Nokia’s E71 is a corporate handset designed for messaging with a comprehensive specification including GPS for navigation, Microsoft Exchange email support, a VPN for secure communication, and voice-over-IP (VoIP) for making calls over a Wi-Fi connection.

Due to become available before the end of July, the E71 is the successor to Nokia’s E61 but is a slimmer and more capable device. With its qwerty keyboard, the new model is an obvious rival for RIM’s BlackBerry, but heavy email users will probably find it too cramped in comparison. Nevertheless, we expect that the E71 will find favour as a high-end corporate phone thanks to its combination of features and decent battery life.

In tests, we found the E71 easier to use than previous E-series handsets, although there are a multitude of configuration settings that will make some form of management tool essential for IT departments planning to deploy it to users.

The handset itself is about the same size as a BlackBerry Curve, but is slightly heavier at 126g despite being noticeably thinner – no more than 10mm at its thickest point. This means users will not need to carry a separate phone and email device, as was necessary with some bulkier older BlackBerry models. It also feels sturdy, thanks to its stainless steel casing.

However, the E71’s compact design means its qwerty keys are small and closely spaced, although they have a domed profile to make them easier to press. We have grown used to tiny phone keypads and so had no difficulty keying in emails and text messages using thumb typing, but colleagues that regularly use a BlackBerry said they found the keys too small for easy use.

Nokia’s 2.3in 320x240 display is easy to read in all but the brightest sunlight, and the phone’s home screen has shortcuts to commonly accessed functions such as email, calendar, web browser, a search tool and maps. The user can customise which shortcuts are displayed.

One interesting feature is the E71’s support for a second home screen. This enables users to keep their work and personal use of the handset separate. The second screen can be configured with a different background, application shortcuts and email notifications from the main screen, and users can switch between the two at any time.

We found that the small screen meant we had to pan and zoom a lot when viewing web pages in Nokia’s browser, but we were able to satisfactorily access many common sites. The E71 has a Flash Lite player, which lets users view Flash content in web pages.

Like many other current handsets, the E71 supports HSDPA, which extends the 3G data bandwidth to support speeds up to 3.6Mbit/s, although this is unlikely to be seen in practice. It also has 802.11g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and is a quad-band device for making GSM voice calls.

We tested the E71 using a SIM supplied by Vodafone, and we were able to get a 3G data connection pretty much all the time, both inside and outside London. This gave a reasonable experience when surfing the web, but was not as responsive as when using Wi-Fi.

Using Wi-Fi on the E71 is an improvement over the E61. We found we could search for available networks and select one, then simply enter the passcode to gain access. The E71 remembers these settings and will then automatically connect to access points it knows about.

As a messaging device, the E71 supports Microsoft’s ActiveSync protocol for Exchange mail systems, plus Nokia’s own Intellisync middleware, which can link with Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino or Novell GroupWise. These suites can also be used to apply management settings, and remotely lock or wipe the handset. Email support also covers POP3 mail accounts, with a wizard that automates much of the setup.

One neat security feature is that the user can define a word or phrase that locks the handset when sent to it as an SMS text message. This allows the E71 and any memory card in it to be remotely locked if it is misplaced or stolen, and requires a PIN to unlock it again. The phone replies with a message to let you know that the remote lock has been successful.

For navigation, the E71 supports Assisted GPS (A-GPS), which augments the satellite signals with position information from the cellular network. Nokia’s Maps application allows users to get a fix on their location, but we found the handset can take anything up to 20 minutes to get an initial fix, which can be frustrating. Nokia Maps can also search for amenities and give walking or driving instructions to navigate there. It can give spoken instructions, but users are required to pay for this latter service.

Nokia also includes a VoIP client with the E71 that enables users to make and receive calls over Wi-Fi. This uses the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), commonly used by corporate messaging servers and IP PBX equipment. We tested it using an internet-based SIP service provider, and found the call quality comparable to that when using the cellular network.

Configuring SIP requires a great deal of information to be keyed in, which means most workers are unlikely to be able to set this up themselves. It can be set to automatically switch over to VoIP calls if it is connected to an authorised Wi-Fi access point, which should make it possible for firms to save on mobile call costs by ensuring that calls are routed via the company PBX when users are on-site.

Nokia’s Mobile VPN is an IPSec-based client, compatible with Check Point and Cisco gateways, which can be managed via a policy server. Other applications supplied with the E71 include Quickoffice, which supports Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files (in the formats used up to Office 2003). It also has a Zip archive tool, Adobe PDF reader and a printing tool.

Although the Nokia is a slim-line handset, it comes with a decent-sized 1500mAh battery pack that seems to deliver a long battery life. During tests, we made frequent use of the 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS functions, yet still found the E71 lasted for about a week between charges. The charger for the handset is also very small – the size of a mains plug – making it easier to carry on journeys.

The E71 supports Micro SD Flash memory cards for storage, up to a maximum 8GB in size. The slot is to the left of the handset, adjacent to the display, and is protected by a rubbery cover. Next to this is a mini USB connector for linking the E71 to a PC for synchronisation using Nokia’s PC Suite. The E71 also has a built-in 3.2 megapixel camera with flash.