OK I need to make a few things clear first before I get hung for using the thread title I did.... I really, really like WP8 and I had a Lumia 920 for a couple of days but returned it. So here's the story...with pictures because everyone likes pictures.
I'm one of those people who has 2 phones. My own and a company Blackberry which I hate with a passion. Just can't use the squinty wee buttons but I have to keep it for work. I have a Galaxy S2 which I've flashed a bunch of ROMs on but eventually settled on stock with the QQLauncher skin which mimics MIUI. Played with the WP7 phones from when they first came out but never found one I like because I'm on T-Mobile and they only seem to get second fiddle handsets. Wanted a Lumia 900 but took so long to unlock that I just gave up and stuck with the S2. Lumia 920 came out and I immediately bought a red one. Wooooooooo, what a phone. Hoped it would get unlocked but ain't happening and after 2 days just playing with it I got dust in the FF camera so I returned it to AT&T and took the 35 bucks restock fee hit. Bit more background... I'm on the $30 a month T-Mobile unlimited data and texts and 100 minutes plan. Absolutely the best bang for the buck. I never get close to the 100 minutes (thanks to the company phone) and have never blown through the 4G 5 gig yet. Really don't want to give it up and pay more for an AT&T phone plan just to get the Nokia 920. I believe I could use the Straight talk $45 plan which is a possibility but would cost another $15 a month and I've no idea how good or bad the service is.
OK now to the meat and potatoes part off the story. Loved the 920 and thought WP8 was very slick. The live tiles, especially the gallery one was brilliant but the app store is seriously anorexic at the minute. No dropbox, no bank apps, no airline app (United), no Scottrade, no ADP app, no Tango; in fact a bunch of the apps I use all the time are missing in action which was another reason the Nokia went back. I was seriously disappointed.......... BUT.......... then I discovered Launcher 8 on the Andriod play store. I put it on my S2 and set it up and I can't tell the difference between it and WP8 on the Lumia. In fact it is better because I have all my apps that I use but the phone behaves like it is running WP8. Live tiles for gallery, contacts and weather and fast. I don't know how they did it but a couple of Chinese kids probably spent 27 cents mimicking something Microsoft spent gazillions developing. Try it out and see what you think.
OK, I'm not seriously suggesting that Launcher 8 running on my S2 will take the place of WP8 on a Lumia 920 but for the minute it is as close as I can get. One day Microsoft will realize that in order to propagate WP they need to make sure that everyone can get access to the best hardware. Limiting the 920 to AT&T...seriously.... Steve, you are falling asleep at the wheel, mate. That's the kind of thinking that just about killed Windows 8 tablets. iPad pricing, crippled OS and no distribution channels... yea, I'll have some of what you and your buddies are drinking in Redmond Towers. Do you want WP8 to succeed or not? Just look at the people on the forums, wishing for unlocks for the 920.
Sorry guys, this post ended up a rambling incoherent rant, but anyway back on track. Check out the launcher 8 for Android if you are like me and waiting for the good stuff on WP8. I'll transfer over when I can get the apps I use and can get a decent phone on T-mobile. ****, I'll probably have to dump T-Mobile but I'll be back.
I'm one of those people who has 2 phones. My own and a company Blackberry which I hate with a passion. Just can't use the squinty wee buttons but I have to keep it for work. I have a Galaxy S2 which I've flashed a bunch of ROMs on but eventually settled on stock with the QQLauncher skin which mimics MIUI. Played with the WP7 phones from when they first came out but never found one I like because I'm on T-Mobile and they only seem to get second fiddle handsets. Wanted a Lumia 900 but took so long to unlock that I just gave up and stuck with the S2. Lumia 920 came out and I immediately bought a red one. Wooooooooo, what a phone. Hoped it would get unlocked but ain't happening and after 2 days just playing with it I got dust in the FF camera so I returned it to AT&T and took the 35 bucks restock fee hit. Bit more background... I'm on the $30 a month T-Mobile unlimited data and texts and 100 minutes plan. Absolutely the best bang for the buck. I never get close to the 100 minutes (thanks to the company phone) and have never blown through the 4G 5 gig yet. Really don't want to give it up and pay more for an AT&T phone plan just to get the Nokia 920. I believe I could use the Straight talk $45 plan which is a possibility but would cost another $15 a month and I've no idea how good or bad the service is.
OK now to the meat and potatoes part off the story. Loved the 920 and thought WP8 was very slick. The live tiles, especially the gallery one was brilliant but the app store is seriously anorexic at the minute. No dropbox, no bank apps, no airline app (United), no Scottrade, no ADP app, no Tango; in fact a bunch of the apps I use all the time are missing in action which was another reason the Nokia went back. I was seriously disappointed.......... BUT.......... then I discovered Launcher 8 on the Andriod play store. I put it on my S2 and set it up and I can't tell the difference between it and WP8 on the Lumia. In fact it is better because I have all my apps that I use but the phone behaves like it is running WP8. Live tiles for gallery, contacts and weather and fast. I don't know how they did it but a couple of Chinese kids probably spent 27 cents mimicking something Microsoft spent gazillions developing. Try it out and see what you think.
OK, I'm not seriously suggesting that Launcher 8 running on my S2 will take the place of WP8 on a Lumia 920 but for the minute it is as close as I can get. One day Microsoft will realize that in order to propagate WP they need to make sure that everyone can get access to the best hardware. Limiting the 920 to AT&T...seriously.... Steve, you are falling asleep at the wheel, mate. That's the kind of thinking that just about killed Windows 8 tablets. iPad pricing, crippled OS and no distribution channels... yea, I'll have some of what you and your buddies are drinking in Redmond Towers. Do you want WP8 to succeed or not? Just look at the people on the forums, wishing for unlocks for the 920.
Sorry guys, this post ended up a rambling incoherent rant, but anyway back on track. Check out the launcher 8 for Android if you are like me and waiting for the good stuff on WP8. I'll transfer over when I can get the apps I use and can get a decent phone on T-mobile. ****, I'll probably have to dump T-Mobile but I'll be back.
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