Nokia N86 has received a firmware update to v2 which is available via FOTA. Nokia Site reports the following changes. There are a lot of cool camera improvements with Face detection, Red Eye removal and the Focus point indication. Some regular bug fixes which improve the overall experience. Well, I must say the awesome device just got more killer.


v20.115 brings:

Camera improvements:
* Improved still image quality
* Improved video quality * Face detection added
* Red-eye removal added (Nokia note: “this is image processing which removes the red-eye. You need to be in red-eye reduction flash mode for it to be operational. Other flash modes it is disabled as there is a small shot to shot impact due to the extra image processing.”)
* New focus point indication – this shows where in the scene the camera is focussing
* Improved Close-up focus. (Nokia note: “As a result you will find in most situations you can focus much closer than before. The new focus point indication will also help in confirming which part of your subject is used for critical focus checking”)

Significant bug fixes to:
* Web * Music store client
* RealPlayer * Ovi Maps
* Here and Now
* N-Gage client
* Nokia Messaging There’s also now automatic VoIP re-registration. Although there’s no Ovi Store client built-in (this is coming), the right client will get auto-installed over the air when you first visit the Ovi Store mobile web site.
There’s also now automatic VoIP re-registration. Although there’s no Ovi Store client built-in (this is coming), the right client will get auto-installed over the air when you first visit the Ovi Store mobile web site.

Although only when you put them head to head, do you realize that the Nokia N86 appears to be a tiny bit wider; and at first you might even think that it's due to the new casing color. But a couple of simple measurements will tell you that at 103.4x51.4x16.5 mm, the N86 is indeed wider than the N85 (103x50x16 mm). On top of that, it has become substantially heavier (149 g, against the N85's 128 g), although its weight won't bother you at all.

N86 a 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery (BL-5K), similar to that employed in the Nokia N79. The N86 is rated for 7 hours of talk time (GSM) and 363 hours of standby. Music time - up to 30 hours, video recording time (top resolution and quality settings) - up to 180 minutes, video playback time - up to 7 hours. The handset's battery life averaged 3 days in our tests, when we used the N86 for about two hours of calls, a dozen or two snaps, several minutes of video, and around an hour of music/radio. It takes the N86 around one hour to charge from empty to full.

USB. You pick one of these 3 connection modes in the USB settings of the N86:

o Data Transfer (Mass Storage USB) – memory cards is available, no drivers required, as your OS identifies the handset automatically.
o PC Suite – used for device management via Nokia PC Suite, enables all features of the phone, data backup etc.
o Image Transfer – no explanation required.
o Media Transfer – another self-explanatory mode (MTP).

Data transfer speeds top out at around 2 Mb/s. Once you plug the N86 into a PC it starts recharging automatically via the USB cable.

Bluetooth. The phone comes with Bluetooth v2.0, with support for EDR. The following profiles are supported
o Dial Up Networking Profile (Gateway)
o Object Push Profile (Server and Client)
o File Transfer Profile (Server)
o Hands Free Profile (Audio Gateway)
o Headset Profile (Audio Gateway)
o Basic Imaging Profile (Image Push Responder and Initiator)
o Remote SIM Access Profile (Server)
o Device Identification Profile
o Phone Book Access Profile (Server)
o Stereo Audio Streaming:
o Generic Audio/Video Distribution Profile
o Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (A/V Remote Control Target)
o Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (Audio Source)

The top speed you can get with the N86's Bluetooth connection is around 100 Kb/s. We also tested its A2DP profile in pair with the Sony Ericsson DS970 headset, which worked just fine - we managed our play list, skipped within tracks and adjusted volume seamlessly, however we couldn't make current track's title show up on the N86's display.

Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi. This handset comes armed with Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 g) support. All security standards are supported: WEP , WPA , WPA 2, with other advanced settings available. The device supports Universal PnP standard (UPnP), which is the successor to the wired standard PnP. With its help, along with Wi-Fi, you can send slides to a TV, music to a stereo system, and photos to a printer. In a certain sense UPnP is like an add-on to the infrastructure (Wi-Fi, for example) in the form of Bluetooth-esque services, so this looks more like a software upgrade. The sales package includes Home Media Server, which allows connecting the N86 through your home Wi-Fi network to a desktop PC.

There is also a Wi-Fi wizard available in the N86 - it can keep looking for enabled networks in the background mode and tap into them.

So here we were, thinking that the Nokia N86 8MP was just a featurebumped N85, and what happens? These screenshots showing off a series of custom settings for the kickstand in the back leak out and blow our minds. See, the N96 just has a dumb plastic stand back there, but the N86 8MP can actually launch an app when you flip it out, making it an instant video player, picture frame, or speaker system. That's innovation, friends. Now let's party.

Firmware Update V 20.115



1. Start on the main screen and type *#0000#.
2. Press centre key.
3. Select “Check for updates”
4. Wait, the phone connects to FOTA Server
5. The phone connects directly to the FOTA server, and looks for a newer version of software. If one is available, you will get the option to download and update your handset.
This is a much easier way to update the phones firmware, and saves the use of a PC which means you can do it anywhere, away from your desk.

http://europe.nokia.com/support/download-software/device-software-update/download

Your Nokia device includes a multiprotocol email client, which supports the Mail for Exchange account using Microsoft ActiveSync protocol. Note! Mail for Exchange (MFE) client installation is not needed. The configuration is done by running Set up e-mail wizard. The following steps guide you through setting up Mail for Exchange email account in your Nokia phone: NOTE! Read all screens carefully during the setup process as they will provide additional information how to proceed. 1. Highlight and select Set up e-mail on your home screen using the NaviKey. 2. Select Start e-mail setup from the menu that appears. 3. Select Start to begin entering the information for your e-mail account 4. The setup wizard will need to access the network in order to complete your email configuration. Depending on your operator contract, this may involve some data transfer charges. Select Yes, to allow the wizard to access to network, if question has been displayed. Please wait for the wizard to establish a network connection. 5. Enter your corporate Email address and select OK. 6. Select Corporate in Type of email. 7. Select Mail for Exchange, if the question has been displayed. 8. Next Setup wizard requests details of email settings. Enter Domain name, your User name in mail account, password, e-mail Server name and Secure Login (on/off). Select Next. 9. Select either Email Only or Email and Data. Email and Data means synchronising Email, Calendar, Contacts and To-Do in the initial synchronisation. The definition can be changed later in Menu > Email > Settings. 10. If you selected Email and Data in step 9, select either Merge or Replace for question how to synchronise. To get more info check Help. 11. When Email complete is displayed, select OK. 12. Now Mail for Exchange mailbox has been added to your device and it is ready to use. When using Mail for Exchange, you may be requested to change the lock code after connect to mail server first time. The default lock code for your device is 12345. New lock code is requested at the defined intervals.

Many people think that Nokia N86 has got 8GB memory as phone memory, but it is not correct. Here the phone memory means where actually contacts, bookmarks, emails, messages, notes etc are stored.

If you keep installing some softwares and receiving emails in your phone memory, you will soon get low memory warnings on your Nokia N86, in fact on all mobiles.

Actually the phone memory is limited to a grand 74 MB, out of which only about 45 MB is available because the rest is taken up by the pre-installed application and so on.

Here are some tips to recover and increase the phone memory so that you get rid of low memory warnings and get more memory to install the other softwares.

1. Install all the softwares on E: drives of your nokia N86. If you have installed some softwares on your phone memory, uninstall and reinstall on E: drive.
2. Install a third part file browser like Y-Browser or X-plore and delete the ‘Cache’ folder in C:/System. This will really help and you will see that your mobile is faster now.
3. Using same file browser (manager), delete the ‘dmgr’ folder in C:/System. In this folder all files which are downloaded are stored. When you restart the web browser, these files are cleared up but sometimes they are stuck and in that case deleting the “dmgr” folder will increase the phone memory. Don’t worry about “dmgr” and “Cache” folders, they are automatically made when you start the web browser of your phone.
4. You may also change your default ‘Messaging’ memory to either the 8GB inbuilt storage or a Memory Card. To do this, enter ‘Messaging’, hit Options>Settings>Other>’Memory In Use’.
5. Now lets move on to the pre-installed applications and widgets, uninstall as many as you do not need. On most occasions you will be able to find the ones you really need again, then simply install them to the 8GB drive on the N86. For example, I wanted the ‘Psiloc Traveller’ application, so I simply downloaded it from the Ovi Store, same with widgets.
6. Open the Ovi Store application settings and make sure it is set to install applications on your E: drive. To do this navigate to Options>Account>Settings>Installation Preferences.
7. If you use Nokia Messaging and MFE on your handset, or even have a normal mailbox configured you will be loosing phone memory pretty fast. The solution is to uninstall/reinstall or delete and reconfigure your mailboxes. This will usually get you at least 10MB back, possibly more depending on your usage.
8. If you use POP email, which you shouldn’t since there is IMAP, then go into your mailbox settings and set it to enable POP for email that arrives from ‘Now’ on, this will reduce the number of old emails it downloads. I know this seems petty.
9. If you install any application/theme, make sure you install it onto the E: drive. However, if you are going to be using a particular theme install it onto the phone memory. This is so that your phone doesn’t switch to the default theme everytime you connect it in the ‘Mass Storage’ mode. Same for ringtones. Make sure you keep it down to one theme only.

If you want to squeeze as much battery life as possible from your 5800, here are some hints and tips on how to do it. These hints and tips are equally applicable to other S60 devices. These tips and tricks have been taken from allaboutsymbian.com.

1) Do NOT switch the phone off!

We’re often told to turn lights off to save energy, but this advice does not work on mobile phones.

In fact, although it sounds crazy, your phone’s battery charge will last longer if you DON’T turn it off!

The reason for this is that devices like the 5800 are actually pocket-sized computers with a phone built into them, which is why they’re often called “smartphones”. Just like PCs, smartphones take a while to boot up, and this booting process involves lots of intensive computing tasks that help to get the phone ready for use. Switching a phone on actually uses far more battery power than simply leaving the phone on, and of course if you switch the phone off you will have to switch it back on again at some point.

If you switch a phone on and off lots of times, it will use up the battery very quickly, because you’re asking it to boot up lots of times. Your battery will last a LOT longer if you just leave the phone on all the time, and charge it while it’s still on.

A fully-charged N86 can stay switched on in standby mode for up to two weeks, because in standby mode with the screen switched off it doesn’t have to do much except wait for calls or commands.

You don’t need to do anything special to put the N86 into standby mode, it is automatically in standby when it isn’t being used.

There is no real need to ever switch a mobile phone off, unless something has gone wrong with it and you want to try rebooting it.

2) Fully charge the phone’s battery

Okay, this might be an obvious point, but it’s a very important one and you’d be surprised how many people still don’t get this! :-)

The battery is charging when the battery icon’s bar chart (in the top right corner of the screen) is animated. When the battery is full, the bar chart is full and has stopped moving. If you want to make sure the battery is full, wait for the animation to stop moving before you disconnect the charger.

The whole charging process on an empty battery may take a couple of hours, but this can vary tremendously depending on what kind of charger you use. The higher the charger’s “mA” rating, the quicker it will charge the battery. Different Nokia chargers have different mA ratings, which are visible on an engraved panel below the prongs.

Incidentally, you do not need to empty the battery before charging. Modern lithium phone batteries can be recharged however full they are.

Money-saving, tree-hugging hint: Disconnect the charger from the mains wall socket when not in use. Chargers which are left plugged in use a small amount of electricity which will cost you money and cause needless damage to the environment. This applies to all electronic appliances, unplug them when you don’t need them.

3) Shut down unnecessary applications

The N86 is an S60 smartphone, and can run several applications at once (for example you can listen to music while surfing the web and receiving instant messages). However, the more applications you run at once, the quicker the battery will be drained, so it’s a good idea to shut down any applications you don’t need.

You can see all the current running applications by doing the following:

Hold down the white menu button for a few seconds (you can let go of the button once the Open Applications menu appears). Select an icon in the Open Apps menu to go to that application, and exit the app from its own options menu to shut it down. Alternatively, most apps can be shut down by going to them and pressing the red button below the screen.

The fewer apps that run simultaneously, the longer the battery will last.

Running fewer apps simultaneously will also make the phone run faster overall, because it has less to do at once.

4) Turn down the N86’s screen brightness to the lowest acceptable level

One of the biggest battery drains on portable devices is the screen’s lighting system, which is why mobile device screens usually dim themselves when they’re not in use.

You can make your phone’s battery last longer if you turn down the screen’s brightness to the lowest level that you’re okay with. Here’s how to do it on the N86:

Press the white menu button, select "Tools",“Settings”, select “General”, select “Personalisation”, select "Display",select “Light Sensor”, then adjust the slider towards “Minimum” to dim the display. Use the lowest setting that feels comfortable. When you’ve finished, select “OK”, then press the red button to go back to the front page.

5) Switch off your N86’s screen when not in use

When you’re not using the N86 it’s a good idea to lock the screen, partly because it stops the SOFT KEY being touched by mistake, but also because it switches the screen off too. The phone itself carries on running, but the screen being off will make the battery last a lot longer.

In case you forget to do it manually, you can make the screen dim automatically when it isn’t being used. Here’s how to set the screen auto switch-off period:

Alternatively, you can set the screen lock to go on automatically (which dims the screen as well as locking it):

Press the white menu button, select “Settings”, select “Phone Management”, select “Auto Keyguard”, select “Keypad Autolock Period”, select “User Defined”, then enter how long you want the phone to wait before locking the screen, select “OK”, then press the red button to go back to the front page.

6) Use headphones instead of speakers

If you listen to music on the n86’s built-in speakers you will use the battery up more quickly than if you listen through headphones. Headphones are inside your ear so they use much less power to deliver the same intensity of sound, whereas speakers have to get the sound to your ear over a much longer distance.

7) Avoid using the camera flash unnecessarily

In some situations (such as a dark room) you need to use the N86’s camera flash in order to get a decent picture, and in other situations (such as being outdoors on a bright day) the camera will automatically switch the flash off when taking pictures.

However, there are many situations which fall between these two extremes, where the N86’s camera will automatically use the flash, but where you could get a reasonable photo without it. In those circumstances you may want to switch the flash off because it’s using up the battery unnecessarily.

You can choose the other flash modes (On, Auto, Red Eye Reduction) using the same process.

8) Use 2G instead of 3G

The N86 can use both 2G and 3G phone networks. The advantage of 3G is a very high speed of internet access, the latest 3G networks have a technology called 3.5G HSDPA which lets you use speeds up to many megabits, comparable to PC broadband connections at home. The disadvantage of 3G networks is that they use up a phone’s battery more quickly during calls.

The most popular kind of 2G network is called GSM, and the most popular kind of 3G network is called UMTS, and is also known as WCDMA. The 5800 uses GSM for 2G and UMTS/WCDMA for 3G. (Incidentally, there’s also a 2G network called CDMA but this is nothing to do with UMTS/WCDMA.)

By default the 5800 uses 3G networks, but automatically switches to 2G when there is no 3G network available in your current location. If you don’t need high speed internet access, try switching your phone into 2G-only mode in order to save battery life during phone calls. Here’s how to do it on the 5800:

Press the white menu button, select “Settings”, select “Connectivity”, select “Network”, select “Network Mode”, select “GSM”, select “OK”, then press the red button to go back to the front page.

If you want to go back to automatically selecting 3G networks when available, repeat the above process but select “Dual Mode” instead of GSM. If you want to use the internet remember to do switch back to Dual Mode, otherwise your N86 will be stuck in 2G mode which means a very slow internet connection.

9) Try to get a good signal

The better the signal on your phone, the easier it is for the phone to connect to a base station (aka phone mast or phone tower). The easier it is to connect to a base station, the less power a phone uses during calls. By making sure you have a good signal during calls, texts or internet use, you can make the phone’s battery last longer.

You can see the current strength of the phone’s signal in the top left corner of the screen, and below it it should say “3G”, “3.5G” or display an aerial logo in 2G networks. The higher the bar, the better the signal, and the longer your phone’s battery will last when connected to the base station.

You can get a better signal by being out in the open, or if you’re indoors try to be near windows. The best signals are when you’re as near as possible to a base station, with a clear line of sight. Modern phones are able to connect even when they’re deep inside buildings, but this requires more power which uses up the batteries more quickly.

10) Use Offline Mode (aka Flight Mode)

If you’re using your N86 just for offline things like listening to music or watching a video, and you don’t need to take any calls on it, you might want to switch it into Offline mode (also known as Flight mode).

Offline mode means that the phone switches off anything which involves radio transmissions, such as phone calls, text messages, internet connections, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This is often required on aircraft, in certain hospitals and on building sites with explosives, due to fears about radio interference (the aircraft requirement is why it’s also known as Flight mode). Going into Offline mode switches off all of the phone’s current connections.

You can manually switch on Wi-Fi in Offline mode, but the phone will first remind you that you’re in Offline mode and ask you for permission for each connection. If you’ve been told by someone to stop radio transmissions, don’t allow such connections.

It’s also worth noting that Offline mode doesn’t actually save that much battery life, as modern wireless devices are very good at making connections and then keeping them open with as little power as possible. Using connections uses up battery life, but simply having connections open doesn’t use that much power.

11) Switch off Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi

As well as phone networks, the N86 can create wireless connections with other devices using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Like phone network connections these use up battery life while they are active, though they don’t require much power simply to be in standby mode. Incidentally, Wi-Fi is also known as “WLAN”, and Nokia uses the word “WLAN” on the N86 when they mean “Wi-Fi”.

If you wish to switch off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and phone network connections all at once, just use the Offline mode as described above.

To see which connections are active:

Go to the phone’s front page/standby screen, click in the top right corner, and a menu will be displayed showing the current time and a list of active connections. If there is no list, then Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are switched off.

If you wish to only switch off Bluetooth:

Open the connections menu, select “Bluetooth”, select “Bluetooth: On” to change it to “Bluetooth: Off”. Then press the red button to get back to the front page.

If you wish to only switch off Wi-Fi:

Open the connections menu, select the tower logo with “Conn. via” next to it, then “Options”, then “Disconnect WLAN”. Then press the red button to get back to the front page.

Nokia, last night, finally released a new firmware update for its current camera flagship phone – Nokia N86. The firmware update is numbered v21.006. Users can update the firmware of the phone via FOTA(Over The Air) or via Nokia Software Updater (NSU). Nokia N86 is currently the top of the line imaging device in Nokia’s line-up. The phone has a 8MP camera with dual LED-Flash.

Size is 692kb OTA but 152MB vis NSU!

Overall,
-rotation bug with theme effects on is okay now, without glitches,
-Camera focus is quicker,
-the phone seems to manage RAM better.
-No hanging during video recording.
-Faster GPS fix ~15secs compared to eternity on previous firmware
-Music Player bug has been fixed!

-focus area appears out of nowhere in sports mode!
-"Camera in Use" error still present when deleting a picture that you just snapped!
-quarter of the screen still present when rotating with theme effects ON!(I think Nokia messed with the firmware when they updated it to v20)

On the main screen type

*#06# for checking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

*#7780# reset to factory settings.

*#67705646# This will clear the LCD display(operator logo).

*#0000# To view software version.

*#2820# Bluetooth device address.

*#746025625# Sim clock allowed status.

*#62209526# - Display the MAC address of the WLAN adapter. This is available only in the newer devices that supports WLAN like N80

#pw+1234567890+1# Shows if sim have restrictions.
*#92702689# - takes you to a secret menu where you may find some of the information below:

* Displays Serial Number.

* Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture

* 3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was purchased (MMYY)

* 4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)

* Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)

*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation. Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster though.

*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone receives less signal from network.

*#4720# - Half Rate Codec activation.

*#4720* - Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will automatically restart

If you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this code reset: *#7370925538#
Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask you the lock code. Default lock code is: 12345

Press *#3925538# to delete the contents and code of wallet.

*#7328748263373738# resets security code.

Default security code is 12345

Unlock service provider: Insert sim, turn phone on and press vol up(arrow keys) for 3 seconds, should say pin code. Press C,then press * message should flash, press * again and 04*pin*pin*pin#


Change closed caller group (settings >security settings>user groups) to 00000 and your phone will sound the message tone when you are near a radar speed trap. Setting it to 500 will cause your phone 2 set off security alarms at shop exits, gr8 for practical jokes! (works with some of the Nokia phones.)

Press and hold "0" on the main screen to open wap browser.

Important! Some of these codes may not work.

All you need to do is click on the link below and enter into the calculator your imei number witch can be found on the back of the phone under the battery.
Once you enter this code it will then generate your master unlock code then all you need to do is enter this new code when you switch the phone on and it asks for the security code, this will then remove the current security code and reset the code to what it was when the phone was new.

There are various profiles on the phone menu especially on the new china twin sim phones.

Go to profiles icon/menu

Scroll down to power save menu

Customise it to your style e.g. removing the vibration when on ringtone, minimising the brightness and put on daytime keypad lights.

Activate the profile.

You will save power and always keep your phone off vibration unless you are in a meeting.

When you charge your cell phones and other portable devices, don't wait until it reaches low battery. Always charge when the battery is half depleted. This ensures that you get the most out of your battery. When you wait until it's completely gone, you won't get as much energy as when you started before. One thing about rechargeable batteries is that the energy is less available for you per charge.

Many people think that Nokia N86 has got 8GB memory as phone memory, but it is not correct. Here the phone memory means where actually contacts, bookmarks, emails, messages, notes etc are stored.

If you keep installing some softwares and receiving emails in your phone memory, you will soon get low memory warnings on your Nokia N86, in fact on all mobiles.

Actually the phone memory is limited to a grand 74 MB, out of which only about 45 MB is available because the rest is taken up by the pre-installed application and so on.

Here are some tips to recover and increase the phone memory so that you get rid of low memory warnings and get more memory to install the other softwares.

1. Install all the softwares on E: drives of your nokia N86. If you have installed some softwares on your phone memory, uninstall and reinstall on E: drive.
2. Install a third part file browser like Y-Browser or X-plore and delete the ‘Cache’ folder in C:/System. This will really help and you will see that your mobile is faster now.
3. Using same file browser (manager), delete the ‘dmgr’ folder in C:/System. In this folder all files which are downloaded are stored. When you restart the web browser, these files are cleared up but sometimes they are stuck and in that case deleting the “dmgr” folder will increase the phone memory. Don’t worry about “dmgr” and “Cache” folders, they are automatically made when you start the web browser of your phone.
4. You may also change your default ‘Messaging’ memory to either the 8GB inbuilt storage or a Memory Card. To do this, enter ‘Messaging’, hit Options>Settings>Other>’Memory In Use’.
5. Now lets move on to the pre-installed applications and widgets, uninstall as many as you do not need. On most occasions you will be able to find the ones you really need again, then simply install them to the 8GB drive on the N86. For example, I wanted the ‘Psiloc Traveller’ application, so I simply downloaded it from the Ovi Store, same with widgets.
6. Open the Ovi Store application settings and make sure it is set to install applications on your E: drive. To do this navigate to Options>Account>Settings>Installation Preferences.
7. If you use Nokia Messaging and MFE on your handset, or even have a normal mailbox configured you will be loosing phone memory pretty fast. The solution is to uninstall/reinstall or delete and reconfigure your mailboxes. This will usually get you at least 10MB back, possibly more depending on your usage.
8. If you use POP email, which you shouldn’t since there is IMAP, then go into your mailbox settings and set it to enable POP for email that arrives from ‘Now’ on, this will reduce the number of old emails it downloads. I know this seems petty.
9. If you install any application/theme, make sure you install it onto the E: drive. However, if you are going to be using a particular theme install it onto the phone memory. This is so that your phone doesn’t switch to the default theme everytime you connect it in the ‘Mass Storage’ mode. Same for ringtones. Make sure you keep it down to one theme only.