

Besides the looks, the keyboard is pretty responsive and nice to type with. I’m surprised that it is not a El-Cheapo keyboard. This keyboard is pretty decent. But then, of course you can’t compare it with the expensive phones like Nokia E72 or BlackBerry 9700 keyboard. It’s a different league. At this price point, I would say I’m impressed with the keyboard.

The Nokia E5 runs on Symbian OS (No prize for guessing this correct). I quite like the main screen where you can add up to 25 contacts for quick access. Nokia seems to be positioning the Nokia E5 as a budget messaging device. Setting up emails account is a breeze. The Nokia E5 come pre-installed with the Facebook app. One application that caught my attention is the Microsoft Communicator Mobile. Microsoft Communicator allows you to check the availability of your colleagues through the company directory and message them. Quite a number of companies are using Microsoft Communicator Mobile. It’s like an internal MSN. My company is using it too. Although it is good to have that application on the phone, I wonder if I can ever get my IT dept to approve me to use Microsoft Communicator on my mobile.

There is a 5 megapixel camera without autofocus. Picture quality is normal but personally I’m not a fan of it. Either give me a camera with autofocus or none at all. Oh well. I’m not sure exactly how well the Nokia E5 will sell in Singapore. After all, we prefer higher end phones and don’t mind paying a bit extra. But it sure looks like a winner in the emerging markets.

The Nokia E5 cost $398 without contract. Pretty attractive price point. Comes in Black or White. More colours will be available later this year. Did I mention that it comes with Ovi Map which has free turn by turn navigation?

In short, the Nokia E5 is a cheap phone that doesn’t feel cheap. I’ll do a more detailed review when I get my hands on the review unit.

Related posts:

1. Nokia N80 Sold
2. Nokia Messaging
3. Review: Nokia E72
4. First Look: Nokia N900
5. Nokia launches E72, 5530 XpressMusic and 3710 Fold