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kaz7777 · Jul 31, 2005, 04:08 PM

Anybody have a Bluetooth cell phone that works great with there mac? I am in the market for something that will take all my contacts and my calendar, and maybe more...? mpgs or picture files. recommends?

Mithras · Jul 31, 2005, 06:07 PM

Start here of course
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/isync/devices.html

Next question is your network provider. If you go with GSM (Cingular/ATT, T-Mobile), you have more options in phones. CDMA (Sprint, Verizon) limits you pretty much to the Motorola phones or smartphones.

For a basic, small phone that will do contacts and calendar, most people like the Sony Ericsson phones.
If you want synching of Address Book photos, some fancier capabilities, and don't mind a chunkier phone, then either a Nokia Series 60 phone, or the S/E P-series.

lavar78 · Jul 31, 2005, 06:32 PM

I've had a Nokia 3650 and a SE T610. I didn't have any real problems with either one, but I rarely used the calendar feature at all. Now I have a Treo 650. It's worked fine with iSync for me (although it only syncs the home mail address and calls it "work"). I wish it would sync Address Book pictures, but that's not a deal breaker for me.

quietjim · Jul 31, 2005, 08:55 PM

I have a Motorola v551/Cingular service that works great with my Powerbook 15"/Tiger 10.4.2. No problems with sync via iSync except that the phone only has one field for phone numbers, address book has multiple, so every contact that has multiple phones gets listed multiple times. Also, minor complaint: the phone sorts alpha by first name. I've fooled around a bit and can't seem to change this.

BT file exchange works great. In fact, as a grandfather, I keep a whole album of family pictures of my phone, drawn from iPhoto pictures. I'm thinking of making an automator workflow to automate changing them. I also found it was a way to carry a file at a hotel one day...wierd but it worked.

Someone posted here that the v551 doesn't work with Saling Clicker. I haven't tested this so I don't know about that.

I have had very good success tethering to the phone and using it for internet access. This thread has excellent information to get this going. I actually impressed my wife yesterday when she was driving, wanted info on movie times and I hauled out my powerbook in the car and got online to check. Never underestimate the importance of impressing a wife.

Note: you do have to be willing to buy Cingular's medianet unlimited to make this work or ?-I assume Verizon etc. have similar services.

The phone itself is nice. I like it, but I'm not a cellphone fantatic. This has a somewhat limited camera, fun to take shots and send once in a while, the usual collection of oddly arranged menus where you quickly memorize what you need. It does little videos, which may be the most totally useless thing ever done on a phone. Best feature is voice dialing. It's fairly light, good battery time. I have a BT headset ; the jury is still out on that.

Good luck.

lavar78 · Jul 31, 2005, 09:04 PM

The best unlimited-data plans are from T-Mobile ($6/month) and Sprint ($10/month).

kaz7777 · Aug 1, 2005, 07:13 AM

thanks for the info guys. The good news is that I was just able to get out of my contract with sprint, because they discontinued my phone (sony Ericson T608) and it just broke (this is my 3rd) and Is still covered under warranty. They were offering me some LG BT phone instead, but its not iSync compatible. So after an hour on the phone I managed to get out of my contract so I can go to a carrier that actually offers a mac compatible phone for less than $600. So I have my pick of carriers at the moment. I was thinking I'd get a Razr 3 from cingular. Does anyone have any experience with the file exchange between a Razr and a Mac?

lavar78 · Aug 1, 2005, 07:35 AM

A good site for mobile phones is http://howardforums.com. I suggest checking there.

IceEnclosure · 06:56 PM

with Sprint I was connecting on their 3G high-speed network thru USB.

currently I'm using a Razr through bluetooth on Cingular, albeit at slower speeds.

neither one charges me for the net access.

(I have heard of some people being warned or billed for doing so with Sprint, but I never encountered such)

The bluetooth allows me to send/receive photos/ringers/contacts etc to and from my G4/Razr. 533 G4 Tower, 10.4.1 / iSync v2.1, using a Linksys Bluetooth dongle complete with a little antenna. Very good reception, I haven't tested it out extensively.

My only gripe is that I wish Sailing Clicker would work with my phone. Hogwash.