Nokia Software Updates

With all handsets released, the product you buy in the shops is not always the final version. Manufacturers frequently release software updates to fix bugs, improve reliability and add functionality. Historically this would have involved being without your phone for 2-3 weeks or more while you sent your phone back to the manufacturers service centre. Quite often all data on the handset would be lost, and in some cases phones could get lost or damaged on their way to and from the service centre.

Most of the major handset manufacturers have now made this a thing of the past by allowing customers to update the software on their phones themselves, when and where you want.

Why should I update my phone?
You may not be experiencing any problems or software issues with your phone, so you may not think you need to update it, but some of the updates released can improve features such as battery life, photo quality and improve support for other devices such as Bluetooth Headsets. Nokia have recently released several completely new features onto some of their handsets through the Software Updater.

There are two ways to update the software on your phone – Using the Nokia Software Updater or Over-the-Air (referred to as OTA).

Both methods are relatively simple, but with a lot of handsets being network branded, not many will support the OTA service. Upgrading through your PC also means that you can back your phone up before starting the upgrade, just in case anything goes wrong.

So what’s the difference?
Nokia Software Updater is a PC based application that you can download and install from the Nokia Website. Once installed, the program will ask you which phone you want to update, and then download the necessary updates. In order to use Nokia Software Updater you will need a PC, a broadband connection and the correct data cable for your phone. Using the Nokia Software Updater does not always protect your user data and depending on your handset, it may delete your text messages, photos, videos and contacts. Before you start the update you need to make sure that your battery is fully charged, and ideally should have backed up your data using the Nokia PC Suite just in case something doesn’t go to plan. You cannot run the update service over a Bluetooth connection and not all handsets support software updates. Nokia Software Updater can take up to 20-30 minutes to complete.

Visit the Nokia Software Update page to check for compatibility and any available updates.

OTA is a remote update service. Your phone will connect to the Internet and check with Nokia for any updates to the software already running. If it finds an update, it will download and install it straight to your phone without having to connect to a PC. Software updates are quite large in size, so this method is only recommended if you have an unlimited data plan. A typical update is over 100 MB, which is a lot of data,so at up to £2.50 per MB (depending on your service provider) it can prove to be very expensive. If your handset has Wi-Fi built in, you will find it faster and cheaper to download the update over WiFi. As with the PC method using the OTA option doesn’t always protect your data and may delete your text messages, photos, videos and contacts. Before you start the update you need to make sure that your battery is fully charged, and ideally should have backed up your data to your PC using the Nokia PC Suite just in case something doesn’t go to plan. OTA updates are much slower to process and will take a considerable amount of time to complete.

I would recommend using the PC to update your software rather than OTA.

How do I know if there is an update available?
There are two ways to check for updates – either through the Nokia website or through the Software update application. The quickest and easiest way is to run the Software updater, connect your phone to your PC and the software will identify your phone and let you know of any available updates.

To check for udpates through the Nokia website, you will need to find out your current version of software by typing #*0000# into your phones keypad.
Make a note of your current software version number, it will be displayed on screen and will look similiar to: V12.3.456.
You will also need to know your product code. This will be printed on the label underneath your phone’s battery, is 8 digits long and will look something similar to: CODE:0520001

Once you’ve made a note of these two numbers, head over to the Nokia Update Checker and enter your product code. You will be shown the latest version of software that is available for your phone, and if the version number is higher than you have on your phone you will be able to update.

Handsets running the latest S60 Software can check for updates directly on their phone. To do this, key in *#0000#, and when the software version is displayed, press the “options” key, and check for updates.

How do I update on my PC?
If you already have Nokia PC Suite installed, you should have the Software Updater installed too, if not, you can download it free of charge from the Nokia website.
Once the Nokia Software updater is installed, launch the program, connect your phone and then follow the on screen prompts.

Things to remember before you start:

• Make sure your battery is fully charged
• Make sure you have backed up your phone using Nokia PC Suite
• Any passwords on your memory card have been removed

An average software update will involve downloading the new software from Nokia’s servers. This download is normally around 100MB, so depending on your connection speed it may take a while to download. Once the download starts you won’t be able to disconnect your phone without causing problems. Always allow plenty of time when doing a software update.

It is very important that you do not disconnect or turn off your phone or computer during the update process as this can cause extreme damage to your handset.

Once the software update has completed, you may need to run the back up application from PC Suite again to restore your settings, messages pictures and music onto your phone.