I have a Cingular 8125 Windows Mobile Pocket PC phone. Ever since I started using Nokia E61 and a Nokia N72 as the Business and Personal phones respectively, the 8125 has been lying idle in the drawer. Partly, this was because it is kind of bulky to pocket and mainly as it’s Windows Mobile 5 OS sucked. The brilliant guys at XDA-Developers plucked the latest Windows Mobile 6 platform to create a kitchen ROM – which could be flashed onto any HTC Wizard. Zoki, an able ROM Chef added some more flavor of the HTC Touch’s – ‘TouchFLO‘ and ‘Cube’ interfaces onto it – to create the NBD WM6 ROM. There were many others, but I chose NBD because it is stable and feature rich.
I must say, getting my G3 Wizard (8125) on to the WM6 platform was a little bit nerve wrecking procedure – though I have done a big storage hack on my earlier O2 XDA II Mini. Too many a things had to work flawlessly, which otherwise would have rendered my 8125 nothing more than a costlier paper-weight. I still have a few more things to iron out – like downgrading the GSM Radio to 2.19. Now with the faster WM6 on it, my 8125 got a fresh breather. It feels like a new phone. Something I will be keeping till I get an N800 or an iPhone.
Here is how my Cingular 8125 too feels like now:-
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
i purchased an 8125 online with what looks like the same upgrade as what your talking about. now when i turn on the phone though it is frozen at the NBD screen. has my phone become the “costly paper weight” you worried about or is there something that can be done. i’ll even go back to WM5, i just want it to work.
Micheal: I still think you can go back. Can you please follow this thread here:- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=326171
Hello Vinod. Thank you very much for all the info you have posted. I have a big problem trying to upgrade my 8125. As soon as the utility program is gonna start the upgrade, the phone shuts off and shows a red, green and blue screen with some info on it. And of course connection is lost and the utility program stops responding. Any idea on how to solve this issue? thanks in advance.
@Daniel:
I did this upgrade a couple of months back, unfortunately I am not able to recollect the things!. But I am sure you will get some help and guidance from the brilliant XDA-Developer.com guys. Let me know how it goes :)
HI, I found very helpful information o how to flash my phone. And I actually did it. Using “ShellTool” and the same ROM that you used on your phone. The only problem is that the phone DIED….jeje, that’s not good. When it was time to hard reset the device, the phone gets stockedat the very first screen. But oh well, I guess i’m just gonna keep on trying….thank you anyway.
Hey everybody!!! I finally got my 8125 to upgrade, and my phone looks just like Vinod’s. Kind of slow to load apps but really cool looking. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PERFORM THE UPGRADE USING WINDOWS VISTA, IT WILL NOT WORK. AND IF YOU FIND A WAY TO DO IT…..GOOD LUCK.
Thats pretty good news Daniel. Congratulations.
Hope you are loving the new ROM!
Vinod,
Can you email me the exact link where you found the new softwear? I’ve been scowering the internet looking for the upgrade to WM6 from my WM5 and I simply can not find it.
Ale
Hi! nice work in ur cell phone dude!
where i can download the rom you use? NBD WM6 ROM ?
sorry my english is bad..
All the ROMs were available at :-
http://www.xda-developers.com when I did it. Nowadays I am not much in to WinMo modding, so don’t know the exact current details.
Hello Vinod, I’ve had my Cingular 8125 ppc for about 2 years now and heard about an upgrade to the latest WM6 that can be done to the phone. The latest WM6 looks very nice and I would like to know how this upgrade of the new software can be done to my phone. If you could please tell me exactly what I would need to do I would very much appreciate it. I love my phone but I would love the newer software on it to keep up with technology hehe. Just let me know step by step what I need to do to my phone and I will do it, thank you!
I had for some time carried a motorola razr for those inoportune moments you really need to call a tow truck. Or, the woman needs to find out where I’m hanging out.
A short time ago my parents, wonderfull people that they are, passed off a Cingular 8125 after they picked up a blackjack2 (returned it after 3 days as crap).
I am still using the motorola razr for phone calls, and have had a great time fiddling with the WinMo5 8125 via WiFi linkup here at home.
Although a lot of fun. The WinMo5 stinks. This model does not have GPS (I assume some sort of external device is needed).
Your video of an upgraded 8125 is facinating. I will have to read on it a while and give it a whirl.
My parents said this 8125 would not recognise their sim (working before/after in nokia phone). The blackjack2 they bought from AT&T and a few days later returned as crap came with a sim.
Do these pocket pc smart phones have a different sim need as oposed to a more standard handset item like the nokia or motorola razr flip phones? I read an item that the HTC 8125 would digest sims of a couple of different voltages, but may balk on an “Older” sim.
I deployed the moto razr three years ago and had to buy a sim then as the sim in my older phone was not recognised by the motorazr. I could just plug the razr sim into the 8125, but if it is not recognised I would still be clueless as to probabilities the 8125 had a problem with the sim socket?
If someone has a link pertaining to sim evolution? Please feel free to pass the link around.
Author Vinod. Thanks for the video clips. facinating.
Vinod
Ive been trying to update my 8125 for a long time and ive not been successful, can u email me the exact link so i would be able to update my fone to WM6
Hallo Vinod,
Im a newbie with WM Phones.
I have a Cingular 8125.
You know a firmware in german for this modell?
WM6 is not necessary.
Sorry for my englisch… ;-)
Greets : Zsolt
Vinod,
First of all, if it wasn’t for this blog, I would have never taken the trouble of upgrading my Cingular 8125. I purchased it new in Nov. ‘06 and used it every day until I grew tired of the slow Edge speeds.
Since I read your blog a few days ago, I have fully unlocked it without issue and am currently running a TMo version on it (WM5). I just can’t decide which WM6 to put on it. There are just tooo many to choose.
Anyhow, thanks for the video also. It really got my urges & interest going.
Salman.
Alrite,
I couldn’t wait any more longer. I installed WM6 with TouchFlo & Cube and boy!!!! I’m hooked.
Its definately a step above of what I was used to. LOL. Excellent interface not to mention the gains in speed.
Ah yes, I remember this now. I have really used the hell out of that poor 8125. And enjoyed each excuse to turn it on. As of yet I have not gotten around to flashing it with WM6. It is a G4 and has slightly different needs. Although I have collected up all the necesary software to accomplish the upgrade to WM6. Last week My parents dropped by with an extra 8525. I guess they were bidding on two different items on Ebay.
Anyway, I flashed the 8525 with the ATT shipped rom allocated through XDA since both HTC and ATT act like they never heard of the 8525. I will probably flash the 8125 with WM6 and pass it on to a needy relative for christmas.
And a merry Christmas to you all.
Glad to see you guys too revived the 8125. Unfortunately I sold my 8125 phone last month – as I was not using it at all.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2009! – much in advance. :)
Please tell me where i can download this flash Please
Tony,
Which flash do you want to download and for what phone?
Okay, I am “stuck on stupid” (Wright, 2008) and lost the pin number to my 8125. I still love the phone and its screen size. I really need to break into my cell phone and do all the wonderful upgrades y’all are talking about. Like a car I had for 15 years (and 260,000 miles), I like this combination of tools and want to upgrade. However, I need to get into the cell phone first. Thanks to any and all that can help.