Recommend a simple monochrome mobile phone that can sync with Mac / PC?

December 19, 2007 12:01 PM

I want a simple mobile phone with a monochrome screen and a fast interface that can sync contacts with my Mac or PC via a cable or IR. Something like the Nokia 1110 but with the ability to sync!

I usually have 2 phones. One is a blackberry curve for work and I just got a Nokia 1110i for my personal phone. I like it because of it's size, sharp and clear screen, the incredible battery life, great sound quality and super-responsive, simple interface.

The ONLY missing link is the ability to easily sync/copy contacts to the phone. I can get the contacts into whatever data format is required, just give me somewhere to fire them. Nokia preferred.

I'm open to older models of phone that might be purchased on ebay. The irony is that the phones I've had in years gone by would probably fit this description without a problem.

All the current Nokia phones running the colour symbian interface I've tried are slow (laggy interface), harder to use, crash and eat battery like it's going out of fashion. I want to avoid these!

posted by tkbarbarian to technology (3 comments total)

with bitpim pretty much any phone can sync via bluetooth or any cable. you can get a bluetooth adapter for like 10 bucks either usb or internal for a laptop, very easy to install. it can even pull stuff directly out of outlook and send to the phone, add ringtones for free and more. check out www.bitpim.org
posted by lrodman at 1:13 PM on December 19, 2007

I keep an old, unlocked Ericsson T39 in my go bag. It's triband, syncs just fine over bluetooth. Goes forever on a single charge and is damned near indestructible.

If you want to stick with older Nokia, look for a Nokia 6310i. To my knowledge, it's the only handset that Nokia made that's got a non-color screen, bluetooth and is tri-band.
posted by nathan_teske at 6:59 PM on December 19, 2007

Thanks for the recommendation - I had a 6210 a while back and picked up a 6310i one on ebay. I hadn't realised they have such a cult following - refurbished ones being sold for nearly £100!

In any case - very pleased with the 6310i, works just like a phone should do, is a better size than most modern handsets and has an insane battery life. Only downside is the interface is slightly slower than the lightening fast modern Nokia monochrome phones (like the 1100 and 1110i - don't get me started on any other modern colour Nokia phone)

Plus - found a great app to sync the 6310i over bluetooth with my Mac - http://www.macmedia.sk/pm.htm - it's called "Phone Manager" and it does exactly that. I can export a single vcard from my apple address book and it imports it all perfectly.

I'm sure there's an enormous market for a modern version of a phone like this - the only thing I'd improve is the interface speed and maybe using a slightly higher resolution monochrome screen like that on the 1110i.
posted by tkbarbarian at 3:34 AM on August 14