The E70-2 is also black, but I don't think any of that matters. The E70 and all its variants are known for having weak reception and I think I have a hunch why.
Most phones with internal antennas have their antenna positioned towards the top of the phone for the best performance. I believe the E70 antenna was positioned elsewhere, so that when the phone's in landscape mode, the one side of the keyboard doesn't get in the way. Apparently, that doesn't matter though, since the phone gets poor reception anyway. Just a hunch.