Unusually sexy for a business device, the E71 is just 5.7cm wide and a measly 1cm thick.

Yet it manages to fit a full Qwerty keyboard, a 3.2-megapixel camera and all the software goodness that one has come to expect from the E-series range.

I bought it because unlike the iPhone with its touchscreen, the E71's Qwerty keyboard allows me to type SMS, e-mail messages and essays which I've to submit to school. I was typing at a pretty decent speed of 30 words per minute within a few hours of use.

The other thing I like is the mode switching. For work mode, I've a set of short cuts that take me to applications like QuickOffice where I can, for example, access my school essays and lecture notes.

In leisure mode, the camera and music player are right on the screen where I can access them with one click.

Others to consider: Apple iPhone and HTC Touch Diamond

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life on 3 September 2008.

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