Considering Switching To Windows Phones

[BigPete7978]

I have been an iPhone user since the iPhone 3G. Never been into Android too much, but I have always enjoyed the look and build quality of the Nokia Lumia phones. On top of that the Windows Phones have a great looking interface. I was just looking for any input you all could offer of some of the advantages that I would get with the Lumia 1520 over the iPhone 5?

Though the Lumia 1520 is definitely the phone I would get at this moment. Finally got a chance to see one in person today when checking on when I can upgrade, the phone is great! I'm a big guy and prefer the much larger phone, so tired of these small phones.

Though it will be a bit before I switch. I am not eligible for an upgrade till September, so I have plenty of time to figure out if the Lumia 1520 is for me or not, or if a better phone is coming out. Still also waiting to see what Apple brings to the table as well with the iPhone 6, particularly the rumored 5.5 inch version.

On other issue I saw in the past was the lack of official apps on the Windows store. Many have said this has been addressed though. Are there any still missing?

But like I said, any advice or input is much appreciated on the benefits of Windows Phones.

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[anon(7900571)]

Hey welcome to WPCentral forums !
iPhone 5 is a great phone but it's hardware is getting older. I mean it will get iOS 8 which should work fine but by iOS 9 it will be like iPhone 4 running iOS7. Lumia 1520 is an excellent phablet with beat specs. Windows phone8/8.1 is very well optimized by Microsoft so you will be assured it wont lag (eh like some android devices lol ). Regarding the app gap , I am 95% satisfied with the app selection in windows phone store. You can visit The Smartphone Reinvented Around You | Windows Phone (United States) and search apps you want on your next windows phone. Camera is something very much praised in windows phone and 1520 packs a 20MP pure view camera :wink:

 

[berty6294]

Hi and welcome! If a big phone is what you're looking for, the 1520 is incredible! To answer your questions about the infamous "app gap", its getting better and better every day! Big official apps are being released weekly (most recently Pinterest) and in my opinion Windows Phone is just about caught up in terms of productivity/social media apps. The only thing that can be questioned at this point is games. While Windows Phone does have the majority of the most popular games being released, you may find some specifics that we are still waiting for (Candy Crush being one of them). That being said, Windows Phone does have some alternatives to these apps and an exclusive library of its own.

If you'd like to poke around more, and find out if the specific apps you are concerned about are available on Windows Phone, you can browse the entire catalog at Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States).

Welcome to Windows Phone Central!

Edit: Himanshu beat me to it! lol

 

[Manoj Daran]

Glad you are about to Switch Platforms. Lumia 1530 is definitely the best catch, it's got almost everything. The best device to fully explore the Windows features. It is false that WP lacks a lot of Official apps. Almost all the Most talked Apps are available and probably more than that. For me, the app gap depends on the apps you come across daily. For instance, if you actively make your presence in Social Media, then you won't be frustrated. WP has all the Leading Social Media apps. So, it depends., Unlike Android and iPhone, we can proudly say WP will not lag or hand unexpectedly or too often. Good luck on your buy.

 

[clvrbas]

I like the customization of the home screen the live tiles. I have not had any app problems with finding the apps I use. If you travel a lot you may miss airline apps with digital boarding passes, other than that the app selection is fine. I use a Nokia 520, and the software is soon, so with the 1520 it will be buttery smooth. Good luck on the switch, WP is a nice refreshing OS.

 

[dKp1977]

I've been using Windows Mobile, Android and iOS before I made the switch to Windows Phone 3.5 years ago. I've never looked back. I'm currently rocking the 1020 and 1520, which both are great phones. In terms of apps, I'm pretty happy with what the store is offering as of yet. But even the most die hard fan can't deny that plenty of apps are still missing and those we do have lack in terms of functionality and/or speed in direct comparison to their Android and iOS versions. We do get official apps and even updates for these, but most of the times this happens weeks, if not months, after they've been updated on the competing platforms.
Most missing or inferior apps are covered by really great 3rd party apps though. But no matter how good these are, it just takes a couple of changes on the backend of a service, to make these apps break. It's up to the respective devs then to fix their apps accordingly. Which happens rather fast these days. But it's still an issue for many.

That being said, I suggest you invest some time to play around with the 1520, check out what the store has to offer and decide afterwards. Like I've said before, WP may have a couple of draw backs and is still behind the competition in some points, but it has already come a long way and will no doubt improve even more in the future. For my personal taste it's the most beautiful mobile OS available today.

 

[BigPete7978]

Thanks for all the details everyone. Stinks I'm having to wait till September to upgrade, but who knows maybe an even better phone will be announced by then.


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[SteveSAPA]

Thanks for all the details everyone. Stinks I'm having to wait till September to upgrade, but who knows maybe an even better phone will be announced by then.


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Here in Australia, most, if not all carriers allow you to upgrade your contract 3 months before it expires. They don't have that in the US??

 

[BigPete7978]

Sadly no. They are trying to have me sign up for AT&T Next, and I don't want that. They used to allow for earlier upgrades in the past, that all changed though.


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[Miska Hietala]

Yes, the 1020 is a very good phone to pick up