iPhone definitely has it plusses- gorgeous UI, Safari, app store and of course iPod capabilities but as a PHONE I'm not crazy about it. Don't like touch screens, and though the keyboard is actually pretty good for a touch, it ain't no real qwerty!
I've had the e71 for about a week (also had the e61i which I liked as well). Long story short, I gave my iPhone to my son and LOVE the e71. Build quality is fantastic, compact, great qwerty, good OS. Nokia and Google maps both work nicely with the A-GPS. The built in browser is pretty good (no comparison to the iphones Safari however). Mail app is adequate for my needs, am able to place VOIP calls. I like the threaded SMS Conversation app. For me it does everything I need it to do quickly and as a gadget geek it's a beaut.
It really depends on what your needs are. If you're into multimedia and/or gaming the iPhone really has no equal. If it's more business related with the ability for some AV stuff then I prefer the e71.
Kinda curious to see what the BB Bold is like as well. For email there honestly is no equal, but I'm not wild about BBs limited apps availability..