The Nokia E66 is a new business oriented smartphone that is tasked with replacing Nokia's popular E65. With a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera and updated Contacts and Calendar applications, we take a look to see if the E66 is much of an improvement, and how well it stands up to the tasks expected of a business phone.

Physical Aspects

The Nokia E66, available in grey or white steel, is a slider handset with a regular numeric keypad. The top part of the slide is bordered with a chrome bezel, and the backplate is metal, with a dimpled pattern that offers a bit of grip. The remaining areas of the housing are finished in a glossy metal-flake finish, resulting in a very professional looking device. The E66 is a bit hefty, weighing a solid 121g (4.3oz), though the slender 107mm x 49mm x 13mm (4.2" x 1.9" x 0.5") body does not take up too much room in your pocket.

As is typical of Nokia's Eseries cell phones, the E66's build quality is fantastic. The phone's body does not creak or make any sound when in use, and the slider doesn't wobble even the slightest bit. The slider is spring-loaded, so that once you push it halfway, it snaps solidly into position. However, due to the finish on the E66's backplate, fingerprints readily show, and the result is a multicolored optical illusion that's somewhat bothersome. A clean cloth takes care of it, though.

The button cluster on the top part of the Nokia E66 consists of dedicated end/send keys, with a delete/back key situated directly between, and left and right softkeys above. There are four shortcut keys surrounding the squared-off d-pad, as well. All but the end/send keys feature backlit labels, so that with the phone powered off, there are no visible button labels. While inconvenient in the dark with the phone powered off, this backlit label design really adds to the professional style of the handset.

The shortcut keys, starting from the top left and going clockwise, are Home, Contacts, Messaging, and Calendar. Each has 2 functions, activated by either a short press or a long press. The Home key has replaced the typical S60 menu key, with the same functionality. A single press will take you straight to the standby screen, while a long press pulls up the task manager. The remaining three shortcut buttons can be customized by the user, including the short and long press actions. The d-pad is solid, but not too firm, and I found it to be a pleasure to use. All four directions, as well as the center button, are easy to press and provide awesome tactile feedback. There is a very handy notification light around the inside middle of the d-pad that breathes when in standby, to let you know that the phone is powered on. If you have a missed event, such as a call, email, or otherwise, the light flashes quicker, letting you know.

When you slide the E66 open, the numeric keypad is revealed. These keys feature the traditional printed labels, and the * key is now a shortcut to toggle Bluetooth on and off, while the # key is still a shortcut to the Silent profile. The power button is located on top of the handset, and is crafted from bright red plastic, making it much easier to find over those on previous Nokia handsets.

The right side of the E66 is full of buttons. At the top is the volume up and down keys, with the Voice Recorder button located directly between them. Annoyingly, this button cannot be reprogrammed. Below this is the two-stage camera shutter key. However, similar to the Nokia E90, this dedicated camera button does not actually launch the camera application, so you are forced to waste a shortcut on the camera, or fumble through the phone's menus to get to it.

The left side of this smartphone is where you'll find the micro-USB port, IrDA port, and 2.5mm audio port. A standard Nokia 2mm power port is located on the bottom left of the handset since the micro-USB port can not be used for charging. The back panel of the E66 houses a mono speaker and 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash, but there is no protective lens cover built-in.