The Nokia E75 is the first S60 3rd Edition Nokia to sport a side-loading QWERTY keyboard. You’ll find it hidden away on the device. That is until you push the front and rear halves of the handset apart.

With such a novel device, we thought we’d take an in-depth look at the Nokia E75 keyboard, see how we got on…

Have you read our full review of the Nokia E75?

The first thing that strikes you about the Nokia E75 is that it hides its secrets well. On the surface it looks like any other slightly over-sized candybar phone. However, give the phone a little push and a twist and the full QWERTY keyboard will make an appearance.

When you open the keyboard you’ll find the screen orientation will automatically follow suit, switching from Portrait to Landscape mode. It’s quick and instantaneous, so won’t get in the way of you wanting to type out your thoughts in an email.

If you just want to send a quick text, you can always use the main numeric keypad but for longer emails and messages, the keyboard of the Nokia E75 is a great solution.

There isn’t a latch or lock on the keyboard, which gives the overall feel of the device a less than rock solid finish but the keyboard itself is firmly attached.

The keyboard is a nice size and the weighting of the handset means you’ll need to hold it in two hands for best effect. It’s a full QWERTY keyboard with the keys being backlit, making it easier to type in poor light conditions. The keys each carry the same weight and with each key supporting secondary functions too, it’s incredibly versatile.

The keys have a rather flat feel to them as you type, which means you’ll be double-checking you’ve hit the right key every time. As mentioned in our full review of the Nokia E75, we would have liked a slightly larger Space bar. This is because the one fitted is a little small and you will find yourself having to look down to locate it from time-to-time.

So, is it easy to type at speed with this keyboard? You’ll find the support bar that splits the keyboard in two slows things down a little, and the Space bar is too small. However, we quickly got the hang of using it and can now type without making too many misteaks…

Check out the Tech Specs for the Nokia E75

Check out our Nokia E75 keyboard gallery: