# Cell phone to computer cables

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 15, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196 "2005-11-15T19:13:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196/1 "2005-11-15T19:13:09Z")

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There are about a million options out there to connect your phone to your computer. Can anyone recommend a cheap one that works? I don’t need pictures or ringtones or outlook synchronization… All I want is to download/ upload my address book, preferably in using only notepad.

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**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196/2 "2005-11-15T20:25:24Z")

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I think the cable you purchase depends on what model phone you have, no? Check out [futuredial.com](http://futuredial.com) to find your cable ID #.  
Anyway, I found one for my phone on ebay for 10 bucks and it works fine.

I use a free program to upload/download my contacts, pictures, ringtones, etc., and it also works well enough.  
[BitPim](http://www.bitpim.org/)

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**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196/3 "2005-11-15T22:09:41Z")

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I second the eBay route. I got the USB cable for my Motorola RAZR for about 5 bucks.

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**Author:** ![power\_sawyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@power\_sawyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/power_sawyer)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196/4 "2005-11-17T18:10:05Z")

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I’ve never hear of this, either cheap or expensive.  
Where would the connection go, in the recharge slot?

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**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-to-computer-cables/331196/5 "2005-11-17T19:05:11Z")

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- 
  - 
    - If your phone has Bluetooth or IR they might be possibilities. You can get Bluetooth USB adaptors for other PC’s pretty cheap, like $20. I haven’t seen any IR adaptors except built into laptops, but they can be used also. The cables you find in retailers or online, $5-$15 or so; they are model-dependent. The cables fit in the data slot, usually in the bottom end of the phone.

- For what functions you would have access to, you’d have to investigate yourself. Different phone models have allowed different features open-accessed, and hackers have had different degrees of success with what the manufacturers didn’t open.  
One help forum I have for cellphones is:  
h **XX** p://www.thephonemall.net/community/index.php?  
(C&P + change the XX’s to tt’s)  
You should be able to look or ask there for your brand and model and someone will know what can and can’t be done with it, and what is needed for the doing.  
~