New here. Curious about Windows Phone 8

SirGuy82

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Hello Everyone.

New to the forums and have been checking out Windows Phone for a while now. I currently have an iPhone 5 and and kind of getting tired of it. Especially after getting a look at the upcoming ios 7 I was unimpressed.
So basically I've been eyeing either the 820 or the 920 so still on the fence about either of them. Also with the new trade in program Nokia is offering it is becoming more and more tempting to switch. However not sure if there are any new devices on the horizon either that would be worth waiting on.

But basically just looking for any info anyone can throw my way about switching and how easy/hard it can be coming from iOS to Windows Phone.
 

crash1989

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Hi,

Welcome to WPCentral.

The new devices which have already been released recently are Lumia 928(Verizon US only) and Lumia 925(international).

Nokia is holding an event on Jul 11 during which it should release the most anticipated Nokia EOS with a 41MP monster of a camera.

In addition, in case you are on Sprint in the US, there are two new devices HTC 8xt and Samsung Ativ S Neo coming out.

The suggestion I would put forward is to go to the Windows Phone store of your country like so Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (भारत)
and check if the apps you would typically use a lot on iOS are present in WP as well. In case you don't find official ones just post or search the forums. Windows Phone has some of the best third party alternatives thanks to its dedicated developers. Just to give a head start - For Instagram use an app called Instance, Snapchat use an app called Swapchat.

Cheers.
 

pmhgeneral

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Welcome aboard ⚓ to WP central forums, this is a great place for information on our OS and all the different devices.
Check out the individual device forums for some good advice. Also check the how to guilds and tips in Windows Phone 8 area.
Good luck with your new choice of phone.
 

SirGuy82

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Thanks I will hold off any major decisions until after July 11. But up until now I've just been really cautious about Windows Phone and the ecosystem, hoping it doesn't go the way of the Zune :(
Really hoping it does take off though, I feel it could definitely give Android I run for its money and possibly iOS as well.
 

rider2040

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I switched from an iPhone to a Nokia 920 the week it was released, so I've been using it for almost 8 months. I was just telling my wife that I really love this phone. There is no doubt that it is a bit of an adjustment coming from iOS and there were times that I was frustrated because it was different than what I was used to.

At this point, I can say that despite many details, there is no way I would want to go back to iOS. My only major gripe at this point is that the map options on Windows Phone 8 are still far behind Google Maps (in the US).

Also, the more you take advantage of the other components of the MS ecosystem (Outlook.com Email, SkyDrive, OneNote, Xbox Music Pass are all excellent) the more you will enjoy your Windows Phone experience.

Finally, I will also say that we have hit a point where there is not a single app that I am wanting that is not available on WP8. I think the ecosystem is finally hitting a critical mass and is in little danger of being abandoned by MS (although there is a part of me that could see all current devices being left behind as MS takes the next step in consolidating their phone/tablet/PC platforms).
 

SirGuy82

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Oh well that's good to know, I've played around with a few of the Windows Phones and they feel very fluid and quick. Honestly as of late I find myself using less and less apps anyway, outside of playing Angry Birds once in awhile or using social media so I don't feel any lack of apps would be an issue anyway.

And btw Windows 8.1 looks pretty amazing, currently have a 2010 iMac so possibly looking into a new pc in the future as well :)
 

rider2040

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Well, even if you stick with your iMac, all of the services I mentioned above can be accessed through web applications which are very, very good (and in some cases better than the native client). Windows 8.1 takes it to a whole other level with even deeper SkyDrive integration.
 

CHIP72

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Hello Everyone.

New to the forums and have been checking out Windows Phone for a while now. I currently have an iPhone 5 and and kind of getting tired of it. Especially after getting a look at the upcoming ios 7 I was unimpressed.
So basically I've been eyeing either the 820 or the 920 so still on the fence about either of them. Also with the new trade in program Nokia is offering it is becoming more and more tempting to switch. However not sure if there are any new devices on the horizon either that would be worth waiting on.

But basically just looking for any info anyone can throw my way about switching and how easy/hard it can be coming from iOS to Windows Phone.

I have both an Apple iPhone 5 and a (just-bought) Nokia Lumia 928 (and own/used both a WP7 HTC Trophy and an iOS iPhone 4 previously). I think the ease of transition depends on how much you use apps and which apps you use. If you aren't a big app user, there will be little pain. Most of the key apps are either available or have a viable alternative available on Windows Phone.

The big strength of the iPhone IMO is its stability. It rarely has problems, and when it does, the problems tend to be related to opening/operating apps rather than the device's performance itself. (This is a sharp contrast from Android.) In my experience, WP isn't quite as stable as iOS, but it's close (and much, much better than Android), and the live tiles add an attractiveness factor not present on the iPhone (which IMO is a very nice device but is bland compared to WP).

I've used both WP OS and iOS extensively, and I don't think the transition between the two is too hard. (Of course, I might be biased based on the fact that I've used both for a long time and don't remember the transition LOL.)
 

DBDev

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Welcome to WPCentral! if you consider the things above I'm almost sure that you will love the OS! :wink:
 

SirGuy82

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Yes, I'm sure it won't be that much of a change really. Also I'm starting to get the feeling the Microsoft ecosystem is becoming larger and more unified than Apple's as of right now.

Also I might note that, if I choose to go with Windows Phone, I will be buying off contract so not sure if I should go with a mid range device to try out first.
 

CHIP72

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Yes, I'm sure it won't be that much of a change really. Also I'm starting to get the feeling the Microsoft ecosystem is becoming larger and more unified than Apple's as of right now.

Also I might note that, if I choose to go with Windows Phone, I will be buying off contract so not sure if I should go with a mid range device to try out first.

Even though I just bought a flagship WP8 device, the impression I have is that the difference in performance quality between high-end and mid-range WP8 devices is modest rather than major (in sharp contrast to Android*).

I will note that I own and previously used a HTC Trophy WP7 device, which was definitely a mid-range device. The Trophy originally came out in fall 2010 in international markets and spring 2011 on Verizon. (I make this note to give a more accurate indicator of how old the device's technology is.) It was/is contemporary with the Apple iPhone 4, which came out on AT&T in June 2010 and on Verizon in January/February 2011, and of course the iPhone 4 was a high end device. Between the two devices, I probably preferred the iPhone 4, but the gap wasn't large, and much of the gap was related to the Trophy's modest features (relatively small 3.8" screen, relatively low resolution screen, no front-facing camera, relatively poor rear-facing camera). (Another factor that wasn't related to either devices' specs is that with e-mails the iPhone always shows Hotmail and Gmail e-mails that have been read and deleted as read when you check your web-based e-mails on a desktop/laptop web browser, while the WP - and for that matter the other mobile OS - tend to show read and deleted e-mails as unread in your deleted e-mails folder when you check them on your desktop web browser. That's a very minor thing, but a picky item for me.) Also, I also own and previously used a Motorola Droid 2, which was a high-end device when it was released in August 2010. I strongly preferred the Trophy (and iPhone 4) to the Droid 2, despite the fact the Droid 2 had better specs and a physical keyboard.

*This is one of the major reasons why I think WP8 will ultimately do very well in emerging markets; the performance of low-end WP devices is much, much better than the performance of low-end Android (and for that matter pre-BB10 Blackberry) devices. Those low-end WP devices are also priced much cheaper than the new low-end BB10 devices (represented by the just-released Blackberry Q5).
 

benrp

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Yes, I'm sure it won't be that much of a change really. Also I'm starting to get the feeling the Microsoft ecosystem is becoming larger and more unified than Apple's as of right now.

Also I might note that, if I choose to go with Windows Phone, I will be buying off contract so not sure if I should go with a mid range device to try out first.

Certainly an option, luckily Nokia in particular has some great low end Windows Phone on the cheap $150+ (Lumina 520, 620) unlocked you can try for a few months, then upgrade in 6 months when Nokia should release its next generation of devices.
I would also recommend not using the Nokia trade in program as you should be able to get a lot more for our iPhone vie private sale.
As far as the future of Windows Phone goes I think with Nokia on board it should continue to grow, however whatever happen I would expect Microsoft to persist as its a very important sector them.
 

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