Importing for backup - LG env2 VX9100 phone contacts

No LG phones are compatible with iSync, because LG haven't bothered to incorporate industry standard syncing protocols in their phones, like most other manufacturers.

Neither do LG make any software for Mac owners to allow syncing.

Most modern phones allow you to send contacts as vCards via Bluetooth. I would suggest consulting your phone's manual to see if there is an option like that in your phone. Once the vCards are on the Mac you can just double-click them to import into Address Book.

One option is to use Verizons backup assistant. It is free with an online account setup and works quite well for contacts.

I have just had luck with bitpim connecting to my LG env2 VX9100.

http://bitpim.org/

The notes online say to connect it with a micro USB cable, but since I don't have one yet, I tried using Bluetooth. It worked, although very slowly. There's no syncing with iSync, but at least you can import your contacts without typing them in on the phone!

-Scott

I just downloaded bitpim and it seems to run fine, but cannot find my env2. How did you connect the phone to the computer? I'm trying to use a USB cable.

Do I need a special driver or something?

Thanks!

I first paired my phone with my computer using the Bluetooth Menu/Setup Assistant (See the preference pane to start these functions.)

Then I did some file transfers within Mac OS X just to see if they worked, and they did.

Then I downloaded Bitpim, and when it looked for the phone, it found the proper Bluetooth Serial port info. I don't know how much of what I did was required, but it seems to work now just peachy.

I can't say what happens with a USB cable... maybe you need to mount the phone onto the desktop somehow... sorry I'm not much help here.

To get the contacts, export your whole list out of Address Book as vCards, then import them into Bitpim. (On the first data import screen, I found it useful to alter the name to remove Mr, Mrs., etc, so it didn't alphabetize by those... I chose First, M. Last.)

If you have more questions, ask here!

-Scott

I assume you are referring to SyncML? Apple does have an iSync plug-in development tool. Does it even really require SyncML to work? Couldn't the plug-in translate between whatever format the data is received from the phone to SyncML? If bitpim can do it, then it must be possible. I have a feeling it's more likely that LG engineers just don't use Macs.

I assume you are referring to SyncML?

Yes.

Apple does have an iSync plug-in development tool.

I know. I use it daily creating iSync Plugins for many phones.

Does it even really require SyncML to work?

Yes it absolutely does. SyncML is a fundamental requirement for the iSync Plugin maker to be able to create a plugin for any phone. Read here:

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/iSyncPluginMa kerUserGuide/Introduction/Introduction.html
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppleApplications/Conceptual/iSyncSyncM LGuide/iSyncSyncMLGuide.pdf
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/AppleApplications/Reference/iSyncSyncML Ref/iSyncSyncMLRef.pdf

Couldn't the plug-in translate between whatever format the data is received from the phone to SyncML?

No it can't. In any case, what would the point in that be? SyncML is an industry standard for transferring data between devices. Why go to the effort of reverse engineering proprietary protocols for every phone when standard ones exist? That is exactly why the SyncML standard was created, so in theory, any device can talk to any other without reverse engineering protocols.

If bitpim can do it, then it must be possible.

BitPIM doesn't translate to SyncML. It just reads the phonebook data directly from the phone using it's own code. They have to reverse engineer each individual phones communications protocols then incorporate that code into BitPIM every time a new phone comes out.

I have a feeling it's more likely that LG engineers just don't use Macs.

No. It's because LG haven't incorporated the industry standard SyncML protocol into any of their phones, except the new KM900 Arena, for which now an LG produced iSync Plugin exists.