Living with Nokia's 7710 Multimedia Phone

Nokia 7710Back in late 2003, Nokia introduced the 7700, the first Series 90 device. Series 90 is meant to be a multimedia device platform, and to that end the 7700 had a very large TFT touch screen display, a camera, RealPlayer and music support, a MMC card slot, and a DVB-H digital TV receiver - just to name a few things. But it also had what most of the world considered a major design flaw: side-talking, something it shared with the original Ngage.

Only 9 months later, Nokia admitted that the 7700 was never going to be released. Fast forward a few months to November 2004; Nokia announces the 7710. The new device, which we are reviewing in this story, shares much with the original 7700, but gets a boost to internal storage (90MB), a new megapixel digital camera, and it loses the side-talking and taco shaped form factor.

The question is, can the 7710 make it in the current market? I think we can all safely say that it will never be a huge seller, but will its abilities outweigh its quirks and awkwardness - not to mention its size.

Sizing up the 7710

Make no mistake, the 7710 is a massive device. It weighs in at 195g (6.87oz) and measures up at 128mm x 69mm x 20mm (5.04" x 2.72" x .79") in size. That is big, for sure, but still what I would consider pocketable - at least when compared to Nokia's own 9500 Communicator, which is thicker, longer, and heavier. The size is understandable once you see the 7710's beautiful 65k color TFT display. The display is capable of 65k colors and has a pixel resolution of 640x320. Its touch sensitive surface allows for input via a stylus that is located in a silo at the bottom right front corner of the device. The surface of the display seems reasonably resistant to normal wear and tear.

The main controls of the 7710 are the 5-way d-pad controller in the upper left corner, the menu and desktop buttons found below it, the two multi-function keys on the upper right hand corner, and the back/cancel key that is found just above the stylus silo in the lower right corner. Two small holes for the ear speaker are also located on the right hand side. The top edge is where you will find the voice dial button and the red and green call control buttons. These buttons are too close together and too small to be used easily, though. The release for the rear cover is also on the top edge of the 7710. The main power button is on the right hand side of the phone, and the power and pop-port connectors are on the bottom.

The 7710's rear cover can be removed in order to get access to the battery, SIM, and MMC card slot. The device knows when the cover has been opened and automatically prepares the MMC card for removal. The MMC card can be swapped without removing the battery. The rear cover is a bit difficult to remove, and yet the fit is also not as tight as I would like. At least it doesn't creak when you use the 7710. The opening for the ringtone and speakerphone speaker is on the back, as is the lens for the megapixel camera.

 

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