With this phone, ‘you can do without your laptop’

WITH RESORTS and airlines offering low-cost summer promos, it’s tempting to just leave e-mails unanswered, reports unfinished (forget about those meetings, too!), and slather on sunscreen and dash to the nearest beach.

But there’s no need to escape work while basking in the summer sun. At least, not when you have the E7, Nokia’s latest smartphone. It’s “the ultimate productivity tool,” said Mike Smith, Nokia device portfolio manager, who described in detail the E7’s features during its launch at the Makati Shangri-La Rizal Ballroom last March 24.

The business phone is basically like a portable office. Its four-inch tilting touchscreen display makes for easy access to both work and personal e-mail accounts in the same view. It has real-time Mail for Exchange feature for those must-not-miss e-mails, and has direct access to social networking sites Facebook and Twitter (with live updates).

Connectivity is no hassle: aside from being WiFi- and Bluetooth-ready, the phone can also work as a modem. Office Communicator Mobile (developed by Microsoft) keeps you in the loop through corporate instant messaging.

It also has a USB reader for file sharing and 16 GB phone memory. For editing files, the E7 has a built-in QuickOffice, and an Adobe Reader for viewing PDF documents. The ergonomic QWERTY keyboard makes for easy typing, too.

“You can do without your laptop,” said Smith.

Entertainment components

Of course, no phone is complete without its entertainment components. There are applications available from the Ovi Store, such as Angry Birds, Sports Tracker and Bloomberg. The E7 lets one shoot and edit quality videos and photos with its 8-megapixel camera. Dolby Digital Plus surround sound technology provides one with cinematic sound quality.

HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) connectivity lets users project their videos, images and other files on large screens.

To match one’s jetsetter lifestyle, the phone has built-in Lonely Planet and ViaMichelin guides, and Ovi Maps for complete car and walk navigation in over 70 countries.

“Ultimately, [the Nokia E7] is all about work-and-life balance,” Smith said.

The Nokia E7 is available in dark gray and silver white at Nokia Stores nationwide. Its standard retail price is at P32,000.

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