Verizon customers: Phonebook transfer solution

The Nokia 6256i is a Verizon Bluetooth phone that has the requisite profile to transfer its phonebook to the Prius phonebook. They're available, limited stock though, in certain Best Buy and Radio Shack stores (but not online through Verizon or in VZW stores......yet). Someone over on HoFo was able to track down a Prius owner who had successfully transferred the phonebook to his car with his 6256i (one contact at a time).

http://www.nokiausa.com/phones/6256i

The Nokia 6256i phone is designed to meet Bluetooth Specification 2.0, Handsfree, Object Push, Generic Access, File Transfer, Headset and Serial Port profiles, as well as Bluetooth headset, laptop and car kit profiles.

 

Well, you are correct, of course; it's not really a viable solution for those with high-end handsets like the Treo 650. But then the 6256i can't be considered a replacement for any PDA phone nor was it designed to be. It is definitely designed to compete with handsets like the Moto V710/E815, LG VX8100, and Samsung a950/a970, none of which have PB transfer capability at the present time.

Regardless, the Nokia most certainly IS a solution for:

1) Verizon customers with crippled BT phones who were waiting for their contract to expire so they could jump to another carrier because Verizon did not, until now, offer a handset capable of PB transfer.

2) Prius owners who are considering switching to Verizon due to coverage issues.

3) Verizon customers who are otherwise eligible for promotional pricing (the phone would cost 50 bucks after the current $50 rebate).

I agree that it would be ideal if we could get existing phones to work. I think the odds are against that happening, though. Maybe someone will be able to hack the E815 but that's about it and even that appears to be only a remote possibility at this point. Further, some people would not consider flashing or otherwise hacking their phones no matter what.

 

Yes, I believe you are correct; 1.1. Basically the same as the 6255i which, mysteriously, VZW now refuses to activate.

 

Good deal, tomn! Someone at HoFo posted a message over a week ago stating the phone would be available in CC stores on 12/29. Looks like that poster was correct.

 

With the Prius, there really aren't any other issues. Basically, VZW removes the Object Push Profile which preserves their revenue stream from Get-It-Now. That means no PB transfer to the Prius since there's no way to push data from the phone. It also means that you won't be able to push data from the phone to any other BT device (although you can initiate transfers from other BT-enabled devices to those phones that have OBEX, such as a hacked E815 or V3c).

 

I have asked myself that question.......about a million times. I still can't come up with any kind of rationale for it. I initially thought the reason might be that the phone was only going to be available indirect (e.g. Radio Shack, Best Buy, et al) and, perhaps, VZW wanted those resellers to have something different to offer (that was not available in corporate stores......to boost sales?). But that idea went out the window after the kiosks in CC started selling the phone. The only other thing I could think of was that Nokia was unable (or unwilling) to remove the profile after VZW committed to offer the phone.

Hopefully, Arklier will read this and shed some light on this issue (he stated in another thread that he works for Verizon). I'd love to know the actual reason this phone was not crippled.

 

The following is from the Nokia web site:

The contacts list can hold up to 500 contacts with multiple numbers and text notes for each contact. The amount of numbers and text entries that you can save may vary, depending on length and the total number of entries in the contacts list.



Re this particular phone and Macs, take a look at the following thread:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php...78&page=7&pp=15