T68 MMS upgrade is finally here

The net has been flooding with questions, rumours but very few answers about the software that will convert the T68(m) model to a T68i. The new software includes MMS, My Pictures, support for CommuniCam, WAP 2.0, XHTML, WAP downloadable themes, ring tone composer and better memory management. To be able to fit all these new features in the T68, SonyEricsson have removed the four secret games.

Members of the Esato discussion forum have talked about the upgrade for months. Threads typically started with questions like: “is it possible to update the T68 to a i-model without any hardware modification”. It turned out to be the same hardware in both models (except the cover). Further, the discussion continued on with the marketing of the T68. Was the phone marketed as a MMS phone? If so, some owners said they would demand a replacement MMS phone (T68i) or get the upgrade for free. The reason for the frustration around the upgrade was probably because the information from SonyEricsson not has been satisfactory. Different answers from Sony Ericsson support was given depending on the person you talked to. It is obvious that information from SonyEricsson headquarters to their country departments and Sony Ericsson support was insufficient. If you contacted SonyEricsson support in February, you would get the answer that the upgrade should be available in the end of March, then it was week 16, week 20 and finally week 21. The upgrade arrived in week 22.

But the upgrade is here now and it was worth the waiting. In addition to the list below of added nice features, you’ll get an overall faster phone. The speed of the T9 (predictive text) has been a reason for many potential customers to avoid earlier Ericsson models. Opening the SMS inbox and typing long SMS messages used to be a pain. But with the new software, the T68 is as fast as the T66 or any other non-Ericsson branded phone.

According to SonyEricsson, the upgrade is free of charge. But some owners have reported that some Service Centres do charge for the upgrade. Our advice to you, is to contact another Service Centre.

In the time of writing Service Centres and Flashpoints in the following countries are able to upgrade the phone: Denmark, Belgium, Norway, UK, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, Canada, Malaysia, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and probably other countries. US citizens have to wait until middle of June before they can upgrade their T68. Contact SonyEricsson support for a list of Service Centres in your country.

This is what you loose
* Phonebook
* Calendar
* Own edited/downloaded background pictures
* Own edited/downloaded ring signals
* Own edited EMS pictures
* VoiceMemos
* Voice tags
* Saved CB (Cell Broadcast messages)
* SMS templates
* SyncML settings
* Own defined shortcuts in the menu
* High scores to the games
* Tetris
* WAP Settings

..and this is what you get
* MMS
* Picture Album (My pictures)
* Sound Browser (List of sounds stored in the phone, i.e. eMelodies, iMelodies and AMR files)
* Picture CLI (Possible to associate a picture with a contact and display the picture upon incoming call)
* Camera application with support for the Communicam MCA20 camera accessory
* New games
* Notes
* Screensaver
* New and more advanced ring melody composer
* Text formatted SMS (Possible to add e.g. bold and italic text)
* Customizable contacts (possible to select which information to see in a contact)
* FirstName - LastName concept discarded. Only one name in phonebook in Mia R2.
* SMS chat
* GPRS (p-channels)
* JPEG support
* Animated GIF support

The easiest way to backup your data before delivering the phone to your local SonyEricsson Service Centre is to synchronize the calendar using XTND-connect synchronization software from http://wap.sonyericsson.com/ and PhoneBackup from Christersson.org.

Related links:
Christersson.org

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