Verizon Branded Nokia 6256i Full BlueTooth + Mac X!

I got a Nokia 6256i flip phone. Analog capable. Am able to use
Bluetooth to up and download pictures wallpaper MP3's. Requires getting
a larger Muli-Media card however.

Nokia has free PC suite, but since I use a Mac, which Nokia does not
support, have found some $30 shareware that works with most BT
features. Mac 10.3x also has some native BT support with Vcards and the
addres book.

Phonedirector does not document 6256i usage, but it does work for the
most part. Address, Calender, Notes, radio, gallery, images, photos and
MP3s have basic functioanality.
There are no WAP bookmarks for instance,but neither does the phone. I
mostly used it to enter my address book.
Bluetooth MP3 uploads are very slow. I could only get small MP3s in,
think that's because I have no extra MMC card and probably not enough
room. Dual voltage cards are required. There may be a 600mb limit to
what the phone can read, but that's a rumour until confirmed.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23570

http://www.macmedia.sk/index.htm
Has some detailed info on connecting and formating MM cards.

If someone wants to try out Phonemanager sw(Nokia Cable connection sw)
that would be cool, but it may not work or damage the phone...

And there is NO WAY to download your own ringtones! You MUST buy them
from Verizon, except the phone is so new, there are only some East
Indian ringtones

The Nokia 6256i is only just trickling into independants. It may or may
not be carried by the corporate stores. Could be the first of the year,
but that's just a rumour. Some have bought them at Best Buy. They are
on Radio Shacks website but not in the stores yet. Other Cellcos like
Alltel and Metro PCS have them.

Free WAP 2.0 works, but there are security errors when trying to sign
in to Yahoo, for example.
The phone has analog and there are aftermarket external antenna
adapters available.
Can force analog and IS-95. Can set to Digital Only
It has an FM Radio, but a headset is required to act as an antenna.
25 voice dial locations, and 5 "voice commands"
500 address book with 5 numbers each includes, address, notes, and
email.
Camera is OK. Has a flash.
Pictures and wallpapers can be up/downloaded over Bluetooth to a
computer for free.

See NokiaUSA for a 6256i detailed tutorial and User Guide.
Phonescoop.com has many user reviews for similar "sister" model 6255i
carried by other Cellcos.
Check out Howardforums.com Verizon phone forums for more tricks,
programming, WAP etc. info!

For anyone who wants to know more, make a contribution of some
knowledge, or has purchased one and wants to find out what it will do,
here are some Links for VZW Nokia 6256i and similar model Nokia 6255i

NokiaUSA 6256i Support Page

http://www.nokiausa.com/support/phon...,6256i,00.html

Phonescoop Nokia 6256/6255 info reviews

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=515

VZW/Nokia Phone Forum Also check Alltel Nokia 6255, Metro PCS forums

http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=298

BT Nokia Clip on Headset ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/NOKIA-6682-6670-...QQcmdZViewItem

MMC card Ebay (not sure if phone can read even 1GB info)

http://www.topram.com/6255i/

Phonedirector for Mac 10.3 Bluetooth (undocumented)

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23570

http://www.macmedia.sk/index.htm

-
dave

Free WAP Settings for 6256i

wap.yahoo.com for the homepage gateway cured all the security errors.
Trying to sign into yahoo from wap.google.com didn't work.

Yahoo has a dedicated mobile set up, sign in page.

http://www.publicproxyservers.com/index.html

*3001#12345#
Enter IP address and Port from public proxy list above, in phones IP
Address location under "Server Address"

Use this code to enter a gateway.


*#BROWSER#

http://mobile.yahoo.com

wap.yahoo.com

or wap.google.com

Many of these addresses can be copied and pasted into a text message
and then sent to the cell phone. Use the option "use web link" to go to
that web page.
The addresses can be stored in text "sent" or "archived" folders, for
later recall, by choosing "use web link" after they are selected.

The Nokia 6255i has a more MP3 player menu functions, than the Verizon
6256i..

http://www.nokiausa.com/support/phon...,6256i,00.html

Page 57 shows all kinds of extra Media MP3 controls that don't show up
on the 6256i.

http://nds2.nokia.com/files/support/...255i_US_en.PDF

"David L" <davlindi@hotmail.com> wrote in news:1132419326.757005.92240
@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

> Free WAP Settings for 6256i
>
> wap.yahoo.com for the homepage gateway cured all the security errors.
> Trying to sign into yahoo from wap.google.com didn't work.
>
> Yahoo has a dedicated mobile set up, sign in page.
>
> http://www.publicproxyservers.com/index.html
>
> *3001#12345#
> Enter IP address and Port from public proxy list above, in phones IP
> Address location under "Server Address"
>
> Use this code to enter a gateway.
>
>
> *#BROWSER#
>
> http://mobile.yahoo.com
>
> wap.yahoo.com
>
> or wap.google.com
>
> Many of these addresses can be copied and pasted into a text message
> and then sent to the cell phone. Use the option "use web link" to go to
> that web page.
> The addresses can be stored in text "sent" or "archived" folders, for
> later recall, by choosing "use web link" after they are selected.
>
> The Nokia 6255i has a more MP3 player menu functions, than the Verizon
> 6256i..
>
> http://www.nokiausa.com/support/phon...,6256i,00.html
>
> Page 57 shows all kinds of extra Media MP3 controls that don't show up
> on the 6256i.
>
> http://nds2.nokia.com/files/support/...255i_US_en.PDF
>
>

Why not just figure out the seem edits and turn the BT on all the way
like nokia makes it BEFORE verizon disables it with their $charge$
services...
Imagine buying a GE microwave oven from sears and then having to pay
sears everytime you wanted to use say the timer delay function on it.
sheesh..

Sounds good, I hope someone is working on figuring out the Nokia seem
edits


Here's the RF Signal Test

PHONES USED

1. Nokia 6256i (New VZW Branded SW V N110V1100.nep
26-08-05
RM-19)
2. Nokia 3585i, Walmart Wonder phone(Alltel prepaid)
3.Audiovox 9500

Nokia 6256i GRADES....

Digital call holding A
Digital call initaition A- (with antenna UP, comparible to Nokia
3585i, which gets an A+.)
Digital calls B with antenna down.
Analog calls C or C- compared to my Audiovox 9500 which is a A-
(w/antennaUp)

TEST LOCATION

Used a favorite fringe test area today for a bunch of calls.
Unactivated phones used 611 to place a test call. The testing location
is a place I have hiked, Geocached and tested many phones, for many
years. SPCS, Verizon digital and analog as well as ATT TDMA and analog
are available, but just barely. Site is located at the bottom of a
canyon.


Call holding test while driving. Worst reading, that is lowest signal
level and highest phone power output reading, was 104RX TX +20 and the
call was not dropped! Amazing digital call holding!

SInce I was calling a phone machine, I got to listen later to the call
quality, or dropouts, as I called out the numbers from the Network
monitor debug screen. Sounded quite tinny and digitized, but I was
using the speaker phone with the phone on the dashboard in a holder
upright with antenna extended. Phone machine also has a poor vocoder
and makes calls sound worse.
Pretty amazing to hold a conversation at 101RX 16TX, but the words cut
out for a bit, but the call was not dropped. Average recorded readings
on the drive down the road were 95RX 14TX.

I couldn't even make a digital test call with the Audiovox 9500 from
the test location. Analog is excellent (for a modern AGPS digital
phone) on the 9500.

The Nokia 3585i (Walmart wonder) gets an A+ in RF digital, but only
with the antenna down. The antenna up caused calls to drop. I've always
suspected the antenna was a dummy. Evidenced from call tests and taking
the antenna apart. No metal to metal RF connectivity I could find. Did
some continuity tests with the parts and nada. The Nokia 3585 also gets
a C- in analog.
The Nokia 3585i is able to use SPCS and is not limited by VZW PRLs it
semed to have more choice of networks. I also noticed it could hold
calls when I turned in a complete circle, while standing in an extreme
fringe area. Call quality was not as effected by my head stopping the
signal as the Nokia 6256i. Think this means the 3585i patch
antenna/receiver was able to use signal reflections a little better.

Then I turned the volume up on the 6256i and that seemed to make it
better, for some reason. All the previous calls on the 3585i were made
at a high volume level, and the 6256i low volume. Not sure why, but
call quality or perceived call quality seemed to improve after
increasing volume?

The good news is the Nokia 6256i has a external antenna adapter, unlike
the Walmart Wonder phone, so an external antenna should be albe to be
used to boost both the poor Analog signal to good RF with good
external antenna as well as the Digital to something extraordinary...I
_assume_, since the ext adapter has been ordered and there have been no
RF tests done yet. Check ebay or wilson for external connectors.
Unlike the 3585i which had NO external antenna port. Just noticed the
bottom ports are the same for both Nokias. Wonder if the 6256i adapter
will fit the 3585i?. Almost positive the bottom port is used to plug in
the external antenna connector, since the other port, below the
antenna, is not very robust and is unlike the usual Nokia antenna port.
Think it's just a test port in both the Nokias.

The only thing that would be better is if the phone still had a Sprint
PCS inclusive PRL, but we lost those Aug 1st 2005 The Nokia 3585i had
excellent PCS RF performance and I assume the 5256i is similar, but
can't test it.

The Nokia 6256i digital 800mhz performance is very good. An external
antenna would be a good accessory, if one is using the 6256i in analog
coverage areas frequently.
Although the analog is only mediocre, in areas with good analog
coverage, the phone should still be useful.
I'll be testing the external adapter next.

> And there is NO WAY to download your own ringtones! You MUST buy them
> from Verizon, except the phone is so new, there are only some East
> Indian ringtones

Um... you can trivially upload any .mid and .mp3 files over OBEX, put
them in
your ringtones folder, and set them to your ringtone. Works like a
charm.


Okay, now on to my own OS X + Nokia 6256i report!
[drum roll please]

My LG TM510 gave up the ghost last week after a six year existence, and
it was
time for me to catch up with the real world. I have a Mac, am a coder,
and
generally wanted a phone which had a decent if simple, syncable
calendar/address/notepad/etc., ideally via bluetooth, a speakerphone,
analog,
and the ability to upload and download files of various sorts, Java, a
bluetooth modem, and a reasonably smallish package. And, sadly, I
needed
Verizon given my coverage.

What I did NOT need was a camera, mp3 player or radio, EVDO [or the big
honking screen that comes with it -- why DOES Verizon think people want
pay-per-view on their cell phones anyway?] or internet minibrowser.
I've not
used SMS much so that's not a huge draw for me at the moment, but it
potentially could be in the future I suppose.

This boils down to exactly two phones: the Motorola e815 and the Nokia
6256i,
which I only discovered later on by surfing the web online. Certainly
Verizon
has done whatever it can to hide the fact that it offers the 6256i.
Both
phones presently cost the same amount ($100 with 2-year plan) and I
have no
illusions about the build quality of the e815, it's quite impressive.
But
it's a much taller phone than the Nokia, doesn't provide analog, and
has
broken bluetooth [and I'd rather not be hacking my phone via a data
cable if
possible]. I didn't need the e815's primary feature: EVDO and the mega
screen.
And for such a nice screen, the e815 has an awful camera. Still, nice
phone.

The 6256i's bluetooth is happily nonbroken (though I've not tested the
DUN
modem yet). But for an OS X user there's a gotcha: iSync doesn't work
with
this phone. It's a "Series 40" or 40+ Nokia phone, and iSync only
works with
Series 60. Why does Apple hate me? Dunno.

This problem is easily solved with a $30 piece of software avaialble
online
called PhoneDirector. I've been reporting bugs in PhoneDirector to its
author
who's been rapidly and impressively squishing them. The program in
general is
quite compatable with the phone, though it's not listed as such. The
big
problem is that PhoneDirector thinks the 6256i has zero memory
available and
so won't upload arbitrary files to it -- but of course you can
trivially do
that with Bluetooth Object Exchange on the Mac, so it's a nonissue.

Still, it'd be nice to see iSync running.

The other gotcha: Verizon has broken uploading Java on the phone. It
appears
that you cannot upload a .jar file to the phone via bluetooth etc. --
well,
you can, but it'll be ignored. All Java apps must be downloaded via
Verizon's
Get It Now service. The menu item normally reserved for Java apps
("Extras")
has been screwed around with so that it only shows three hard-coded
apps. As
a Java coder, I'd dearly like to know how to unlock the Java upload
facility.
A seem, anyone?

The phone has a great many nice features, some of which I'd never use,
but you
can research that elsewhere. I'll stick with the annoyances with the
phone,
none significant:

- I suspect my phone may be producing a positive voltage during
talking. It
has felt like it, but I cannot reproduce the problem with my
multimeter, so it
may be just me being overly suspicious.

- The clock is poorly done on the front screen: very small, given that
the
front screen is fair sized. It'd also be nice to figure out how to get
rid of
the "verizon wireless" on the front screen.

- Nokia has stupidly put the standoffs (which separate the screen from
the
body when closed) on the SPEAKER rather than on the body. It's hard to
use
the phone without scratching your ear with them. Idiotic. I mean,
REALLY
idiotic.

- You can answer a call in speakerphone mode without opening the cover.
But
you can't end a call without opening the cover and pressing stop!

- You cannot initiate a call in speakerphone mode with the cover
closed.

- There is no button you can press which will light up the screen with
the
cover closed, perhaps to tell the time. Your ownly choice is to do
Volume Up
or something, and then wait for the screen to settle back to show the
time.

- As many have mentioned, the menu button is far too small, and it's
very easy
to press one of the cursor keys by accident instead. I do it all the
time and
it's quite aggressivating.

- The phone is also oddly top-heavy: the speaker portion is nearly as
heavy as
the body, quite unlike most other phones.

As to WAP: my understanding was that the Mobile Web web browser is not
free
with a basic account. but a poster here suggested that there's free WAP
available. Can someone elaborate? Further, the existence of the
*#BROWSER#
unlock sequence gives me hope that there might be a similar beast for
the Java VM.

Overall, I've stomped nearly every issue regarding this phone and OS X
with
a combination of PhoneDirector and Bluetooth File Exchange. Yet to be
tested:
the modem. As a result, generally I'm quite happy with this phone. I
think I'll
be keeping it rather than returning it for an e815.

Sean

Excellent review forn a UI perspective. Limitations and annoyance are
well detailed. Lots of major and minor issues I was unaware of, but
right on. Thanks for your contribution to the knowledge base of using
this handset.

Can you reprint your review on Howard Forums, so a larger Nokia 6256i,
phone specific audience might see it?

http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=298

About free WAP (2.0), internet phone connections. Yes it is free,
you'll find further proof and a tutorial on Howard Forums. Just uses
air time or MOU, (Minutes of Use). Been connecting to the internet with
my handset for years. Numbers show up as (777) calls on bill. Normal
airtime only.

Thanks for working with the developer, that's great news!
He seems very responsive and sent me another (updated?) copy of
Phonedirector. It just seems strange to have some guy in
Slovenia/Slovokia(?) working on sw to get our VZW Nokia phones to work
with Mac OS X. CDMA isn't exactly a popular technology in Europe

I got a 1GB topram flash card and successfully downloaded some MP3
music. Seems like a waste of time, since it appears music won't play
continuosly... the play button needs to be hit for each new song
I work a little with some other Mac audio codec tools Toast, CD spin
Doctor, Audacity and mostly lossless formats AC3, PCM, Apple Lossless,
..aiff, so first finding a way to cut a chunk of a aiff, or MP3 music
file is the first problem? Needless to say the starting with an itunes
Library AL forat is a dead end.
..mid files are new to me.
Phone won't recognize a 3.1mb MP3 (160 kbps) file as a ringtone? I'm
not sure if it's the file size or the codec?

The largest ringtone in the handset is about 6.3kb. The smallest is
about .4 kb.
The files present in the handset are in .mid and AMR format, whatever
that is.

Got a link or tips for creating compatible ringtone files for a newb?
I'd like some animal sounds. I'm thinking about recording analog
sounds the cutting them to size with Spin DoctOr, but there must be an
easier way and more appropriate tools.
Uploading .mid or MP3 files doesn't look so "trivial" at this point

Thanks Again,
Dave

I have collated my previous experiences and put them on a web page plus
some other stuff for anyone interested in OS X + 6256i + Verizon:

http://cs.gmu.edu/~sean/stuff/6256i.html

I hope this will prove helpful to you. I believe that the 6256i is at
present *the* best choice for OS X users doing Verizon. The e815 runs
a distant second.

Could you include a step by step instruction set for getting MP3 files
to work as ringtones? Apparently, no one else has been able to get this
to work.

-
Dave

"David L" <davlindi@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1133077913.379585.142540@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Could you include a step by step instruction set for getting MP3 files
> to work as ringtones? Apparently, no one else has been able to get this
> to work.
>
> -
> Dave
>

Can't help you with specifics of your phone and Mac combination, but what I
do is to cut down a regular MP3 so it's no longer than 15-30 seconds or so
and put it on a Transflash card for my E815. You have to use an MP3 editor
to cut it down. I also usually cut down the sample rate to 64kbps or even
lower.

If I remember right, I can't directly move an MP3 file to the phone from the
card, but send a 'fake' message with the sound file attached (to a number
such as 555-555-5555). It'll fail to send and then I can save the sound from
the message in my outbox.

I'm on my third phone in this series after the first two were ruined by the Wilson external adapter which plugs into the hole below the antenna. I'll never use one again unless there is one which plugs into the bottom of the phone. Here is the post at HoFo
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=797766

Agreed! I didnt ruin my phone.. bought one of those external adapters
off ebay. Really nice design, fits tightly in hole and has a spring
loaded center pin.
Problem is, DOES NOT WORK even after numerous tests. There is no RF
connectivity down that little hole, under the antenna! At least on the
VZW 6256i. This is not the first external connector tha'st had no RF
connectivity.
I've searched like heck, but apparently all the OEM Nokia external
adapters just use the inferior, inductive, method of picking up a
signal from the phone holder. No bottom RF plug that I know of;(
Wondering if perhaps a clip attached to the actual cell antenna may be
the best method?
-
david