Read-only archive of the All About Symbian forum (2001–2013) · About this archive

sync and charge cradle?

7 replies · 2,640 views · Started 06 June 2007

I have been using the Sony Ericsson P series for some time now and find them very good, but got an N95 when I moved from Voda to T-Mobile.

But I am finding it a hard device to love so far.

Is this supposed to be a business phone? If so why is there no Sync and Charge cradle available, I find this stunning, especialy given the truly poor battery life these phones seem to have ( mine is dead in a fewq hours if I forget to turn Wi Fi and BT off

GPS I have given up with this gimic arrive before it decides to start working!

Bar Code Scanner does not work, god only knows what it is there for, I have friend who works for Nokia in Finland and we tried for about an hour together to make to do something (anything would have been nice) in the end he suggested I forget it (he has no idea what its for either!)

Wi Fi how on earth you are supposed to know if your wi fi connection is active is beyond me, SE provide a simple way of checking what connection you are using, I eventualy (thanks to AASF user) found out how to tell my email to look for a wi fi connection but even with the wi fi off I seem to be getting email so not sure if email defaults to 3G connection anyway!

Tha Manual is not a great deal of help either, I have link to it on my desktop now as I seem to be constantly refering to it!

I have had the device about two weeks now and the slider is already lose anyone else having this problem (and I keep mine in a leather pouch to protect it)

There's a Wi-Fi indicator on the standby screen. The Active standby when enabled can also show it. And then there's the Connection Manager app, too.

You can sync automatically by connecting the USB cable, or wirelessly through Bluetooth. With the latter option you just plug in the charger cable. Enough for me; even with phones that came or used to come with cradles, I found I never used them.

I've used the barcode scanner a couple of times on some ads where the code contains an URL. Agree that it is mostly useless, but at least I've gotten it to work.

The GPS has improved with the latest firmware, and possibly will get even better, if Nokia adds the missing A-GPS support (which is possible; the E90 has it).

No loose slider on mine & and I've used it for a couple of months now. No pouches for me; just the front pocket of my trousers/jeans (with home/car keys, etc.) and occasionally in my jacket or shirt pocket.

As stated previously, the a display of the WiFi connection is fairly prominent. If you can't see it, you ain't connected. 😊

Sync and charge cradle? Not needed. The N95 charges in half an hour and syncs in minutes via bluetooth. Why bother with a cradle?

Barcode Reader - granted, a gimic but there are plenty of other apps around that make this a great phone. I run Papyrus, sync via Goosync to my Google calendar, Profimail for pseudo push email, HandyWeather, HandySafe, Web browser is great, Maps and ViewRanger linking into the GPS (mine works fine). OK it isn't a SIRFIII chip but if it was, then you really would complain about the battery. MobiReader for books and dictionaries, FreeRange for news, Shozu for uploading photos (love the camera/video). Oh, and MobyExplorer for ftp. It's a cracking piece of kit for something it's size.

And why does everyone worry about a little play in the slider? Sure, it may move a little but the phone stays shut. If it was as tight as a duck's ar$e at twenty fathoms you'd never get it open.

Allow me to help the romance go a little smoother.

nitro fan wrote:why is there no Sync and Charge cradle available

There are charging cradles available such as this (which also charges a spare battery): h**p://www.blueunplugged.com/p.aspx?p=120002

nitro fan wrote:truly poor battery life these phones seem to have ( mine is dead in a fewq hours if I forget to turn Wi Fi and BT off

I can easily get a full, busy, day out of mine or a couple of days if I'm not using it much. The best tips are to turn off bluetooth, wireless and 3G when not using them. Also, minimise USB connected time, that is the fastest drainer by far.

nitro fan wrote:GPS I have given up with this gimic arrive before it decides to start working!

The GPS is not the best but give it time becasue it does improve with use. The first few times I used it, it took nearly 10 minutes to get a fix, now its only 3 or 4. Also, firmware udates are improving this.

nitro fan wrote:Bar Code Scanner does not work, god only knows what it is there for, I have friend who works for Nokia in Finland and we tried for about an hour together to make to do something

I hear this all the time but once you know how it is used it is pretty amazing. It has a lot of uses and as long as you are using it on the right kinds of barcode, it works almost instantly. Please read my thread here:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/forum//forum/thread/59398/&highlight=barcode

nitro fan wrote:Wi Fi how on earth you are supposed to know if your wi fi connection is active is beyond me, SE provide a simple way of checking what connection you are using, I eventualy (thanks to AASF user) found out how to tell my email to look for a wi fi connection but even with the wi fi off I seem to be getting email so not sure if email defaults to 3G connection anyway!

N/A has covered this one really, there is a window-like icon in the top right when the wifi is connected and the connection manager provides more info if needed. There will be a setting on your email folder for the default connection so this might be set to use your 3G connection without asking.

nitro fan wrote:Tha Manual is not a great deal of help either

Sadly, that is a universal truth for Nokia. Huge manuals that tell you everything you already know and nothing you want to know.

nitro fan wrote:I have had the device about two weeks now and the slider is already loose anyone else having this problem (and I keep mine in a leather pouch to protect it)

There are a few threads about this here, it seems a few bad batches went out. Take yours to a Nokia service center and they may repair or replace it. Otherwise there are various tips for self-repair here:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/forum//forum/thread/58644/&highlight=wobble

I hope this helps you enjoy your N95 a little more. I love mine but I have spent time ironing out these annoyances.

I have taken on board all the points but BT sync is not working with my Lappy not sure why but the SE P990i wont do it either😮 So a cradle or charge and sync cable would have been nice for whilst in the office 2 cable is a real pain.

The Nokia guy and I really tried but the bar code thing really would not work no matter what and I still dont know what its for? is it just a nice toy?

I misread the icons in the manual! I can now see wifi!

maybe I just need a bit longer with it, on a positive note the camera is the muts nuts and at long last I can see a colour screen in daylight, I hope SE improve the P1 screen to the same standard

Its not a business phone. The E series is for that purpose.

The barcode scanner works perfectly for me, just just need to keep it straight and steady. I use it to scan in URLs from my computer onto the phone, or i convert large pieces of text into a barcode and transfer it that way into the phone. It save me having to use the keypad. It may be a gimic, but you arent forced to use it and its always nice to have it there rather than not.

Yes i would have liked an official cradle but i guess this not being an enterprise device, they didnt see the need to manufacture one. The SE M600i and W950i dont come with cradles.

The GPS is a pain to get locked onto a satellite, but once it does, it works very well. I like how the pointer follows you around when you move.........(yes i'm so easily amused :P )

I never read the manuals, the internet is far greater resource.

The slide for me is very solid. I like that satisfying lock sound it makes. Of course there are bad batches that have defective slides and i suggest replace the handset in that case and request to test the new one before you leave the shop.

I dislike the 5 seconds the camera takes to boot up, i missed a good shot of a red squirrel. I hope they improve on that with a new firmware update.

I would really like a better battery. If it had a longer lasting battery like the awesome E61, then it would be perfect.

Orophin Anwarunya wrote:
I dislike the 5 seconds the camera takes to boot up, i missed a good shot of a red squirrel. I hope they improve on that with a new firmware update.

Have you upgraded your firmware? The recent one is a big improvement on the camera; starts quicker and snaps quicker too. Not perfect but a lot better

3Shirts wrote:Have you upgraded your firmware? The recent one is a big improvement on the camera; starts quicker and snaps quicker too. Not perfect but a lot better

yes i did, second day after i bought the phone.

i suppose just the phone has alot of apps installed.