cellphone syncing

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
ive been reading a lot about bluetooth, isync, etc. for syncing cells. but, i really dont understand what the purpose is. what does it do? which phones use which technologies to sync? i would like to put this into consideration when purchasing my next cell if there are good benefits. sorry if this has been talked about a lot, i just havent found anything that gives me the "...for dummies" version. thanks in advance.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    The big advantage of syncing is that it automatically transfers ALL of your contact information to the phone and subsequently keeps it updated with all your other items in the "digital hub" (i.e. Address Book, a Palm device, etc.). You'll especially appreciate not having to type in each contact on the little keypad on the phone.



    Bluetooth is the primary interface that iSync uses to accomplish this. One nice thing about it is that you can also use it to transfer photos from any picture phone you'd get (such as the Sony Ericcson T610), which can then be used in your Address Book for people's buddy icons.



    I think it's safe to say that most people underestimate how nice of a feature it is to be able to sync your contacts. If you're talking to someone and they say, "Oh, I got a new cell number," you can change it in the phone and sync it to everywhere else. If someone writes you an e-mail saying the same thing, you can go into Address Book, change the info there, and sync it over to the phone and other devices. Ohhhh, so nice.



    As for what phones are compatible, Apple has a list on their Web site -- click "Devices" -- and other stuff you'll want to know.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    escherescher Posts: 1,811member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    it automatically transfers ALL of your contact information to the phone and subsequently keeps it updated with all your other items in the "digital hub"



    The only caveat is that some phones have very limited memory. For example, I can sync my Moto T722i with iSync via USB cable. But with ca. 500 contacts in my Address Book, there is only enough memory on the phone to get up to F or G (about a quarter of my contacts). I've reverted to keying in contacts to the phone by hand, since I really only need a very limited number of people in there. But the smart and elegant solution is to label a small sub-set of your contacts for transfer to your phone via iSync, instead of beaming over every single contact willy nilly.



    Escher
  • Reply 3 of 6
    cam'roncam'ron Posts: 503member
    so cell phones use the same format as address book does? do u need bluetooth or can u use usb on all of those phones? i dont have bluetooth in my emac. can u even put it in there after the fact? thanks you guys have been very helpful.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    homhom Posts: 1,098member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Cam'ron

    so cell phones use the same format as address book does? do u need bluetooth or can u use usb on all of those phones? i dont have bluetooth in my emac. can u even put it in there after the fact? thanks you guys have been very helpful.



    For the most part mobile phones use vCard or at least can read vCard files and translate them into the format that the phone does use. Apple's iSync page has a list of all compatible phones. Right now the only phones that work are Sony Ericsson and Nokia Series 60 phones via Bluetooth and a few older Moto phones via USB. You can buy a Bluetooth adapter for your eMac for ~$30 if you want to go wireless. The adapter is going to cost as much as the USB cable for a Moto phone so the added cost is going to be the same for either BT or USB.



    As for my own usage, I can accept an address file from a Palm via IR, get home and sync it up and it's added to my address book. Also, the calendar is synced with iCal so I don't need to carry a separate day planer or Palm.
  • Reply 5 of 6
    I have a new Moto V500, which has Bluetooth, but is not supported by iSync yet. I use OnSync to transfer my address book over, which to me is the most useful thing about having BlueTooth. Apple's BlueTooth File Exchange program also works transferring pictures and sounds to/from.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    Much cooler is if you get a BT phone which is also compatible with Salling Clicker software (see Version Tracker for exact details). This lets your phone control iTunes, Keynote and other programs. You can look at your phone and see the name of the song playing. When you get a phone call it pauses iTunes. Lots of fun. Real cheap too.
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