Design
On the back of the handset Nokia has included a 2-megapixel camera with a self-portrait mirror and an LED flash. Holding down the space key on the keyboard switches the flash on so you can use it as a torch. Under the battery cover Nokia has wisely included a huge 1500mAh battery pack. The E63 doesn't have a volume rocker on the side of the handset, instead the nav-key changes the speaker volume during calls.
The phone is charged via the standard Nokia charging pin at the base of the phone, and the handset has slots both for USB connections and microSD memory expansion on the side of the unit. Unlike the E71, the E63 sports a 3.5mm headphone socket under a rubber plug on the top of the phone. Strangely, this protective plug isn't attached to the phone so you'll have to stow it in a pocket while you use headphones.
Features
The E63 is an interesting mixture of inclusions and exclusions compared with other smartphones available. Its R2500 price tag should suggest not to expect all the standard smartphone hardware, but you might be surprised at what Nokia has left in. The E63 is firstly a very capable messenger. It sports 3G connectivity and Wi-Fi, but not HSDPA. Most people should find this sufficient for basic mobile browsing and email delivery.
Those looking for a full featured business smartphone will find the E63 adequate. Using Nokia's PC Suite you can sync your contacts, calendar and to-do lists from MS Outlook, and share bookmarks with your favourite browser. Microsoft Exchange support is available as is the ability to log your E63 onto your business intranet.
Performance
If you're happy with the features and components inside the E63 then we can guarantee you love the performance. The interface is as fast as any smartphone available and the battery life is second to none. Nokia estimates the talk time for the E63 to be 11 hours with an astounding 18 days standby time. During our tests we saw three or four days between charges depending on use, more like the BlackBerrys of old than the iPhone of today.
Secondhand
This phone is sold as secondhand although it is like new. There is one little scratch on the front cover above the screen but almost not noticeable. The back has got a non slip service that doesn't scratch. It comes with all the original part in the original box.
