Time To Leave ?

[leehab]

I have been using Nokia from way back and replaced my 920 with 1520 and like it . However, any time I go to buy anything the app is for IOS or Androids . I was going to buy security camera at Costco and all three models had Apps for IOS and Androids only . Also, I wanted to buy an item from Kickstarter and the same story as if Windows OS does not exist .

I have been strong user of Nokia for the HERE allowing off-line use and also Androids for not being clean and stable .

Well, today Google announced shortly every one would be able to use their Maps off-line with enhanced features and also Google announced Androids M which will offer very clean and stable OS with lot less clutter and host of other neat Apps like Photo which allows free unlimited photo and video storage and on & on .

I am excited about Windows 10 but aren't we deprived from the rest of the world of technology .

 

[Jonnie LasVegas]

I agree with your statements. Sadly the reality is, if you want to keep up with most of the world you NEED to get an iPhone or Android. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I still love my 1520 and will continue to use it, but my iPhone is my main phone.

 

[the_moesiah]

If you can hold on a little longer, I'd wait to see what happens with W10. With it being so easy to port Android apps over, if W10 sells well the apps will follow (and many believe that it will).

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[etphoto]

Yeap, sounds like it is time for you to leave so you can get your apps.

 

[xandros9]

I am excited about Windows 10 but aren't we deprived from the rest of the world of technology .

We miss out on plenty of things. But also, we have some things that they don't. It's just a matter of choosing what you can miss, and don't want to miss.

Could always split yourself with multiple devices, especially as budget ones are increasingly decent and older models are increasingly workable.

whatever works for you.

 

[Laura Knotek]

xandros9 is right. How about checking out the Marketplace forums on Android Central and iMore?

You might be able to get a used device that you could try.

 

[Guytronic]

There's a few of us in this same boat.

No particular platform is the be-all end-all solution.

Absolutely nothing wrong with being multi-platform...
...it's a great way to stay on top of tech and be happy at the same time.

 

[ScrubbyXD]

Google announced Android M which will offer very clean and stable OS

This made me laugh so hard I think I hurt myself. Thanks for that!

 

[Lee Hayes]

It sounds to me you have already made your mind up. I also have a Note Edge which is a lovely phone but it lacks soul or personality with Android and packed with so many features you can easily forget what the phone does and you need the fast battery charge facility as if you do not get 8 hrs on medium to heavy usage simply no way. I could site many other things but I am sure you get the idea.

I love the Lumia 1520 because it is unique was a game changer and still without any issues works flawlessly with the Windows OS being so fluid and seamless in operation. You do not get that with bolt it together Android. The new Android "M" is nothing new to pretty much what Windows has been doing for ages with the odd exception, but please do not be convinced that Android is a smooth OS it can never be its a generic OS so it cant cater for multiple manufacturers and that is why it is so popular with apps and a lot of people because its been gifted to the masses and cheap for phone manufactures to make use of it.

Windows like Apple and Blackberry will always be quicker, seamless and deliver a much more grounded OS because its developed and designed for their phone system with the odd exception of some other Windows manufacturers.

My thoughts are stick with Windows or MSFT and see how their new OS will really change the mobile OS infrastructure something Android will not be able to fully do unless your maybe using the Chrome desktop OS then you have semi solution of a sorts.

More importantly look still how relevant the Lumia 1520 still is and how it out performs without the next gen specs, I do think the masses get disillusioned with specs that have a higher number on the end as if it is meant to mean it is better faster etc - sad and is not a necessity either.

Hope this helps.

 

[tgp]

Could always split yourself with multiple devices, especially as budget ones are increasingly decent and older models are increasingly workable.

Great advice! I use devices running Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, WP, Android, and iOS. (Did I miss any?) :wink: There is really little downside to it.

 

[ronr9286t]

I have a Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 4, 1520.3, and 830. I Generally switch between the 1520 and the Note 4, generally use the Note when on a consulting engagement and have a higher likelihood of needing to take notes on the fly. I really prefer the Windows OS, specially with the interoperability with my Windows 8 computers. I'm anxious to try the new Office Lens, and if it works as advertised, I may go back to paper notes and capture them with Lens. The only app that I REALLY miss is Comcast Home, which allows me to arm and disarm my alarm and set thermostats away from home. I also miss the native Starbucks app, but can now pay with my card from the MS Band.

I picked up the 830 for when I want something smaller, but I always find myself eventually returning to the 1520. No screen issues, and I've never carried my phone in my trousers pocket.

It really comes down to my dislike of Android, and my ease of use with the Windows Phone OS.

Ron

 

[leehab]

Thanks for your thoughts . I think it is best to wait for Windows 10 and see if we actually can use other Apps with it and then decide which way to go

 

[worldspy99]

For me a dual OS solution works. And I usually have multiple devices from all three major OS floating around on any given day.
Right now I have a 830, Nexus 7, iPad 2, Meizu M1 Note and Xiaomi Redmi2. Am looking at getting a G3, Nexus 6, Xiaomi Mi Note Bamboo Edition and potentially a OnePlus One in a trade.
One thing I am noticing of lately is that:
1. Android M needs to improve dramatically over Lollipop because 5.1.1 is a mess on my N7.
2. The fluidity of WP on the phone cannot be beat even with the superior notifications on Android - which Win10 will actually catch up to Android.
3. Now to talk about iOS, one needs to try the Chinese clones (Xiaomi and Meizu amongst others) to see how they can make an iOS clone superior to iOS 8 using Android KitKat. I can see why Xiaomi is only going to start selling accessories here and not their phones - Apple would sue their pants off! But in all honesty, they actually have some features that are executed better than on iOS using Android's flexibility, to the extent that I am going to keep a Redmi2 as a backup device.

If you want a cheap Android device to try out, PM me, I can help you get one. I currently have about 6 of them floating around here

 

[chuckdaly]

I just dropped my 1520 and need to replace the screen. I can still use it with a screen protector on, but its buggy. Microsoft has made it quite clear that Window Phone or Windows 10 Mobile aren't as high on its priority list as pushing its services. I can buy and install a new screen for about $150, but at the same time the Asus Zenfone 2 looks incredible for $200/$300 US. I find the only thing keeping me in the Window Phone ecosystem is the Start screen and live tiles. That also seems like the only thing not ported over to Android/iOS.

My problem with the wait and see approach is time. While they may release a new flagship this fall, any signs of mass migration of new apps won't be apparent until at least Spring 2016. That's a long wait. I have a 1520, but I feel for those with units like the 920/925 or the 1020. My wife's 1020 runs slow.

 

[jlzimmerman]

I agree with your statements. Sadly the reality is, if you want to keep up with most of the world you NEED to get an iPhone or Android. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I still love my 1520 and will continue to use it, but my iPhone is my main phone.

That depends on your needs. I do not agree that you need an iPhone or Android to keep up with the rest of the world. I can do anything on my WP that I want to do on my iPhone, and vice versa. There's just different ways to go about it. It is exactly the reason I went with Synology for my NAS as opposed to other solutions, because they have WP apps. I seek alternatives and support those who support WP, not just because I am a WP fan, but because competition is good for the consumer. We need more than two healthy mobile ecosystems.

As far as home security, look into WP friendly options that have apps such as Insteon, Alarm.com, and DropCam. I also give a shout out to Vera which has a very good mobile web interface.

 

[mhans311]

I would go with android if the apps you want to use are not on WP. I really like the WP interface but there are several apps I use every day that do not exist on WP. For some the lack of apps is not a big deal but for the vast majority, apps are important. It makes me sad, but I don't think WP will ever be up to par in that regard. I've been hearing "the apps will come" for years. I fear they never will.

 

[PepperdotNet]

Other than games, I've found that most things that "need" an app are actually quite usable in the web browser. One of Apple's biggest accomplishments was convincing everybody that they need an app to do the simplest things.

As an example, my security cameras have iOS and Android apps available, work perfectly well in IE with http://[my-router-dynamic-dns-name]:portnumber shortcut pinned to the start screen.

 

[RumoredNow]

Moved to appropriate area... This is really beyond the scope of any one handset model.

FWIW... I was die hard webOS, I used to be all in with Android, I've tried iOS, dabbled with Ubuntu Touch, Firefox OS, Jolla Sailfish...

webOS is still the cat's meow. A great pity what happened there.

Android is easy to pick up. Plentiful, huge amounts of support from OEMs pumping out new devices, Devs churning out Apps, Communities full of expert users. IMHO if you go Android, go Nexus. Longest and fastest update support. (Yeah yeah, all the others say just flash a ROM - but what a pitiful lack of official support from OEMs when the vast majority of handsets get ZERO updates and so very few get more than one...) I like Android still as a consumption platform, media and games are the forte. Nice on a tablet form factor. I am, however, increasingly wary of Google and their data sniffing. Also their feeling of being entitled to have a hand in each and every activity you perform and their insistence that your function in life is to feed them data and consume ads.

iOS bored me. I got in around iOS 5 and 6 so a lot has changed, but a lot has not. And I don't care what anyone says or how many buy in - I can not be convinced that their product should command such hefty prices. The entire experience is tailored to pull you further and further into their ecosystem and drain off your cash quite constantly. No thank you. Still, it is quality gear and if you want the security of a walled garden, why not? Just remember they control the experience top to bottom. iMessage once and it is very hard to get out of that trap and go back to SMS on another platform. They know some won't switch as getting untangled from the iMachine is too difficult. It's like being in the Mafia, you don't just walk away. My wife has not had an iProduct in years and years and still can't let go of iTunes - or rather it won't let go of her.

Blackberry - Bless them for hanging tough. I could have gone there from webOS, but I learned my lesson.

At times, Windows Phone might feel as jeopardized as BB or webOS, but for now they are still in there and showing signs of staying in the fight. I like the UX and am not an App hog so it does just fine by me. I can't pay the price to play on iOS and not feel like I'm being extorted and I can't have fun on Android without feeling I'm being exploited. I'll stick with Windows Phone.

 

[DavidinCT]

If you can hold on a little longer, I'd wait to see what happens with W10. With it being so easy to port Android apps over, if W10 sells well the apps will follow (and many believe that it will).

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

See, this is the bigger problem, WAIT....Yea, I was one of the first (as soon as I could get on Verizon) WP buyers, so I have been playing the WAITING game for years now. Windows 7, 7.5, 7.8, 8.0, 8.1 (4-5 different phones, all off contract) and soon Windows 10. I was a Windows Mobile/PocketPC user from 1.0, so I have been using Microsoft PDA's and Phones for a VERY long time (longer than most people here)

Where did 8.1 put us? Actually worse than 8.0, We lost major apps, and still day to day we see apps being pulled. About 7 apps in the last 3-4 months effected me directly and never mind over the last 2 years. Bank of America, Softcard (Something to do NFC payments that iOS and Android have) and we got lucky that MLB came back but, it was on the fence just to name a few.

This Windows 10 thing better fix it, or Microsoft better look to drop Windows phone. As the numbers go for Microsoft's support, On Windows PCs (higher share than WP could dream of), they say 6% of users use Windows Media Center but, they kill it off. Windows Phone has under a 3.5% share globally. Think about what this says where MS will go with it, to a billion dollar company, it's a 10 billion dollar tax write off.

This is the part of Windows Phone that is getting old, don't get me wrong, I love the OS but, the App and Hardware support (smartwatches, etc) is something that sucks about it and It feels like I have been waiting for ever.

Windows 10 might help but, it has so much ground to catch up to, I don't think it's possible unless Apple goes out of business tomorrow and everyone needs a new phone. We all know that is NOT going to happen.

Disagree with me ? Cool, I don't care, this is MY opinion and only mine.

 

[MonkeyDance]

If you come across something and the app isn't available for Windows Phone you could just drop the developers an email and see if they'll consider making a port. Developers who aren't making software for Windows Phone are missing out at this point and its their loss if they turn their noses up at the platform.

People are always talking about market share, Windows Phone only has 3% and they should give up blah, blah... in reality there is nothing wrong with being 3rd in the market, competition is healthy. I mean if MS should give up then maybe apple should too because Android owns nearly 80% of the market.