[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by Saanil

Guys need just one clarification: I might buy an android phone in the coming days and I was not sure about transferring contacts from my current phone to an Android device. I am currently using Nokia 5800 Xpressmusic - S60 OS. I also have Nokia PC suite on my system. Can contacts be transferred directly from the SIM? Or do I need to save all the contacts from my current phone to the computer and then transfer the contacts to the new phone? How it works? Any help will be appreciated. Should I post this in the mobiles thread? I thought since I was shifting to android I should post here.

How many contacts do you have? If it is less than 500 and if each contact has only one number stored then the SIM card transfer method would prove easier and hassle free.

If you have more number of contacts and multiple feilds stored try to convert your contacts into .vcf format and import those contacts into your gmail account that you plan to link with your android phone.

Note: The file format for the contacts backup generated in series 60 nokia phones thru' backup option is usually a single bulk file. Google recognizes only single .vcf format. There are numerous simple tools available on the internet to get the format changed. Hope this helps!

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

How many contacts do you have? If it is less than 500 and if each contact has only one number stored then the SIM card transfer method would prove easier and hassle free.

If you have more number of contacts and multiple feilds stored try to convert your contacts into .vcf format and import those contacts into your gmail account that you plan to link with your android phone.

1. I have 336 contacts with 4-5 contacts with multiple entries. So I should copy the numbers on SIM and then directly use the SIM in the new phone right?

2. How do I back up? Nokia PC suite? You mean it will save a .vcf file on my computer after creating a back up? After that you said I need to import them into my gmail account? What do you mean by import? You mean mail it or what?

Apologies for the stupid questions.

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by Saanil

1. I have 336 contacts with 4-5 contacts with multiple entries. So I should copy the numbers on SIM and then directly use the SIM in the new phone right?

Presuming all your contacts are stored on your phone right now and your SIM card is empty, the following steps have to be carried out:

1. Copy Phone Contacts to SIM Card
2. Remove SIM card and Copy all contacts on SIM Card to Your Android phone memory.**
3. Remove SIM card and put it back in your old phone.
4. Delete all SIM contacts and Repeat from Step 1 till you are done with all your contacts.

Note: IIRC a SIM card can hold only abt 200~300 contacts at a time. Hence the need for Step 4.

** In step 2 - My personal choice would be to have your Google account as your default fone contacts memory so that you don't have to bother about backing up/ transferring contacts when you change/ root/ play around with your phones. Your contacts are directly synced with your Google account.

2. How do I back up? Nokia PC suite? You mean it will save a .vcf file on my computer after creating a back up? After that you said I need to import them into my gmail account? What do you mean by import? You mean mail it or what?

• Yes! I meant the Nokia PC suite. The file generated would be .nbu format. You have to google up to find out how to convert .nbu to .vcf.
  
• After converting to .vcf format, open gmail account and go to contacts menu. You'll find an import option.
  
• You just have to choose the bunch of .vcf files converted and hit upload.
  
• The next time you sync your phone, all your Gmail contacts including the transferred ones would appear on your phone
  

Since you have just a few hundred contacts, the easiest way would be the SIM card method.

[HammerHead]

Any idea how to change network mode to 3G in Samsung Galaxy S2?
I tried selecting Use packet data + Data roaming + Network mode to WCDMA only under Settings => Wireless and network => Mobile network settings.

I'm not able to do video calling over 3G after selecting these. I'm able to do video calling using same SIM card on my older Nokia 6280 (3G) and also on BB Torch 2!!

I'm using this phone since Nov. 2011, so relatively new to Android world.


Edit: Also any good 'free' FM transmitter app. for Galaxy S2?

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

• The next time you sync your phone, all your Gmail contacts including the transferred ones would appear on your phone

Thanks for the elaborate reply. Just one more question : You mentioned that the next time I sync my phone in your reply - What do you mean by that? You mean opening the gmail app and then syncing from there or something?

[raviacc2825]

Hi,

I'm using Samsung Galaxy Nexus, its my first android and I'm loving it. Have one query, I transferred my contacts from SIM to phone, my default backup account is Gmail only. The question is how do I sync my contacts to Gmail? In contacts option I have selected display all, when I select Gmail, it shows no contact. Do let me know how can i sync it with Gmail?

Ravi

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

Presuming all your contacts are stored on your phone right now and your SIM card is empty, the following steps have to be carried out:

1. Copy Phone Contacts to SIM Card
2. Remove SIM card and Copy all contacts on SIM Card to Your Android phone memory.**
3. Remove SIM card and put it back in your old phone.
4. Delete all SIM contacts and Repeat from Step 1 till you are done with all your contacts.

Note: IIRC a SIM card can hold only abt 200~300 contacts at a time. Hence the need for Step 4.

** In step 2 - My personal choice would be to have your Google account as your default fone contacts memory so that you don't have to bother about backing up/ transferring contacts when you change/ root/ play around with your phones. Your contacts are directly synced with your Google account.


[*] Yes! I meant the Nokia PC suite. The file generated would be .nbu format. You have to google up to find out how to convert .nbu to .vcf.
[*] After converting to .vcf format, open gmail account and go to contacts menu. You'll find an import option.
[*] You just have to choose the bunch of .vcf files converted and hit upload.
[*] The next time you sync your phone, all your Gmail contacts including the transferred ones would appear on your phone



Since you have just a few hundred contacts, the easiest way would be the SIM card method.

I'd rather send all contacts to a pc via Bluetooth and them get then on to the new phone or gmail. Copying via sim could be the last resort. It cannot hold multiple numbers per name.

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by clevermax

I'd rather send all contacts to a pc via Bluetooth and them get then on to the new phone or gmail. Copying via sim could be the last resort. It cannot hold multiple numbers per name.

Thanks for this. Bluetooth way is much more convenient. I paired my laptop with the phone and opened Nokia PC Suite. You select the Contacts icon - then you will get the list of all the contacts. Select all contacts (Press Ctrl+A) then go to FILE and then click exports. It will automatically save all the contacts in .csv format on your laptop. I did the same thing for messages too. So now I have both the csv files for messages as well as contacts.

Now I opened my Gmail account from my laptop and selected Contacts (top left hand of the screen). Actually you will see Mail there when you login but there will be a drop down menu in which you can select contacts. After selecting contacts you will get an option on the top left hand side for IMPORTING contacts where you will browse and select the .csv file. Now whenever I open Gmail I see the contacts list.

I have one question after this. Now I have the contacts on my Gmail account. How do I transfer the file to my new phone? Should I open Gmail from the new phone and then transfer? Or Do I have to copy paste the .csv file into the new phone folder or something? Please advice....

[Warwithwheels]

Originally Posted by Saanil

Thanks for the elaborate reply. Just one more question : You mentioned that the next time I sync my phone in your reply - What do you mean by that? You mean opening the gmail app and then syncing from there or something?

The moment you link your google account to your phone and choose google contacts to show up on the phone book. All your contacts are automatically displayed there. This requires an active data or wifi connection on your phone. Even you can make your FB contacts show up in the list.

After the initial setup, if you add a contact either on your phone (provided you choose to save in google account) or your pc gmail. On choosing the sync menu on your phone, it would automatically get updated on both gmail and phone.

@clevermax: I have already warned him of that!


Here's pic of the contacts menu option on the galaxy S.

[Saanil]

Originally Posted by Warwithwheels

After the initial setup, if you add a contact either on your phone (provided you choose to save in google account) or your pc gmail. On choosing the sync menu on your phone, it would automatically get updated on both gmail and phone.

So in the phonebook there are two things - displaying contacts stored on phone and displaying contacts from Google, right? But what if I do not want to bring Gmail into picture at all. I have the .csv file on my comp right – is there something like I send the file to my phone (via Bluetooth or USB) and the phone automatically stores the contacts OR I copy paste the .csv file into the mobile folder (or any other folder when I connect by phone to Laptop). What if someone does not have data connection on his phone? Is there no other way?

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Saanil

Thanks for this. Bluetooth way is much more convenient.
I have one question after this. Now I have the contacts on my Gmail account. How do I transfer the file to my new phone? Should I open Gmail from the new phone and then transfer? Or Do I have to copy paste the .csv file into the new phone folder or something? Please advice....

Glad that it helped.

Regarding your question - no need to do anything. If the contacts are in Google cloud, it will appear in your phone once the first sync happens after you set up your Google account in the phone.

[Rameshdude]

Guys,
Google Sync for your phone
If you go to this site,it would help you step by step in transferring contacts.

[Bluengel180]

Originally Posted by Saanil

What if someone does not have data connection on his phone? Is there no other way?

A smartphone without a data connection is just a phone. get a EDGE/3g data pack

[fine69]

Is motorola defy plus a better bet than galaxy s I9003? Considering that defy plus is water & scratch resistant, dust proof etc. Processor I believe is same for both, however I9003 gets a bigger screenat 4" against defy plus's 3.7"

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Saanil

What if someone does not have data connection on his phone? Is there no other way?

Originally Posted by Bluengel180

A smartphone without a data connection is just a phone. get a EDGE/3g data pack

Have to agree 100%. If there's no data connection or Wifi available, then it is just a phone.

Most of us are also running battery saving apps that would cut off data connection thereby making our phones less smarter

For a present day smartphone to be smart, battery life is the price we have to pay until there are ground breaking developments in battery technologies which is quite the need of this domain now.