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Questionsn for current/former users of the Nokia 6340i

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Posted by: RadicalRedneck

Hey everyone,

Cingular is letting me "test drive" a 6340i on my existing TDMA account, for up to 30 days. I'm thinking of changing over to the GSM/GAIT Nation Account but wanted to make sure first how good the GSM reception was in my area.

Having had the phone active 12 days now, I had a few questions to ask others.

First, I noticed right off the bat the earpiece speaker quality in the new phone wasn't nearly up to the 5165 I own. To put it in stereo terms, it's lacking both bass and treble and also has a bit of fuzziness attached to anything the other person says. You can make out what people are saying, but when listening to it you have in the back of your mind that it's not up to par. Should it be as clear, deep, and loud as a nokia 5165 or was it always just a step behind?

Does the 6340i rank high/medium/low in RF reception? I've noticed GSM reception on it, while in medium to weak areas, sometimes bouncing like a heart monitor and almost cutting out during conversations. This while I'm standing still, not in a car. I'm not saying TDMA was/is perfect in comparison, just that the signal cutting in and out like that wasn't something I'd have put at the top of my complaint list. I also know one phone shows 4 bars and the other 7, but going from 7 down to 1 bar, and then back up and then back down, is odd at the least.

When in areas of avg/good GSM reception,it seems to receive and perform well, just seems kind of marginal when I'm in weak areas. Maybe it's just my particular phone I'd really like to have a 6340i in the mix if I do switch over, as it seems my experience is proving what other buddies have said, which is that GSM in my neck of the woods is sometimes spotty.

If anyone wants to offer input, thanks in advance.


RR


Posted by: Rcadden

the 6340i's speaker, I personally never had any trouble with. I came from several Nokia TDMA phones and noticed that it was on par, to me. As far as reception goes, the 6340i (and the other GAIT phone) both had lots of trouble handing off calls seamlessly. The GAIT phones were designed to be a temporary fix to start reaping revenue off the GSM network before it was up to par. They were not designed to be long-lasting phones, and thus aren't. They do good, obviously the Nokia is MUCH better than the SE, but both have tons of faults. After a while, the Nokia will begin to say, "Insert SIM Card" randomly, and the one that I had, when you played the football game, froze up anytime you tried to kick a fieldgoal. Weird.


Posted by: RadicalRedneck

Well, can't say I enjoy hearing that this phone is like something from Mission Impossible and it will self-destruct at any time. I forgot to mention earlier that the firmware version is 8.06.1 in case there was anyone else that wanted to reply and thought this would be important.


Posted by: DeerTick

My mom and brother have used this phone over time, my brother still has his. Mom had no end of problems with it on a regular GAIT plan and ended up moving to a GSM plan but can't get decent signal without using an antenna (she's got some motorolla phone now but I can't remember which one).

My brother, on the other hand, loves his phone and when other people gripe about whatever phone they're using at the time, he sounds like a spokesman for the darned thing and Cingular. I dont know if that helps, but guess it shows that you can't look at a row of 6340i's and figure they will all work alike. My brother and my mom live on the same country road (paved, not dirt in case you wondered ) and had totally diff luck with it. Maybe you can get another phone and try it if you're really wanting to go this route??

Good luck to you, hope you get things ironed out.


Posted by: damba98

Hey Radical-

Try going in and tweaking the EQ settings on the phone. They're a bit buried in the Nokia 6340i menus, but it helps a little IMO and E. Anyway, I've had no problems to speak of with the phone call quality (even though I've dropped it countless times now!). I'd keep it if you have good TDMA and spotty GSM- at least as a backup.

Also, just to clear up any possible confusion, there are technically no longer any GAIT plans being offered as new. It's only a free feature added onto a GSM account.

hth,
Pedro


Posted by: I have a phone

Quote:
Originally Posted by RadicalRedneck
Hey everyone,

Cingular is letting me "test drive" a 6340i on my existing TDMA account, for up to 30 days. I'm thinking of changing over to the GSM/GAIT Nation Account but wanted to make sure first how good the GSM reception was in my area.

Having had the phone active 12 days now, I had a few questions to ask others.

First, I noticed right off the bat the earpiece speaker quality in the new phone wasn't nearly up to the 5165 I own. To put it in stereo terms, it's lacking both bass and treble and also has a bit of fuzziness attached to anything the other person says. You can make out what people are saying, but when listening to it you have in the back of your mind that it's not up to par. Should it be as clear, deep, and loud as a nokia 5165 or was it always just a step behind?

Does the 6340i rank high/medium/low in RF reception? I've noticed GSM reception on it, while in medium to weak areas, sometimes bouncing like a heart monitor and almost cutting out during conversations. This while I'm standing still, not in a car. I'm not saying TDMA was/is perfect in comparison, just that the signal cutting in and out like that wasn't something I'd have put at the top of my complaint list. I also know one phone shows 4 bars and the other 7, but going from 7 down to 1 bar, and then back up and then back down, is odd at the least.

When in areas of avg/good GSM reception,it seems to receive and perform well, just seems kind of marginal when I'm in weak areas. Maybe it's just my particular phone I'd really like to have a 6340i in the mix if I do switch over, as it seems my experience is proving what other buddies have said, which is that GSM in my neck of the woods is sometimes spotty.

If anyone wants to offer input, thanks in advance.


RR


wait a second here. They are loaning you a GAIT phone to lure you into migrating to GSM?

First, where are you located? That will help in answering
Second, don't pay one red cent for any GAIT equipment! Cingular is giving away GSM phones to get existing customers migrated over to GSM
Third, I love Bobolito





Posted by: damba98

Good point. I wouldn't pay for it either. [But doesn't that part of Missouri have less than desirable GSM coverage(?)] I'd ask to keep that phone and also have Cingular provide a pure GSM phone for a nominal fee. Especially if signing a contract(!)

-Pedro

Quote:
Originally Posted by I have a phone
wait a second here. They are loaning you a GAIT phone to lure you into migrating to GSM?

First, where are you located? That will help in answering
Second, don't pay one red cent for any GAIT equipment! Cingular is giving away GSM phones to get existing customers migrated over to GSM
Third, I love Bobolito



Posted by: RadicalRedneck

The GAIT phone is one I bought off Ebay and own outright. I took it to them and asked if they could let me "test drive" it just to see if, around where I live, gsm was good/bad/indifferent as compared to TDMA. Where I live, I need a phone with an external antenna port (need it on tdma, figure I REALLY need it if I got GSM) and you can't find that on any new phones - hardly.

I'd almost gone GAIT last fall right when they killed it in my area (SE Missouri, near zip 63801). The report so far (did some driving yesterday) is that despite what maps may show, there are tons of dead zones around my neck of the woods. Signal was coming and going big time.

Finally, I don't know if I love bobolito or not. If he's willing to buy a beer that'll at least move him up a spot or two in my rankings


RR

P.S. - What are the best older GSM phones for RF signal...and ones that might have an external antenna port to boot?




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