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

[Mindi B]

Re: Convince me to stay with Windows Phone

I've been on Windows Phone since day ONE. 5 YEARS of patriotism for this platform.

I LOVE Windows Phone. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I honestly believe it is the BEST OS out there by LEAPS and bounds. I've been through the HELL of each update, starting with the nightmare that was Mango, and countless versions since. And bugs remain, for important features since (MMS not sending from a Lumia 1520, multiple messages received etc etc). I've had about 8 different Windows Phones.

The problem is Microsoft itself. Constantly reshuffling their roadmaps. No marketing brains. Giving too much power to carriers. Pitiful hardware updates. A pathetic update schedule. A plethora of never-ending mistakes. And the biggest insult of ALL - supporting other platforms more than their own. THAT is saying something, THAT shows a deep lack of confidence in their own product, instead of how much they've innovated with this great OS. Metro is GENIUS. And did they capitalise on it? Nope.

And then we have ever-DWINDLING developer interest. No one cares about Windows Phone. NO ONE. I REPEAT, NO ONE. It is a NON FACTOR in the tech world. It doesn't matter how we try and justify it. We have been flogging a dead horse for 5 years, and MS refuses to wake up.

I LOVE my Lumia 1520. I've had it since release and am in love with it as much as ever. I have no issues in the hardware dept as far as WP goes - although we badly need a new flagship. But let's be honest - MS's track record with keeping up to date is getting worse and worse.

Sure, I could wait for Windows 10. But I've already waited FIVE YEARS for this platform to reach just SOME kind of potential. Not five months. FIVE YEARS. By now, it should have double digit market share in the mid-high teens %, and a solid developer backing. But it's nowhere near it. Absolutely nowhere. There's no momentum. Countless articles by pro-WP sites micro-analysing data to make things sound optimistic (e.g. iPhones are being sold, but not to new users, only existing ones, while low price point Lumia continue to sell in developing markets)... The fact is, unless WP breaks it in the UK, US and Australia, the rest is simply NOT important. And WP has NOT made it by ANY measure of significance in those markets.

Yes, I'm being harsh, but it's about time we stopped bullsh1tting and admitting the truth. This OS is NOT taking off. Anytime soon. Windows 10 for phones... I'm just not excited. And I want to be.

I'm not at all happy to say this. Very annoyed actually, because I had such high hopes that MS would fix their game and move into the modern era with a bang. And they have done anything but, with only themselves to blame. An insecure whimper is more like it. The daggy MS of old can't shed it's own awkwardness.

I can only imagine that this is just a TINY extent of the frustration people like Paul Thurrott feel.

I'm going to be starting the day tomorrow as a non-WP user for the first time in 5 years. I hope that when I come back to look again in 24 months time, that things have improved for WP. But I'm not holding my breath. Not anymore.

Very disappointed. VERY.

 

[oldpueblo]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

A small counterpoint. Having helped many people switch over to Windows Phone and then see some of them wander off to a different phone a few years later (out of curiosity) I can honestly state first-hand that several of them wish they hadn't left, or even once they have the apps they longed for they still have plenty to complain about because they're used to the better way of doing some things that WP offered. So yes it's easy to focus on what is missing, but once you switch you might be surprised at what you miss and took for granted on WP. All the apps in the world don't make up for it being more work every time you want to do a basic thing like edit contacts, send a text, general OS instability, etc. Android can be the wild west with some devices/launchers being great and some being terrible, you never know what you're going to get. And with Apple, you get what you get and too bad if you don't like it. WP is a great middle ground, we just have less apps for now. But it's a great phone first and that's the point, so its not bothered me personally. I want my phone to be best at communicating with people, the rest is just gravy. I have the money and ability to switch whenever I want, and yet I don't. So they're doing something right still, and there's always the possibility to get better.

 

[hotphil]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

It's worse than five years - even since Pocket PC Phone Edition they didn't keep the pace up.
Hence all the upstarts charged forward and overtook them.
Win10 doesn't need to excellent, it needs to be mindblowing. Or they may as well pull the plug now and concentrate on services.

 

[Mindi B]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

oldpueblo - it's not the app gap as such. As lover of Windows Phone, that's our first excuse we tend to lean on as a comeback, it just doesn't carry weight anymore. Simple as that. I haven't even picked up my iPhone yet, but I'm already thinking of how it's going to be without my live tiles, which I love so very much. The way WP works is second to none, but sadly, the ecosystem is practically non-existent. No one is supporting it, and as hotphil said above, Windows 10 will need to be a MIRACLE. I want it to be - but I think it's already too late now. How many companies have we seen pull their support lately? If that's not an indication I don't know what is. sadly, I think it might be time for MS to pull the plug on this.

 

[Athull]

Re: Convince me to stay with Windows Phone

This is exactly the sort of advice I'm after. Having never used any smartphone other than WP7/8, I had no idea it had a better keyboard.

Unfortunately on the Moto G front, the cheapest unlocked one I could find in my area is cresting $120, and I'm not sure I want to drop that kind of cash on a device that I'd be using purely to see if the OS was worth my time. Is there a site that anyone knows of that sells cheap, unlocked phones to Canada?

​I'm also really concerned that I might pick another "loser" of a Windows Phone that would leave me without updates and broken features in a couple of years (which is the fragmentation I thought Microsoft was trying to avoid)...

As u said in ur first post picking Ativ was a mistake. Lumias are highly supported and frequently upgraded. You also get a tonne of highly useful exclusive apps.
Lumia 830 was marketed as an affordable flagship and MS won't be pulling the plug on its support anytime soon. But if u got the patience then u should wait till a phone that's preloaded with W10 launches with new hardware.
And as a Nexus user along with a WP user I can safely say that Lollipop update absolutely ruined android for me.
Every bit of OS functionality that was better in android than WP is now gone(notification center for example).
Lollipop seems to be form over function as looking good is just about all it does while a lot of the functionality that we take for granted in WP is gone.
W10 is definitely an interesting prospect and everyone is speaking highly of it as this is the first time WP is not playing catch up to android in OS functionality and introducing proper strand out features.
Apps are still a problem I agree but most apps do have work around that function quite well.

 

[KCandSunshine13]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

My employer provides phones to all workers. We had BlackBerrys then branched out to iPhones (Android is not allowed per IT). I am the lone wolf among my co-workers. I have a Lumia 928. I am up for renewal and find myself torn between another Windows Phone and the iPhone 6. I really enjoy the Live Tiles/Home Screen vs the static screen/waving left & right that is iOS (my wife has an iPhone). Personally, I think iPhones are for those who grew up on AOL.

The 928 takes great pictures; so much better that I have all but stowed away my Canon point & shoot. I have the Denim update and while everyone raves about the fast start up of Lumia Camera, it is just not happening on my 928. I have switched back to Microsoft Camera. My wife is due for an upgrade, too. While looking to upgrade to the iPhone 6+ she was using the camera. That camera = Amazing! As fast as she could tap the screen, it was taking pictures! And the pictures came out clear and in focus! I was stunned! Also, don?t get me started on the comparison between the panorama feature. Windows Phone didn?t hear the starter?s gun.

Apps. I didn't think Apps would be a big deal to me. I?m not a gamer. However, I find myself longing for Apps (or in most instances, the features in Apps) that are on the iPhone. Enough said.

What I want in a phone:
1.) Universal Search feature. Case in point: at work, on our PCs, we use the desktop version of Outlook. I have an Outlook Contact who runs a cleaning business, Winston Wolf. While his name and his business (Winston?s Cleaning) show up in the results of a People search on the Windows Phone, the notes I typed in the Outlook Contact card about Winston?s side businesses of burning cars and burying bodies fail to show up anywhere during a search on the phone: People Search nor Cortana.
2.) Plug in a USB memory stick. This article intrigues me:
Windows 10 to launch with support for USB 3.0 successor | Peripherals News | TechRadar
With Windows 10, would I be able to plug-in a memory stick, moves files between the phone and memory stick? Would I be able to save files to the memory stick? If I could do this, I would give up the need for an SD memory card slot. It would seem that this would be an eventuality. Question is: which phone is going to develop this feature first?
3.) When will I be able to save a PDF to my Windows Phone? Or any type of attachment ? other than a photo ? for that matter?
a. In the reverse, when will I be able to start an email, search for an attachment ? other than just photos ? and attach the document to the email? Presently, we have to find the attachment, select Share, select Email and start that way. This way is counter-productive to me.
4.) A few of my co-workers and some friends now have the iPhone 6. That is a really BIG screen! I can?t imagine using the iPhone 6+! The 6 might too big for my hands. I like the 928 screen size; it fits in my pants pockets easily enough. However, something a little bigger, between 4.7? and 6? would be perfect for my hand size.
5.) While I am dreaming, I might as well dream of world peace and hope that Microsoft and Google bury the hatchet in my lifetime.

Windows 10 - I hope it is all that and a bag of chips. I mentioned that we have PCs, use Microsoft productivity software and I have a 928. I hope that instead of a lone wolf that I become the shining example in my office on how to truly be productive.

 

[Jason McKenna1]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I have been an Android user since the start have had the first Samsung Galaxy through to the Note 3 and up until the end of December the LG G3.
Bought the Lumia 1520 in January this year and can honestly say I am blown away by the performance of the hardware and yes I love the simplicity of the Windows system.
I have managed to cope fine with what is on offer in the app store and don't need a zillion apps that are not relevant to most people.
Battery life on this phone is 2 days my LG G3 had all sorts of fancy gadgets and a quad screen but the battery lasted 6 hours max and I was never able to take advantage of half of the features due to battery drain also know that note 4 has similar problems brother has one.
I wish people would just try windows instead of bashing it all the time for me it is a breath of fresh air.
Wife has bought a 830 and also has moved from Android.
Microsoft keep at it as you have converted us.

 

[berndts]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I spent a few hours reading through the opinions of folks switching platforms - I wished Program Mgrs from the Mobile team would spend the same time to educate themselves about what makes folks leave the platform. I, for one, will make the switch as well after 5 years of WP usage. I've been a loyal MSFT supporter - (disclaimer - I've been working for them for many, many years). I always thought the OS had potential - the UI is very easy to use, clear, innovative compared to the other platforms. LIve tiles are great (if they update regularly)...but, the lack of support on all fronts is abysmally bad, and I haven't seen any improvement over the years. The promise that the next release will be the one is getting a bit old.

I had a t-mobile 810 for a few years, updated it to the Win8.1 dev preview, then decided that I wanted a nicer phone, switched to Verizon and got myself the Samung Ativ SE. Even though 8.1 was already released at the time, the phone wasn't updated. I was promised it would certainly be updated over the next weeks/months....well....I had to wait until last week - more than ONE year after I bought the Samsung. One year without Cortana, without separate volume control for ring and music, etc. There was NO communication from MSFT nor Verizon regarding any upgrade timing. Folks can blame it on Verizon, but at the end, it is MSFT who should own up to their products.

This dreadful customer experience, in conjunction with the lack of apps and app support (many of the major apps, IF they are available for WP, are only rarely updated), has done it for me. I'm overly frustrated by the overall experience and as well very, very disappointed. MInd you...I made my opinion heard as well on internal websites...but I frankly wonder whether anybody in the Mobile team actually cares what their customers really think...the small community of diehard fans will not sustain the business.....the WP team should be very worried about folks leaving and companies discontinuing their app support.

I do hope that possibly in a few years, WP will be a viable platform that provides a true third player in the market, but this will require a hefty change in marketing & development strategy.....competition is good and we need more...

 

[ctown25]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

3.) When will I be able to save a PDF to my Windows Phone? Or any type of attachment – other than a photo – for that matter?
a. In the reverse, when will I be able to start an email, search for an attachment – other than just photos – and attach the document to the email? Presently, we have to find the attachment, select Share, select Email and start that way. This way is counter-productive to me.

I think they might have figured it out. OneDrive doesn't want to connect to the internet on my Lumia 635 Win10Preview for some reason but now there's an option of Photos, Camera (which i presume you can take a picture and add it directly to the e-mail), OneDrive (which sounds like anything you have in the cloud can be attached), and File Explorer (which sounds awesome in a scenario where you type up a quick document and want to send off some Office files without having to get involved with a computer). Still hoping theres built-in PDF management and viewing for more win.

 

[ctown25]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I was pretty heavy into Android myself with my first smartphone being the Samsung Infuse 4G to upgrade to the OG Galaxy Note a year after that. Within the first year of owning my Android I was put on to XDA Developers and starting flashing roms left and right for all the customization it offered. Eventually, I got bored of Android and wanted to try something new. As a previous owner of an iPod Touch, I didn't really want to go back to iOS with those ridiculous prices off contract for such small screens and not to mention the nightmare known as iTunes lol. This past September I learned about Windows Phone for the first time and picked up the Nokia Lumia 521 from Wal-Mart and fell in love. Then I realized I need that Note-sized screen again and learned about the Nokia Lumia 1520 and bought it unlocked off of EBay a couple of months ago. Still use it to this day as a daily driver. Of course I'm no heavy app user, but I like my Social Media/Video Game integrated apps like Groupme, PlaystationApp, and Instagram. Being a Microsoft OS, I did not expect too much Sony presence on it but I use a cheap $20 android for those odd times I want to use PSApp.

With the recent removal of 6Snap and Banking apps pulling support for Windows Phone it's been getting harder and harder to recommend Windows Phone over the competition. Working retail I can influence people to buy one over the other but there's nothing stopping them from returning it and going with an Android instead. I have faith in Windows 10 as I think MS is starting to take the mobile platform much more serious this time around.

 

[Mindi B]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

I spent a few hours reading through the opinions of folks switching platforms - I wished Program Mgrs from the Mobile team would spend the same time to educate themselves about what makes folks leave the platform. I, for one, will make the switch as well after 5 years of WP usage. I've been a loyal MSFT supporter - (disclaimer - I've been working for them for many, many years). I always thought the OS had potential - the UI is very easy to use, clear, innovative compared to the other platforms. LIve tiles are great (if they update regularly)...but, the lack of support on all fronts is abysmally bad, and I haven't seen any improvement over the years. The promise that the next release will be the one is getting a bit old.

I had a t-mobile 810 for a few years, updated it to the Win8.1 dev preview, then decided that I wanted a nicer phone, switched to Verizon and got myself the Samung Ativ SE. Even though 8.1 was already released at the time, the phone wasn't updated. I was promised it would certainly be updated over the next weeks/months....well....I had to wait until last week - more than ONE year after I bought the Samsung. One year without Cortana, without separate volume control for ring and music, etc. There was NO communication from MSFT nor Verizon regarding any upgrade timing. Folks can blame it on Verizon, but at the end, it is MSFT who should own up to their products.

This dreadful customer experience, in conjunction with the lack of apps and app support (many of the major apps, IF they are available for WP, are only rarely updated), has done it for me. I'm overly frustrated by the overall experience and as well very, very disappointed. MInd you...I made my opinion heard as well on internal websites...but I frankly wonder whether anybody in the Mobile team actually cares what their customers really think...the small community of diehard fans will not sustain the business.....the WP team should be very worried about folks leaving and companies discontinuing their app support.

I do hope that possibly in a few years, WP will be a viable platform that provides a true third player in the market, but this will require a hefty change in marketing & development strategy.....competition is good and we need more...

Really well said, and I could not agree more.

I really want MS to succeed with Windows Phone. It's such a brilliant OS, with such incredible potential. But it's just not realised, nor are they taking care of their mobile aspirations.

I'm on day 2 post-Windows Phone, now on iPhone 6+.

I miss Lumia Camera.
I miss my live tiles.
I miss the design language.
I miss the navigation.
I really miss Windows Phone.

But I don't miss feeling like I'm using a test phone.
I don't miss the tiny little features here and there which should be there and are not.
I don't miss the beta feeling of Windows Phone.
I don't miss the constant knowing that I'm using a platform no one cares about or wants to support.

In iOS, I'm in a polished, realised ecosystem.
Supported everywhere.
Anything I search for, I find.
Any supporting service I want is there.
Anything I've tried to do with it has worked.
MS's own apps for iOS work better than they do on Windows Phone. It feels humiliating.

Yesterday I organised all my RSS feeds. I miss RSS Central.
But as I did, I came across my tech news feeds, and have kept all my Windows Phone sites. Windows Phone won me over - but MS themselves made me leave.

I want the competition, I want to come back in a few years and see its grown.

 

[nynamyna]

Leaving Windows Phone after staying with it for more than 4 years

Hello all,

I have been a windows phone user from 2010 since my first Samsung Focus. I remember how excited I was when I got windows 7 mango. I have also owned or got Most of the Nokia Lumia including 520, 820, 900, 920 and I am using 1020 now. I was planning to buy 1520.3 but now decided to go for Samsung note edge. Its just that I feel like windows phone is left out a lot and there are no progress in terms of new phones since a long time. I know windows 10 is coming up but I think I will wait till everything fully integrates together and then may be I will join windows phone again. I felt lot of disappointed when chase withdrew its app. Also, I see that any place I go I see their ad to get their app from apple or Google play not even one place I saw windows phone. I am sure that I will miss good camera and lives tiles but I am feeling that I should give a shot at android to see how it works. I also checked the Samsung phones have qi covers, expandable memory, and all Microsoft apps like one note. So I feel like I will still get it integrated with my Microsoft apps and one drive. Does any one have any advise or suggestions?

Vijay

 

[Michael Tillman]

Re: Leaving Windows Phone after staying with it for more than 4 years

I felt the same way you do. I was mostly frustrated at the lack of good windows phones on Tmobile. Three months ago I jumped ship for the Sony xperia z3. The phone was great but I missed the user interface of Windows phone and after two weeks I returned it and went back to my trusty Lumia 635 and 535. I still want a higher end phone but I'll wait for the Lumia 640. That phones specs are perfect for me!

 

[yoitsbenvo]

Re: Leaving Windows Phone after staying with it for more than 4 years

You're not the only one leaving. Been with Windows Phone since 2011. Going from the 900, to 920, to 1020, to the 1520, I feel like its time to go. I love the Windows Phones smoothness and no lag and great hardware, but the app store doesn't have what I need for school, and social media, and personal banking. With apps not being updated and abandoned, I see no future for me here with Windows Phone. Maybe ill be back when WP10 is here. Until then, I will be jumping to my OnePlus One tomorrow. I will always have a home for WP. :')

 

[Zephyr716]

Re: Leaving Windows Phone after staying with it for more than 4 years

I don't blame you for leaving. Honestly I was thinking of doing the same thing. I've also been with WP since 2010 starting with my Dell Venue Pro. I've also owned L900, L920, HTC 8x, L1520, L635(currently running win10) and my main device HTC One M8 for Windows... The One M8 is cool but I really miss my L1520. Windows phone is a great platform with a lot of potential which is the reason I'm still here. But if I was to make the jump to Android I'd grab either the LG G Flex 2 or the Sony Xperia Z4 when it comes out. But I hope we see you again in the WP community later on down the road

 

[Brandon Keenan]

Re: Leaving Windows Phone after staying with it for more than 4 years

GL with Samsung. I've been with windows phone since windows mobile 6.5 way back when and have jumped around a bit but for me windows phone still is the place where I want to be. This 1520.3 is mostly everything I want in a phone minus a fingerprint reader and a better camera. I'm going to wait it out until win 10 mobile comes out in conjunction with a new flagship and then will decide to either transition back to android or IOS

 

[KhawarNadeem]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Well, I am kind of forced to leave WP because I don't have a device anymore with no chance of it getting returned any time soon.

Will probably get a Nexus 6. I don't know if I'll really miss WP as a whole, given how many services are lacking in my country. But I'll definitely miss the gorgeous interface. Also, the pretty great camera and hardware. But after this experience I will definitely hesitate to return. There's nothing seriously wrong with the WP ecosystem (except MS customer care), but being without a proper device for nearly two months really makes you wonder why you threw so much money into something no one recommended.

My friends and I have had plenty of great experiences with Apple and Samsung customer care. 'And to Android I shall return'

 

[FearL0rd]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Well, I am kind of forced to leave WP because I don't have a device anymore with no chance of it getting returned any time soon.

Will probably get a Nexus 6. I don't know if I'll really miss WP as a whole, given how many services are lacking in my country. But I'll definitely miss the gorgeous interface. Also, the pretty great camera and hardware. But after this experience I will definitely hesitate to return. There's nothing seriously wrong with the WP ecosystem (except MS customer care), but being without a proper device for nearly two months really makes you wonder why you threw so much money into something no one recommended.

My friends and I have had plenty of great experiences with Apple and Samsung customer care. 'And to Android I shall return'

You can buy a Samsung WP and use theirs support

 

[KhawarNadeem]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

You can buy a Samsung WP and use theirs support

Perhaps, but don't you find that other manufacturer's WP devices miss out on many of the exclusives that make WP appealing in the first place? Glance, camera button, the best displays on the market, and the host of Lumia apps that make camera use fun? You don't get that in other WP devices... At least not first party. Which Samsung WP would you recommend? I guess I'm kind of open to it. Can't be worse than Android, right?

God forbid a person thinks for his/herself.

Lol, no, you misunderstand me. My friends were all discouraging me from buying WP, because it doesn't offer music/video streaming, or MixRadio, or maps (HERE maps either), or any of the usual services people tend to enjoy such as app buying through carrier which is pretty common in developing countries (I'm from Pakistan)... plus the devices cost more compared to Samsung, etc whose prices tend to go down pretty quickly. Lumia 930 has stayed the same price since it launched here, about $600. Srsly.

BUT I had big faith in MS (and Nokia) and they mostly delivered due to the sheer quality of the device itself. I don't hate WP, I actually love it. And I don't even think it's a Microsoft issue. It's more of a LOCAL Microsoft Care issue that I hate. Samsung et al. simply offer better service where I live; I can't change that any more than you can. I'm just not willing to risk it again, yeah?

 

[FearL0rd]

Re: Switching platforms|Thinking of leaving...comment here!

Perhaps, but don't you find that other manufacturer's WP devices miss out on many of the exclusives that make WP appealing in the first place? Glance, camera button, the best displays on the market, and the host of Lumia apps that make camera use fun? You don't get that in other WP devices... At least not first party. Which Samsung WP would you recommend? I guess I'm kind of open to it. Can't be worse than Android, right?




Lol, no, you misunderstand me. My friends were all discouraging me from buying WP, because it doesn't offer music/video streaming, or MixRadio, or maps (HERE maps either), or any of the usual services people tend to enjoy such as app buying through carrier which is pretty common in developing countries (I'm from Pakistan)... plus the devices cost more compared to Samsung, etc whose prices tend to go down pretty quickly. Lumia 930 has stayed the same price since it launched here, about $600. Srsly.

BUT I had big faith in MS (and Nokia) and they mostly delivered due to the sheer quality of the device itself. I don't hate WP, I actually love it. And I don't even think it's a Microsoft issue. It's more of a LOCAL Microsoft Care issue that I hate. Samsung et al. simply offer better service where I live; I can't change that any more than you can. I'm just not willing to risk it again, yeah?

You just said
"My friends and I have had plenty of great experiences with Apple and Samsung customer care. 'And to Android I shall return'"

Try Samsung and see how they are. I would do it...

The Samsung support here is very bad