Keeping an eye on Windows and other things tech!

Windows Mobile 6.1 Update Arrives for Samsung BlackJack II (SGH-i617)

Today I found out through my Twitter feed that the Windows Mobile 6.1 update for my BJII was posted online and thus ensued an evening of backing up, syncing and upgrading!  Totally not what I had planned but oh well – flexibility is the key!

So for background the off the shelf version of the BJII is version i617UCGK2.  Once you apply the WM 6.1 update it becomes i617UCHH2.

The patch update download page will get you started and link you to the BlackJack II (SGH-i617) WM 6.1 update FAQ that will walk you step by step through the upgrade process (including making sure you back everything up).  The best part of this upgrade compared to the BJI’s WM 6 upgrade is that the upgrade file is Windows Vista compatible (although not x64) – not like when I had my BlackJack I (SGH-i607) Windows Mobile 6 Upgrade Adventure and had to reinstall Windows XP on my laptop just to upgrade the phone.  Although Windows Home Server made that easy I am glad for the time it saved being Windows Vista compatible.  This upgrade was easy to do – just wish email accounts could be backed up with their settings so I would not have to manually recreate each of them.

So some of the highlights of the Windows Mobile 6.1 update I grabbed from the Samsung website are:

• New Look & Feel:  Using Windows Mobile 6.1, an easy-to-use Sliding Panel homescreen allows you quick access to your Samsung i617 primary functions by simply sliding vertically and horizontally through the homescreen panels.
• System Center Mobile Device Manager (SCMDM):  When enabled by your business IT department, SCMDM provides device management enhancements and secure data access to your corporate network.
• Improved GPS Navigation: With AT&T Navigator and assisted-GPS (aGPS), the Samsung i617 leverages both satellite and cellular technology to get you there on time.
• Threaded SMS Messaging:  Rather than seeing a stand-alone response when you open an SMS message, you’ll view the details of your entire conversation. Now you can easily see how the conversation has progressed.
• Internet Connection Sharing:  Utilize your smartphone capabilities by using your phone as a high-speed wireless modem for your laptop. It’s easy to set up and even easier to connect. Just click and go!
• Mobile Banking:  Perform secure banking transactions with many of the nation’s largest banks right from your Samsung i617.
• Voice Command:  Voice Command transforms your Samsung i617 into your own virtual personal assistant, letting you use your voice to look up contacts, make phone calls, get calendar information, and play and control your music, as well as start programs.

Some other fixes/program version numbers for the update were also indicated on the update FAQ page:

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 (AKU1.0.1)
• Pocket Internet Explorer, 7.11
• Microsoft Voice Command v1.6.19
• Microsoft Office Mobile (including One Note,)
• TeleNav & MobiTV capable
• Modified UI with updated text & icons in several areas
• Enhancements to improve call quality (Qualcomm patches)
• Fixed, Several Bluetooth improvements for BTCK ‘including Peiker, Nokia, Audi, BMW, and others
• Fixed, Several Bluetooth issues relating to BTHS Jabra, Motorola, Samsung, and others
• Fixed, BT audio routing
• Fixed, Audio playback issue /w certain applications
• Fixed, Video Calling problems
• Added, Track Wheel speed values
• Added, Sliding Media Pane
• Added, Phonebook Access Profile (PBAP) for Bluetooth
• Added, Leap year calendar patch for wallpaper
• Added, Integrated BMW iDrive Patch
• Removed, Good Messaging Application

By far the slickest eye candy feature is the sliding panel homescreen – and it is very customizable based on this blog entry from the Windows Mobile Team Blog.

(From Windows Mobile Team Blog)

I am slowly digging through other areas of the update to see what else is new and different.  What have you noticed or seen that is different on your device with this update?  Has you phone even gotten it yet?  Would love to hear from you in the comments.

Related Posts:

• My BlackJack I (SGH-i607) Windows Mobile 6 Upgrade Adventure
• Another Samsung BlackJack I (SGH-i607) Lesson Learned

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Another Samsung BlackJack I (SGH-i607) Lesson Learned

I have talked about my BlackJack I before – I really like having it for the mobile functionality it gives me away from home.  The Internet and mail ability is very good and allows me to stay connected.

A few weeks ago I upgraded my BlackJack I (SGH-i607) to Windows Mobile 6 and that improved the phone even more than when it was running Windows Mobile 5.

I had an unexpected issue the other day after reformatting my Windows Vista system and I wanted to share with you all the sequence of things you need to do so that phone with Windows Mobile 6 on it gets recognized correctly by your computer system.

Some of you may be aware of this but Windows Vista does not provide mobile device support right out of the box. You have to download Windows Mobile Device Center (WMDC) from Microsoft directly to get it installed.

The latest version available is Windows Mobile Device Center Version 6.1.  If you install that directly on a clean install of Windows Vista the BlackJack I will not be recognized by Windows Vista. It gets reported as an unrecognized USB device.

So after trying different USB ports (I have a hub and thought that might be the issue) nothing changed.

After some Googling I found a comment on a site that indicated the issue was related to WMDC 6.1.  They recommended downloading Windows Mobile Device Center 6.0 instead.

After installing that version and rebooting the computer I plugged my BlackJack I in and lo and behold it was recognized.  Immediately after that was done and ready I went to Windows Update and there was an update to the driver for the phone which I downloaded. The phone was now updating and connecting to my data on the computer without any problems.

The following check of Windows Update downloaded the 6.1 version of WMDC and from that point forward everything is working just fine.

Now it took me just about 20 minutes to get this ready for publishing – that afternoon of work took me about three hours!

I hope you save a few minutes by reading this!

Related Posts:

• My BlackJack I (SGH-i607) Windows Mobile 6 Upgrade Adventure
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Update Arrives for Samsung BlackJack II (SGH-i617)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!