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The Eseries is Nokia's line of devices aimed at business users over general consumers, but don't let that stop you from considering the E73 Mode. The Mode follows in the design footsteps of the E71 and E72. It is slim, stylish, and made from the finest materials. Although I liked the metal-rimmed appearance of the E71/72 slightly better, the Mode is still class all the way. You can tell it uses solid materials by the heft. It is no lightweight. It may be thin enough to slip into any pocket, but you'll know it is there.

The biggest difference between the E71/72 and the E73 Mode are the control keys on the front. Where the E71/72 have six distinct (but small) buttons, the E73 has four larger buttons, each with two functions. Starting in the upper-left side of the control cluster, there is a soft key / home key. Press one side of the button to activate the soft key, press the other side to take you to the home screen. The other three buttons pair the following: send / calendar, end / email, and soft key / contacts. The Eseries devices have always provided quick access to vital functions such as email, contacts and calendar, and the E73 is no different. Travel and feedback of all the buttons are good, but you do have to be careful with thumb placement. It is all too easy to accidentally press the end key rather than the email key, or the home key rather than the soft key.

Nokia has placed a nice D-pad in the middle of all these buttons. It's the perfect-sized squircle, with just the right amount of edge so that it is easy to find and use. Travel and feedback were spot on. The center of the D-Pad is an optical trackpad. It is very sensitive, and combining the center button with a redundant trackpad underneath makes for navigation overkill from time to time (e.g., you often overshoot stuff).

The E71 and E72 share identical keyboards. The E73's has been altered slightly for the better. Rather than having rows of keys that go straight across, there is a very slight smile-shaped curve to the E73's keyboard. The keys have just a hair's-breadth more shape to them, and travel and feedback has been improved. The size of the keys is still diminutive, though. The improvements do have the desired effect: the E73 is easier to type on than its forebears, even if by only the smallest margin.

The rest of the E73's hardware is identical to the E72.

The microUSB and microSD ports are both tucked into the left side of the E73. It is easy to get at both. The volume controls are on the right, though the E73 is the third device to make the same mistake as far as I am concerned. The volume keys are separate, not a toggle. Nokia has placed a voice control key between the volume keys. Even though the volume keys have just a bit more shape and texture to them when compared to this voice command key, it is still easy to press the voice key when you intend to raise or lower the volume. Annoying.

The majority of the E73's back side is the metallic battery cover. I like this cover, but it has two problems. Number 1: it gets darned hot when using the phone. Number 2: for some reason, it is prone to gathering finger oil, which shows up as ugly stains and smears on the metal surface. No oleophobic protection here.

The power/lock key is on top. It's recessed and flush with the surface of the phone. It's hard to find, and hard to use. Next to it is a 3.5mm headset jack, which means you can use regular stereo headphones with the E73.

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