[feldyguy]

[FONT=Calibri]Can anybody recommend a 3G business phone with a contact database, which is synchronisable with Windows Contacts and more importantly also offers a full search function any characters anywhere in the contact record. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]I have this on my current Sony ericsson P990, which has a “find” function. This does not appear to be available on the new Sony ericsson experia or the Nokia N96 or the Blackberry’s I’ve tried, which only offer a search for the surname e.g. a search for Smith will bring up all the Smiths, but you can’t search by christian names or location or anything else you may have entered into the notes section of the record. When I ask in mobile phone shops or search the wed I draw a blank[/FONT]

[RobM]

Windows Mobile handsets do this. It's a feature of WM itself so any phone running WM will do this

[prking]

Nokia Series 60 can do this, if you install "In-Device Search" using the Download application (may be called Catalog on some older handset).

[suman_das]

I have an E71 which does it. As soon as you start typing any name, it will search it from its contacts, be it first name or surname. I fully recommend the phone in every way.

[feldyguy]

Originally Posted by RobM83

Windows Mobile handsets do this. It's a feature of WM itself so any phone running WM will do this

Not sure this is correct, at least not on the WM ones I've tried eg the new sony ericsson experia. they do not offer a full search function of all the records on the phone only the surnames.

[feldyguy]

thanks. All the phones I've tried will bring up names, what I'm after is the ability to search all aspects of any contact record eg search on "nottingham" will interogate all the entries and list all with "nottingham" or a search of "plumber" will bring up all records with plumber anywhere eg in the notes section etc
I can do this on my Sony ericsson P900 can you do it on your nokia?

[prking]

If you install the free In-Device Search you can. It will also (if you want) search calendar, notes, documents and messages.

[nmw]

WM6 Contacts searches in the name fields, but not other fields.

I have Pocket Informant on my phone (Touch Diamond) which can search other fields. It's not free, but it does provide a vastly better PIM (contacts and calendar) than the standard WM offerings.