4.0735.3.0.2
Nokia N73 & Bluetooth/iSync
24/07/08 13:27 Filed in: Hardware
The N73 isn’t a bad phone, it works with iPhoto and iTunes with the Nokia Multimedia Transfer software that Nokia provide. This makes it quite easy to drag and drop music and photos onto the device and get photos off directly into iPhoto. It also can use iSync to simply sync your Address Book, Calendars etc. I think I will need a new Sim to use 3G.
You could do this either with the USB cable, or more simply with Bluetooth.
That’s the good news, now the bad:
I found the operating system very laggy (slow). So, I checked here to see if there was a newer version of the firmware.There was,version 4.0735.3.0.2.
Annoyingly, you are unble to update the firmware on a Mac, and must use a Windows PC to use Nokia Software Update (this is a story in itself, having to set up an old PC of ours purely to do this update).
I managed to update the phone which sped it up, but found it no longer worked with Bluetooth/iSync on the Mac running Mac OS 10.5.4. The phone will pair, but you get the following error in iSync (the phone is named Stuartea):
You are also unable to browse the device using Bluetooth (from the menu).
It still works with the USB cable, but you no longer have the convenience of wireless transfers.
After some searching it appears I am not the only one with the problem, there is a thread on the Nokia forums dating back to October 2007, and there is no fix from Nokia. It appears the problem is between the 4.0735.3.0.2 firmware and Mac OS 10.5, as it appears it will work with Mac OS 10.4. The older version of the firmware 3.0704.1.01 works without any problem with Mac OS 10.5, which suggests a Nokia firmware problem. The Bluetooth on the Mac works fine with the Sony Ericsson K750i.
I mailed Nokia, they suggested making sure I had the latest plug-in for iSync and to reboot the N73, and restart the Mac. I pointed out there is no plug-in for the N73, it should just work according to their own site. Neither rebooting or restarting solved the problem.
Their next response was to contact Mac [sic] at “http://www.apple.com/macosx”. Two things worried me, first they called Apple “Mac”, and secondaly they gave me an Apple product page link.
I don’t care who’s to blame, Apple or Nokia. I would expect them to work together to find a solution. Also, Nokia need to give their front-line customer teams more support, or an ability to esculate problems to their software developers, rather than through lack of knowledge try to fob customers off and give them the runaround.
Update: Okay, the latest reply from Nokia may as well have said “Thanks, we’ve filed your messages in the bin”.
There may be a solution! I just read at TUAW, that Missing Sync for Symbian has just been released. The Nokia N73 is listed as being supported.
It does add more features than you’d get with just iSync. Including Proximity Syncing, which automatically syncs your phone when it’s within Bluetooth range.
I mailed them, and they let me know there’s a demo available here.
Sadly, it didn’t work. I get the following error after it pairs:
OBEX error fileTransferServicesDisconnectionComplete kOBEXSessionTransportDiedError| kOBEXSessionNoTransportError| kOBEXSessionNotConnectedError: -21880.
The Bluetooth icons on both the phone and menu indicate it’s attempting to do something, but gets no further.
This is what Mark/Space makers of The Missing Sync have told me:
“There is an issue with this device and with that new firmware.
It seems with the new firmware and Leopard there is an issue.
However with Tiger and the new firmware it works fine.
We are currently documenting this behavior and will
be posted in our Knowledgebase...”
Which they have done, here.
Maybe it might shame Nokia/Apple into fixing it? (but I doubt it).