Help SGS2 problems times 2

[tropicrock]

Hi all,
new to the forums and new to smart phones.

Bought my phone from Hong Kong (I am in Australia), to avoid crapware and lock from local telco's, and because I am on a budget.

Ok, very impressed overall with the SGS2, although I don't have personal experience to compare it to, only watching over mates shoulders who have Iphone's and HTC's.

First problem: the contacts only let me put name, one phone number, and one email address per contact. Does not seem very "smart" to me in this day and age of multiple numbers and email accounts, and especially not being able to put the contacts physical street address or postal address. Cannot see how this "smart" phone could be used for business, or have I missed some hidden setting? I have looked through the phone, and tried researching it online and in the forums here to no avail.

Second problem: I keep reading everywhere that ICS is available (I am running 2.3.5) but Kies tells me I am up to date. Is there another way to upgrade my phone?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[Kie]

Hi all,
new to the forums and new to smart phones.

Bought my phone from Hong Kong (I am in Australia), to avoid crapware and lock from local telco's, and because I am on a budget.

Ok, very impressed overall with the SGS2, although I don't have personal experience to compare it to, only watching over mates shoulders who have Iphone's and HTC's.

First problem: the contacts only let me put name, one phone number, and one email address per contact. Does not seem very "smart" to me in this day and age of multiple numbers and email accounts, and especially not being able to put the contacts physical street address or postal address. Cannot see how this "smart" phone could be used for business, or have I missed some hidden setting? I have looked through the phone, and tried researching it online and in the forums here to no avail.

Second problem: I keep reading everywhere that ICS is available (I am running 2.3.5) but Kies tells me I am up to date. Is there another way to upgrade my phone?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Hello and welcome to the world of tomorrow!!

1. If you tap on a contact you'll see the basic info. If you then tap the left soft key and then Edit, you'll see additional editing options, like adding new phone numbers. If you then tap 'Add another field' you'll get even more options.

2. You can flash stock ICS firmware using this guide. That link also provides downloads to the newest official unbranded stock firmware. I suggest LP7, which you can download here.

 

[tropicrock]

Thanks Kie,
for getting back so quickly.
Bad news is, when I tap contact, then tap the left soft key and then Edit, it only comes up with three fields able to be modified/changed, name, phone number and email. Below this are two buttons, save and cancel. Nothing else like you have just described.

I saved all my contacts from my old phone on my sim card, and expected it all to be in the ne SGS2. Sorely dissappointed I am.

Will start reading about option 2, but had already read many people are now having trouble with ICS, so is it really worth while?

 

[Runesai]

I think some of the problems with ICS is some programs need to be redownloaded. I did this with the apps that freeze on me. That was 3 on the first day, none since.

 

[Russell Ng]

Thanks Kie,
for getting back so quickly.
Bad news is, when I tap contact, then tap the left soft key and then Edit, it only comes up with three fields able to be modified/changed, name, phone number and email. Below this are two buttons, save and cancel. Nothing else like you have just described.

I saved all my contacts from my old phone on my sim card, and expected it all to be in the ne SGS2. Sorely dissappointed I am.

Will start reading about option 2, but had already read many people are now having trouble with ICS, so is it really worth while?

Your contact are Sim contact or phone contact? Sim contact have very limited fields. If you transfer the Sim contact to Phone Contact, then you will have a lot more options.

In the contacts, if you tap menu, you will have option to import/export where you can choose to import Sim contact to phone. After that, tap on menu/more and you can select what contacts to view. I usually select only view Phone Contacts so I don't have double contacts showing. You can then tap on any phone contact and select edit to get fields for the contacts to be filled. Emails, home phone, web page, suffix/prefix to names... the works.

Also, if you want an easier way to edit the contacts, after importing from Sim, you can sync to google. Then you can use the PC to edit in google contacts and after that, sync back to phone.

As for firmware update, if Kies show you are up to date, you are (based on the phone CSC). You do have options to flashing updates via ODIN if you want though.

Cheers

 

[tropicrock]

Russell Ng, you are a legend mate.
So simple, and unable to find in any manual or forum. Did not realise I was still viewing the contacts on my sim card, which is how I carried them across.
Must say, Android is pretty pathetic that I have lost all detailed information from my sim card, it only brought the name, email and first phone number it found on each contact, not other phone numbers or addresses.

Ah well, the joys of moving to a "SMART" phone?

Dont suppose anyone knows the CSC code for a i9100 not linked to any telco? I may be able to change the CSC code, and get it to update by itself.

 

[Russell Ng]

Actually, SIM card can't keep that much information. I think your old phone kept the information that you want in the phone memory too. Maybe your old phone was just smart enough not to show both sim and phone contacts and linked them up.

In fact, if your old phone could sync with google contacts, you could actually do that and instead importing from SIM, you could just sync straight from google. Its all heading in that direction. Imagine you changing phone or have more than one. You don't need to have contacts on the Sim with its limited input. Just sync it straight from the google server.

 

[Russell Ng]

Forgot to add. I am on 2.3.6 so I never had to flash. But there are many in the forums that have done so and could direct you to the most appropriate firmware to use. Although most of the problems in 2.3.3 were resolved by the time 2.3.5 rolled out. So you don't need to update further under GB IMHO.

As for ICS, there are still a little bugs in it. So your choice if you want to get ICS now. But for you, probably no harm. Phone is new, so you could actually factory reset the phone before or after the update to resolve any problems due to the update, AND you won't lose too much.

Just wait awhile. Someone knowledgeable would come along and direct you on how to get ICS (officially via Kies).

Cheers