From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Among the spam sent to my mobile phone by O2 I have discovered a warning
that they will be switching off 3G at the end of 2025. Although it is
still working at the moment, I thought it would be expedient to replace
my basic Alcatel 3G 'phone with something equivalent that worked on 4G.

I bought an IMO Dash 4G, which seemed to meet my needs - but when I went
to transfer the SIM card I discovered that it was too big and I needed a
mini SIM to fit that model. This afternoon I visited an O2 shop and
they fitted a replacement SIM, which they loaded with my previous
address list.

So far, so good.

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing
maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Fri 13/03/2026 17:57, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Among the spam sent to my mobile phone by O2 I have discovered a warning
that they will be switching off 3G at the end of 2025. Although it is
still working at the moment, I thought it would be expedient to replace
my basic Alcatel 3G 'phone with something equivalent that worked on 4G.

I bought an IMO Dash 4G, which seemed to meet my needs - but when I went
to transfer the SIM card I discovered that it was too big and I needed a
mini SIM to fit that model. This afternoon I visited an O2 shop and
they fitted a replacement SIM, which they loaded with my previous
address list.

So far, so good.

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Blame the phone - never heard of IMO Dash.
Two options:
Get a Nokia 110 4G - shopping around you should be able to get one for
less than -u40 (-u33.35 from Amazon ATM). Be aware that it does not come
with a charger but if you have such then you will only need a USB-C
cable to charge it;
Visit your local Computer Exchange or check them on line (uk.webuy.com)
and find something to suit there. Their pricing is very good and you get
a 5-year warranty with it. They have a branch in Bath (Abbeygate Street
down the side of M&S.) Alternatively you can buy by post and return it
if not suitable or as advertised. Grade A means essentially new and
boxed; grade B means good condition but probably unboxed and possibly a
small mark or two; grade C - avoid!


--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Does the phone know your wifi password? Could it be 'wifi calling'
struggling with your internet connection? Try turning off wifi and
re-making a test call.

Another possibility is the IMO doesn't support VoLTE - 'Voice over LTE' (basically VOIP over 4G) and it's falling back to the older 2G network for voice, even though it might have a perfect 4G data connection. Perhaps 2G reception is poor where you are? As O2 are turning off 3G they're also
turning down the wick on 2G which might mean worse connections for phones
(but which won't bother smart meters, the current real customer paying for
2G). A lot of older phones either don't support VoLTE or the network won't enable it for phones they haven't specifically authorised.

I suggest taking it to an O2 shop and asking them. If you want a basic
phone they may sell you something like a HMD 105 4G (HMD is the new name for Nokia; the Nokia branded phones are older versions) which supports VoLTE on their network.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 13/03/2026 17:57, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Almost certainly the phone. Oh and by the way wifi calling is better
than any 4G signal
--
Labour - a bunch of rich people convincing poor people to vote for rich
people by telling poor people that "other" rich people are the reason
they are poor.

Peter Thompson

--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

On Fri 13/03/2026 17:57, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Among the spam sent to my mobile phone by O2 I have discovered a warning that they will be switching off 3G at the end of 2025. Although it is still working at the moment, I thought it would be expedient to replace
my basic Alcatel 3G 'phone with something equivalent that worked on 4G.

I bought an IMO Dash 4G, which seemed to meet my needs - but when I went
to transfer the SIM card I discovered that it was too big and I needed a mini SIM to fit that model. This afternoon I visited an O2 shop and
they fitted a replacement SIM, which they loaded with my previous
address list.

So far, so good.

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Blame the phone - never heard of IMO Dash.

Even if you had heard of it, you probably wouldn't have been able to
make out the words. :-)

Two options:
Get a Nokia 110 4G - shopping around you should be able to get one for
less than -u40 (-u33.35 from Amazon ATM). Be aware that it does not come
with a charger but if you have such then you will only need a USB-C
cable to charge it;

That looks like a reasonable option and it takes a MicroSD card, which
is very useful. The lack of charger is no problem. Do you have any
experience with one? Is the sound quality good?

Visit your local Computer Exchange or check them on line (uk.webuy.com)
and find something to suit there. Their pricing is very good and you get
a 5-year warranty with it. They have a branch in Bath (Abbeygate Street
down the side of M&S.)

Even though I live on the outskirts of Bath, I can't do my shopping
there because of the Clean Air Zone, (which is causing increased air
pollution over a wide area).

Alternatively you can buy by post and return it
if not suitable or as advertised. Grade A means essentially new and
boxed; grade B means good condition but probably unboxed and possibly a
small mark or two; grade C - avoid!

OK, I'll look into that, but it isn't the same as being able to talk face-to-face with someone in a shop.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Does the phone know your wifi password? Could it be 'wifi calling' struggling with your internet connection? Try turning off wifi and
re-making a test call.

No, there is no WiFi connection at all (I don't think this model does
it).

Another possibility is the IMO doesn't support VoLTE - 'Voice over LTE' (basically VOIP over 4G) and it's falling back to the older 2G network for voice, even though it might have a perfect 4G data connection. Perhaps 2G reception is poor where you are? As O2 are turning off 3G they're also turning down the wick on 2G which might mean worse connections for phones (but which won't bother smart meters, the current real customer paying for 2G). A lot of older phones either don't support VoLTE or the network won't enable it for phones they haven't specifically authorised.

There is a possibility of something like that. I tried swapping the SIM
card into slot 2, just to see what would happen, and the display showed
a "2", which I assumed was the card slot.. It now shows "4G1".

Apparently the Nokia 110 (see Woody's post) does support VoLTE but it is
not clear whether O2 enable it for that model. I am on a PAYG tarifF,
so there may be some issue with that (although the old Alcatel didn't
have a sound problem with it).

I suggest taking it to an O2 shop and asking them. If you want a basic
phone they may sell you something like a HMD 105 4G (HMD is the new name for Nokia; the Nokia branded phones are older versions) which supports VoLTE on their network.

The O2 shop is a long distance away but I may finish up doing that.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 13/03/2026 20:42, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

The O2 shop is a long distance away but I may finish up doing that.

If you do, demand to try your SIM in a phone before buying it, and make
sure it does have wifi calling.

I normally switch off mobile data, but its uncanny how many places - the hospital, the doctors surgery, waitrose , many bars and restaurants -
have free wifi,.
--
Renewable energy: Expensive solutions that don't work to a problem that doesn't exist instituted by self legalising protection rackets that
don't protect, masquerading as public servants who don't serve the public.


--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

On Fri 13/03/2026 17:57, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Among the spam sent to my mobile phone by O2 I have discovered a warning that they will be switching off 3G at the end of 2025. Although it is still working at the moment, I thought it would be expedient to replace
my basic Alcatel 3G 'phone with something equivalent that worked on 4G.

I bought an IMO Dash 4G, which seemed to meet my needs - but when I went
to transfer the SIM card I discovered that it was too big and I needed a mini SIM to fit that model. This afternoon I visited an O2 shop and
they fitted a replacement SIM, which they loaded with my previous
address list.

So far, so good.

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Blame the phone - never heard of IMO Dash.
Two options:
Get a Nokia 110 4G - shopping around you should be able to get one for
less than -u40 (-u33.35 from Amazon ATM).

I've looked up the Amazon reviews: apparently it is "OK for a back-up
phone". The camera is so bad as to be useless, the screen is poor, the
menus are "obtuse" and the sound quality is described as distorted or
mostly OK for speech - none of which is particularly encouraging.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

On Fri 13/03/2026 17:57, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

Among the spam sent to my mobile phone by O2 I have discovered a warning that they will be switching off 3G at the end of 2025. Although it is still working at the moment, I thought it would be expedient to replace
my basic Alcatel 3G 'phone with something equivalent that worked on 4G.

I bought an IMO Dash 4G, which seemed to meet my needs - but when I went
to transfer the SIM card I discovered that it was too big and I needed a mini SIM to fit that model. This afternoon I visited an O2 shop and
they fitted a replacement SIM, which they loaded with my previous
address list.

So far, so good.

When I got home, I made a test 'phone call to a friend's mobile 'phone;
the audio was dreadful with clipped leading sylables and mushy sound
that was so bad we hardly exchanged a single sentence without having to
ask for a repeat of some of the words. The signal strength was showing maximum on both our 'phones at the time.

I then tried calling my home landline number and tested for transmission
in both directions. The result was the same: ordinary speech was
partially inintelligible with syllable-clipping and gaps in the sound.

The problem is that I have changed two things at once: Alcatel >> IMO
and 3G >> 4G. Should I blame the 'phone or O2 ?

Blame the phone - never heard of IMO Dash.
Two options:
Get a Nokia 110 4G

I've ordered a Nokia 235; it's the cheapest one in their range that has
good comments about the sound quality, a sensibly-sized screen and a
worthwhile camera (not that I would use that much). It is equipped for
VoLTE and O2 say they will support it.

The seller of the IMO became stroppy when I asked if there was anything
I could do about the sound quality, so I have requested a return through
eBay on the grounds that it 'doesn't work'. (The primary purpose of a
'phone is to have a normal conversation with someone and if I can't do
that, as far as I am concerned, it doesn't work.)
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

[...]:

Get a Nokia 110 4G - shopping around you should be able to get one for
less than -u40 (-u33.35 from Amazon ATM).

My old Alcatel mobile 'phone had several major design flaws, the most
serious of which was that turning off the keypad bleeps also turned off
the ring tone. There was no way around this and I missed most of my
incoming calls because of it.

The Nokia 106 4G, that I ordered as a replacement for it, is now on its
way back to the seller, as their online specification was for a
different modal and this model is one that won't take a MicroSD card.

The IMO is awaiting a return label as the sound quality was unusable.

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just arrived.
Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad bleeps turns off the
ring tone, so I won't be able to hear when there are incoming calls.
!!!!!!!
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21d-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad bleeps turns off the
ring tone, so I won't be able to hear when there are incoming calls.
!!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume' controls all
tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you also silence the keypad.
But there's typically another setting for keypad tones alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles (Menu > Settings >
Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad tones inside profile settings.

Theo
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad bleeps turns off the
ring tone, so I won't be able to hear when there are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume' controls all
tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you also silence the keypad. But there's typically another setting for keypad tones alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles (Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other
options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to those in
the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone. I
have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so that I
can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy place and is set
to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD card in .mp3 format and is
about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but claims
.mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to just play the
file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to listen to. Again, it
refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they have,
what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card, when most of
what people would record on it couldn't be played?
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:13 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just
arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad bleeps
turns off the ring tone, so I won't be able to hear when there
are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume' controls
all tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you also silence
the keypad. But there's typically another setting for keypad tones
alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't
explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles
(Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad
tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other
options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to those in
the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone. I
have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so that I
can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy place and is
set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD card in .mp3 format
and is about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but claims
.mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to just play the
file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to listen to. Again,
it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they
have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card, when
most of what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I can't answer that, but can't you just convert the .mp3 file to one
that is recognised? Handbrake is good at that, also try VLC.
--
Davey.

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:13 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just
arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad bleeps
turns off the ring tone, so I won't be able to hear when there
are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume' controls
all tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you also silence
the keypad. But there's typically another setting for keypad tones
alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't
explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles
(Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad
tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other
options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to those in
the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone. I
have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so that I
can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy place and is
set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD card in .mp3 format
and is about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but claims
.mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to just play the
file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to listen to. Again,
it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they
have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card, when
most of what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I can't answer that, but can't you just convert the .mp3 file to one
that is recognised? Handbrake is good at that, also try VLC.

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised format. I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone but they aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but the software is a mess.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:01:31 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:13 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad
bleeps turns off the ring tone, so I won't be able to hear
when there are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume'
controls all tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you
also silence the keypad. But there's typically another setting
for keypad tones alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles
(Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad
tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to
those in the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone.
I have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so
that I can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy
place and is set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD
card in .mp3 format and is about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but
claims .mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to
just play the file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to
listen to. Again, it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they
have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card,
when most of what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I can't answer that, but can't you just convert the .mp3 file to one
that is recognised? Handbrake is good at that, also try VLC.

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised format.
I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone but they
aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but the software
is a mess.

So you either change the 'phone or use a format that it recognises.
My Nokia and my car both speak Bluetooth, and they will Pair, but come
back the next day, and they will see each other, but will have a
Failure to Communicate until the process is restarted from scratch.
--
Davey.

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 2026/3/19 11:1:31, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
[]

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone. I
have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so that I
can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy place and is
set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD card in .mp3 format

Makes sense.

and is about 1MB in size.

How long is it? (That's a rather personal question. Sorry. <C> Monty
Python). I know they manage amazing performance these days, but still,
for a (presumably) mono signal playing through a 'phone speaker, 1MB
seems rather big - unless it's actually a long recording. (for example,
I have quite a lot of music tracks - 2+ minutes - from the 1930s to the
1970s - that are in the 4xx KB area.)
[]

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised format. I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone but they aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but the software is a mess.

Another thought: is it an unusual sample and/or data rate? Not sure
about anything as sophisticated as (even a simple) 'phone, but I've had
(I think) hardware MP3 players that won't hamdle certain combinations there.

Just for curiosity - I did have (I can't find it now) one mp3 file that
played quite satisfactorily quality-wise (on a computer, anyway),
despite having a data rate of 8 kbps; it was of an alpine horn solo,
which might be why - single notes, a fairly simple waveform, slow
changes. (If you try to play something fast on an alphorn, you'll have
finished before the sound comes out the other end ...)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

More people watch live theatre every year than Premier League football
matches. - Libby Purves, RT 2017/9/30-10/6
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 19/03/2026 09:25, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but claims
.mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to just play the
file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to listen to. Again, it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Very odd.
Maybe the fie is corrupt in a way that the old phone did not bother about

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they have,
what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card, when most of
what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I am sure that have not failed. It is some quirk of that particular file.
Try converting it to .wav, and back again to MP3
--
How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think.

Adolf Hitler


--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Thu 19/03/2026 11:31, Davey wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:01:31 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:13 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just
arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad
bleeps turns off the ring tone, so I won't be able to hear
when there are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume'
controls all tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you
also silence the keypad. But there's typically another setting
for keypad tones alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't
explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles
(Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad
tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other
options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to
those in the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone.
I have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so
that I can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy
place and is set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD
card in .mp3 format and is about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but
claims .mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to
just play the file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to
listen to. Again, it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they
have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card,
when most of what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I can't answer that, but can't you just convert the .mp3 file to one
that is recognised? Handbrake is good at that, also try VLC.

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised format.
I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone but they
aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but the software
is a mess.

So you either change the 'phone or use a format that it recognises.
My Nokia and my car both speak Bluetooth, and they will Pair, but come
back the next day, and they will see each other, but will have a
Failure to Communicate until the process is restarted from scratch.

I have that problem with USB sticks in my car which may be relevant to
you Davey.
In all of our previous cars (VAG) the power to the stick goes off with
the ignition, but on our Karoq the USB-C sockets in the dash are
permanently live. Ergo when the 'Infotainment' unit comes to life by
hand or by ignition the unit fails to see the stick or rather it sees
the stick but cannot find and contents. De-power the stick for five
seconds, plug it back in and it works. Could this relate to your issue.


--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:41:14 +0000
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

On Thu 19/03/2026 11:31, Davey wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:01:31 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:

On Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:25:13 +0000
liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid (Liz Tuddenham) wrote:

Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:

Liz Tuddenham <liz@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:

The third replacement attempt, a Nokia 235 4G (2024), has just
arrived. Exactly like the Alcatel, turning off the keypad
bleeps turns off the ring tone, so I won't be able to hear
when there are incoming calls. !!!!!!!

Are you sure you have the right setting? Usually 'volume'
controls all tones, and if you put the phone in silent then you
also silence the keypad. But there's typically another setting
for keypad tones alone.

The 'user guide' is only 16 pages excluding legalese and doesn't
explain the settings, but it appears to have multiple profiles
(Menu > Settings > Profiles) and on other Nokias you set keypad
tones inside profile settings.

Thanks for that. I've eventually managed to discover those other
options, despite the menus in the manual not corresponding to
those in the 'phone, so the main problem is solved.

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone.
I have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years,
so that I can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy
place and is set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD
card in .mp3 format and is about 1MB in size.

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but
claims .mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to
just play the file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to
listen to. Again, it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they
have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card,
when most of what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I can't answer that, but can't you just convert the .mp3 file to
one that is recognised? Handbrake is good at that, also try VLC.

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised
format. I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone
but they aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but
the software is a mess.

So you either change the 'phone or use a format that it recognises.
My Nokia and my car both speak Bluetooth, and they will Pair, but
come back the next day, and they will see each other, but will have
a Failure to Communicate until the process is restarted from
scratch.

I have that problem with USB sticks in my car which may be relevant
to you Davey.
In all of our previous cars (VAG) the power to the stick goes off
with the ignition, but on our Karoq the USB-C sockets in the dash are permanently live. Ergo when the 'Infotainment' unit comes to life by
hand or by ignition the unit fails to see the stick or rather it sees
the stick but cannot find and contents. De-power the stick for five
seconds, plug it back in and it works. Could this relate to your
issue.

Hmm. It might, but I'm not sure how. My car has no problem with USB
sticks, apart from the fact that it takes an age before it recognises
one's there after insertion.
My problem is a Bluetooth problem. Both the car and the Nokia sit there
saying 'trying to pair........' but not actually talking.
But thanks for the idea.
--
Davey

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> wrote:

On 19/03/2026 09:25, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

The ringtone menu offers me a choice of my own sound file but claims
.mp3 is an unrecognised file format. I can also opt to just play the
file as if it were entertainment that I wanted to listen to. Again, it refuses with "Unrecognised file format".

Very odd.
Maybe the fie is corrupt in a way that the old phone did not bother about

Surely they can't have failed to include an .mp3 reader - if they have, what sense is there in having a slot for a MicroSD card, when most of
what people would record on it couldn't be played?

I am sure that have not failed. It is some quirk of that particular file.
Try converting it to .wav, and back again to MP3

It originated as a 16-bit 44.1 AIFF file (CD quality) I have tried a
shorter file with a much lower .mp3 bit rate and that doesn't work
either.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

On 2026/3/19 11:1:31, Liz Tuddenham wrote:
[]

A relatively minor matter still remaining is the actual ringtone. I
have been using a customised ringtone for the last 9 years, so that I
can recognise my own 'phone even if it rings in a noisy place and is
set to low volume. The ringtone is on a MicroSD card in .mp3 format

Makes sense.

and is about 1MB in size.

How long is it?

It is about 1 minute long in total but my previous 'phone automatically
took a segment from it of about 20 seconds for the ringtone. I have
also tried one that is much shorter: just over 100 kB and sampled at
128k from an AIFF 16-bit 44.1 original - that doesn't work either..

[]

It appears from some sources that .mp3 should be a recognised format. I suspect thre have been several versions of this 'phone but they aren't documented correctly. The hardware is fine but the software is a mess.

Another thought: is it an unusual sample and/or data rate? Not sure
about anything as sophisticated as (even a simple) 'phone, but I've had
(I think) hardware MP3 players that won't hamdle certain combinations there.

The seller managed to find the optimum settings for Nokia ringtone files
and i have followed those - to no avail.

Just for curiosity - I did have (I can't find it now) one mp3 file that played quite satisfactorily quality-wise (on a computer, anyway),
despite having a data rate of 8 kbps; it was of an alpine horn solo,
which might be why - single notes, a fairly simple waveform, slow
changes. (If you try to play something fast on an alphorn, you'll have finished before the sound comes out the other end ...)

This is a piano rendition of a moderate speed waltz ("Secrets" by
Charles. Ancliffe) - I chose it because it was a played by a friend for
a CD that was never issued - it seemed a shame to waste such a lovely reocording - and because I doubted if anyone else would have a ringtone remotely like it, so I wouldn't be confused by other people's 'phones
ringing.

I have sent an enquiry to Nokia and received an automated
acknowledgement but no real answer yet.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

On 19/03/2026 18:15, Liz Tuddenham wrote:

I doubted if anyone else would have a ringtone
remotely like it, so I wouldn't be confused by other people's 'phones ringing.

Every time the receptionist at the surgery books me a new appointment,
my phone YELPS.

I have to explain that its a noise from a role playing game, that I use
as a text notification...
--
Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have
guns, why should we let them have ideas?

Josef Stalin

--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Liz Tuddenham wrote:

This is a piano rendition of a moderate speed waltz ("Secrets" by
Charles. Ancliffe) - I chose it because it was a played by a friend for
a CD that was never issued - it seemed a shame to waste such a lovely >reocording - and because I doubted if anyone else would have a ringtone >remotely like it, so I wouldn't be confused by other people's 'phones >ringing.

I used to have some lively ceilidh music (1), but hearing
something on a colleagues phone (quite a long time ago then),
decided to change to the very laid back sound of the theme from
Local Hero (2), apart from a very few special callers. This has
the remarkable effect of making answering it seem non-urgent. It
really is amazing how much more relaxed I feel when it rings.

I once had a Motorola which had an annoying quirk. When you
associated a particular ring tone with a caller, it was then
used for anything incoming from them - it was impossible to
distinguish SMS messages from phone calls, so you had no idea if
you needed to pick up.

I queried this with Motorola, and the upshot was their
declaration:

"Dear Customer
This is just the way the unit was designed.
When you select a Ringer Id for anyone, then whenever they send
you a TXT, Fax, email or call you, then the Ringer ID you have
selected for that person, will go off."

Chris

(1) "One for Dan" by Cock & Bull <https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=3wW8zOO1fvk>

Even playing it now I am itching to check my phone!

(2) I don't really do films, but this one I have watched many
times, partly because of the music. There was a fascinating item
about it on The Culture Show some years ago, centred on a
visit to the location village by Mark Kermode and the director,
Bill Forsyth, including a special showing in the village hall -
he hadn't seen it himself for years.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK
chris@cdixon.me.uk @ChrisJDixon1

Plant amazing Acers.
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

Chris J Dixon <chris@cdixon.me.uk> wrote:

I queried this with Motorola, and the upshot was their
declaration:

"Dear Customer
This is just the way the unit was designed.
When you select a Ringer Id for anyone, then whenever they send
you a TXT, Fax, email or call you, then the Ringer ID you have
selected for that person, will go off."

Typical!

They are doing 100% better than Nokia at the moment - I still haven't
had a proper reply to my enquiry.
--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2