Nokia E50 Comprehensive Review of Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Nokia E50

The Nokia E50 was a business-oriented smartphone introduced by Nokia in May 2006. Known for its sleek design and solid build, it combined functionality with simplicity, making it a popular choice for professionals looking for a reliable mobile communication device. The Nokia E50 was recognized for its efficiency and versatility, thanks to the Symbian OS S60 platform on which it ran, as well as its communication and multimedia capabilities.

Design and Build

The Nokia E50 was characterized by its compact dimensions of 113 x 43.5 x 15.5 mm, weighing only 104 grams. It was designed for comfort and practicality, sporting a classic candy bar style with a minimalistic keypad. The phone's chassis was well-crafted, adding to the robustness and longevity that Nokia devices were known for. The phone was available in two colors: Silver and Black, offering a professional look suitable for any executive environment.

Display

The Nokia E50 featured a 2.1-inch TFT display with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, boasting a pixel density of approximately 190 ppi. The screen supported up to 256K colors, providing a decent visual experience for its time. The size of the display, which occupied around 27.8% of the phone's body, offered a satisfactory balance between screen real estate and device portability.

Platform and Performance

Running on the Symbian OS 9.1 with the S60 3rd edition interface, the Nokia E50 was equipped with a 235 MHz ARM 9 CPU. This setup was adequate for handling most daily tasks and applications that a business user would require, such as email communication and document viewing. The phone's operating system provided a user-friendly experience, with access to a range of productivity and utility applications.

Camera Capabilities

The Nokia E50 came with a single 1.3 MP rear camera, which was a standard feature for smartphones of its era. It was capable of capturing basic photos and QCIF video recordings. Despite not being designed as a camera-focused phone, the presence of this camera was appreciated for quick captures and casual photography. For security-sensitive environments, a variant was available without a camera.

Memory and Storage

The Nokia E50 featured 70MB of internal storage and 32MB of RAM, which was typical for smartphones at the time. To accommodate more data, users had the option to expand storage via a dedicated microSD card slot. This feature was particularly useful for business users who needed more space for documents, applications, and other essential files.

Battery Life

Powering the Nokia E50 was a removable Li-Ion 970 mAh battery (BL-5C), providing a standby time of up to 215 hours and talk time of up to 6 hours and 40 minutes. Users could also opt for an extended battery, the Li-Ion 1150 mAh (BL-6C), which further extended the standby and talk times to 240 hours and 8 hours, respectively. This made the Nokia E50 suitable for long business trips where frequent charging was inconvenient.

Connectivity and Communication

The Nokia E50 supported GSM networks, making it widely compatible with networks around the world. It provided GPRS Class 10 and EDGE Class 10 data connectivity for efficient mobile internet access. While lacking WLAN capabilities, it featured Bluetooth 2.0 and an infrared port for local data sharing and device synchronization. Communication was further enhanced through its USB Pop-Port 2.0, allowing for traditional wired connections.

Sound and Multimedia

Multimedia options on the Nokia E50 included a loudspeaker and support for a variety of alert types such as vibration, downloadable polyphonic, monophonic, and MP3 ringtones. The absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack meant users needed an adapter for audio listening via headphones, aligning with the typical usage patterns focused on voice communication.

Internet Browsing

For internet browsing, the Nokia E50 included a WAP 2.0/xHTML and HTML browser, which was suitable for basic web navigation. Although limited compared to modern standards, this browser allowed users to access essential information and services directly from their handset.

General Features

The Nokia E50 was equipped with essential communication features that catered to business needs, lacking advanced sensors commonly found in later models. Despite this, it provided a stable and efficient user experience for its target audience. Additionally, the phone was compliant with SAR regulations, featuring measures of 0.96 W/kg (head) and 1.33 W/kg (body) for safety assurances.

Market Position and Legacy

Upon release, the Nokia E50 was priced at around 150 EUR, aligning it as a mid-range device aimed at professionals. Its robust functionality and dependable design cemented its place as a memorable entry in Nokia's E-series lineup, contributing to the company's reputation for producing practical and reliable mobile phones. The E50's success emphasized the demand for business-focused smartphones at a time when the mobile industry was rapidly evolving, setting the stage for future advancements in the field.