Nokia 7705 Twist Review

Introduction:

These days messaging phones with QWERTY keyboards are quite popular: from the Samsung Alias 2 and Rogue, to the LG enV3 and enV Touch. Now another one enters the mix, the Nokia 7705 Twist for Verizon. As the name implies, the phone twists open to reveal the hidden keyboard and there is a “contact light ring” that will illuminate different colors depending on who is calling or sending a message.  The Twist is geared to the under-20 crowd that is looking for a unique messaging device while maintaining a sense of style and individuality, thanks to the two Xpress-On battery covers, built-in mirror, and habitat mode home screen.

Included in the retail package are the Nokia 7705 Twist phone, black and purple Xpress-On covers, 860 mAh battery, wall charger, and user manual.

Design:

While closed, the Nokia 7705 Twist is overall one of the smallest phones currently available through Verizon, but when opened it’s taller than even the Samsung Rogue. Rotating (or twisting) the phone open 90 degreescan be accomplished by one hand and you can hear it snap into place,though the hinge doesn’t feel too strong and you can easily flex thetwo sections apart. The two included Xpress-On battery covers are alsoa bit flimsy, as they just snap on and off, but we wish more colorswere available.




You can compare the Nokia 7705 Twist with many other phones using our Size Vizualization Tool.

The front is taken up by the 2.4-inch QVGA (320x240 pixel) resolution display, which is capable of 262K colors. We like its overall larger size and higher resolution than the one found on the Samsung Intensity, as images and text aren’t pixelated. Below the display is the standard square d-pad and surrounding it are the clear key and left & right soft keys, which are touch-sensitive. We didn’t care for this design , as often times when using the mechanical d-pad, our thumb would accidentally press the touch-sensitive keys surrounding it. The contact light ring is one of the coolest features of the phone, as it can show up to 6 different colors when someone calls or sends a message. Located on the sides are the volume rocker, microUSB port, 2.5mm headset jack, microSDHC memory card slot (16GB support), and external speaker. The 3MP camera and flash are on the back, and when the phone is opened the rear also sports a large mirror.



The QWERTY keyboard has a nice design and looks like it belongs on a BlackBerry. There are 5 rows with dedicated buttons for messaging, web browser, voice command, speakerphone, and camera. Even though the keyboard buttons are small, they are raised from the surrounding plastic, which makes them easier to use than the flat keys on the Samsung Intensity and Alias 2. We had no problem using the Nokia Twist’s keyboard for typing messages, but still prefer the larger keyboards on the Samsung Rogue, LG enV3 and enV Touch.

Software and Features:

The Nokia 7705 Twist carries over the useful Habitat Mode that we saw on the Intrigue 7205, but comes in two new layouts: Super World and Urban Jungle. When one of those are selected the home screen becomes interactive, with it showing icons of people who you have recently talked to. You then can press the “down” button on the d-pad to select  a person’s icon on the Habitat screen and then toggle between the calls and messages from that person. We enjoyed this feature and found its layout easy to use. The Main Menu still has the familiar Verizon categories for media center, messaging, contacts, recent calls, and settings & tools. When the Habitat Mode is turned off, you can then change the color and layout of the menus (6 colors with tab, list, and grid view) and have a personalized wallpaper on the home screen. We are glad to see that Nokia continues to allow different menu customizations on their phones and hope that more manufactures do the same.



The Twist allows up to 1000 contacts to be stored with their name, 5 phone numbers, 2 emails, IM screen name, and physical street address. You can also select a picture, ringtone, and light color to be shown when that person calls. Once a contact is saved, you can assign them to one of 999 speed-dial locations.



Most mid-level phones only come with a 1.3MP or 2MP camera, so we were surprised to see a 3MP one included on the Twist. However, just because it is capable of a higher resolution doesn’t mean that pictures will look better. This is true with the Nokia Twist, as its images don’t look as good as the ones taken by the 3MP camera on the LG enV3. Pictures taken outside during the day have soft edges with poor color accuracy, are over-exposed with detail being lost and have noticeable purple fringing. While inside images show a lot of grain and have a tendency to look blurry. The LED flash is useless, as it makes no difference while in dark environments. It is unfortunate that the Nokia Twist’s 3MP camera is not up to par with the competition.






We were disappointed to see the same old red-themed music player used by the Nokia Twist, but were delighted that it can be run in the background, so you can listen to music while messaging or browsing the web. Music playback quality through the mono speaker was lacking however, as voices had a tendency to sound distorted, but you can connect wired earbuds or a stereo Bluetooth headset.



The HTML browser is a nice addition, but we didn’t find it very user friendly. This was mainly because of the small screen size and having to use the d-pad to move around the pages. We were also disappointed that embedded YouTube videos could not be played directly in web pages, but we were able to play videos when going to the YouTube site.



Other software features include VZ Navigator for GPS guided directions, VCast Music & Videos, and the ability to download a wide variety of games and programs. There is also a calendar to schedule your appointments, voice commands, 3 alarms, calculator, and a world clock.

Performance:

The reception on the Nokia 7705 Twist was good and equal to that of the Nokia Intrigue 7205 and the LG enV3, as we had 2-3 bars of signal showing in most areas and didn’t drop any calls. However the call quality was lacking, as voices sounded distorted if the volume was turned up past medium. This was also true with the Speakerphone mode, as voice had a tendency to sound distorted at high volumes.

The included 860 mAh battery is rated to provide up to 4.5 hours of talk time or 11 days of standby time. During our testing we were, indeed, able to get 4 hours and 30 minutes of continuous talk time on a full charge.

Conclusion:

The Nokia 7705 Twist has a unique design that will have people looking at it, though we can’t help but wonder if a more traditional sliding design would be more durable over time. The shiny black plastic and chrome accents are fashionable, but they love to show off fingerprints. We like the idea behind the contact light ring and that the QWERTY keyboard was laid out well and easy to use. Unfortunately the call quality is lacking and so are the images taken by the 3MP camera. If you are more interested in form and fashion than performance, then the Nokia 7705 Twist is for you, but if you want a messaging device that performs well in all areas, then you’ll be better off with the Samsung Rogue, the LG enV3 or the enV Touch.

Nokia 7705 Twist Video Review: