Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Nokia

Where's Waldo?

randomstriker — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:54:43 -0800

How does A-GPS work? It's not working for me and I'm wondering if it's my phone or my provider (Rogers in Vancouver) I have a Nokia E71. With A-GPS turned on, I can't get a fix. With A-GPS off and just regular GPS enabled I can get a fix, but of course it takes much longer.

Would appreciate troubleshooting tips because the call centre drones at Rogers, of course, are no help.

What are the best graphic demanding games i can put on my Nokia e71?

jakubsnm — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:36:04 -0800

What are the best graphic demanding games I can get on my Noki e71? Is it possible to put PC games onto the Nokia e71? on the Symbian Operating System? HOW?

Repair or replace my shiny little friend?

notashroom — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:29:36 -0800

Keep my beloved Nokia E-51 or buy a replacement? Any experience with time and cost of Nokia repairs, or input on replacement model options? I'm in a quandary. I have a Nokia E51 smartphone, purchased off Amazon 13 months ago (with a 12-month manufacturer warranty) for USD$270. I love almost everything about this phone, but its sleek metal case makes it a little slippery in my clumsy hands.

I dropped it yesterday and either broke the microphone or disconnected it internally. Everything is still working perfectly except that the other party on a voice call cannot hear me at all. Obviously this is inconvenient, although I can get by for a few days with texting, email, voicemail, etc.

I have a spare phone, an older Nokia, that I could get by with for a short period of time (a week or so), but it won't suffice for use with work email (MS Exchange) and other work functions (documents, etc.).

I have no idea how much it would cost or how long it would take to get it repaired by Nokia. I've heard horror stories about others sending phones off for repair and it being expensive or taking what seemed an unreasonably long time. Do you have any experience with this in general, or with Nokia in particular?

It looks like the price to replace this phone with another E51 is running around $240, only $30 less than I paid over a year ago. Although I think it's great that the phones hold their value on the marketplace, I'm wondering if I might want to go with another model if I replace instead of repairing. I am leaning toward the Nokia E-series and N-series phones, largely because they're the closest to this phone. My factors:

- Nokia reliability. Family, friends, and co-workers have had all kinds of problems with other brands that I simply have not had with Nokia. This is my 5th Nokia phone.

- The Mail for Exchange and document-handling (Word, Adobe, text, etc.) features are extremely useful for my job. Yes, the Exchange server has IMAP enabled and I could use that, but I love the automatic calendar/task synching as well.

- WiFi is awesome for fast internet on the phone.

- The Symbian OS, in this case, S60 3rd ed., which is fantastic for the interface and add-on apps like Google Maps, Opera browser, Flash support.

- I like a nice camera and multimedia functions, but the primary purpose of my phone is as an information management/exchange device, secondary is telephone. Media and games are tertiary.

- I'd rather not have touch screen, slider, or flip phone, though I can deal if that's the absolute best option out there for me.

- I am willing to spend up to $300 for a truly kick-ass phone.

So, what do you think? Repair or replace? And if replace, what's your favorite E-series or N-series phone or your best argument to persuade me I should be looking to a different brand/model?

Nokia: Keep WiFi, kill MEdia Net

caution live frogs — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:25:48 -0800

I upgraded my phone. It has WiFi. It also has AT&T's MEdia Net. I don't have a data plan. How can I make sure it's using WiFi? Nokia E71x just landed. It's an S60 phone. I needed an upgrade, so I went for it. WiFi works fine, I can connect to my home network, but balked at setting up email, etc. as I don't want to get hammered by data rates.

In my connections settings, WiFi is set as priority 1 with MEdia Net as priority 2. What I'd like to do is remove MEdia Net as a connection possibility, so the phone won't use it at all.

So, here are my two questions:

1. Is it possible to completely disable MEdia Net as an access point, so I can use WiFi without fear of getting hit by access fees?

2. Is it possible to do so in a way that will allow me to re-enable it, if I do get a data plan in the future?

Make my Nokia sing like my Apple...

trinarian — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:31:08 -0800

Migrating from an iPod to a cellphone... was the awesome surgically removed though? I recently purchased a new Nokia 3600. There's nothing terribly different between it and other non-Symbian not-quite N-series Nokia phones. As my iPod died at the same time as me buying this phone, I've decided to buy a 16gb micro-SD card and use it as my new music player.

The only problem I've found is the headphone-jack sound quality is terrible with some music. It sounds like somebody has neutered all the bass. It sounds the opposite of what I understand the good effects of audio compression to sound like, with all the awesome and power removed. It's not just when I play it off it's tiny speakers, it's when I use the OEM headphones, or a 2.5-to-3.5mm adapter and run it to a pair of good speakers or headphones. If I play something like Neutral Milk Hotel, it sounds fine. If I play something like Tool, it sounds like a 32kbs RealAudio file played over an analog phone line. Changing the EQ doesn't help. The sound starts to bleed at the "high" volume range.

My speculation is that it's the Nokia media software being set to make things sound good on the built-in speakers, but then not adjusting for what they assume will be low-quality OEM earbuds. I haven't successfully been able to use non-OEM software and I'm very open to recommendations.

So, my question for the hive mind, is this a software problem that can be overcome or a hardware issue? Could it be related to fidelity issues of it being a 2.5mm jack instead of 3.5mm? How do I make it sing like my iPod?

Great apps for Nokia E71

ConstantineXVI — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:41:50 -0800

NokiaFilter: Just picked up a Nokia E71 (runs S60 3.1). Help me cram it's memory with quality apps (free great, paid okay).

Remove duplicate phone numbers on a Nokia E71

qvtqht — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:07:54 -0800

My Nokia E71 ended up with a bunch of duplicate numbers for each contact. How do I remove them automagically? So I got a Nokia E71, and because I first imported my contacts from my SIM card (incomplete, since my old Blackberry Pearl doesn't support exporting to a SIM), I then used Google Sync to import them all again.

Now, I have a bunch of contacts that look like this:

First: Bob
Last: cell
Mobile: 212-555-1212
Work: 212-555-1212

This wouldn't bother me if the Nokia didn't annoyingly prompt me for which of the two numbers to use every time I want to call or SMS someone, even though they are the same.

How do I delete all of the mobile or work numbers where they are the same as the other field?

Also, maybe I could also merge first + middle + last into the first name field while I'm at it?

Using the Nokia E61 on a 3G network in the United States?

roomwithaview — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:01:20 -0800

Is a Nokia E61 able to take advantage of any carrier's 3G network in the United States? I am trying to decide whether or not to get an E61. I know that the E61 works with UMTS 2100, which is deployed in Europe and Asia. But didn't T-Mobile buy the 2.1 gigahertz band in the US at auction a few years ago? The comments in this Engadget Mobile thread seem to suggest that E61s might work on T-Mobile, but I can't find anything conclusive.

Does anyone have a definitive answer? Will I be able to enjoy 3G in the US with an E61? I plan on using it primarily in the DC area, if that makes any difference.

Need a voice recorder ( free is better) application for Nokia e61i

thejeshgn — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:10:39 -0800

Need a voice recorder ( free is better) application for Nokia e61i. The built in app comes with too many restrictions.

Nokia is now telling me to eat less, why?

nam3d — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:28:10 -0800

My phone (Nokia 6230i) has started giving me tips (which started tonight at 00:06 on the 01/01/09). When I turn on my phone, enter my PIN number and once it's got past the obligatory Nokia splash screen it gives me this tip: Tip Of The Day: Don't Eat Too Much! and here's the photo for you (sorry for the rubbish quality). Can some explain to me what the hell is going on?

What cool things could I do with a WiFi capable Nokia phone?

ilumos — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:20:47 -0800

What cool things could I do with a WiFi capable Nokia phone? I've recently got a new smartphone, the Nokia E51, as an insurance replacement for my old phone. I was excited when I found out it's wifi capable, but so far I've only really managed to browse the web. I'm sure there are many more interesting things I can do, but lacking imagination and/or experience I turn to you metafilter :)

It's a Symbian based phone, S60, can take microSD cards and has a headphone output. Full HTML browser and can do WEP/WPA(2) wireless security et etc.

There are many wireless hotspots about in my hometown, not just in my house.

Many thanks in advance!

(also I hope this helps anyone else who might be interested)

iPhone or Nokia? Help me decide.

caution live frogs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:24:20 -0800

Yet another iPhone AskMe. Feedback needed from (US) iPhone owners: Do I want an iPhone, or do I want to just upgrade my Nokia? Specific details inside. Sorry about the length here, but I find myself in a quandry between two shiny gadgets.

I am currently using a Nokia E62. It has a lot of features: Full tactile keyboard, hot-swappable miniSD slot, quad-band, polyphonic ringer, syncs with iCal and Address Book via Bluetooth. Different contacts and contact groups can be assigned different ring tones (MP3 or AAC). Easy one-touch switch to silent mode. It has an MP3/AAC player built-in, but I only move songs onto the phone to use as ring tones. Voice recording, voice-activated dialing (based on contact name - no programming required), Bluetooth file transfer. Contains an Office suite and there are a decent number of applications that can be added to the phone (Symbian OS).

I did at one time have a data plan for this phone. However AT&T in all their wisdom has decreed that data on a Symbian phone costs more than data on any other platform, so I dropped the plan - goddamn bloodsucking bastards. (I went cellular to get rid of AT&T, then they go buy my provider...) I do like the idea of checking my email on the phone, on occasion. It would be nice to have some web capability. I don't think I necessarily need it 24/7. I just rely on my MacBook Pro and free WiFi now, and do OK, but not having to carry the laptop would be nicer on my back.

So here's the problem: My wife wants to upgrade our phones, and wants to do all of them at once (all 3 phones on the plan are eligible for upgrade now). She suggested I move to the iPhone. I am not sure. My original plan was to upgrade to the Nokia E61i - all the same features as the E62 (sans USB port - but I don't use that anyway) but with an added 2 mp camera, microSD instead of miniSD, and WiFi.

iPhone would cost me ~200 up front. E61i would be about $100 more for an unlocked model (goddamn AT&T doesn't carry any Nokia phones except shitty featureless flip models).

What I'm looking for here is feedback from people who currently (or previously) use the iPhone: Specific questions below.

1. What features of the Nokia will I lose by moving to the iPhone? I had heard there was no Bluetooth sync - do I really need to have one more goddamn cable with me just to sync iCal? That seems uncharacteristically stupid of Apple...

2. How restrictive is the App Store lock-in - anything really useful that Apple refuses to offer? I don't intend on jailbreaking the phone if I buy it, but I also don't want to end up really ticked that I can't do X when I really ought to be able to do it.

3. What happens with my payment plan? We're currently on a nationwide family plan, dating back to Cingular prior to the AT&T buyout. For ~$80/mo we've got three phones, unlimited calls between AT&T customers (none of that dumb "pick 5" garbage for me, thanks). I thought the iPhone required a specific plan. How much is this going to cost me per month? Can the iPhone be put on an existing plan or would I have to change everything about our contract?

Last but not least: How the hell does the iPhone work, if there's no SIM card slot? I really like the idea of an unlocked phone, and while the iPhone looks like a cool gadget, I'm just not sure how much of my soul I want to sell to Apple and AT&T. My past experience with Nokia gives me a lot of trust in their phones; on the other hand, I do like my MacBook Pro. Your experiences and opinions? Good or bad, help me make up my mind. I can't decide if I want to go iPhone, stick with Nokia, or just say to hell with it all, keep my perfectly functional current phone, and spend my $200 on a EEE netbook...

Nokia 6300 firmware update problem

knapah — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:12:12 -0800

A firmware update has broken my Nokia 6300. Do I have any options other than taking it for repair? I decided to update the firmware on my phone today (using Nokia's own update manager) when I connected it to my computer for the first time in many months. I ran through the process doing as I was supposed to, and updated the firmware from Version 5.0 to 6.6.

Unfortunately, after being told I could start using my phone again, the phone refused to cooperate.

When I turn it on, it seems to be working normally until just after the Nokia handshake animation when it slowly flashes 3 times before turning off.

Is there anything that I can do in a short space of time that can resolve this problem, or am I going to have to resign myself to going into some sort of phone repair establishment?

I'm in the UK (West Midlands) by the way, in case that's remotely relevant.

eThis or iThat

Eringatang — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:55:23 -0800

Please give me tasks for the Nokia E71 and the iPhone that will highlight the advantages/disadvantages of each. I am trying out both of the phones before I make a purchase decision, starting with the E71. This is a big upgrade from my last phone, so offer me some suggestions that I wouldn't think of as a non-smartphone user. Thanks!

"This phone is not accepting calls"

grablife365 — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:46:43 -0800

My Nokia Net10 prepaid cell phone will not accept calls from certain people. Does anyone know how to fix this? I've had this Nokia Net10 1600 model phone for the last month and have not been able to get calls from certain people.

They get the message that says something like "this person (or phone) is not currently accepting calls."

The Nokia customer service people aren't helping. Says that it'll take at least a few days to figure out. Right now this is my only phone and I'm going to have to keep for at least another month.

Has anyone had this problem before and how did you fix it other than to upgrade?

Thanks.

How can I access my data on the move?

jonathanbell — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:27:20 -0800

I'd like to carry my digital address book around with me. Problem is, it's not in a standard format. Some years ago I made the probably flawed decision to store all my contact details in a little Windows application called BusinessCards. It works absolutely beautifully, mimicking the original Windows cardfile program but with unlimited entries and the ability to paste loads of text into each file and format it in weird and wonderful ways.

However, even though the .exe can be moved around from computer to computer and the whole program can run off a memory stick, my contacts are still tied to a laptop so I have to wait for it to start up, etc. etc. Ideally, I'd like to access this data on my phone (a Nokia N95), with a fully searchable application that can also be synched with a PC.

There are currently around 2750 individual cards, each containing a varying amount of contact data, none of it in dedicated fields (name, phone, street number, etc.). What are my options? You can save the database in three formats, .bcd format (the proprietary format for the program), something called cardfile 3.0 (.crd files) and Comma Delimited (.csv files).

Does anyone have any recommendations for cardfile-type software for the Symbian S60 operating system? Can I export this data? Many thanks in advance.

New n800. Now what?

Zed_Lopez — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:54:51 -0800

I just bought a used Nokia n800 Internet Tablet. Recommend accessories, software, uses? I figure to use it as an audio player (both streaming audio from the net, and playing things on cards), as a network remote control around the home, for casual gaming, as a PIM (best I can), and for net access. I'm wide open to suggestions for a case, accessories to keep it charged, uses I may not have thought of, and your favorite apps.

Yes, this is open-ended, but no moreso than any number of Palm threads in the past. If you think it's too much so, please flag it and accept my apologies.

Is a Nokia phone with GPS good enough to track my runs?

cyanide — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:39:21 -0800

I've been thinking of buying a phone with GPS to track my runs. Help me be sure and confident about my choice, or suggest a better alternative... I've been running for over a couple of months now. About 3-4 times a week, I run anywhere between 8-12 kms and looking to improve that steadily. I've recently been interested in tracking my runs with a GPS device to help me analyse them. Most of the information I've found on runnersworld forums deals with watches which have GPS functionality like Garmin and Polar. Unfortunately, such fancy watches aren't available here AFAIK.

I was thinking of using phone with GPS for the tracking features. I currently have a Nokia e61i and will be switching to a Nokia n95/82 or e66, all of which have a built-in GPS module. Nokia has its own Tracking (Sports Tracker) website/software which I'll be using unless there's a better third-party alternative. Plus, my phone will double up as an mp3 player, so one less thing to carry on runs. And my birthday's coming up soon, so I have a reason to spend some money on myself.

I wanted to hear opinions from the mefites as to whether my choice is correct or not. Giving suggestions for phones with similar features would be great too!

Thanks for reading! :)

nokia n95 password encryption

raphael19 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:29:10 -0800

Does Nokia N95 encrypts e-mail passwords that it stores for automatic retrieval? If it does, what is the encryption scheme? AES? Proprietary code? I am currently using IMAP functionality and i am curious if some malicious code run in web browser (or some other trick for that matter) could leak sensitive information such as the stored email passwords.

Regards.

How to make my phone play nice with my laptop

sliderjc — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:46:45 -0800

Is there any easy way to use my nokia phone to control my (ubuntu) laptop via bluetooth? I have tried using "anyRemote" but it's far to complicated to install and use. Are there any options that just allow me to install on my phone and pc and start using them?

Why won't my Nokia E51 access Orange's 3G network?

modernnomad — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:39:45 -0800

Why won't my Nokia E51 access Orange (UK)'s 3G network? So I got this new Nokia E51, unlocked. Its tech specs are supposed to be GSM 850/900/1800/1900, UTMS 850/2100. I've had no problems accessing Rogers/Fido's 3G UTMS network on the 850 band in Canada, but since I've returned to the UK I can only access the 2G network through Orange. I'm on PAYG if it's relevant. I was under the impression that Orange's 3G network in the UK operates on the 2100 band. The settings on the phone are to "dual-mode" (GSM/UTMS) so I don't think that's the problem. I can access data services (very slowly) so I know the WAP settings etc are correct too. Any thoughts?

How to navigate my phone with a broken screen

pablocake — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:26:40 -0800

Does anyone out there own a Nokia 5300? My screen broke and I need someone to walk me through a couple of steps so I can use it "blind"! I'm trying to connect it to my PC so I can use the Nokia PC Suite software to read my calendar. But as I recall, when you plug the phone into the USB cable you need to select "Nokia PC Suite mode" on the phone or something like that. All I need to know is the combination of key presses to do that. Any help would be much appreciated. :)

Can anyone recommend a to do list or shopping list application for my Nokia N95 cellphone?

inbetweener — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:10:14 -0800

I have a Nokia N95 and wondered if anyone could recommend any cellphone Java apps or Symbian S60 series 3 apps that would provide to do list / shopping list functionality to my phone. I use rememberthemilk.com on my PC but I need something when I'm out and about and cellphone web access doesn't really come cheap in the UK so I've ruled out the mobile version of RTM.

The built in todo list on the Nokia calendar app is awful. I'm currently using a java program called Odysseus for the shopping list but it too is pretty frustrating to use... and I'm currently using the standard Nokia notes application to keep todos in a text file on the phone but again - far from satisfactory.

My google-fu isn't really helping me locate a decent (preferablt free) alternative - anyone have tried and tested suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Nokia's Exchange Mail as a bridge to iCal work sync

mchmarny — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:49:36 -0800

I use Nokia's Exchange Mail push technology on my E61i. Pretty happy with how it works. I am considering getting a new MacBook. Given the luck of any more reliable means of syncing my iCal with work's Exchange, (no, Entourage is not an option) I was wandering if any one has experienced with the Nokia phone working as a bridge between iCal and Exchange. I hope to sync my iCal with the phone and the phone should automatically should replicate the events to exchange. Sounds like it should work?

Help me sync my phone!

mindsound — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 13:05:33 -0800

What's the best-case scenario for syncing my cell phone with a Linux desktop? I just got a Nokia 6126, and I would like to sync its calendar, address book, and filesystem with my Linux desktop (dual-core AMD64 running Ubuntu Gutsy). My google-fu is turning up a lot of scruffy-looking-project maybes. Should I get a USB cable or a Bluetooth dongle? What client software should I try?

Difficulty level: I'm comfortable recompiling a kernel but I'm too lazy to go that far for a cheap phone. :)