Samsung SGH-X820 (no) iSync workaround

While looking for a small but not too expensive backup fone for my Nokia E70 I run into the Samsung SGH-X820. I like its look and weight.

However, it was clear for me from the beginning, that Samsung is not the best choice to use with a Mac, since Apple iSync is not supported.

After a while some I found some ideas to which seemed to be promising:

With those tips together I decided that it is likely, that I will find a way to import my contacts into the SGH-X820, even without iSync.

I picked the phone today in a local store (while Zürich Stadtpolizei pulled me over on my way back for holding it in the hand, noeither foning, nor writing SMS; but thats another story).

Back at home I tried to combine the research I did before and it was even easier. Based on "Mac OS X and Bang & Olufsen Serene" I feared, that I have to click 550 times OK for each of my contacts.

It went smoother as I expected:

  • First of all pair your X820 with your Mac and set the Mac as "authorized" in your Bluetooth settings on the fone.
  • go to address.app and change the vcard preference to "vCard Format 2.1"
  • select all contact entries, you would like to export
  • create a new folder somewhere in the finder
  • CMD-A & ALT-drag all the contacts into this folder (ALT makes adress.app split the vcards in separate files)
  • open Bluetooth File exchange, mark all contacts and send them to your Samsung SGH-X820
  • wait (you will not see a lot happening on the fone, some times complains about incomplete vcards without numbers)
  • thats it

This method has some small disadvantages, but works:

  • The information transported to the phone lacks pictures and (snail) mail addresses
  • You have to ensure manually that the information is in sync

This entry was posted by gramels on Friday, May 18. 2007 at 21:49. and is filed under Apple. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own blog.
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  1. IB says:
    #1 2007-05-23 10:20 (Reply)

    Thanks alot, just bought the samsung u600 and this spared me from alot of work

  2. Linh says:
    #1.1 2007-08-16 05:18 (Reply)

    Hi! I also bought the U600 from samsung. Can you please let me know how you imported the VCARDS on your phone? I did everything the way it was described, but it doesn't show up in my contacts. I can open the VCARDS on the phone, but not import them in contacts, how did you do that?? thankssssss Linh.

  3. jaakob says:
    #2 2007-06-06 23:10 (Reply)

    Dankeschön für die anleitung... hat mir geholfen=) liebegrüße jaakob

  4. Ned Block says:
    #3 2007-06-28 11:06 (Reply)

    I did CMD-A to select all the vcards but ALT-drag cancelled the selection. How do you combine the two?

  5. gramels says:
    #3.1 2007-07-01 17:17 (Reply)

    it works here as described, sometimes you have to wait a little until you drop.

  6. Thor says:
    #4 2007-07-19 19:37 (Reply)

    I need help :-) I've followed all the steps, but I still can't see the contacts on my X820... Is there a certain place I have to drop the contacts in the Bluetooth File exchange? Thanks in advance!

  7. gramels says:
    #4.1 2007-07-19 19:41 (Reply)

    you don't drop into Bluetooth file exchange, you drop in a folder and then use Bluetooth file exchange to send the folder content to the fone.

  8. Thor says:
    #5 2007-07-20 12:34 (Reply)

    Ahhh great!! It works now. Thanks alot

  9. Pepe says:
    #6 2007-08-04 11:24 (Reply)

    wenn man im Bluetooth-Dateiaustausch die Dateien (im neu angelegten Ordner) auswählt mit CMD-Shift den obersten und den letzten auswählen. wenn man es mit CMD-A versucht, wird immer nur die zuerst ausgewählte Datei übertragen - auch am Informationsfenster (Spaltenansicht) erkennbar.

  10. Linh says:
    #7 2007-08-16 05:07 (Reply)

    Hi people, I did everthing you said and the phone imported all the Vcards, but it doesn't show up in my contacts. What am I doing wrong here?? PLEASE HELP!! :-)

  11. Jan Fuellemann says:
    #8 2007-11-03 19:52 (Reply)

    Hi, now most Samsung phones are compatible to iSync with a small plugin from us (nova media). Please see [webpage] for details, we have added support of 44 Samsung phones to iSync and 10.5. 20 of those work with 10.4.9 and higher. Kind regards Jan Fuellemann (nova media)

  12. gramels says:
    #8.1 2007-11-04 10:49 (Reply)

    Hi Jan, thanks for letting us know. As far I can see is neither the SGH-X820 supported by Apple iSync in 10.5 nor by your commercial plugins. However, I don't appreciate commercial ads on my blog, therefore I was free to remove your links. In case the Samsung phones can now be connected with iSync by third party plugins, I look forward to see the community to develop a free plugin, as seen for other phones. -gramels

  13. Scott Willeke says:
    #9 2008-05-21 18:19 (Reply)

    FYI: I used iSync in OSX 10.5.2 and it was able to sync contacts just fine after a standard bluetooth device setup in OSX. The only thing I noticed is that it only synchronizes contacts on the *phone*; those on the SIM are not synchronized until you select "copy to phone" for each one.

  14. sjoerd says:
    #9.1 2008-06-09 10:01 (Reply)

    I just tried this on osX 10.5.3 and iSync said the samsung sgh-x820 is not supported. Anyway, thanks to this post I now know how to temporarily get my contacts on there without too much hassle (i use the sgh as a backup for my htc touch that's in repair). Thanks!!!

  15. Ben says:
    #10 2008-06-27 15:14 (Reply)

    Once you have created the vCards asa bove you need to do a file transfer for them. SEND FILE - the option above BROWSE DEVICE in the drop down menu below the bluetooth symbol in the menu bar. If you don't have the bluetooth symbol in the menu bar, goto system preferences - bluetooth, and turn it on) Don't drag and drop in a browsed device that won't work ... Thought I'd add this to save time for those still looking up this thread even though it was a I while ago, I got there in the end.


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