Transferring SMS from S60 2nd Ed. to 3rd Ed. Phone

Background

Back to the 2005 Christmas, when I got my first S60 phone, I tried to transfer my SMSs from a Nokia 3120 to the new Nokia N70 (2nd Ed). Unfortunately, no luck because the PC Suite didn't support that. What I can do was to copy the messages manually to any folder other than the Inbox. So, those Inbox messages were moved to somewhere else and they always show "to me" (not from whom).

10 months later, I bought my second S60 phone, Nokia E50 (3rd Ed). Again, I tried to migrate all my SMSs from N70 using the Transfer program on E50. Still, it failed. Although E50 sent N70 an updated Transfer (aka Data Move), the two programs still not allow SMS transfer. This features seems only work between 3rd Ed. phones. So, I didn't give up my N70. In fact, since E50 is a 2G phone while I've 3G service subscription, I used N70 most of the time.

Another ten months past, I got myself another S60 phone - the Nokia 6120 classic (3rd Ed FP1). Yes, it seems that my upgrade period is 10 months. If so, I should able to get a new phone by next June. Well, gotta see what so good is release by that time. I ain't too interested in N81 nor N82, may be a hand-on experience will change my mind.

Unlike my second phone which has no features but a device for testing programs (oh well, it's slim, but, so what?), the 6120 is a 3G phone with HSDPA. Camera is same as N70, 2MP with flash (why's Nokia still selling 2MP for the third year?), plus the body is slim, there is no reasons for not upgrading. So, my question comes again: how to transfer SMS from N70 to 6120.

This time, I got a solution...

Solution

If you prefer to store messages on phone memory, you will need three phones to do the transfer, otherwise you don't need a middle-phone:

• source phone - 2nd Ed (ex. my N70),


• destination phone - 3rd Ed (ex. 6120 classic), and


• middle phone - 3rd Ed (ex. my E50).

Steps:

1. On your source and middle phones, set memory card as storage for messages. On destination phone, set that to phone memory. To change the settings, go to Messaging > Options > Settings > Other > Memory in use > [memory card]. You will be prompt to copy message or not. Select yes for the source phone and yes for keep original. For others, up to your preferences.


2. After the copying is completed, read the memory card with a computer and copy the folder \system\mail\ to your computer (always as a backup). Now, you can put the source phone and its memory card away.


3. Access the memory card of your middle device, browse to \private\1000484b\. You will find a "Mail2" folder, rename it to anything. Copy your "Mail" folder and rename that to "Mail2". Insert the card back into the phone. Now, you can access all messages, SMS, MMS, Bluetooth and Infrared.. etc, on your middle phone.


4. Last step is simple, open the Transfer program on both 3rd Ed. phones, set up a sync profile between your destination phone and the middle phone, and synchronize text messsages. Done.