Here we go again; AT&T’s Nokia E71x delayed
Did you read Friday’s news about the E71x and think to yourself, this is just too good to be true? Well, it looks like you might be right. We have good news and bad news regarding the impending arrival of Nokia’s slim smartphone — which do you want first? Ok, the bad news: It appears as though the release of AT&T’s E71 has been delayed, possibly by as many as eight weeks or even longer. We’re hearing some last minute issues arose and the unit will require a new firmware build before AT&T will release it. The specific problems are a bit unclear at this point but we’re told they relate to email/Mail for Exchange syncing. Ouch. If this info pans out, and we have no reason to doubt our ninja, this would put the release some time around late May at best. Now for the good news: Nokia is apparently pushing hard for a $149.99 price point (after $50 MIR) and it looks like it might actually happen. Woo! Ok, so the good news doesn’t exactly outweigh the bad but if the E71x hits shelves at $150 it could definitely make a splash — as long as it’s released before 2015, that is. One last note as many posted this question in the comments section of Friday’s post: the E71x will be considered a smartphone/PDA and as such, the $30 data plan will be a requirement. Look on the bright side, at least you’re not paying $45 for BES.
Thanks, iBold!
The phone will fall under the insurance Tier level 1 which puts replacement handset’s at $50.
Have the e71 on atnt right now and I love it. Esp since I can get unlimted text/internet for $30. I pay $60 bux a month instead of the $100 fort the iphone/bberry that I had
The unlocked E71 was going to be my consolation prize, had the Bold not been available on 2008-11-04. I still wouldn’t turn it down.
Why would a data plan be required? ATT does not require one on any of their other phones besides the iPhone.
@ashwin: If you want your rebate you have to sign up for the data on a B.B. and smartphones. You could remove it in a month but you might as well not have a smartphone if you can’t afford the cost….
Yes they do. You need the stupid PDAconnect with every phone classified as smartphone
deja Bold…
I’m using an unlocked one right now on ATT. Great phone, But waiting patiently for the Niagara so I can jump ship to VZW.
WHERE is the hand’s on BG?!
Fist of all AT&T does not require a data plan on any of their Smartphones, other than the ipod thing-a-ma-jig. If you want a data plan on a smartphone like the e71 or a BB then the plans start at $30/mo. on a regular phone like the Nokia 6650, Sam Eternity ect.. the data plans is as low as $10/mo for unlimited data.
The E71x has a full qwerty keyboard and is a smartphone so it will have to take the higher data plan if internet access is a desired. it is not required.
you must take a data plan if you are using any smartphone on the “Darkside” (aka Verizon)
Another reason AT&T Rocks!
Really? A $10/mo plan for unlimited data? I haven’t found such a thing. Do I need to know someone special to get this plan you speak of?
I think it is interesting to note that many of the problems that the E71 seems to be facing in North America can be fixed with firmware updates (full disclosure, although I work for InnoPath Software, a device management company that enables things like FOTA and Over The Air configuration, the opinions etc here are mine). I am not sure what their firmware update strategy is – they have several different models including something like the Apple i-Tunes thing where you have a special app on your PC and download stuff off the net while also on some models supporting FOTA, where you can either go from the handset and check for updates which are downloaded over the air if available or updates can be pushed from the server. I am not sure what is up with these devices, but I am told that for whatever reason they don’t seem to do FOTA on S60 FP1 devices, which is a shame because with FOTA it is actually fast, cheap and easy to update firmware and this can save people a trip to the store to get reflashed, save hassle of downloading an update app and an update image etc etc. In our work with carriers in North America we have seen many cases where device launch dates would have slipped because of some last minute bugs were able to go on because everyone knew that the devices could be updated in the field.
I think that as smartphones reach further into markets that may not actually have a lot of PC penetration that being able to update over the air w/o having to tether to something will be increasingly important.
FWIW I have an E71 on my desk, we use it for demos, and it is a damn fine phone. Slim, well built, quality feel, long battery life and a qwerty keyboard. Not real fancy looking or slick in the UI department, but, like any good tool, it works well.
The dark side? It will not suprise me to start seeing AT&T requiring a data plan on PDA/BBs. Of cousre we all know AT&T has some of teh worse ratings of any wireless network. AT&T is just right with Sprint when it comes to call quality. At least Sprint tired with Verizon is one area during testing. AT&T ranked at or below in most of the testing.
Another reason AT&T Sucks!
Who cares? This phone have been out for 9 MONTHS already. Its a thing of the past. Nice pathetic screen Nokia.
If you have a Family Messaging Unlimited plan with AT&T for $30/FT Group then any “phone” line in that group can add Unlimited Data for $10/mo. If you have an individual line then it is $15/mo.
Jason, updating the firmware on the E71 was easier than most but is still beyound many consumers. i am sure the carriers and the manufacturer’s would prefer to do this OTA, but, if you “brick” a phone due to a little static on the line…that would be bad?
It doesn’t require a data plan except if you wants to deal with the MIR. However if you wants to use data, then you have to use the expensive $30 PDA data plan.
IMHO, it’s better just to get the E71-2 and use the $15 unlimited “dumbphone” data plan ($10 if you have unlimited messaging plan) instead. It’s cheaper in the long run.
For $120 more, just buy the damn unlocked one.
The phone build quality is outstanding. The OS is pathetic. It’s hard to believe a company like Nokia could constantly churn out such unintuitive and ugly OS’s. We will never sell any of this phone.
To receive your rebate and 50 dollars off at the point of sale you would want to add a data pkg or bb pkg. This is a good phone, I’m in mine now but the os is dumb and borring so I’m getting an unlocked storm for my att service.
RoBBold – I agree that firmware updates are beyond many consumers when implemented in a traditional manner, but FOTA changes that. On another S60 device, the N80, it is just a few clicks (Menu>Connect>Device Manager>Options>Check for updates) with other implementations, such as on my V3M, being relatively similar. A good FOTA client will be able to recover not only from any sort of data errors but also from other issues as well. One of the demos I have done of the InnoPath FOTA client involved pulling the battery out of the phone in the middle of an update – traditionally a no-no that would brick the device, but with our client and any other good FOTA implementation, not a problem.
The big operators are huge on reliability and would not move forward with something like FOTA unless there were real and tangible benefits with some sort of assurance that a mass update would not be the foundation for a mass brickyard. Reliability and failure recovery are big parts of the equation along with making things easier for the subscriber. Making things easy is one of the reasons why mass FOTA campaigns run by the operator are popular – that way people who don’t really care about firmware on the phone still get the benefits of bug fixes and things like having their speakerphone work right without having to do a bunch of intricate voodoo on their phone – all they have to do is say “yes” to the update.
If you choose to carry a Smartphone with a full qwerty keyboard…you want the data plan anyway! $1/day or $.50/day..
The Symbian OS is number one in every country except the USA, it is different, has pros and cons, takes a little getting used to…as all new operating systems do.
I would agree, if AT&T launches at $199 and you can get an Unlocked for $300 or less then i would take the unlocked one as well.
Talk to someone who has an E71, and they will probably agree. No other smartphone currently being offered is as solid, with respect to build quality and reception.
I’ve had an unlocked e71 since September of last year and I’ve experienced none of the call quality or connection issues other uses have reported. Yeah, the O/S isn’t all that slick but overall I’m very pleased with the phone.
What I don’t get is releasing a phone almost a year after it came to market. Given the nature of this technology it’s kind of silly to buy something that “old”. Certainly Nokia has something new in the works, even if the arrival is a bit delayed by economy.
The Nokia E71-2 is an excellent smart phone with good built quality, great battery life, and good reception (at least for me with T-Mobile).
*******The phone was not supposed to be released on the previously mentioned date. BGR got some false information about the release of the E71x and like the “expert” that they are, posted that it would be released 3/24/09. When they find out that they were wrong, they turn around and post a story about how its delayed. Way to make Nokia/AT&T look bad, just so you can have a story on a slow newsday. Also…real smart to get some Nokia information from some guy named “iBold”. Stupid! Do proper research on products before you start announcing release dates. Thats why people should take information from BGR with a grain of salt. BGR is the George W. Bush of mobile websites.
Nobody cares about this crap!!!!
Meh, Rogers had this lovely device for as low as $49.99. Was a steal!