Nokia officially launches US-friendly E70

Admittedly, we had our fair share of panic attacks at Engadget HQ when news spread that Nokia might restrict sales of its E70-2 (a standard-issue E70 with GSM 850 in place of UMTS 2100) to its two American flagship stores in New York and Chicago. Thankfully, those fears have all been laid to rest on news that sales have begun directly off Nokia's US website, offering the trick, S60 3rd Edition QWERTY candybar for a stiff $450 unlocked. Oh, and if you decide to take the plunge, rest easy -- the firmware bungle has been cleared up.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2006 3:56PM]

Now when will Canadian consumers be able to buy it?

(NokiaUSA.com does not ship to Canada)

[xbit Posted Sep 24th 2006 5:06PM]

I have one of these phones and it's awesome.

The feature set is superb and the keyboard is the best I've ever used on a mobile device.

The web-browser works really well and the 416x356 pixel screen really makes the most of it.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2006 5:24PM]

This is great news, but I have a question: why does the e70 have wifi, while the e61 was changed to the wifi-less e62 before being released in the US?

Marc

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2006 7:37PM]

Because Cingular asked for it. Carriers don't want competition, or they want it at a minimum (e.g. wifi, voip). This new E70 version is not an order from a carrier, but rather a Nokia-funded effort to make this phone more compatible in US. If it was Cingular or another carrier asking for it in particular, the wifi would have been taken off too.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2006 7:57PM]

Easily worth the $449. The screen is clear and crisp - even in daylight. Web browsing (especially with Opera) is the best I have seen. If you want a great phone with PDA functionality - this is it. The biggest issue - lack of 3rd party software, but it is coming at a steady trickle....

[DonaldMick Posted Sep 24th 2006 8:53PM]

Chillin - At the very least, this will bring the grey market price down. Though I'm tempted to call NokiaUSA myself to see if they can do it over the phone (not likely, but still...)

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2006 11:59PM]

Can anyone recommend a good chart comparing the e61 and the e70? How do the screens compare?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 12:48AM]

"7. Can anyone recommend a good chart comparing the e61 and the e70? How do the screens compare?

Posted at 11:59PM on Sep 24th 2006 by Marc W"

Try this: http://www.nokia.com/phones/comparephones/compare_results.jsp?expcol#fg8

Or this: http://www.usa.nokia.com/comparephonesbusinessnam

Or this: http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/compare.php?id%5B%5D=836&id%5B%5D=834&id%5B%5D=&id%5B%5D=&id%5B%5D=

Or this: http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone2=1322&idPhone1=1323

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 6:52AM]

NICE. But that price needs to come down :) The E61 is ALL OVER ebay, and its cheap as hell.

If it had a camera, I would have done with that.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 10:03AM]

Thanks, Chillin. Man, the e70 screen is a lot bigger:

e70 Size: 352x416

e61 Size: 320x240

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 11:03AM]

This phone is intriguing. I kind of like it. Has anyone had any experience with it? I'd be using it on Cingular. The form factor is the only question mark. How big does that thing fold out to be? Can I use it as a surfboard? How's the OS for PDA stuff? Most importantly... Is it Mac friendly?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 2:01PM]

My error: the e70 screen is smaller, but more pixel-dense.

http://bonte.co.uk/myBlog/?p=171

e61
screen size (diagonal): 2.8 inches
resolution: 320 x 240

e70
screen size (diagonal): 2.1 inches
resolution: 416 x 352

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 3:40PM]

I am currently using it with Cingular - and it works without a hitch. Settings for MMS and GPRS loaded automatically and worked from day 1. I like the form factor quite a bit, I had the 8125, which I hated because it was so PDA-centric. This phone is first and foremost a phone with PDA capabilities. It isnt too large at all, In my opinion either open or closed.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 3:43PM]

Sorry - and with a little text editing it syncs with my Mac perfectly.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 5:59PM]

DAMN! OUT of stock! I had my credit card in hand -- I've been waiting for so long. Nokia obviously underestimated the demand for this phone.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 25th 2006 9:11PM]

Any word on whether Cingular or T-mobile will be carrying this phone any time soon?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 26th 2006 12:30AM]

Woohoo! Bought mine Saturday and it shipped today! It's currently in Fort Worth. Wednesday cannot come fast enough! Seriously... I mean, we've been waiting for a year now. As much as I've loved my 6820, tis time to move on.

Does anyone know of pictures comparing the size of the 6820 with the e70?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 26th 2006 9:05PM]

No. 8 and others asking about the E61 vs. E70 - I have both (just got the E70). I use the E61 w/Cingular and have found reception inside buildings (meaning, restaurants w/tin roofs and old cement structures) to be pretty bad. And for once, I can't blame Cingular because I've had other phones that have worked fine in the same places. The E70 is def. louder and gets more bars, although I've only just started testing. But the purpose of the post is to say that the E70 feels and looks a lot cheaper - all plastic, whereas the E61 is metal and feels very solid in your hand. The E61 is a much more attractive device, if you care about design. Call quality is better on the E61 as well (even though the E70 is louder). And the E61 screen is *much* bigger than the E70, and just as fabulous (to the naked eye).

I'm not as technically savvy as others here, but just wanted to add my 2 cents for anyone trying to decide between the two. They're very very close, but I think I'll stick with my E61. It just feels a lot more solid.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 27th 2006 12:22AM]

Can the e70 be used in california with cingular, if its tri-band?