vB Easy Archive - help me choose a phone

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help me choose a phone - please!
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Posted by: yappie

hi folks.

I just got a C56 and to tell you the truth I LOVE IT - it's small, rich set of features and menu options ..... except I absolutely positively without question ABHOR the speaker on it. It's horrendous! It boggles the mind that a company can put out a phone with such a cra**y speaker... also don't like the fact that I can only use a data cable, no bluetooth, no IrDA

Please someone, is there a Siemens phone (preferably 850/1900) out there that has a good speaker (like I can't hear the damn cellphone ring - HA, there's an oxymoron these days - cellphone & ring!)!!!! I don't want the pop top-40 on my phone either. I've already erased the farm animal sounds on the C56!!

On the way from the shop where I picked up the phone, I missed 2 calls because the ring setting was on the default "siemens swing" tune and I just couldn't hear it ... grrrrr

(LOL!!! as I remember it I actually raised the volume of my car radio thinking it was some tune I haven't heard before).

PLEASE help me out with this!

thanks mucho!

PS: I don't care if it's monochrome (B&W) or not. A touch larger screen would be nice but now I just want something with a speaker that sounds like a cell phone and not some ... kiddie play-time radio.

Posted by: OpusX

Hi there.. I also have a C56.. and like you, I missed a couple of calls initially due to the famous Siemens Swing and a goofy default ringer volume.

What you can do is get a normal ring tone (I think someone posted one in the Siemens forum once).. you dont need top 40

and use that as your main ringtone. Its also worth taking some time and going through your profiles and customizing all the tones/volumes to what you like.

I do not think the speaker is that bad at all once you customize it.. the default settings, i'll agree, are somehwat not cool :P

Btw, about the bluetooth thing.. yeah.. the C56 is not supposed to be their luxury model with everyhthing.. so I'm not shocked there is not BT.. There should have been irda tho.. thats basic

Posted by: jerryk

[QUOTE]Originally posted by yappie
[
On the way from the shop where I picked up the phone, I missed 2 calls because the ring setting was on the default "siemens swing" tune and I just couldn't hear it ... grrrrr

(LOL!!! as I remember it I actually raised the volume of my car radio thinking it was some tune I haven't heard before).

/QUOTE]

OpusX is correct, it the wacky ringtone. When I firstt got my S46 I played with the ringtones and found out that most them are just too quiet. I finally set the ring to an annoying tone and also put the thing in vibrate. Now, I some times hear the phone bouncing across the desk before I hear the notice it is ringing.

jerry

Posted by: jerryk

OpusX is correct, it the wacky ringtone. When I first got my S46 I played with the ringtones and found out that most them are just too quiet. I finally set the ring to an annoying tone and also put the thing in vibrate. Now, I some times hear the phone bouncing across the desk before I hear the notice it is ringing.

jerry [/B][/QUOTE]

Posted by: yappie

ok, the speaker's not thaaaaaat bad, but it's bad - face it... compared to other speakers (nokia, moto..). You know, that's the only thing I can find fault with in this phone (C56). Everything else is really awesome, I love the features, love the menu, the options, ... Nothing compares really - certainly not Nokia, nor Moto.

Where can I get a data cable for this phone? Rogers would have it?

Also, any other 850/1900 Siemens phones out there that are comparable or better than the C56?

M56? S56?

Posted by: yappie

wait a sec... I just realized there's not even software available for the C56 to update ringtones etc... what the? or am I missing somethin?

Posted by: OpusX

Heh.. yes and no

ok first of all, you should definitely get a non-original data cable from Ebay perhaps. They are cheaper, and there's a huge benefit to them.

Technically, these phones come with a 'java block' on them which is meant to stop people from uploading to the phone via a datacable. Providers wanted to whore the GPRS usage fees from what I heard.. but too many people were upset over this..

That is the main reason why there is no software designed for the C55/C56... its not a supported feature of the phone.

HOWEVER. (Syncere, I apologize... I'll try to stay within rules)

There is a tool, its very to easy find.. I cannot say where because Syncere will kick my *** :P

This tool will remove the 'java block'. Its just called java block but really its a general uploading block.. it doenst just block java.. it also removes the 1kb restriction.

This is NOT the same thing as unlocking the phone.. all it does, is remove the restriction of not being able to upload via a data cable.

This tool requires a non-original data cable (serial data cables as opposed to USB work way better). If you buy the original siemens data cable, it may require some playing around with and re-wiring.. its not worth the hassle.

Once you have removed the java block.. you can use the software from my-siemens.com international. I think its hte Siemens Data Exchange Suite (DES).

With DES, you just drag whatever you want to upload to the phone to the appropriate folder within your phone..

Ring tones no longer are limited to 1kb like they are with VisSie.. you can freely move java applications/games over to the phone.. logos... whatever you want.

BTW, it works way better with windows XP than it does with win2k......just some friendly advice :P

Posted by: yappie

Grumble... that no good opus... I don't really want to muck up my phone with third-party cables and some shady software.

I'll be in the US for the rest of the week, I'll see if I can find a M56 or S56 instead. At least both come with either cable and/or bluetooth as well as 850/1900 frequencies so I'll be better off with that rather than having only the 1900 MHz frequency to lay back on.

Posted by: yappie

_
Well after some research the M56 or S56 would be best as both are dual-band phones and good quality as well - now if I can only find a place where to purchase one or the other.

Otherwise I stay with my C56 and then get the V600 when it comes out.

Posted by: hungup

hey yappie,

I just want to let you know that the 3rd party data cables are just fine and the software that is just sitting around out there works amazing.

I would have to say that I too had my doubts, but no more. I picked up a 3rd party data cable for like $20 CAD and the software I just search for. Within a matter of minutes, I was able to drop ringtones, animations, etc etc onto Siemens C56 on my first try.

To boot, I picked up my Siemens C56 off of ebay for cheap from the US and had everything else done in a snap.

Just so you know, this was the very first time that I have done this, but like any good software install you have to backup your phone's EEPROM and battery info before you make an attempt.

To say the least, I'm extremely satisfied with my C56 given what I have paid.

Cheerio!

Posted by: DuckOnBike

Okay, so I'm on the same path as you guys--got a C56, getting cable from ebay. Now I just have a couple questions about software:

I'm curious about two things: does the "unblocker" program you use have to be specifically for the C56? Can it be, say, labelled as S55 software?

Also, how do you back up your phone's information before attempting to update it? And what do you need to back up?

On a largely unrelated note, is there any way to eliminate the annoying "acoustic shock protection" that makes the rings soft for the first second of playback?

Thanks!

Posted by: OpusX

I can answer one of your questions:
the unblocker program was not labelled for the S55. It was labelled for C55 and I think the M60 also.

Posted by: DuckOnBike

Wow--thanks for the speedy reply!

It looks like the Eprom backup program may be the solution to my other question, hey?

Posted by: klam

Maybe you guys just need a loud ringer. I like Sony Ericsson's "Old Phone". It sounds like a phone and is loud. Good ringtone makes all the difference.

Posted by: Racerx99

How were you able to download the Sony ringer to your Siemens phone? When I tried this, I got a Bad HTTP Request error.

Posted by: DuckOnBike

Okay, got the cable, got various versions of "the software," and I'm trying to use it. The computer doesn't seem to recognize the phone on any port. It just sits there "Scanning..." I was wondering if someone in the know could walk me through the procedure of using this software in case I'm missing a step or something. (Details like, do I need to have the phone on/off, plugged in when I boot the pc, anything special like that would be much appreciated.)

Also, it's asks me to push the "Red Phone's button." Does this mean the power button? Should I turn it on?

Thanks in advance, guys, you've been really helpful!

Posted by: OpusX

Like I said before.. if you're doing everything correctly, and using the correct equipment, try a different PC or a different OS if available.. I had my phone connected through ViSsie.. but on the same damn box and com port, no ohter software would talk to it.. i dunno wtf was up..

make sure its a non-original cable.. meaning, make sure its some cheapo cable from a local market or from ebay or whatever. The reason for that is because the original cables use your cell phone for power.. but with 'the software' your phone is off.. non-original ones do not use the phone, they use the PC for power.

Steps as I've done them: connect the cable to the pc, turn off your phone, plug the cable into the phone... hold down the red/power on button, and within 1-2 seconds, the software should say something like 'DONE'

during the execution.. my phone flipped over to Service mode and displayed something like 'Service Mode' on the phone's screen..

Hope this helps.. I've tried hard here to spread the word so to speak on how to do this because I really think the java block as its called is a fundamentally ridiculous idea, so best of luck to you, its fun when its removed

Posted by: DuckOnBike

Thanks again, Opus! Your advice did the trick.

And yeah, the java block is a pretty ludicrous money-grab, isn't it? The only reason I imagine it exists is to force you to waste money on bandwidth.

Anyways, thanks again!

Posted by: DuckOnBike

One interesting note, though: since I unlocked the phone it's started confirming switching it on (ie--it confirm whether I really mean to turn it on). From my reading this is a feature of the C55 but not the C56 that has somehow migrated over with the java unblock. Interesting, eh?

Posted by: OpusX

Yeah.. I noticed that as well as it happened on both my phone and my gf's phone. I figured it had to do with entering service mode, but I wasn't aware it was a standard C55 feature.. my phone is usuallyon 24/7 so its doesnt much matter to me.. but yeah, it was surprising at first