Updating my Nokia firmware feels like 1995

My colleague, Amy Gahran, had a bad experience purchasing her nokia n95 from Amazon.  So, I took her advice to update the firmware.   Well, Nokia's user support isn't the most intuitive.  I felt like I was back in 1995.   Amy was great and helped me by pointing me to the right resources.

1.  The first thing you'll need to is to get your device product number.  It's located underneath the battery.  Warning, if you're as old as me and need reading glasses, go get a magnifying glass too.  The point size must be size 2.   Here's the instructions. 

2.  Now, go here.   Supposedly if you type #0000# into your phone it will beam back your firmware version.  Mine didn't work.   But, Amy was able to tell me the most recent version.

3.  Then go back to that form and type in your product number and see if you're up to date.

Looks like Amy got a Nokia that had been on the shelf for a while or the firmware wasn't update.

Either I'm just too old or we're in the early-adopter-the-technology-is-really-difficult-wait-five-years phase.  Or as Karoli says "Mobiles Need To Suck Less"

Comments

[Amy Gahran]

Hi, Beth

As I told you privately, I'm very glad that your N95's firmware was up to date when you received it. I hope that when you do update your firmware (because at some point you will have to), it's doesn't brick your phone like what happened to me.

BTW, the character string to find your firmware version on your N95 is: *#0000#
- Yep, you need the asterisk at the beginning of the string. I missed that too, the first few times.

- Amy

[Ricky Cadden]

Actually, that process is unnecessary. If you're using PC Suite on your computer to sync your phone, it will automatically check for a new firmware when you connect your phone, and alert you with a small notification if there's a new version.

You can also run the Nokia Software Update application at any time, just to check. No magnifying glasses, no funky codes to type in, just plug your phone in and click 'start'. It will check and come back to let you know what firmware you currently have as well as the most current version.

Easy peasy.

[Ariel]

I´m sorry, but I think you are overreacting about some of the things you mention here. You should find information before you buy a phone these days or try to update its firmware. It's easy to blame Nokia for your lack of knowledge in this matters, than to get some knowledge before trying to do this isn't it?? As somebody said before me you don't need to do all the things you mentioned before, regards.-