vB Easy Archive - For all you users past and present of the 6340i

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For all you users past and present of the 6340i
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Posted by: DeerTick

I'm going to take the plunge and add a 6340i phone to my account so I can add the GSM-->GAIT feature to my plan. It's still available in my area I've been told. Never having owned or used one before, I wondered if it was thought of as a good, bad, or evil attempt at a cell phone? I'm not worried it is behind the times in looks. Getting stranded in the boonies with no gsm reception tends to overcome any image concerns you might have

How was the RF on it, voice quality, overall durability? I'm hoping it was a good example of the Nokia brand. I know I've been told it was a temporary phone, sort of, for the switchover from tdma to gsm and HOPE that doesn't mean it wasn't slapped together and is a piece of el-crappo.

I know it's not made anymore. I've seen on ebay where you can buy "new" copies from a few vendors (PhoneStore USA claims to be the end all-be all source for used & new copies). Whether that's good or bad I'll find out I guess.

Posted by: gacajun

I have 3 of them....converted my wife, son, and my phone to newer GSM phones but I keep them as spares. I used it for about 2 years before converting to a GSM only phone. It always worked well for me even though I dropped it a few times. I'd always have a case around it, one that velcros on or snaps on. That saved my phone from being damaged a few times.

It is a basic phone with not too many frills but has been extremely reliable for me. I also like the fact that you could put voice tags on names and voice dial them. I think the max is 10 but that was enough for me.

I keep one of them in my laptop bag and carry it with me every place I travel. At times I found myself with very little or no GSM coverage and I slipped my SIM card into the 6340i and was able to get voice coverage.

Posted by: DeerTick

Anyone have these problems a writer pm'ed me with?

Good to hear they survive all that usage in your family. I was hoping that the nokia name (all things being equal) stood for quality across their phone lines and not just with the cutting edge models.

Someone that pm'ed me instead of replying directly here said that their knowledge of the 6340i is that the earpiece speaker is on the "tinny" side when reproducing sound and that some phones had problems with the signal reception when holding the phone...that putting it on a table might show max strength but if you picked it up the contact with your hand highlighted a grounding? issue some of the phones might have had with their internal antenna.

Don't know how much overall there is to this, as any phone line will have lemons. But, since the person gave the impression they knew a lot about this phone, I thought I'd add that to the thread and see if anyone else had these issues.

Posted by: Jrott

I have used the phone the past 2 years, for me I would give it a thumbs up. I am in New Jersey and to be honest, I cant remember being anywhere I couldn't make a call.

Posted by: macizcool

You don't have to use the 6340i on an everyday basis. You can do what most of us do, by using a GSM for everyday use, and the 6340i for when you need the extra coverage.

I've never had problems.

Posted by: walkguru

Wirelessly posted (Walkguru's: Nokia6682/2.0 (3.01.1) SymbianOS/8.0 Series60/2.6 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

I still have mine. Great phone.

Posted by: noodles5666

I have 2 in case one ever dies on me.

Posted by: CaptShadow

I have 2 6340i's with the latest firmware. The only issues I can remember with these phones is the keypad lock issue and the phone not booting up when turned on at times. The light comes on and the battery meter shows but thats it. Restarting the phone takes care of both of these issues.

RF and voice quality are good. The person that PM'ed you about the earpiece being "tinny" must not have known the 6340i has an equalizer to adjust earpiece tone.

Posted by: broadbeltre

I have one and don't plan on getting rid of it until I can't find a replacement. I have the hardwire car kit and that helps too.

Posted by: wierdo

My 6340i was an excellent phone with an excellent earpiece and excellent reception. My only complaints were that older firmwares had several irritating bugs and the window over my power button and IR port popped off. Incidentally, it's also the last phone I had that could force EFR.

Posted by: gacajun

Newer firmware huh...guess I did not hear of an update for the firmware. Can anyone tell me how to look for the version of the firmware I have on the phone? Also if the firmware that I have on the phone is an older version how can I get the firmware and reflash the phone with the updated firmware?

TIA

Posted by: damba98

Flashing the firmware may not even be necessary IMHO. YMMV. Unless you live in an area not well served by GSM, I couldn't see why you would want to use this as a primary phone, as some have already suggested. Upgrading this 'old' phones' software is sort of cart before the horse, mind you. And this is from someone who is a huge fan of both Nokia & the 6340i (mine has saved me on a couple of ocassions already). Nevertheless, I believe the latest version is 8.05.3, dated 6/27/03. When you actually get one, Press *#0000# <send> to see which version your phone is running. My 6340i has been dropped so many times I stopped counting. It still works well, although I don't use it as much as I used to.

Just make sure you really can add GAIT to your GSM account. It can really take some patience.

-Pedro

Quote:

Originally Posted by gacajun

Newer firmware huh...guess I did not hear of an update for the firmware. Can anyone tell me how to look for the version of the firmware I have on the phone? Also if the firmware that I have on the phone is an older version how can I get the firmware and reflash the phone with the updated firmware?

TIA

Posted by: macizcool

There is a newer firmware from, Dec 2004, I believe. Check the Nokia FAQ.

Posted by: gacajun

The firmware date I have is 3/7/03...V.8.04.1 RH-13. I take it that this is not the latest revision. So....how do I go about getting the latest revision of firmware installed on my phone?

I have an MPx220 and have reflashed it a few times now so that concept is not new to me, I just need to know where I can get the firmware and what are the instructions for loading it.

TIA

Posted by: damba98

Svan would know too. Come to think of it, from what I remember on this forum you may be correct.

But the pressing question is, does the OP really *need* to worry about this on a phone he does not yet own for a service which has not yet been added to his account. From what I remember even the older version give you access to the field test mode. The rest is pretty much academic, or being able to manually choose your SID perhaps.

cheers,
P

Quote:

Originally Posted by macizcool

There is a newer firmware from, Dec 2004, I believe. Check the Nokia FAQ.

Posted by: damba98

See the title of my previous reply.

AFAIK you can't do this yourself but you need to find a store which can do it, or send it out. From what I remember it's ballpark $100. But I wouldn't bother until you actually get the phone up and running w/ GAIT on your account correctly.

If you go back and read some of the GAIT threads, there's a lot of useful info to be gained.

best,
Pedro

Quote:

Originally Posted by gacajun

The firmware date I have is 3/7/03...V.8.04.1 RH-13. I take it that this is not the latest revision. So....how do I go about getting the latest revision of firmware installed on my phone?

Posted by: cgd

I still use my 6340i often and love it. It's one of the best I have in terms of earpiece volume and reception. I have the GAIT option leftover from days past, but just use it as a GSM phone now (AFAIK, that is), and it works great. Get one or two, you won't be sorry. They can be bought cheaply off ebay.

Posted by: CaptShadow

Quote:

Originally Posted by macizcool

There is a newer firmware from, Dec 2004, I believe. Check the Nokia FAQ.

When I said I had the latest firmware I didn't mean a recent release.
I have V 8.06.1 dated 3-12-04 which is the latest and final firmware release for the 6340i.
And yes, it's still buggy but it works.

Posted by: RadicalRedneck

I admit I don't know a great deal about it, but where is Cingular's stance on activating phones that don't have GPS capability? To the best of my knowledge that isn't a problem now, but how soon (if ever) before it will become an issue?

Hasn't VZW gone to a setup where if you try a new activation a non-gps phone you get a big "sorry", but if you are using an old one already activated you are ok...for now?

Posted by: CaptShadow

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadicalRedneck

I admit I don't know a great deal about it, but where is Cingular's stance on activating phones that don't have GPS capability? To the best of my knowledge that isn't a problem now, but how soon (if ever) before it will become an issue?

Hasn't VZW gone to a setup where if you try a new activation a non-gps phone you get a big "sorry", but if you are using an old one already activated you are ok...for now?

I'm not sure what this has to do with this thread, but...
VZW is using in-phone GPS technology to meet the FCC's E911 requirements...Cingular is not. Unless Cingular decides to scrap their current system it will not become an issue.

Posted by: I have a phone

I have to ask why you would bother with a GAIT account. Do you you live/play in an area with no GSM service and work in one that has it?

Posted by: DeerTick

I live/work in a rural area with spotty gsm coverage but still excellent tdma/amps coverage. If others want phones for their higher-tech features, that's ok by me. I just need it for communications and why not maximize that end of it for as long as possible under their system? Cingular does not seem to be breaking their collective necks to build more gsm towers in my area.