vB Easy Archive - Just got my S56

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Just got my S56
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Posted by: Stang

the service is great (100 times better then my t-68) the sound is VERY clear, i love the phone so far.

what's the first thing i should get for it? or what's the best thing i can get or do to it?

here's a pic:

Posted by: Ericboo

A case.

Mine should be here tomorrow. Glad I never got a T68 as I almost did just because of Bluetooth.

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by Ericboo
A case.

Mine should be here tomorrow. Glad I never got a T68 as I almost did just because of Bluetooth.

what case sis you get? and do you have a link?

what do i need to download stuff to the phone? and where can i get it from?

Posted by: Stang

where can i get a camera from? and how much do they cost?

Posted by: Soko

How's the comparison vs the t68i. I'm looking to upgrade to the s56.

Reception better? How's bluetooth compared? I heard its lighter than the t68? how's the screen?

Sorry for the q's but I hope it's all its cracked up to be.

Oh, I say get something bluetooth first. Headset or something

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by Soko
How's the comparison vs the t68i. I'm looking to upgrade to the s56.

Reception better? How's bluetooth compared? I heard its lighter than the t68? how's the screen?

Sorry for the q's but I hope it's all its cracked up to be.

Oh, I say get something bluetooth first. Headset or something

haha, S56 is WAYYY better than the t-68, in reception, sound (everything is clear when you talk on the phone), screen is clearer, and yes it is lighter, it has a speaker phone, i love this phone....

i never used blue tooth on either phone...

Posted by: thndr

RF is quite a bit better than the T68i, and the bluetooth support is much better, except that unlike the t68i, the S56 doesn't try to kick the call to the bluetooth headset, you have to manually hit the connect button on the headset to connect.

Other than that, I'm just waiting for a way to download my own ringtones from my computer without setting up my own wap server. Can't do it thru BT, and apparently not thru IR either. I'm waiting for news on the usb cable

Posted by: erick2003

Where did you end up getting it? At the store in Irvine that I told you about?

I'm looking for a case too... I think the cases for some other phones fit (like the T68) but I haven't found one I like yet.

Posted by: Synncere

Quote:

Originally posted by Stang
what case sis you get? and do you have a link?

what do i need to download stuff to the phone? and where can i get it from?

You'll need a cable or you can use irda to upload media to the fone.

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by erick2003
Where did you end up getting it? At the store in Irvine that I told you about?

I'm looking for a case too... I think the cases for some other phones fit (like the T68) but I haven't found one I like yet.

nope, i called them, they said they are on backorder, i got it from a different Cingular store in Irvine, thanx for the number though

Posted by: wxman

Just got mine the other day, too. Great little phone. One problem though, and I wonder if the rest of you have found the same thing. When you hold the phone with your entire hand, the sound quality degrades quite a bit... the person I was talking to described it as a crackling noise. When I held it with my fingers and only on the side, the probelm went away. Not a big deal if you know to look for it, but it is a pain... especially if your conversation is more than a few minutes. I tried it with two different phones, same thing. Is it like this with all of them?

Posted by: hpan

I've had an S55 for a while, so to answer a few of your questions.

First thing I recommend getting is a case. You should get one of the Krussell cases as mentioned in the other thread. I say this because after four months of regular use, my screen has multiple scratches (i keep my phone in my pocket without a case, so this may differ for you). But if you plan on having this phone for more than a few months, get a case ASAP.

Reception is definitely better than the t68i - I had a t68i prior to the S55, and I have used both in the same area and there is a noticeable difference.

As for the camera and data cable, both should have come with your phone (mine did). With the data cable (serial connection), you can hook it up to your computer, and it will show up as a removeable device where you can drag ringtones, midlets, wallpapers, etc to the phone. If you install Siemens Data Suite, you can also customize your phone book as well as other things. I have also done this successfully through a BT connection with the computer, so you dont HAVE to have the data cable

In regards to Bluetooth support, the S55 is pretty good with it. I have a motorola headset, and it seems to work fine, although sometimes pressing the button doesnt immediately send the call to the headset. You do not have to manually press a button on the phone for it to transfer to the headset, it does it automatically (usually)

Definitely check your firmware version and upgrade to the latest version (I believe the official version is v12, available at my-siemens.com). It's very easy to upgrade the firmware, and takes about 15 minutes

if you have any questions, PM me, I might be able to help

Posted by: hpan

oops, one more thing

wxman: i noticed that too...actually I was looking at the signal bar and it seems to go lower when my hand completely covers the phone, which probably explains the loss in quality...

dont know why though...

Posted by: geckojohn

How does the S56 compare to the C56? Is the S56 smaller or larger than the C56?

I'm not really concerned about pictures and color screen. I'm mainly interested in size, call clarity, rf, and menu navigation.

I just got the C56 and I love it. This is my first Siemens phone and i love the quality of it.

Before this phone i had the T68I, which was the worst phone i ever owned. It had terrible reception and the navigation was really slow. I will never get an Ericsson phone again because of this. Thanks for your insight on this. !

Posted by: Synncere

Quote:

Originally posted by geckojohn
How does the S56 compare to the C56? Is the S56 smaller or larger than the C56?

I'm not really concerned about pictures and color screen. I'm mainly interested in size, call clarity, rf, and menu navigation.

They're pretty much the same size.
Call clarity is great on both the s55/56.
The RF is amazing.
UI is simple--- not hard to navigate at all.

Posted by: geckojohn

Wow, i didn't know that the S56 is about the same size as the C56. I really want to get the S56 now.

Posted by: erick2003

Yep... very close in size. I can't believe how many features this phone has... you really need to see it in person. Stang's pics are good but he should have put another object of reference next to them so you can really see the size of it.

If you like the C56, you'll definitely want to get the S56.

Posted by: 100thMonkey

gotta interrupt, my just be my unit...I find bluetooth is not reliable, keypad is difficlut to use because the keys aren't really responsive, and RF isn't wasn't I'd like it to be

Posted by: erick2003

Here is a pic I just took. True, the keypad takes some getting used to because they are so closely spaced together. I don't use Bluetooth but the IR works great.

Posted by: erick2003

And here's another. I thought my 3390 was small (but it is almost 2 years old).

Posted by: Stang

thanx for the help everyone 8)

how can i use IrDA to upload songs and pics to my phone from my computer?

and my phone didn't come with a CD or connector, where can i get it from?

Posted by: erick2003

I used the IRda to upload a generic ringtone MIDI file to my S56. For some strange reason, the S56 doesn't come with just a ring for a tone.

You can download the DataSuite software from http://www.my-siemens.com, just change the site to United States, click on S56 and go to Software / Downloads.

As for the cable, you can also buy that from the site.

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by erick2003
I used the IRda to upload a generic ringtone MIDI file to my S56. For some strange reason, the S56 doesn't come with just a ring for a tone.

You can download the DataSuite software from http://www.my-siemens.com, just change the site to United States, click on S56 and go to Software / Downloads.

As for the cable, you can also buy that from the site.

i'm downloading the datasuite right now, it's almost done.... what can i do with that? and how do i use it?

Posted by: erick2003

It's for sync'ing your Outlook or Lotus with with the S56.

You don't need the Data Suite to transfer data files to the phone. If you have IR on the phone turned on (Connectivity menu in the Setup menu) and IR on your computer on, it will automatically detect the phone as a wireless device and give you an option to transfer files to it (at least in Windows XP Pro).

Once you initiate the transfer, the phone will give you a file icon and then you can either play it (if it's a ringtone), display it and save/delete it.

Posted by: Ericboo

hpan,

Just to clarify, you are able to download ringtones and sync the phonebook via Bluetooh?

I would rather buy a USB BT adapter instead of leaving a cable hanging from my computer.

TIA

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by erick2003
It's for sync'ing your Outlook or Lotus with with the S56.

You don't need the Data Suite to transfer data files to the phone. If you have IR on the phone turned on (Connectivity menu in the Setup menu) and IR on your computer on, it will automatically detect the phone as a wireless device and give you an option to transfer files to it (at least in Windows XP Pro).

Once you initiate the transfer, the phone will give you a file icon and then you can either play it (if it's a ringtone), display it and save/delete it.

how do i turn on the IR on my computer?

Posted by: geckojohn

I think you have to go to the device manager and enable it from there. It depends on your operating system. Let me know if that works.

Posted by: Ericboo

Most motherboards I have seen actually need an accessory IR device that plugs into an IR header on the motherboard. I know all of my computers that I have built are set up like that.

Posted by: erick2003

I have a Dell notebook so IR is built in. I had to turn it on in the BIOS though because it's not automatically on.

If you are using a computer and have to buy an IR device, I would use Bluetooth instead so you don't need line of sight and it's good for 30ft. I think there are USB Bluetooth devices for like $35, whereas IR USB devices are more I think.

Posted by: Dancing Bear

Quote:

Originally posted by Ericboo
Most motherboards I have seen actually need an accessory IR device that plugs into an IR header on the motherboard. I know all of my computers that I have built are set up like that.

I have never found a MB accessory to use on the IR headers. Where have you been able to locate them?

Posted by: Stang

Quote:

Originally posted by erick2003
I have a Dell notebook so IR is built in. I had to turn it on in the BIOS though because it's not automatically on.

If you are using a computer and have to buy an IR device, I would use Bluetooth instead so you don't need line of sight and it's good for 30ft. I think there are USB Bluetooth devices for like $35, whereas IR USB devices are more I think.

thanx for the help man!

sorry for all the questions, but where can i get a USB bluetooth device, and are they the same for all phones or do i need to get one for this specific phone?

thanx again!

Posted by: erick2003

Try buy.com or any computer store... since I you are in HB, go down to Fry's in Fountain Valley.

You just need a USB Bluetooth device, has nothing to do with the phone... it's a networking protocol. Just make sure your computer has a USB port. If not, I think there are serial Bluetooth devices too. If you go to Fry's or CompUSA, a salesperson can help you out.

Good luck with your new phone.

Posted by: TriBand81

Great pics in this thread

, I was seriously considering the S55 for some time but the price for it was a bit too high (£279 for just the handset in the UK) since I never really needed Bluetooth. I still have my old Siemens C35i

, but I ended up getting a Nokia 5100 because I was after a better color screen.

But the S55/S56 would make a good backup phone

Good Luck

Posted by: hpan

Quote:

Originally posted by Ericboo
hpan,

Just to clarify, you are able to download ringtones and sync the phonebook via Bluetooh?

I would rather buy a USB BT adapter instead of leaving a cable hanging from my computer.

TIA

eric: the bluetooth adapter I bought (some usb no name brand of eBay) was able to do it. It came with software that, once you connected to another device, you could emulate a serial port with the connection. From there, I used some "file system" program (came with the adapter as well), that showed the S55's filesystem...just navigated to the sounds directory, and put ringtones in there...

It also worked with the Siemens software, and I was able to sync the phonebook ..

As long as your BT adapter lets you emulate a serial port, it should be fine..

Posted by: Ericboo

Cool. I am going to order a BT adapter today or just run over to Cusa. Although I have not played with it yet, this phone is nice and small. It weighs in at 2.8 oz whereas the T720 feels like a brick at 3.9 oz.

Cingular included a SIM card that does not seem to work and they told me to use the existing SIM in my phone. Does this mean I can save the SIM and just activate it for another phone even though it has the same code imprinted on it? It just shows as searching for network.

Posted by: Ericboo

Update on S56. I am not sure how signal strength is going to match up against my T720. Signal strength meter shows slightly less than the T720 but sound quality is superb on the S56.

I just hope I get a strong enough signal at home because I really want this phone to work out.

Posted by: jmpage2

What displays in bars on a signal meter has little to do in reality with the quality of the signal you are recieving.

Posted by: Chan

Well guys my question is, my notebook has IR...should I get a BT adapter or stick with IR?

Posted by: Synncere

irda will work fine if you don't feel like spending any money on a BT adapter. Transferring via BT is faster but in the end it comes down to preference.

Posted by: TriBand81

I was in the City (San Francisco) yesterday and stopped by Cingular Wireless for a prepaid refill card. I happened to glance down at the counter and saw a dummy model of the S56. Obviously, it wasn't like the real thing but still the phone looked impressive. I played around with the buttons to get a "feel" for them but it's not the layout I'd prefer.

But it's still a good phone.

Posted by: erick2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Synncere
irda will work fine if you don't feel like spending any money on a BT adapter. Transferring via BT is faster but in the end it comes down to preference.

Is the IR on the s56 1.0 or 1.1 (FastIR)? I can't seem to find that information. If it's FastIR, it's faster than Bluetooth (IR 1.1 is 4mbps vs. BluetTooth 1mbps).

The real advantage of Bluetooth is you don't need line of sight. With IR you need both ports facing each other.

Posted by: andrew2k3

hey, ive noticed that the RF on the s55 is AMAZING!! like it dosent really show as many bars as alot of phones but you cant really judge it by its bars... i tested it side by side with my p280 in a mall with really weak signal and it actually perfomed BETTER than the p280(one of the best) the audio seemed slightly more stable as well and just seemed to retain service better overall...
i have read several reviews of the phone by steve punter and howard chui but they seem to say the RF is just average. well i dont find it to be one bit average, its probably the best phone i have ever had RF wise, sound is also quite good, not quite as good as the p280, and could be a notch louder...

Posted by: Stang

got my bluetooth device from Comp USA for $50, works great

Posted by: Ericboo

I agree that although the cars don't show much, the RF works great for me. Where it is choppy walking around my house with my other phones, it does not break up and has clear sound.

It also works great with my Jabra Freespeak.

I gotta break free from the family and get to Compusa for a BT adapter.

Stang, is that the 100 meter one?

Posted by: thndr

Stang,

which bt adapter did you get from compusa? My belkin bt adapter doesn't let me copy stuff onto my S56. I'm thinking it could be just my S56 that doesn't let me transfer stuff onto it. Or at least I can't figure out how via USB or BT.

Posted by: danimal

Quote:

Originally posted by thndr
Stang,

which bt adapter did you get from compusa? My belkin bt adapter doesn't let me copy stuff onto my S56. I'm thinking it could be just my S56 that doesn't let me transfer stuff onto it. Or at least I can't figure out how via USB or BT.

That looks like one of the Belkin adapters (which if i recall from my research are some of the only ones they carry in store at CompUSA. I don't know why they don't carry the D-Link, but oh well.) I could be wrong and would gladly let Stang correct me

http://www.compusa.com/products/pro...0229&pfp=SEARCH

As for transfering I can't help you there, I don't have my bluetooth phone yet (hopefully tomorrow).

Posted by: danimal

Quote:

Originally posted by danimal
[B]That looks like one of the Belkin adapters (which if i recall from my research are some of the only ones they carry in store at CompUSA. I don't know why they don't carry the D-Link, but oh well.) I could be wrong and would gladly let Stang correct me

Yeah, that's not a Belkin, it's an AmbiCom. I know because I picked up the exact same thing at CompUSA today. I'm going to work on getting my Mac to work with the S56 I got last night. So far I love this phone, it's just a lot lighter than my last, hope I don't lose it

Posted by: keeblaelf1

Quote:

It's your S56, not your BT or USB (i've tried BT, USB, & IrDA, and IrDA was the only one which allowed me to transfer files to the phone). You can most likely sync your contacts fine, right? It has to do with the file system of the S56 not being accessible like the S55...The phone isn't recognized as an external drive by these devices, therefore not allowing files to be transferred to or sent from the phone...

Posted by: thndr

Yeah, I'm getting to think that's the case. I just wonder how Stang got his working, cause his pictures are pretty convincing.

Also strange is that I can only download files that are <= 16KB via WAP (CSD or GPRS). I wonder if that's also a limitation of the phone.

Quote:

Originally posted by keeblaelf1
It's your S56, not your BT or USB (i've tried BT, USB, & IrDA, and IrDA was the only one which allowed me to transfer files to the phone). You can most likely sync your contacts fine, right? It has to do with the file system of the S56 not being accessible like the S55...The phone isn't recognized as an external drive by these devices, therefore not allowing files to be transferred to or sent from the phone...