Needed: Summary/concise clarification for E71x vs. E71 NAM on AT&T network

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Needed: Summary/concise clarification for E71x vs. E71 NAM on AT&T network

(3 posts) (3 voices)

Started 9 months ago by tenorplayer23
Latest reply from pigster

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tenorplayer23
Member

All,

I have read strings & strings of threads regarding the comparisions of the Nokia E71 NAM vs. E71x phones. After covering so much ground on this site (and others) I am still left a bit confused about the differences of these devices [U]as they work on AT&T's network[/U].

FYI, I am way past the available pricing differences for AT&T's phone and the unlocked E71. I understand that AT&T has added potential revenue generating apllications to their phone and that many a Nokia expert here and elsewhere feel that it is unnecessary (and even have devised processs to rid the phone of them). I also understand the benefit of transporting a unlocked GSM phone from carrier to carrier.

I also understand that the hardware differences are mostly small - some mention of keypad surface feel, quality of camera (although, perhaps debatable), color offerings, of course the firmware difference, Symbian OS version on one versus another, AT&T apps appearing on the E71x, to name the most prominent. Which FP version is better - seems to be individual peference.

But, for a non-GSM user at this point, but hopefully soon, (I did own a series of Nokia 6100 series of phones years ago - and frankly, thought they were excellent at the time), I need some summary clarification about a few things.

1) My first question is - [U]WHAT can the E71x do on the AT&T network that the unlocked E71 NAM can't? What are the most significant advantages of using the E71 NAM on the AT&T network.[/U] I see reference to being able to take advantage of 3G system speeds with the E71x. Not with the E71 NAM???

2) There is a great deal of discussion about which "data or PDA" plan to use with either phone on AT&T, as well as, the use of Wifi, which both phones have. Having looked at AT&T pricing, I see the $15 difference. However, I'm not sure what each plan variant gives you exactly "what" with the E71x and E71, respectively. Can you clarify?

3) And, subsequently, how does Wifi affect the choice of one or the other of these plans? I understand that you can use Wifi with the phone in hotspots (or on a home wireless network, for that matter).

4) EMAIL: I understand that you can access web based mail via the internet obtained by accessing Wifi or through the repective AT&T plan. For email from my ISP POP3 account (or corporate exchange, but more importantly, the former) how do the E71x and E71 NAM with the respective AT&T data plans work? Claification of this will probably also clarify data plan selection AND influence the financial decision about which phone to purchase.

5) Finally, since I have had CDMA phones for a long time, how does the actual discussion with AT&T go to obtain the requisite SIM card and month to month phone pla, if you have the unlocked Nokia E71 NAM, to get the optimum use of the phone with their network capabilities?

If you could help with clarifications with these specific questions, I'd greatly appreciate it. Their not intuitive necessarily to a relatively experienced user.

Thanks again.

Posted 9 months ago #
rlieving
Member

I have an unlocked E71 that I purchased from Best Buy in January and I currently use it on the AT&T Network in the US, specifically Chicago and Minneapolis.

[quote]1) My first question is - WHAT can the E71x do on the AT&T network that the unlocked E71 NAM can't? What are the most significant advantages of using the E71 NAM on the AT&T network. I see reference to being able to take advantage of 3G system speeds with the E71x. Not with the E71 NAM???[/quote]

Not being totally familiar with the E71x, I can only answer what I have read - that the device is more locked down in terms of what you can 'legally' delete from the phone. I'm not sure if you get the full E71/Ovi suite - which is worthless anyway - except for the ability to tether the device. (OF course, charges apply if you choose to tether your device.)

The one advantage I was seeking is that I do not have a commitment to AT&T. I can't tell if it is the network or the phone, but my phone drops calls a lot. As for data, I get the 3G network on my phone. The data connection is more reliable in Minneapolis than Chicago.

[quote]2) There is a great deal of discussion about which "data or PDA" plan to use with either phone on AT&T, as well as, the use of Wifi, which both phones have. Having looked at AT&T pricing, I see the $15 difference. However, I'm not sure what each plan variant gives you exactly "what" with the E71x and E71, respectively. Can you clarify?[/quote]

I have the normal data plan and use WiFi in my house and where it is available for free. With very few exceptions (there are quite a few Chicago dead spots), the AT&T data network is adequate for my needs. With 400 minutes, the cost of my plan is around $80/month.

[quote]3) And, subsequently, how does Wifi affect the choice of one or the other of these plans? I understand that you can use Wifi with the phone in hotspots (or on a home wireless network, for that matter).[/quote]

I travel for my job, so I need the data plan. I wouldn't get a phone without a data plan.

[quote]4) EMAIL: I understand that you can access web based mail via the internet obtained by accessing Wifi or through the repective AT&T plan. For email from my ISP POP3 account (or corporate exchange, but more importantly, the former) how do the E71x and E71 NAM with the respective AT&T data plans work? Claification of this will probably also clarify data plan selection AND influence the financial decision about which phone to purchase.[/quote]

Don't talk to the AT&T people about the various data plans unless your corporation gives you a discount. If they ask, say the phone is strictly for personal use.

[quote]5) Finally, since I have had CDMA phones for a long time, how does the actual discussion with AT&T go to obtain the requisite SIM card and month to month phone pla, if you have the unlocked Nokia E71 NAM, to get the optimum use of the phone with their network capabilities?[/quote]

An unlocked phone should be put on the month-to-month plan. There is an activation fee for the SIM card and that is it. T-Mobile is another option for the E71. Just notify AT&T and then walk across to T-Mobile. (This is not an endorsement of T-Mobile - never been a client of theirs and my understanding is their data network is slower.)

There is no difference to me re: the month-to-month plan, except that I can terminate at any time.
---
By the way, I am completely dissatisfied with my Nokia E71 in terms of email. There is no real native email client - especially for Google or Yahoo. That means, if you want Exchange, you need to download or buy (in my case) a new program.

The Nokia Mail program is very buggy and sucks battery life. The mail editor doesn't work correctly with the E71 (try typing an email that goes past the bottom of a page.)

The Google Mail app doesn't really support attachments, but integrates with GMail well.

The phone really shines in ease of use and surfing the net. The combination of Opera Mini, Nokia Webkit, and SkyFire is killer. I surf the net a lot on my phone, so I have kept it for 6 months. But as soon as I can, I am going to dump this phone and I plan to never buy a Nokia phone again.

Posted 8 months ago #
pigster
Member

I tried an ATT E71X for a week, then switched to an unlocked E71, so I have a little experience with both

[quote]I see reference to being able to take advantage of 3G system speeds with the E71x. Not with the E71 NAM???[/quote]

I didn't see any difference in speed between the two phones using speedtest

[quote]Having looked at AT&T pricing, I see the $15 difference. However, I'm not sure what each plan variant gives you exactly "what" with the E71x and E71, respectively. Can you clarify?[/quote]

ATT insists that smartphones use the $30 data plan while all other phones can use the $15 plan. No other difference that I can see. When I returned the E71X, I reset my account to use a Samsung A707, signed up for the $15 plan, and moved the SIM to the E71. Everything is working fine so far (2 months)

[quote]And, subsequently, how does Wifi affect the choice of one or the other of these plans?[/quote]

Doesn't really change anything, I use WIFI to web browse and download because it's faster than 3G, but the difference isn't huge (after all, most pages and downloads are pretty small)

[quote]For email from my ISP POP3 account (or corporate exchange, but more importantly, the former) how do the E71x and E71 NAM with the respective AT&T data plans work? Claification of this will probably also clarify data plan selection AND influence the financial decision about which phone to purchase.[/quote]

Both work pretty much the same. In either case, you need some software to fetch the mail - ATT provides XPressMail, or for the unlocked you can download from System SEVEN. Turns out that XPressMail is based on the System SEVEN code, so they pretty much work the same way.

I actually prefer Nokia Messaging, as it it looks much better and works well (email.nokia.com) - it works on both phones

[quote]Finally, since I have had CDMA phones for a long time, how does the actual discussion with AT&T go to obtain the requisite SIM card and month to month phone pla, if you have the unlocked Nokia E71 NAM, to get the optimum use of the phone with their network capabilities?[/quote]

Just sign up and get a cheap (free) phone, add the $15 data plan, and then move the SIM to the E71

Posted 8 months ago #

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