Vodafone blog

So you’ve been using a Nokia mobile phone for years and you’ve decided to take the plunge and try your hands on an Android smartphone. You’re now wondering how do I transfer my stuff on my old phone to the new?

Well, this post aims to make your transition as painless as possible, so you can start using your new Android based smartphone and take advantage of it’s features in no time.

We’ll start with a simple one – how to get your contacts across to your new phone.

It’s a task more complicated than it seems with many people having more contacts than what the traditional sim card can store – typically around the 250 mark.

How do you get your contacts across?

Google Sync via Google Account.

Google Sync is handy way of backing up your contacts from one phone and then ‘sychronising’ it with another via the Google server. For more information, check out our previous post about it – back up your phone contacts

Ensure your current Nokia S60 Symbian mobile phone has Mail for Exchange (MfE) installed, available free to download via Nokia Ovi Store.
For more information regarding the setup of MfE on your Nokia S60 Symbian handset, please visit: http://europe.nokia.com/support/product-support/mail-for-exchange/compatibility-and-download

Fig 1. Mail For Exchange Download from Nokia Ovi Store.

With the latest version of MfE (current version 3.00.050) installed successfully on your S60 Symbian handset, you are then able to proceed in setting up your Google account on your handset in preparation to synchronising your contracts online.  

If you don’t already have a Google account, you can create one at no charge at: https://www.google.com/accounts/.

Check out Google’s official setup instructions for Nokia Symbian and Google Sync

In preparing for this post I have found the information relating to previous versions of MfE. On that note, most of the settings and information are still applicable, with only slight changes to be made during the set up process.

The key difference appears being credentials (username, password, domain) settings are inputted before connection (exchange server, secure connection, access point) settings.

Before proceeding, it is strongly suggested to backup your mobile phone on Nokia Ovi Suite via PC – to prevent the loss of your important data.

Step 1.  Locate Mail for Exchange application and open.

Fig 2. Mail for Exchange application

Step 2.  Input required for credential fields. Email and Username is your Gmail/Google Account login details i.e. username@gmail.com.

Step 3.  Fill in connection settings as per Google setup instructions.  For our access point we will be selecting ‘VF AU Internet’.

Fig 3. Connection settings – Access point

Step 4.  The handset will now contact the Google server and attempt to make a connection with the new Google profile.

Fig 4. Connecting to Google Sync server

Step 5.  Once connected, the user must define what content is to be synchronised with the server – from calendar, tasks and for our purposes contacts.

Fig  5. Contacts options

The options for contacts can be located by navigating to the ‘contact’ tab using left/right directional keys on the handset.

Remember to save any changes by selecting Options – Save.

Step 6.  From the main Mail for Exchange menu screen, select Options – Synchronise to synchronise selected content.

Fig 6.  Synchronising contacts

If everything has worked according to plan, you should now be able to view your phone contacts by logging into your Google Account, located under ‘contacts’, on any PC with Internet access. 

Fig. 7 Contact(s) on Nokia Symbian Handset / Google Account.

How to access your contact list from your Android smartphone?

From here to transfer your contacts to your new Android device is as easy as:

• Log into your Google Account as prompted after turning on your smartphone for the first time and run through the setup process. Or
• Go via Settings – Accounts & sync settings – Add Account.

On certain newer HTC smartphones, such as the Desire HD, upon first time setup, you will have the ability to transfer their contacts from your old Nokia mobile phone via wireless Bluetooth technology as per manufacturer provided application ‘Transfer My Stuff’. 

While this largely means people who use HTC smartphones do not need to go through the above Google Sync method.

It is still recommended they do so, since Google Sync provides an up-to-date online copy of your contacts should anything happen to your phone in the future.

You may be interested in

• How to connect to the internet using tethering
• Import your Facebook friends and more on Google+
• How to save contacts to your PC using HTC Sync
• Top tips to treat your mobile or modem right