vB Easy Archive - FAQ for Symbian (Series 60) Merged

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FAQ for Symbian (Series 60) Merged
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Posted by: Moderator HF 4

Firmware - Commonly referred to as FW. Firmware is the software the is loaded onto you phone that can not be erased or overwritten. However, the FW can be upgraded.

Dial *#0000# to check your FW version. Then visit the market place for many retailers that offer that service. Alternately you can contact your Phone's Manufacturer, not your carrier, for upgrade if you're still under warranty.

IMEI - This is an international mobile identification number. Each cell phone has a different IMEI number. It is a 15 digit number. Dial *#06# to obtaining the IMEI number of your phone. submitted by gforce23

Submit your FAQ item via PM to Moderator HF 4 and it'll be added to the list.

Posted by: ollywompus

Ok, because there are a lot of questions out there, both from non-symbian users, and those new to the OS, I thought I would try to compile some FAQ’s, at the suggestion of Moderator HF4, to answer some frequently posted questions. If my list is a bit Series 60 oriented, this is simply because this is where my experience lies. I will address Series 80 and 90 a bit, and of course UIQ, but anyone with more experience with these interfaces, please PM me stuff you would like added, of course with recognition going to you for your contributions:

What is Symbian?

The short answer: Symbian is a C++ based Operating system designed for mobile phones with support for Java MIDP 1.0 and 2.0 as well.

The Nitty Gritty: because it is an actual operating system... with file types, all that sort of thing, you can add third party apps, of which there are quite a few... in addition, unlike most other phones, Symbian phones support external memory. There are different 'flavors' of symbian as well. Series 60, which includes phones like the 3650, 6600, N-gage, Siemens SX1, etc., is a user interface for Symbian designed by Nokia, and is by far the most prevalent version of Symbian out there... then there is UIQ, another interface, most commonly found in the Sony Ericsson P800/P900, and is a touchscreen based interface, but also including some upcoming Motorola, BenQ, and Arima phones.

There are other 'flavors' of Symbian, but these are the two most prevalant. These other flavors include Series 80 and Series 90, these being the Nokia Communicator series, which are QWERTY based, and the Nokia 7700 (now defunct), and other upcoming pen based phones.

Some informative sites:

www.series60.com -- lots of info regarding the most commonly used Symbian interface.

www.symbian.com -- this is the official site for the Symbian OS, very informative and has a pretty up to date list of symbian phones, their availability, and their specifications.

www.sonyericsson.com -- take a look at the p900 for the idea behind a UIQ device.

www.my-symbian.com

www.allaboutsymbian.com -- These two sites are VERY in depth on just about any kind of Symbian phone out there, regardless of interface. Also good sources of software.

Speaking of Software, where can I get it?

As mentioned above, www.my-symbian.com , www.allaboutsymbian.com , www.handango.com , and any number of personal sites on the web. While there are lots of programs you have to pay for, there are a few gems out there that are free, and a must have for Symbian phones.

What are some must haves?

Ok, this is where I focus on Series 60, as it is again my experience range. For any Series 60 phone, you ought to buy/download a file manager. This allows you to manipulate the file system on the Operating System much as you would with Windows Explorer on Windows. You can copy files, delete and uninstall, etc. In addition, these allow you to change your operator logo, take screen shots, and a number more useful utilities.

The two main ones that are used are SeleQ and FExplorer. Personally, I prefer FExplorer, simply because it works flawlessly and is free, but SeleQ has a number of strong supporters, and is also widely held as being a great program.

The rest of the software for Series 60 is up for grabs whether it is a must have. It depends on the application you are trying to accomplish. For me personally, I love AciveMail because it automates the email checking process. For others, Full Screen Caller ID is a big deal. The best way to find out what you want to install is to evaluate what you want your phone to do, and then look for that software… for most cases, there is a software SOMEWHERE that will do what you need it too.

What are some Symbian phones?

Ok, this list grows all the time, and is by no means complete, but probably these are the most common ones you will see in use around the forums:

Series 60:
Nokia 3650
Nokia 6600
Nokia 3620
Nokia 3660
Nokia N-Gage
Nokia N-Gage QD
Nokia 7610
Siemens SX1

UIQ:
P800
P900

There are MANY others, but as I said these are the most common. The prices can range between 100 – 150 USD for the QD and the 3650, to up to the 700 USD range for the P900.

Removable Media?

Series 60 phones use MMC cards. It is important to note that these are MMC and not SD, as Series 60 to date is not compatible with SD cards. As far as I know, UIQ phones use only memory stick cards, however, there may be some non SE phones that use something else.

For a thread here in the forums that will help you choose a capacity/brand that is compatible with your phone, check out:

MMC Compatibility List

References:

All information was compiled from the forums, and from the following websites:

www.allaboutsymbian.com
www.my-symbian.com
www.symbian.com
www.series60.com
www.sonyericsson.com
www.nokia.com
www.handango.com

I hope that this has been helpful… these aren’t just phones, they are the ultimate cross between a PDA and a phone… and if you change your paradigm to think of them as computers in your pocket, complete with removable media and OS, then you will see the potential they possess.

Thanks,

-Matt Crandall a.k.a. ollywompus

Posted by: AaronT

Below is a guide to SymbianOS I wrote for a friend who had just purchased a Nokia 6600. I thought that maybe some people on here would find it useful too...

General Information

Symbian.com
Symbian's official website. Symbian doesn't actually make the phones so it's tailored more towards developers and corporate users than consumers. However, its phone page is a useful guide to what Symbian phones are on the market and what ones have been announced for future release.
http://www.symbian.com

Series60.com
Symbian only provides the actual OS itself and phone manufacturers then add a UI of their choice on top of it. The most popular UI is Nokia's Series 60 (others include UIQ, Series 80 and FOMA). This is the official Series 60 website and contains lots of information on the phones and software based on Series 60.
http://www.series60.com

Russell Beattie's "What's on my 6600" Blog
This blog entry is an excellent introduction to the Nokia 6600 and what it's capable of. The software guide has some excellent recommendations too.
http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1005581.html

Bill Day's "Everything about my 7610" Blog
Written in a similar style to Russel Beattie's blog, this is a great guide to Nokia 7610. His sample photo really shows off the abilities of the 7610's camera.
http://billday.com/2004/07/11

News

All About Symbian
Symbian Affliate "All About Symbian" has all the news about SymbianOS, the various UIs and the software available for download/purchase. My first choice when looking for information.
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/

SymbianOne
Another decent source for news.
http://www.symbianone.com/

Howard Chui
Where you are now.

http://www.howardchui.com/

Free Software

All About Symbian's Free Series 60 Software Page
A great range of free software can be found at AAS's website. My pick from it would be the Gameboy Colour emulator, PuTTY and Bemused (a program from controlling WinAmp/Powerpoint from your phone via bluetooth!).
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/feat...ticle.php?id=67

All About Symbian's Free UIQ Software Page
As the above, but for UIQ!
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/feat...icle.php?id=106

Series 60/UIQ Freeware
A large and extensive guide for freeware on both UIQ (SE P800/P900/Motorola A925) and Series 60 (most Nokias, Siemens, Sendo, etc).
http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/nonags.htm

Series 80 Freeware
As above, but this time focusing on the software for the Nokia Communicator (9210/9500/9300) range of Symbian phones.
http://3lib.ukonline.co.uk/nonagss80.htm

SymbianOS.org
An open source depot for Symbian software. Most of the software can be found at AAS, but there are a few extra pieces here.
http://symbianos.org/

NewLC's Open Source Competition
NewLC (a website aimed at SymbianOS developers) are currently running a competition for open source software written for SymbianOS. The 11 finalists can be found at this location, including links to where you can download the software for free.
http://www.newlc.com/article.php3?id_article=539

Nokia 3650 Software Page
A range of games ranging from boring to vexing. Originally for the Nokia 3650, they should work without problem on any Series 60 smartphone.
http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/software/3650

Agile Messenger
This is a great piece of software for instant messaging on your mobile. The software works with all the main networks (MSN, ICQ, AOL and Yahoo!) and is totally free. It's available for both Series 60 and UIQ.
http://www.agilemobile.com/

Midlet.org
Lots of crappy Java applications but at least they're free.
http://midlet.org/index2.jsp

Nokia Multimedia convertor
This is a handy little program for converting WAVs/MP3s to truetones. This is from Nokia's Developer Forum so you need to register before downloading the software. There are probably some other good programs in the developer forum too though.
http://www.forum.nokia.com/main/0,,034-63,00.html

Control Freak
Like Bemused, this piece of freeware can be used to control WinAmp on your PC via bluetooth. There's also a paid-for Pro version with additional features.
http://mtvoid.com/

Commerical Software

Handago
Handago is by far the biggest online software store. The range of software is baffling but luckily trial versions are available for most of the products.
http://www.handago.com

Symbainware
Symbianware have been going, under different names, since the days on the early Psion PDAs. There's a pretty good selection of software here too.
http://www.symbianware.com/

Wireless IRC
Arguably the best smartphone app around. The implementation is perfect and IRC is a cost-effective way to chat over GPRS. Available for purchase from Handago.
http://mobileways.de/M/1/

Sky Force
Old Skool top-down shoot 'em up. The full game costs money, the demo doesn't. The demo is long enough for a quick blast on the train home.
http://www.idreams.pl/skyforce/skyforce.html

Humour

MSMobiles.com
OK, admittedly this website isn't about Symbian smartphones - instead it focuses on Microsoft (boo-hiss!) smartphones. Why have I included it? Because it's hilarious! The owner of the website got sacked from Nokia a while back and is very bitter about it. Any article on the website usually contains about one paragraph on-topic and then it veers onto an anti-Nokia/Symbian rant. What's more, he hates The Register - despite stealing their website design! A cult classic.
http://www.msmobiles.com

If there's anything that you think I've missed, let me know.

Posted by: antonypranata

Hi all,

I am new to this forum (just joined yesterday). It is an interesting forum discussion.

Btw, currently I am compliling a blog about S60 (Series 60) tips and tricks. If you are interested, please visit http://mobile.antonypranata.com/cat...ips-and-tricks/. Of course, some of the tips are already posted in this forum somewhere.

I will keep the blog updated regularly. Hope they are helpful for you....

Antony

Posted by: friedbrains

TIPS & TRICKS

All should be typed on the standby screen

Finding MAC Address-> *#62209526#

Finding BT Device Address-> *#2820#

Restore Factory Setting *#7379#

Posted by: angel_wing0

^ *#7370#?

Posted by: friedbrains

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_wing0

^ *#7370#?

oops, yes it is *#7370#, if any mods can correct it... thanks for the correction angel

Posted by: angel_wing0

Quote:

Originally Posted by friedbrains

oops, yes it is *#7370#, if any mods can correct it... thanks for the correction angel

anytime

Posted by: friedbrains

found this at http://www.mobymemory.com/Content/H...630.2 014.html

HOWTO: Convert your iTunes .M4A files to .AAC WITH TAGS for playback on Nokia mobiles like Nokia 6630
Posted by: snakeman65
Posted: [Monday, April 04, 2005 18:30]

If you have converted your music CD collection already into iTunes .M4A format and you want to play it on your Nokia 6630 (and quite possibly other Nokia mobiles), or maybe you just want to try the .AAC format and use iTunes to convert or rip, this is how to do it easily and free of charge. Please note, this method will not help with music purchased from the online iTunes shop (.m4p) as this is DRM-protected.

1. Find out where your collection of iTunes m4a files with tags (this is covered elsewhere on this site).

2. Download and install foobar 2000 from http://www.foobar2000.org/ (make SURE it is the special installer is this comes with the mp4 tools required)

3. Download and install mp3tag from: http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html.

4. Open foobar and open the files that you want to convert.

5. Select all of the files by clicking the first one, holding down the shift key and clicking the last one.

5. Right click one of the files and select mp4 tools, extract mp4 tracks then choose a folder to extract them to. This will save them as phone readable aac files. Thats the aac files extracted. Now to get the tags readable by the phone!

Technical info: These files with have APEv2 tags, the phone can only read id3v1 tags hence the next steps!

6. Close foobar, open Mp3tag and open the files that you are working on. Select them all, as before.

7. Right click on one of the files and select save tag. That will add the correct format tag to the file.

8. Close mp3tag and copy the files to your phone!

Posted by: angel_wing0

i'll try on my friend's phone tonight, thanks

Posted by: friedbrains

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_wing0

i'll try on my friend's phone tonight, thanks

well, how did it go???

Posted by: angel_wing0

Quote:

Originally Posted by friedbrains

well, how did it go???

it worked with some songs...but not all, i wonder why?

Posted by: friedbrains

at least it worked...

Posted by: angel_wing0

Quote:

Originally Posted by friedbrains

at least it worked...

yeah trying to figure out why the other ones didnt...hmm

thanks anyway

Posted by: friedbrains

^ you are welcome....

here is another S60 code...

LIFE TIMER *#92702689#

Posted by: angel_wing0

it might have something to do with the bitrate...we'll see

Posted by: angel_wing0

hmm...some of the files say it's mp3, and apparently they are mp2..wtf?!

Posted by: lowe_75

thanks ! good day...