Switching platforms? | Thinking of leaving?...comment here!

[Frankie Malekian]

As much as I'd hate to say it, but I think i HAVE to switch to Android...

I've been a fan and a believer of the Windows Phone (and still am!) since I got the Samsung Focus when it came out. Since then I've had the Lumia 900, Lumia 920, and now I have the 1020. However, there is one certain feature that I just cannot live without anymore, and that is spam call blocking.

My stupid self, about 5 years ago, entered my phone number into a Payday loan site. Since then, the spam calls have not stopped coming in. I've usually been just able to ignore them, and they would stop for a few months. But this year has been hell. They call me about 20-30 times a day, and I just can't handle how annoying it is. I have to constantly keep my phone on silent, my call history is worthless, and I am constantly interrupted.

Truecaller recently came out with an update, and it tells me that I am getting a spam call, but the calls still come. I need to have these calls blocked completely. Everytime its with a new number, so I can't just keep blocking them one by one either.

I also refuse to change my number. I've had this same phone number since my number with Cingular in 2001. This number is here to stay. I think I'm going to have to get an android phone now, and hopefully when the next Windows (10) phones come out, apps such as Truecaller will be able to block calls completely.

Its a sad, sad, day for me.

 

[kiddori]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

I would definitely change my number if that was me.

I'm actually leery of TrueCaller. They add you to a global directory available to all TrueCaller subscribers and keep logs of your calls.

 

[haikallp]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

I jumped onto the Android bandwagon in May 2014. Mind you, I've been a WP user since the start, since WP7. Had a HTC 7 Trophy, Samsung Omnia W and the HTC 8X.

I guess I just grew tired of waiting. Microsoft is just too slow and is playing catch up. I can live with the App Gap but there are features available in Android that are still not in WP (though the feature gap is closing). Microsoft apps in Android also seems better than on their own platform. Am still interested in WP but for now, I'll be in the sidelines and see how it goes. Loving my Nexus 5 so far. Stock android is awesome.

 

[imabtech]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

Having been a dedicated windows mobile/phone fan since the days of the hp ipaq devices, it pains me to say that I am in the process of trading in my Lumia 920 probably for a galaxy s5 or htc one m8.

And the ONLY reason for this is the lack of apps. I know that most major global apps are available(waze, facebook, whatsapp etc) but my problem is local apps.

My bank, credit card, parking service council etc all have apps for android and none for windows phone. Iv have stuck with it as much as I can but enough.

I hope that with windows 10 I will be able to come back.

 

[Spectral Entity]

Re: As much as I'd hate to say it, but I think i HAVE to switch to Android...

spam call blocking.

My stupid self, about 5 years ago, entered my phone number into a Payday loan site. Since then, the spam calls have not stopped coming in.

Are you in the US? If so, why not register your number on the official DoNotCall.gov list? It stops solicitor calls; it may take a couple months due to the barrage you're getting but you should notice the calls dwindle.

While you're at it, may as well remove yourself from the Direct Marketing Association's list as well to opt out of junk mail, either for 5 years pr permanently.

 

[kiddori]

Re: As much as I'd hate to say it, but I think i HAVE to switch to Android...

Are you in the US? If so, why not register your number on the official DoNotCall.gov list? It stops solicitor calls; it may take a couple months due to the barrage you're getting but you should notice the calls dwindle.

Good in theory, but I still get telemarketers calling.

 

[webkrawler]

Why I have temporarily switched back to Android from my Windows 8 Phone

Well, first, I am a Sprint customer. Sprint has no plans to support Windows 8 Phones beyond the 2 and 3 year phones (both of them) they currently offer. I had the 8XT which was the older of the two but was the better of the two. I have heard HTC One M8 for Windows Phone is SUPPOSED to come to Sprint but who knows when and IF it will really come.

I nearly switched to Cricket to get the Lumia 1320, but I decided, for now, to get an HTC One Max android based phone and stick with Sprint for at least another year.

I had my Windows Phone 8 for a year. (switched from Android jelly bean). There are lots of things to love about Windows Phone 8 but there were some annoying things, too.

First, what's up with the directory of the phone?? It's like, we're not supposed to access the local files folders. All the apps I downloaded and tried did not seem to want to give me access to anything except maybe a media folder or two. And, they were weird to use. Not straight forward like an Android file folder program. Maybe it was me but....

Wifi File Transfer. No one wrote an application for this?? There are like 100 of these in the Play store and they work extremely well. I think one of the File Folder apps on my Windows Phone kinda sorta supported Wifi transfer but it was not user friendly at all. On my Android I can easily upload and download files from any folder on my PC to any folder on my phone. Granted, there are a few protected folders in Android we don't have access to. But, we have access to about 95% of the folders.

Facebook constantly crashed. The Official Facebook app on my phone was always crashing. I posted here about it and other say yeah, it was happening to a lot of other people on the platform so I know it wasn't just me. I keep up with friends and family a lot on Facebook and with it crashing so much it was definitely frustrating. BTW. The Facebook app on my Windows 8 tablet in Metro has a lot of issues, too.

Games like Simpsons Tapped Out and Family Guy QFS are nice. Not deal breakers, but not available on Windows Phone platform.

Other applications. I keep an online database of a collection. They have an app for Android that allows me to sync via the cloud and then stores the database locally. If I am somewhere without Wifi and without coverage, I can access the database locally. There is no application for Windows Phone. They have a mobile version of their website which comes up quite nicely on my Windows Phone browser. But, if I am somewhere without coverage, I simply have no access to my database. Not Windows Phone's fault but still.

Things I have missed already? Internet Explorer on the Windows Phone. Superior to ANY browser on the Android platform. Period. I liked the active tiles better then the tiny icons and on the Windows Phone its easy to create shortcuts to website on the home screen. Multitasking is easy and a breeze compared to Android (I have Kit Kat).

I have not totally given up on Windows Phone. I will be keeping my eye out for Windows 10 (Phone) devices and if Sprint EVER gets a current Windows Phone, I might switch back.

Just wanted to share my experience.

 

[Surmisation]

Re: Why I have temporarily switched back to Android from my Windows 8 Phone

With Verizon’s increasingly aggressive ETF policies, now is a good a time as ever to test which network is good for the exit strategy when the contracts are up in late January. I signed up 5 lines of service on Cricket for $100 per month (including tax). Cricket now has several budget phones available. The Lumia 635 is free after rebate, but why settle for subpar? The Moto G LTE goes right now for a $25 after rebate.

SPECS
Both devices share identical processors, LTE radios, and basic 5 MP rear cameras. But the Moto G demolishes the Lumia in other categories. 720p vs 480p screen, 1.0 vs. 0.5 GB RAM, a notification light, a front facing camera, & expedient OS updates from Motorola make $26 an easy difference to spend. Even with the Snapdragon 400 processor on Android, I’m able to perform some tasks more quickly and efficiently than my current device, the high class Lumia ICON running the far-from-optimized Windows Phone 8.1 Preview.

The Moto G's camera is worthless but I'm embarrassed to say, just about everything else is an improvement. That's in comparison to the ICON with a SD800 processor clocked at 2.2 GhZ & with 2 GB DDR3 RAM. Don't know if the ICON's ancient firmware has anything to do with it....

Another missed user control is the ability to remove carrier apps. However, I think these are eventually going to be non-removal, baked into Lumia devices as components within Extras & Info.

Alas, the camera will be the most missed feature.Yet, I was mainly using it for scanning receipts which can be done at the house. I can't say I'm decidedly finished with Windows, OS or phone, but I'd definitely need to see some major improvements (SW, HW, & FW) present in the next version in order to justify a return to the platform.

It's not good-bye. It's more like so long, and hopefully things are better next time we meet.

NETWORK
Cricket’s network sucks like the depressurized vacuum of space. Good speeds register at 2 Mbps down and .5 Mbps up. Those are facts. Still, I am not the guy huddled in the corner, watching YouTube. 2/.5 Mbps is enough to pull emails. My house pulls 120 down, and about 30 up and that’s where I need the speed.

UNLOCKING & SWITCHING AGAIN
Another huge plus, factory unlock service for Motorola devices is fairly inexpensive at about $6 per phone. However, Cricket will unlock the phones for free after three months, about the time needed to maintain active lines in order for the $400 in rebates to clear. If the speed is still too slow, than switching carriers is simple as swapping a SIM card. Good analogy?

MICROSOFT's HARDWARE WOES
Bashing on Verizon is fun, but I’m still a Microsoft fan. Despite many crap decisions over the years, I’m confident they’ll be able to pull through. I still use Windows & Xbox One. My favorite game remains Halo multiplayer regardless of the ***** VP recently put in charge of 343 and the Halo franchise at large. Ultimately, Halo MCC’s unforgivable launch made me realize the detriments of supporting a company through the lens of childhood nostalgia. Windows is a great OS. Xbox is lots of fun. Office is par none. Yet the inability of the software giant to competently deliver modern hardware at a reasonable price point should not be supported, whether their AI is named Mickey Mouse, Cortana, or the White Ranger. It’s been nearly six years, and the standard resolution on laptops remains a sickening 768p.
Microsoft needs to get their HW partners on board or stop licensing Windows, and do it themselves. They took the wrong approach entirely. Phone market is replete with competitors including LG and Samsung. MS should have left this market alone and let the Korean screen tech giants compete. Traditional Windows devices are not the Korean’s bread and butter. MS needed and still needs to spin those turbines towards ensuring Full HD devices running Windows OS are released and reasonably priced. I’m unaware of how to mend the relationships with OEMs but they need to think of something and fast because 768p didn't suffice in 2009, and it certainly doesn’t cut it now. Windows OS is where Windows thrives.*

*Acceptable hardware required.

 

[LockOnTech]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

In recent weeks, I used my nokia lumia 521 as a secondary phone another item I can also rely on; skype, xbox games, and just fun stuff in general. I carried 3 phones with me, one being my primary phone my iPhone 5s along with an LG Volt as a wifi device only. I decided to just go and set both the Nokia and the LG aside and just use my iPhone. It was for the best, although I did had some fun times with windows phone; it kind of wore off quickly. So I am just going to use my iPhone in combination with my iPad mini and my Macbook air, but still be here on windows central because of how great this site and the rest of mobile nation is.


Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk

 

[Br1t]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

I don't understand why you are not using the built in call and sms blocking features in the phone settings.....I use it on mine. AT&T dev preview 920.

 

[mozman68]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

I don't understand why you are not using the built in call and sms blocking features in the phone settings.....I use it on mine. AT&T dev preview 920.

Exactly...typically it is the same number(s) calling over and over again and they will stop if it detects being blocked.

In 8.1 simply go to the call log and hold down on the number until the small menu comes up...click on "block number..."

 

[dirrtydavid]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

So my contract is coming to an end and potentially my time with windows phone. I've spent 2 years with a Lumia 820 and I haven't hated it but it hasn't amazed me (in a good way). As much as I love wp8.1 everything it brought, it took far too long for them to bring it and even at that they were already playing catch up. On the app front, yeah the store has improved massively, but the major apps are lacking in comparison to their android/ios comparisons, i don't even use the facebook app any more its just so abysmal I've uninstalled it and just pinned the mobile site to my start page. The only apps that kept me from switching before now were the Here maps/drivecollection, which have now made the leap over as well with a fresh look and glympse integration as a bonus. Not to mention the fact that any of Microsoft's own products are available on other platforms, on occasions before WP and/or better optimised for rival platforms.

As such I can't commit myself to another two year contract of WP, so my only option is PAYG, but given how lame the 530/630/635 are it'll come down to how the 535 is priced and if the 735 comes down any cheaper because I've tried a Moto G and for the money it is a cracking handset that I think I could live with until Microsoft get their priorities in order.

 

[Jean Sagarese]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

giving serious consideration of moving to either the Note 4 or Note Edge with a slight nod to the iPhone 6 Plus

 

[rkin92]

I went to the dark side... (story inside)

Hi all!

Some of you may remember me but I had a TMobile 520 last year. I loved it... until...

One day on the train it heated up (almost burned me) and the screen went wonky. TMobile said it would be 2 weeks for a replacement.... at that point i threw the towel in. I did not appreciate that customer service

I got a iPhone 5C from VZW. Then I got a Macbook. but then last week i got a Stream 7.... I am all over the place with devices.

Love my iPhone, but I am growing tired of it and may switch back to WP or Android (more likely, OnePlus One looks delicious).

I have a love hate relationship with the Mac, and the same kinda with the stream.

Anyway, its a shame i didnt stick with WP more, the 8.1 update is pretty cool! But i am here again, mostly in the Stream 7 forum.

 

[b3rni3703]

Re: I went to the dark side... (story inside)

After almost 2 years and 11 months of having a WP (810, 920, 925) as my daily driver. Finally, decided to switch back to Android once and for all until WP10 debuts in the near future that is (if ever). Though, its been an interesting OS nonetheless, still feels like MS could have done a much better job in terms of marketing campaign and promotions. Hopefully, WP10 will finally address all the features it lacks off, such as really making your device your OWN with more refined custom personalization towards UI... and ofcourse, further improving the "APP" gap that everyone has been talking about. WP8.1 still remains the #3 OS behind Android and IOS but if they really want to gain market share (especially in the US) - MS will need to get serious and have to step up its game further. I wish all of you the best. Will keep my 925 as a back up just incase

 

[DocDrazen]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

I started off with just feature phones. Then I got the HTC Surround when it first came out. Then upgraded to a 920, then 1020, and now I'm on the 1520.

Honestly. I love Windows Phone. The UI is perfect. I've had a couple of iPhones that I played with when my girlfriend moved in with me and brought hers. I've had several Android devices. Most recent is the Nvidia Shield.

My problem with Android is that it's a mess. I've had a Nexus 7, SII, Shield, and Tab 2. All of them have apps that constantly crash. UI's that are sluggish and dull to look at. I just haven't really had good experiences with Android.

But.. Sadly, I'm at the point where as much as I love Windows Phone. I'm tired of being left out. The fact that we JUST got Candy Crush and Minecraft a year or two late. That I can no longer use 6snap because my account gets shut off. That I still don't have the awesome 5/3 bank app that my girlfriend has on her Note 3. It's just aggravating. I downloaded Chaos Rings which just doesn't work on my 1520 and was never updated to fix the issue.

Then with the news of Office being a better experience on rival devices, MSN apps moving to other platforms, rumors about Cortana being on ios and Android (haven't heard anything about that recently though). I just feel abandoned by Microsoft.

I want this platform to succeed. I really do. I love my live/transparent tiles, Cortana, the cameras especially are a major plus for me. Yet, here I am. Debating on if my next upgrade is a Nexus 6 or holding out for the next flagship Lumia. I want the Lumia. But I just don't know any more. I really hope Windows 10 turns things around. By that's what I thought when WP7.5 came out, then WP8, then WP8.1. *sigh*

 

[garrymcd]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

Anyway, I had the original Samsung Focus, then got the Lumia 920. My upgrade became due recently, and to be honest, the lack of WP flagships made me decide to try android. I got the Galaxy Note 4 and couldn't be more pleased. Don't get me wrong, I love WP, and I may come back once WP10 comes out. But for now it's android for me.

 

[EssThree]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

My sister and I had our contracts run out last week. She's asking me what new phone she should get, and frankly I'm NOT going to try to convince her to stick with Windows Phone. I'm "OK" waiting until the Win10 announcement on 27/01 to see if Microsoft can give us some solid details about the future, but I'm not comfortable persuading anyone else to wait with me. With the lack of at least news of an incoming flagship, and real details about how Win10 will work with phones... it's all not very reassuring. The Snapchat situation has made it hard, too.

So, I'm not switching just yet, and my mum mightn't, since she doesn't care too much about the app gap. But everyone else I know that I've persuaded to get a Windows Phone in the past 4 years will most likely be jumping off.

Edit: If I do swap, I'm abandoning the MS eco system altogether. Their own developers favouring the competitor's platforms rubs me the wrong way, and I feel like I'd almost be rewarding their neglect of WinPho users.

 

[mozman68]

Re: All Those Switching from a Windows Phone to another device (including Windows Phones), Post Here

Edit: If I do swap, I'm abandoning the MS eco system altogether. Their own developers favouring the competitor's platforms rubs me the wrong way, and I feel like I'd almost be rewarding their neglect of WinPho users.

Don't take development of Windows apps for competitive software as a sign that they are neglecting WP. The development of FULLY FEATURED touch versions of MS apps is part of Windows 10 and therefore for WP as well and will provide a huge step above anything they have developed for competitive systems. Those competitive "apps" won't hold a candle to what will be coming once Windows 10 is released cross platform....hopefully....although, I was sucked back into the Apple ecosystem with a 6+, but still rockin' Windows 10 on my SP3 and love it.

 

[rossart12]

Why Should I NOT Give Up on WP?

I've been using the Windows Phone OS since 2010, when I bought an LG Quantum. From then on, I've been immensely satisfied with the OS, and have owned several flagship Lumias (920/1020/Icon). I've never minded the app deficiency, because workaround third-party apps usually do a great job filling the app-gap, and the often-buggy updating process had never fazed me. (I remember the arduous process of bootloading the CAB files onto my Quantum just to get WP7.8, and I keep all my phones updated with Preview for Developers).

Apart from these relatively minor qualms with the OS, I really truly enjoy it. The hardware is spectacular, and the software (when it gets updated) is top-notch. However, after making the jump to Verizon to get the latest flagship (I almost went with the One M8), I've started to notice some of the major difficulties that come with using a Windows Phone.

Verizon, for example, refuses to release firmware updates for any of their WPs for an unacceptable amount of time. I'm still waiting on Cyan while other carriers get Denim. This really wouldn't be so terrible if Verizon didn't have such a monopoly on service where I live. Switching carriers isn't really an option for me. To add to that, the initial promise made by MSFT at the release of Lumia Cyan, that it would "be made available in the coming weeks" has proven to be a boldfaced lie. Throughout the years, I've been okay with the occasional necessary delays in software updates, because it's nice knowing that the software is going to run smoothly, but the clear lack of leverage Microsoft holds with major carriers, coupled with their refusal to give even approximations of when updates will occur, is frustrating. Flagship phones, I think it's fair to say, should at least be updated at the same time as, if not before, other phones.

Now for the part that I wish I didn't have to say. The app problem. Every Windows Phone user knows it exists as much as I do, and I've spent years justifying having a lack of apps in exchange for having a spectacular OS. The third-party applications in the store usually get the job done fine, Microsoft has brought in developers to provide official apps, and frankly some of the third-party apps are much better than their official counterparts (6tag/Instagram). But as Microsoft releases better apps for iOS and Android before they're released for Windows Phone, it gives me the feeling that our operating system is being left behind. Lastly (and, granted, it's a silly reason, but it speaks to a larger problem) the recent Snapchat debacle was the thing that shook my faith in Windows Phone. After permanently locking the accounts of users of third-party apps, Snapchat callously recommended that those users upgrade to the newest official version of their app, reminding that "there is no official Snapchat client for Windows or Blackberry devices, so if you?re accessing Snapchat with one of those devices, you are using an unauthorized third-party app". With no evidence of an official app on the horizon, Snapchat seems perfectly content leaving millions of users without the ability to use their app. Obviously, they have their reasons, but the fact that they can remove all Snapchat options from the Windows Store without an official replacement means that Windows Phone is simply not important enough for them to develop for. We've seen this too many times from too many major companies. Even the Facebook app is developed by Microsoft, and not Facebook.
As Tom Warren at The Verge and Ed Bott at ZDNet have both expressed their ultimate frustration with Windows Phone, I'm really beginning to wonder why I should stay with it.

Is it too much to ask for fair treatment, and parity with the other major operating systems? I don't think so, and I've stuck with Windows Phone since pre-Mango days hoping that someday, this OS would be all I wanted it to be and more. It seems like, no matter how much catch-up Microsoft must play, that Windows Phone is falling behind. I'll stick with WP8.1 through my current contract, because who knows? maybe it will turn out to be a true competitor, but I really want to know why I shouldn't jump ship to iOS or Android afterwards, because they both seem to be improving at a faster clip than Windows.