A question for other Windows Phone/Mobile converts

Laura Knotek

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How is Aquamail “better” than Nine or Outlook in your experience? I’m not a fan of either so I’m always looking for an alternative. The BlackBerry Hub is not available on iOS so I prefer a cross-platform solution.
I like Aquamail better than the Outlook app, since I am able to attach files that aren't pictures.

I haven't tried Nine, so I have no idea how well it works.
 

fatclue_98

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I like Aquamail better than the Outlook app, since I am able to attach files that aren't pictures.

I haven't tried Nine, so I have no idea how well it works.

You can attach files on Outlook but I find it a chore. Too many steps for my tastes. Not to mention it doesn’t sync to the phone’s native calendar app.

Nine is a very feature-laden app but push works on its own schedule, not mine. If they ever get that right I won’t consider anything else.

I’ll look into Aquamail, thanks for the tip since I’d never heard of it.
 

chanchan05

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You can attach files on Outlook but I find it a chore. Too many steps for my tastes. Not to mention it doesn’t sync to the phone’s native calendar app.

Nine is a very feature-laden app but push works on its own schedule, not mine. If they ever get that right I won’t consider anything else.

I’ll look into Aquamail, thanks for the tip since I’d never heard of it.
I tried Aquamail's free version before (limited to 2 accounts and has a watermark/sig by the dev). It's nice, but I didn't feel it was worth the $10 they're asking, especially when there are pretty solid alternatives that are much cheaper or even free.
 

Lightning_Racer

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Depends on the platform. As the OP mentioned, MS apps don’t always work as well on other platforms and I go straight to Outlook. Whether it’s Android or iOS, the app blows chunks. I mean, the calendar still doesn’t sync with the default calendar app and that’s just crazy.

I'm relatively new to Android, coming from Lumias 630 and 650. I haven't really worried about the calendar yet through several months of Galaxy S7 ownership (which I broke recently, went back to 650 for a few weeks), and now a Pixel 2 that I'm just getting used to, only got it last Friday. I mainly use the calendar on my Surface Pro 3, and haven't really needed the additional reminders on my phone.

So I'm wondering, what I'm missing in not getting sync with the default calendar, and why would I want to use the default Google/Android calendar? I noticed this morning that I got an Outlook calendar notification popping up on the Pixel, so the Outlook calendar notifications that I enter on my SP3 show up and work. I tried adding a calendar event on Outlook using the phone, and that works too.

Main difference for the calendar that I notice compared to my SP3 is that I have two apps on the Surface Pro 3, mail and calendar, vs. one app, Outlook, with calendar as a button within Outlook.

_________________________

As for the main question of the thread, I am using the same Microsoft things on the phone as before except the actual phone. So that's Edge (much better on Android than W10M, where it buggy on some sites), Outlook for my mail (Hotmail/Outlook.com has the only personal email account I've used ever, never signed up for gmail, etc.), outlook calendar, Onenote, Onedrive for my photo backup and access to all my files on my SP3. I also use Microsoft News as my main sources of news, as well as the MSN Sports and Weather. I look in the MSN Money app maybe once a week.

My non-streaming music on my SP3 is listened using Groove. I just uploaded the same files to Google Play, and also have them downloaded to the phone. The interface is much, much worse than the Groove on W10M, but that's all I've figured out so far. I added Spotify recently, and I use the free streaming there. I don't really use the phone for music every day. In the car for every day use, I listen to the car radio (really wish my Pixel 2 had FM radio, as well as a headphone jack to use headphones as an antenna). I mainly use music on my phone for long road trips, especially places out of cell phone and radio range (far north/Alaska/Yukon/northern BC, etc.).

The Google app I use most is YouTube, which doesn't have a Microsoft alternative.

I guess my photos are also being uploaded to Google automatically, but I just consider that an extra backup, and don't actually use the backup. I do use Google photos for viewing after a shot though. I rarely edit photos on the phone. I'm pretty happy with the way Photos on Windows 10 is now, and that's my main viewing/editing app. I wish Microsoft would make a Photos app for Android like the one that is on W10M (or better). That might be THE big hole for me now, switching from W10M. I see all Onedrive photos on W10M/Lumia through the Photos app there. The Onedrive app doesn't work as well for viewing photos.

For maps, I know Microsoft doesn't partner with HERE anymore but I use both that and Google Maps. I also tried Waze, and used my Toyota in-car navigation. I'm kind of split between Google and HERE, depending on where I am driving. I have offline maps downloaded onto my phone for all of US and Canada for HERE maps.

One thing I haven't spent time figuring out is my long contact list from Outlook.com. I don't call more than 2-4 people regularly, so I just have those entered manually.

I am using Google Pay, having tried it for the first time several months ago. My main stores (grocery) don't accept contactless payment though. I would have favored Samsung Pay on my Galaxy S7 for the ability to imitate magnetic strip cards, but it had been rooted before I bought it, so SPay was blocked. I don't know if Microsoft Pay/Wallet ever worked. I never tried it on my Lumia 650. Trying it now, it crashes when I try to add a card.

For search, I still use Bing. When I don't get the results I want, I've tried going to a private window and trying Google to avoid the tracking, and I never find that I'm missing anything.

On my Samsung, I put on the Microsoft Launcher right away, so I never really got to see what the stock Samsung was like, and probably mistake some Samsung features in for Microsoft or vice versa... It took me a while to figure out the clock/weather widget was Samsung, not Microsoft. For the new Pixel, I'm going to use the Pixel Launcher for a while before trying other Launchers. Other than trying it out some years ago, I really don't use Cortana. I don't ever plan to use Google Assistant (turned off the squeeze feature), so there's a big wasted space on the bottom of my home screen at the moment, a reason to go to a launcher, since it can't be turned off, I think. I liked how the Microsoft Launcher could hide apps I couldn't uninstall, but I don't need that as much on this phone. The Google app left of the home screen is populated by things I watch on YouTube. If I put Microsoft Launcher on, it would be populated by Microsoft News things, and the Outlook calendar things, I suppose. I'm not sure I want that duplication, and never used that left-of-home screen.

I have Office too, the 365 subscription. Anything else doesn't make sense based on what I always have used for work or personal docs.
 
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dlalonde

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Aquamail is my email app. I've even used it for business communications with my LG V20.

I primarily use a Windows PC to compose and edit Word documents and to watch Netflix or YouTube videos. Otherwise, I use my Android phone or tablet more than my PC.

So otherwise you're still full Microsoft even on Android? Not necessarily for apps (like Aquamail) but for services?

Not using Windows on a PC much if at all lately.

With mobile I still enjoy aquamail. I back up to Google.
I never do any sort of work on mobile being retired, so docs or office apps aren't needed.
Never thought I would step away from a Windows PC.

Oh! So you're using Linux or Mac?

Yeah. All you have to do is go to settings>accounts and backup>accounts>add acount>microsoft activesync. Add your outlook account and boom your emails, calendars, contacts, and tasks show up on the relevant Samsung apps.
No need for the Outlook app at all.

It works really well! Thanks :)

I'm relatively new to Android, coming from Lumias 630 and 650. I haven't really worried about the calendar yet through several months of Galaxy S7 ownership (which I broke recently, went back to 650 for a few weeks), and now a Pixel 2 that I'm just getting used to, only got it last Friday. I mainly use the calendar on my Surface Pro 3, and haven't really needed the additional reminders on my phone.

So I'm wondering, what I'm missing in not getting sync with the default calendar, and why would I want to use the default Google/Android calendar? I noticed this morning that I got an Outlook calendar notification popping up on the Pixel, so the Outlook calendar notifications that I enter on my SP3 show up and work. I tried adding a calendar event on Outlook using the phone, and that works too.

Main difference for the calendar that I notice compared to my SP3 is that I have two apps on the Surface Pro 3, mail and calendar, vs. one app, Outlook, with calendar as a button within Outlook.

_________________________

As for the main question of the thread, I am using the same Microsoft things on the phone as before except the actual phone. So that's Edge (much better on Android than W10M, where it buggy on some sites), Outlook for my mail (Hotmail/Outlook.com has the only personal email account I've used ever, never signed up for gmail, etc.), outlook calendar, Onenote, Onedrive for my photo backup and access to all my files on my SP3. I also use Microsoft News as my main sources of news, as well as the MSN Sports and Weather. I look in the MSN Money app maybe once a week.

My non-streaming music on my SP3 is listened using Groove. I just uploaded the same files to Google Play, and also have them downloaded to the phone. The interface is much, much worse than the Groove on W10M, but that's all I've figured out so far. I added Spotify recently, and I use the free streaming there. I don't really use the phone for music every day. In the car for every day use, I listen to the car radio (really wish my Pixel 2 had FM radio, as well as a headphone jack to use headphones as an antenna). I mainly use music on my phone for long road trips, especially places out of cell phone and radio range (far north/Alaska/Yukon/northern BC, etc.).

The Google app I use most is YouTube, which doesn't have a Microsoft alternative.

I guess my photos are also being uploaded to Google automatically, but I just consider that an extra backup, and don't actually use the backup. I do use Google photos for viewing after a shot though. I rarely edit photos on the phone. I'm pretty happy with the way Photos on Windows 10 is now, and that's my main viewing/editing app. I wish Microsoft would make a Photos app for Android like the one that is on W10M (or better). That might be THE big hole for me now, switching from W10M. I see all Onedrive photos on W10M/Lumia through the Photos app there. The Onedrive app doesn't work as well for viewing photos.

For maps, I know Microsoft doesn't partner with HERE anymore but I use both that and Google Maps. I also tried Waze, and used my Toyota in-car navigation. I'm kind of split between Google and HERE, depending on where I am driving. I have offline maps downloaded onto my phone for all of US and Canada for HERE maps.

One thing I haven't spent time figuring out is my long contact list from Outlook.com. I don't call more than 2-4 people regularly, so I just have those entered manually.

I am using Google Pay, having tried it for the first time several months ago. My main stores (grocery) don't accept contactless payment though. I would have favored Samsung Pay on my Galaxy S7 for the ability to imitate magnetic strip cards, but it had been rooted before I bought it, so SPay was blocked. I don't know if Microsoft Pay/Wallet ever worked. I never tried it on my Lumia 650. Trying it now, it crashes when I try to add a card.

For search, I still use Bing. When I don't get the results I want, I've tried going to a private window and trying Google to avoid the tracking, and I never find that I'm missing anything.

On my Samsung, I put on the Microsoft Launcher right away, so I never really got to see what the stock Samsung was like, and probably mistake some Samsung features in for Microsoft or vice versa... It took me a while to figure out the clock/weather widget was Samsung, not Microsoft. For the new Pixel, I'm going to use the Pixel Launcher for a while before trying other Launchers. Other than trying it out some years ago, I really don't use Cortana. I don't ever plan to use Google Assistant (turned off the squeeze feature), so there's a big wasted space on the bottom of my home screen at the moment, a reason to go to a launcher, since it can't be turned off, I think. I liked how the Microsoft Launcher could hide apps I couldn't uninstall, but I don't need that as much on this phone. The Google app left of the home screen is populated by things I watch on YouTube. If I put Microsoft Launcher on, it would be populated by Microsoft News things, and the Outlook calendar things, I suppose. I'm not sure I want that duplication, and never used that left-of-home screen.

I have Office too, the 365 subscription. Anything else doesn't make sense based on what I always have used for work or personal docs.

Thanks for the lengthy response!

I don't think going to safe mode changes anything. Personally I treat everything I do on Android as if Google knows. I could be wrong though but that's the kind of trust I have in them.

I had Here WeGo as a map but as GPS it's way too outdated. There's a road that hasn't existed for at least a year in a major city and it sent me to it last week. So I'm back to Gmaps.

As for Bing it is very good indeed. But I still use Google as it usually gets better results.
 

Byrese

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Depends on the platform. As the OP mentioned, MS apps don’t always work as well on other platforms and I go straight to Outlook. Whether it’s Android or iOS, the app blows chunks. I mean, the calendar still doesn’t sync with the default calendar app and that’s just crazy. Nine works fairly well and is as feature-rich as Outlook on Windows but push services have always lagged behind. OneDrive, Word, Excel and Powerpoint are as good as it gets so they’re my main apps regardless of platform.

On Android I use the BlackBerry Hub and the BlackBerry keyboard without hesitation. The Hub allows me to pin separate accounts to my home screen to let me know which account is receiving an email like I did on Windows Mobile. On iOS, the pickins are slim to nonexistent.
You really can't go wrong with BlackBerry hub. I like it so too but find the UI dated. I used it mostly on a Key2 but now that I'm driving my pixel daily i prefer a more seamless UI experience. I'll probably stick with Outlook for email. But yes...BB Hub is a close second in my book.
 

Drael646464

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Depends on the platform. As the OP mentioned, MS apps don’t always work as well on other platforms and I go straight to Outlook. Whether it’s Android or iOS, the app blows chunks. I mean, the calendar still doesn’t sync with the default calendar app and that’s just crazy. Nine works fairly well and is as feature-rich as Outlook on Windows but push services have always lagged behind. OneDrive, Word, Excel and Powerpoint are as good as it gets so they’re my main apps regardless of platform.

On Android I use the BlackBerry Hub and the BlackBerry keyboard without hesitation. The Hub allows me to pin separate accounts to my home screen to let me know which account is receiving an email like I did on Windows Mobile. On iOS, the pickins are slim to nonexistent.

That's pretty much what I'll be doing when I move to android; using BB apps (hub, keyboard) w/ microsoft apps (office, onedrive, cortana), and some open source apps instead of google ones (like for nav, and youtube). Hub was the business on BB10, and I hear the BB keyboard is also dope on android.

Does feel like a shame because I am a heavy windows store user, and never liked google play store apps that much, but with some heavy tweaking I'm sure I'll be able to make it work.

Not exactly sure how to get my windows desktop calendar to sync, I suppose I'll need outlook for that? Or does BB calendar handle outlook calendar stuff? I've gotten pretty used to the windows desktop integration, and want that to remain, because I use my desktop FAR more than my phone.
 

Drael646464

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I haven't switched yet, because I love my lumia. But, right now I use no google services apart from youtube. Brave for the browser, duckduckgo for the search, outlook for email, onedrive for storage.

Partly because I really don't like googles ethos regarding censorship (It ain't as bad as twitter or facebook, which I also eschew, but it's enough that I'd rather they didn't get a dime). Particularly when it comes to searching political related search terms, the results on google search are very poor/one sided; as a political centrist that's a no from me.

Check it out yourself if you like, pick a politically charged topic, and compare the un-filtered results of duckduckgo with google's sculpted biased results. The difference is night and day.

Youtube simply because nothing else comes close. There's good alternatives to everything else.
 

fatclue_98

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That's pretty much what I'll be doing when I move to android; using BB apps (hub, keyboard) w/ microsoft apps (office, onedrive, cortana), and some open source apps instead of google ones (like for nav, and youtube). Hub was the business on BB10, and I hear the BB keyboard is also dope on android.

Does feel like a shame because I am a heavy windows store user, and never liked google play store apps that much, but with some heavy tweaking I'm sure I'll be able to make it work.

Not exactly sure how to get my windows desktop calendar to sync, I suppose I'll need outlook for that? Or does BB calendar handle outlook calendar stuff? I've gotten pretty used to the windows desktop integration, and want that to remain, because I use my desktop FAR more than my phone.
The Hub does Outlook just fine. Calendars and contacts sync perfectly and once you integrate your Outlook information you’ll be signed in to OneDrive and whatever Office apps you have (Word, Excel, etc.). It’s the rest of Android I find so irritating with all the repetitive steps involved sometimes. Truth be told, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, iOS handles Microsoft apps better than Android.
 

Byrese

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The Hub does Outlook just fine. Calendars and contacts sync perfectly and once you integrate your Outlook information you’ll be signed in to OneDrive and whatever Office apps you have (Word, Excel, etc.). It’s the rest of Android I find so irritating with all the repetitive steps involved sometimes. Truth be told, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, iOS handles Microsoft apps better than Android.
Beginning to think the same thing. I just switched Android phones and only downloaded Outlook this time. It has improved but the fact that i can't sync the calendar with Google calendar is so annoying. Guess it's back to BlackBerry software or a Key2 altogether.
 

libra89

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The Hub does Outlook just fine. Calendars and contacts sync perfectly and once you integrate your Outlook information you’ll be signed in to OneDrive and whatever Office apps you have (Word, Excel, etc.). It’s the rest of Android I find so irritating with all the repetitive steps involved sometimes. Truth be told, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, iOS handles Microsoft apps better than Android.

Yeah I have to agree with you on that.
 

Drael646464

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The Hub does Outlook just fine. Calendars and contacts sync perfectly and once you integrate your Outlook information you’ll be signed in to OneDrive and whatever Office apps you have (Word, Excel, etc.). It’s the rest of Android I find so irritating with all the repetitive steps involved sometimes. Truth be told, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, iOS handles Microsoft apps better than Android.

Well that's good news. Yeah, android doesn't have a good UI, it's multiple steps for the simplest things, and stuff in a few seperated places. Launchers improve that a bit.

Actually, on that topic, is hub a launcher? Like can you run it, along side microsoft launcher or another launcher (I'm sort of imagining not). Or is the hub, as a launcher pretty good anyway?
 

fatclue_98

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Well that's good news. Yeah, android doesn't have a good UI, it's multiple steps for the simplest things, and stuff in a few seperated places. Launchers improve that a bit.

Actually, on that topic, is hub a launcher? Like can you run it, along side microsoft launcher or another launcher (I'm sort of imagining not). Or is the hub, as a launcher pretty good anyway?
The Hub is just a unified message center and email client. There is a BlackBerry Launcher but it’s no biggie other than allowing “sparks” for individual email accounts that you pin to your start screen.
 

Byrese

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The Hub is just a unified message center and email client. There is a BlackBerry Launcher but it’s no biggie other than allowing “sparks” for individual email accounts that you pin to your start screen.
Your can pin those emails without BB Launcher via the Hub.
 

fatclue_98

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Your can pin those emails without BB Launcher via the Hub.
Sure, but my experience with Sony, Nokia, Samsung and Moto is that all the pinned accounts get a notification dot simultaneously whereas with the BB Launcher only the correct account gets the spark.
 

Drael646464

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The Hub is just a unified message center and email client. There is a BlackBerry Launcher but it’s no biggie other than allowing “sparks” for individual email accounts that you pin to your start screen.

So is the hub like on BB10 where you swipe right and it's there? Or is that a part of the BB launcher? Or do you have to tap an icon? (My god, I loved the simplicity of BB's UI).
 

fatclue_98

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So is the hub like on BB10 where you swipe right and it's there? Or is that a part of the BB launcher? Or do you have to tap an icon? (My god, I loved the simplicity of BB's UI).
You really expect something to be simple on Android? No, it’s an icon just like any other. You can pin individual accounts as separate icons though. Only by using the BB launcher will you get independent notifications per account if you have separate icons.
 

Drael646464

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You really expect something to be simple on Android? No, it’s an icon just like any other. You can pin individual accounts as separate icons though. Only by using the BB launcher will you get independent notifications per account if you have separate icons.

Seriously the launcher doesn't give access by swipe? They could easily do that, I've seen other launchers have something on the leftmost page (or rightmost). I'm a bit miffed hearing that. I wanted that whole, 'swipe and all your communication is there' experience. I mean I guess tap is okay but :(
 

Byrese

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Seriously the launcher doesn't give access by swipe? They could easily do that, I've seen other launchers have something on the leftmost page (or rightmost). I'm a bit miffed hearing that. I wanted that whole, 'swipe and all your communication is there' experience. I mean I guess tap is okay but :(
You might be able to but you'd also have to get the productive tab app. But that app is about to drop being supported this month.
 

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