Effectively the E7 form factor but with a base that's 4mm thicker (full dimensions are 124 x 62 x 17mm; weight is 191g), the same 4 inch, 'Clear Black Display' Polarized AMOLED display is used at the usual nHD resolution. However, the new design answers complaints about the E7 in dramatic style. It now uses a 2300mAh battery that's removable, with a battery door in the aluminium rear case, plus there's the same 12 megapixel auto-focus camera as in the N8, complete with Xenon flash.
Internally, there's now a 1.3GHz single core processor plus 'next-gen GPU', 1GB of RAM and 64GB of flash memory (though no microSD expansion, sadly). The N8's FM transmitter ('Play via radio') is present too, plus NFC, to bring the E710 into line with all the other 2012 Symbian designs.
The Nokia E710 runs Nokia Belle FP1, the same release as the 808 PureView, so presumably we're looking at a similar date for availability.
Although the new E710 Communicator is undoubtedly a bit of a brick by modern 'thin is in' standards, the functionality and flexibility on offer here in unrivalled. With a battery that will easily last the hardest day and which can be swapped in any case, and with a camera that's still better than almost anything else on the market, the E710 gives Symbian a whole new lease of life and will have a long queue of previous Communicator owners queueing up to buy it.
I've had a (Finnish) E710 prototype for the last week and can vouch for the device. Here it is in the real world, kitted out for me:
Comments welcome, of course!
(via Tony Cooper PR)
Other specs of interest:
• Weight (with battery): 191 g, Volume: 134cc
• 64 GB internal user memory
• Screen size: 4” Resolution: 16:9 nHD (640 x 360 pixels), AMOLED, 16.7 million colours, ClearBlack display, Gorilla Glass
• BV-6D 2300 mAh 'high voltage' Li-ion battery, user replaceable(!)
• 1GB RAM, 1.3GHz processor plus GPU
• GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/900/1700/-21001900/2100
• Bluetooth 3.0, HDMI, DLNA
• High-Speed USB 2.0 (micro USB connector), Micro USB connector and charging, USB On-the-Go
• 3.5 mm Nokia standard audio connector with TV-out
• Secure NFC
• WLAN
• A-GPS
• FM transmitter
• Talk time (maximum): GSM 16 hours, WCDMA , 8.5 hours, Standby time (maximum): GSM 665 hours, WCDMA 740 hours
• Integrated pencil sharpener
Imaging specs
• 12 megapixel camera sensor with Nokia PureView-Lite imaging technology and Carl Zeiss optics
• Fullscreen 16:9 viewfinder with easy on-screen touch controls
• Xenon flash with operating range up to 3.5m, depending on conditions
• Lossless zoom: 2x for stills
• Focal length: 8.02 mm (35 mm equivalent focal length -26 mm, 16:9 / 28 mm, 4:3)
• Auto focus and touch to focus
• Focus modes: Hyperfocal, Macro, Infinity and Auto
• Focus range: 15 cm ~ infinity
• F number/aperture: F2.8
• Launch camera from lock with full press of capture key
• Video resolutions: HD (1280x720) 30fps, nHD (640x360) 30fps