does iSync not support your mobile phone? try this.

Recently I got a Samsung A777 mobile phone. I wasn't able to learn everything about it before buying, but in absence of the information I couldn't get, it was the best choice for me. When I attempted to sync it with my Mac, iSync told me in so many words "This device is not supported by iSync". Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

So I did a little research. First I found this site http://blog.jayfields.com/2006/08/sync-your-samsung-phone-with-your-mac.html which links to this app http://homepage.mac.com/gaz/FileSharing13.html

After some experimenting, I discovered I can export in vCard 3.0 format, skip using the app, export a group of contacts to one file, and send it to the phone. Done. The address book on the phone contains one entry per name, each entry contains all of that person's numbers, and each number bears the correct icon for home, work, mobile, fax. Email addresses copy too.

This method of syncing is so easy I think nothing of deleting the entire address book from the phone, and uploading the whole contacts group again. Since that's what I've been doing, I don't know if uploading the contacts twice back-to-back would create duplicates. And as far as I know, there's no way to sync back from the phone.

But I don't care much about that. I'm fine recording a voice memo reminding me to make certain changes to an address book entry on the Mac and sync the whole thing again. Takes just a moment.

Perhaps in the future Samsung will be more SyncML and OpenSync friendly.