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

[maryv1]

I have been on Windows Phone for about 2 years. I started with the Nokia 928 which was great and now I have the HTC m8 which I also love. I currently drive for Lyft/Uber and because of this have a second cheap Android. I am thinking of trading in both phones and just having one Android. I love love love the UI of Windows 10 Mobile and how seamlessly it integrates with my computer at home, but having two phones is obnoxious. Other than Lyft/Uber, I really don't mind not having access to apps. I actually like 6tag better than the Instagram "BETA" (that's been out for like 2 years...) and I've got Candy Crush and Facebook which both work fine so I'm not really missing out on much. My thought process over the last two years has been that the longer I keep WP and submit feedback, keep up to date with everything, etc.. that it may improve and in some ways it has and some ways it hasn't. It's a catch 22 because the more people that use WP, the more apps will come to it. But of course, a lot of people don't use WP because there's no apps. Developers like Snapchat refusing to acknowledge WP worries me, though. I haven't decided definitively yet whether to switch over completely, but it's definitely on my mind!

 

[Joseph Avena]

Agree with you on this, same here...I'm on Android because the price and spec's of the Xperia Z3+ were right and the experience after a week has been very positive. Funny how the MS apps work really well on Android. I'll wait and see where MS goes but I don't want to be the beta guinea pig any more. So far the Xperia is a very productive phone for me.

 

[Jason Gilbert]

Grim reading on this thread, but I get it. I just rolled my 830 back to 8.1 to get the firmware update and I'm amazed at how much better 8.1 is compared to the latest W10 build. More responsive, no crashes, and my battery life is probably twice what it was on W10. I think the app gap is getting better with UWP, but W10 has otherwise been a flop for phones.



I'll be replacing the 830 this summer, and at this point I'm strongly considering a Nexus device. I have enjoyed WP since my 900, but the bottom line is that Android has improved a lot since then and Windows has gotten worse, at least with W10 as it stands now.

Update:

Best Buy had the ZTE Maven (running Lollipop) on sale for $30 so I picked one up to give Android a test drive. (BTW, I ordered the "Aerb 5in1 Nano Micro Standard Sim Card Adapter" from Amazon for $7 to switch from the 830's nano sim to the ZTE's micro sim. It works great, with the nano sim clicking in to the adapter for the switch, rather than some that use adhesives and turn into a mess.)

Observations after couple of days use:
*The ZTE's screen and camera suck, but hey, it was $30.
*Like my 830, the ZTE uses a SD 400 with 1GB of Ram, and Android is buttery smooth. No hangups, no resuming, and I've had a lot of apps open. I'm very impressed with how well a very cheap phone can run. Even the hardware itself is decent. It's nice to hold in the hand, the screen and buttons are very responsive, and it sounds good in my $15 Skullcandy earbuds. Also, battery life is decent enough to get through a day. I have only one gripe: the Micro-usb port should never, ever, for any reason, go on the side of a phone. It's just the weirdest choice ever.
*Chrome is a revelation after using Edge on the 830. Smooth, everything renders well, no hiuccups, no bull****.
*The overall look of Lollipop is nice. Clearly Google put a lot of thought in to Material Design, and it shows.
*Google Maps and Street View kick ***. Even on this limited hardware it's smooth, fast, and detailed.
*Most apps run smoother on Android. (There are very important exceptions, which I will mention below.) A great example is Windows Central, which is quite snappy on Android and still very hit-or-miss on W10. I'm not usually one to complain about the app gap, since I think that UWP on W10 has helped a lot, but there are a few things that I like having on Android, like Zillow and my local bank's app.
*8GB is not enough storage, and juggling apps to the SD card is a pain. (But again, it's $30.)
*Notifications on Android are better than they used to be, but it still wants to notify you of everything under the sun and it takes a lot of effort to reign that in. With windows, I just let unimportant things show up on the live tile and I would get to them whenever I had time. Also, the ZTE has a notification LED in the front that blinks green, orange, or red for reasons that I can neither understand nor control. I'm pretty certain there are things I can do with this somewhere in the settings menu, but it's not obvious.
*Android doesn't handle email as well as Windows, and in particular Outlook is a far superior product on W10 mobile than Android. (Keep in mind that my work email is an Exchange active sync account.) In windows, I can control sync rates, notifications, and signatures for each account, and each account can show up on it's own live tile. No such luck in Android. Also, adding accounts to the Outlook calendar is easy in Windows, regardless of where the account is hosted. There is still no great way of putting Outlook and/or Exchange accounts to a Google calendar. The Outlook month view (which I prefer) is far more detailed in Windows than Android, and the Windows calendar live tile is far better than the Outlook calendar widget on Android. In short: email and calendar management is MUCH better in Windows.
*Contact management is also much better. This may be a function of having used a Windows phone for more than 5 years now, but my Google contacts are full of crap and not easy to clean up. And like the calendar, there doesn't seem to be a good way to import stuff from Outlook.com.

Overall I'm still on the fence, but I'm leaning towards a 950/950XL with hopes that Edge and Maps get better.

 

[gcdc_lumia]

my turning point would be the pokemon GO. if it has no chance at all to get in the WP then i will switch. been a lumia user since WP7 and i've been sucking it up despite the lack of apps. i love it initially for its distinct look and the camera, but the other platforms are now catching up. it has lost its spark. nothing special now.

sure, it's just an app and you guys might think of it as shallow for that mere reason.

but meh, to each his own.

i do love the W10M tho! and the unity in all devices, or whatever that term is. but the touch gestures in mobile get fcked up at times

 

[Opera Ghost]

So I am also a WP user from day one of the launch of WP7. I've owned a multitude of phones with the 1020 being my favorite. I bought a 950XL at launch but unfortunately it didn't solve the underlying platform problem and the phone itself was uninspiring. My yellow 1020 was beautiful and people asked me about it. Not the case with the 950XL.

Back in December I bought a Nexus 6P and took my first dive into an Android phone as my daily driver and I have been using it ever since. Things I miss:

• Live Tiles. Widgets are a poor substitute
• Groove. Groove exists on Android but it is nowhere near as good as it is on WP. I actually still use my 950XL in the gym since I have it loaded up with a 128GB microSD. Google Play Music is just horrible.
• Wireless charging. It is just so convenient and you miss it so much when you don't have it.
• MicroSD Expansion
• The camera on my 6P is touted as the best Nexus camera and a very good camera. In my own use, it is not good. It's fast, but the quality is nowhere near the Lumia
• Outlook integration. On my 6P the Outlook contacts don't integrate with the phone contacts. They exist only within Outlook.
• Dedicated camera button. While I can use the power button to launch the camera I still have to touch the screen to snap a picture which introduces the possibility of motion blur. I loved the camera strap and the camera attachment for my 1020. Why does no one else add a camera strap to the phone? It is brilliant.

Things I really enjoy with my 6P:

• The App ecosystem. Virtually everyone makes an Android app. Although the apps I use most often are also on WP.
• YouTube and Chrome casting is so much easier
• Web sites with video actually play.
• The fingerprint sensor is awesome. The iris detection while only beta just does not work for me unless I remove my glasses and put it 8 inches from my face.
• Quick charge. While it only works with select chargers it does charge very rapidly. Not a big deal but it is handy.
• It looks and feels so much better than the 950XL. I sort of like the look of the 950XL but it really should have been offered in different colors. If something like the Mozo case had been included, it would have been much better.

I still threaten to go back to my 950XL. I keep it updated with the latest WM10 Insider Fast Ring builds. Hopefully we will see the IOS bridge make apps a non-issue. I fully intend to keep in the ecosystem and I will buy whatever flagship we see from HP and/or MS.

 

[PuckCowboy]

I installed a Windows launcher on my S7 because I really like the live tiles & dark theme of the OS. Now that I have that & all the MS apps, Onedrive, outlook, office, office lens Cortana, Bing, MSN apps, MS Health, groove, Xbox app, OneNote, Bing rewards app, HERE Maps & tranasit apps & Windows Central app. I'm NOT missing anything at all. Most of the tiles are live just like WM. Plus all the local & some national apps that I wanted(Comcast TV app, local gov't apps, my Credit Union app, my sons school app, etc) Yes I can pin any app to the start screen, I can pin a webpage to the start screen, I can pin a contact to the start screen. Some tiles are widgets which are better than in WM. For example the email tile I can scroll the email list & click on the email to reply right from the tile, I can customize each tile infinitely more than in WM. Oh & I'll be installing the MS keyboard when it's released also. Right now I'm using Swiftkey which they just bought & it's very good. If all these apps & services were not available I would have most likely not switched, now I regret not doing it sooner. I can tell anyone considering make the switch, without a doubt there is only 1 things WM does that is better, uninstall ANY app. MS apps-NOPE, phone design-NOPE, Cameras-NOPE, OS-NOPE, Updating the OS-NOPE. What does WM offer right now that would compel me to move my 6 lines to AT&T so I can buy a 950? As for the whole google spying on me deal, I made a another google account just for this phone, added a re-loadable Visa card from Walmart for buying apps & tuned off &/or disabled all google services.

Robinsonmac,

I noticed your post on the thread talking about converting over to Android from Windows and I had a quick question for you.

One of the big things I love about Windows Phone is Cortana and how she automatically reads text messages to you via Bluetooth while driving, and then allows you to reply and send messages to those texts hands-free.

Does Google Now or any other app on Android do that? My mom has an android phone and I've asked everywhere but that still seems to be a feature lacking with Google as it's not baked into the OS. It's one of the few things that keeps me from switching.

If you (or anyone else) has any suggestions for apps or programs that can handle this, any and all info would be truly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Dusteater]

Robinsonmac,

I noticed your post on the thread talking about converting over to Android from Windows and I had a quick question for you.

One of the big things I love about Windows Phone is Cortana and how she automatically reads text messages to you via Bluetooth while driving, and then allows you to reply and send messages to those texts hands-free.

Does Google Now or any other app on Android do that? My mom has an android phone and I've asked everywhere but that still seems to be a feature lacking with Google as it's not baked into the OS. It's one of the few things that keeps me from switching.

If you (or anyone else) has any suggestions for apps or programs that can handle this, any and all info would be truly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Cortana will not read any messages in your Messaging app received via Skype though. So when 75% of my messages I receive in the car won't be read, it is very frustrating. Your phone keeps dinging, but you never know where the message is coming from and how the OS will treat it. This is hugely frustrating in W10M. This is the #2 reason why W10M simply doesn't work in cars.

Again, Android has Android Auto, which is a very robust in car solution.

 

[PuckCowboy]

Cortana will not read any messages in your Messaging app received via Skype though. So when 75% of my messages I receive in the car won't be read, it is very frustrating. Your phone keeps dinging, but you never know where the message is coming from and how the OS will treat it. This is hugely frustrating in W10M. This is the #2 reason why W10M simply doesn't work in cars.

Again, Android has Android Auto, which is a very robust in car solution.

Thanks for this, but I don't use Skype at all, and don't know anyone within my circle of contacts that uses it (at least for sending simple text only messages). Everyone pretty much texts, and this is a feature that Cortana nails in both WM8.1 and in WM10 from my experience. Also, I don't want to have to change out my entire stereo system to incorporate Android Auto. I just simply want it to be able to work over Bluetooth or any Bluetooth system I connect my phone too. Cortana also works flawlessly over Bluetooth headset reading my incoming text messages to me while I'm at the gym, out for a run, hike, etc.

Again, if Android has this feature or some sort of app that allows for this, I would consider making the switch. It's just way too convenient and hassle free.

 

[PatrickJM]

Thanks for this, but I don't use Skype at all, and don't know anyone within my circle of contacts that uses it (at least for sending simple text only messages). Everyone pretty much texts, and this is a feature that Cortana nails in both WM8.1 and in WM10 from my experience. Also, I don't want to have to change out my entire stereo system to incorporate Android Auto. I just simply want it to be able to work over Bluetooth or any Bluetooth system I connect my phone too. Cortana also works flawlessly over Bluetooth headset reading my incoming text messages to me while I'm at the gym, out for a run, hike, etc.

Again, if Android has this feature or some sort of app that allows for this, I would consider making the switch. It's just way too convenient and hassle free.

I have a Galaxy S6 sitting in a drawer at home because of this. I went from a L920 running WM10 and thought I would be happy with the buy one get one on AT&T with the GS6. Because of the terrible bluetooth support which I use all-day every-day to and from work and while at work I am back using my L920. It just works better. I tried to find apps to do what Cortana does but they were not reliable. Also, android won't remember the volume that you had each different bluetooth device set at when it reconnects. When Windows Mobile (8, 8.1, and 10) reconnects to the same bluetooth device it resets the volume to the level last used by that device. Android always connects at the preset 50% volume. That means messing with the phone every time you connect.

When it comes to bluetooth connectivity. Android has a long way to go for basic functionality.

 

[garak0410]

So I am also a WP user from day one of the launch of WP7. I've owned a multitude of phones with the 1020 being my favorite. I bought a 950XL at launch but unfortunately it didn't solve the underlying platform problem and the phone itself was uninspiring. My yellow 1020 was beautiful and people asked me about it. Not the case with the 950XL.

Back in December I bought a Nexus 6P and took my first dive into an Android phone as my daily driver and I have been using it ever since. Things I miss:

• Live Tiles. Widgets are a poor substitute
• Groove. Groove exists on Android but it is nowhere near as good as it is on WP. I actually still use my 950XL in the gym since I have it loaded up with a 128GB microSD. Google Play Music is just horrible.
• Wireless charging. It is just so convenient and you miss it so much when you don't have it.
• MicroSD Expansion
• The camera on my 6P is touted as the best Nexus camera and a very good camera. In my own use, it is not good. It's fast, but the quality is nowhere near the Lumia
• Outlook integration. On my 6P the Outlook contacts don't integrate with the phone contacts. They exist only within Outlook.
• Dedicated camera button. While I can use the power button to launch the camera I still have to touch the screen to snap a picture which introduces the possibility of motion blur. I loved the camera strap and the camera attachment for my 1020. Why does no one else add a camera strap to the phone? It is brilliant.

Things I really enjoy with my 6P:

• The App ecosystem. Virtually everyone makes an Android app. Although the apps I use most often are also on WP.
• YouTube and Chrome casting is so much easier
• Web sites with video actually play.
• The fingerprint sensor is awesome. The iris detection while only beta just does not work for me unless I remove my glasses and put it 8 inches from my face.
• Quick charge. While it only works with select chargers it does charge very rapidly. Not a big deal but it is handy.
• It looks and feels so much better than the 950XL. I sort of like the look of the 950XL but it really should have been offered in different colors. If something like the Mozo case had been included, it would have been much better.

I still threaten to go back to my 950XL. I keep it updated with the latest WM10 Insider Fast Ring builds. Hopefully we will see the IOS bridge make apps a non-issue. I fully intend to keep in the ecosystem and I will buy whatever flagship we see from HP and/or MS.

Very good post...and all valid points and sums up the feelings I have by having to go to Android (for now, I hope) since the 950xl didn't come to Verizon. It was very agonizing when they finally confirmed the rumors that the 950xl will not see the light of day on Verizon, so I went with the Note 5. And I have to admit, the App Ecosystem is everything. I do prefer the Windows Phone OS but the app ecosystem is what makes it.

And ditto on Groove...now I have moved to Spotify primarily since we are big Amazon Echo fans and can stream Spotify easily through it now. If they added Groove support and they fix Groove on Android, I'd gladly go back to it.

 

[Luckyshot000]

So, you moved to Verizon, to get the 928? From what? I would guess AT&T would be next in coverage, below Verizon, depending on where you live, they may be better. Can't see them being the bottom of the list. The 950 and XL are decent devices. If you are looking for an excuse to leave Windows Phone, or really can't leave Verizon, I get it. I have an iPhone 6s and a Nexus 5x, and they are excellent devices. In certain places/situations Verizon's coverage is legendary. If you would still prefer Windows, as I do, the 950s are decent and AT&T serves me well.

Where I live USCC and Verizon are about equal in coverage (I think they share towers) and then there is a large drop off to AT&T closely followed by T-Mobile and another drop to Sprint. AT&T wouldn't work because it's coverage is barely acceptable in my house. Also, my parents are on my plan and they live in a small town in Iowa....closest AT&T coverage looks to be about 5 miles out of town for them. So no, only two carriers work for my needs and both are CDMA.

 

[chmun77]

I don't like iOS (although everything does just work!!) and found Android turns into a sticky laggy mess after a day or so of use (I only miss Ingress!!)

Wow..... No offense, but you actually messed up your Android phone only after a day??? I guess Android is really not for you. Just saying.....

 

[Robinsonmac]

Robinsonmac,

I noticed your post on the thread talking about converting over to Android from Windows and I had a quick question for you.

One of the big things I love about Windows Phone is Cortana and how she automatically reads text messages to you via Bluetooth while driving, and then allows you to reply and send messages to those texts hands-free.

Does Google Now or any other app on Android do that? My mom has an android phone and I've asked everywhere but that still seems to be a feature lacking with Google as it's not baked into the OS. It's one of the few things that keeps me from switching.

If you (or anyone else) has any suggestions for apps or programs that can handle this, any and all info would be truly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

I haven't tried that Feature yet as I rarely used it. I'll look tonight. As far as lag and all that other stuff you always hear about, not happening here. I've installed a ton of apps, the WP Launcher SwiftKey keyboard a ton of music and it runs as fast as when it was new.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[WindowsSoccerCentral]

Well... I am a glutton for punishment!
In the beginning...I have been a loyal, die hard user and fan of MSFT products. Even though I have at times felt left behind after embracing some of the technology (Win 7/7.8, Original Surface/Surface 2) and these have been within +/- 6 years, however, for every high (Windows 10) there is a heartbreaking low (Windows 10 Mobile). I have accepted that we won't get some of the apps like the "cool kids"...hell, we even have our third party champions stopped in their tracks (hello SnapChat?!), but what stings the most...when you can see, feel, taste and almost touch something so breakthrough and revolutionary...to see it not work effectively...it's a wee bit discouraging. Windows 10 Mobile is that for me. I have been testing it for months. At first...I was ALL about this OS. Then, the discussion on which phone was going to get it; what updates would happen on certain phone and how the really "cool" features required you to upgrade to two brand new phones. You are about to swallow that and consider it (and I was already to shell out $650 for 950xl)....the OS is buggy, incomplete, has some challenges and a few stumbles. The news goes out and this phone, this OS that I, personally, was hoping it would stand up and reel in all the ones who left and weren't considering us...that maybe, just maybe, this OS with Continuum would cause a double take, Sadly, the tech news got wind of the challenges, W10M lost a few more apps (bye Tumblr), and my 1520 that upgraded to the latest update of W10M OS, 14295...crashed and burned my phone. I own the choice to test this on my primary and ONLY phone. My badd...my fault...oh well 72 hours, I have been without a phone or phone usage. I have restarted 2x and this is my "3rd times the charm" swan song...on WM10. 8.1 is sturdy...so will stay with that. Not planning any defecting to Android or iOS..but I am waiting for my choice...a choice I don't regret (I even, still, rock my Zune!), to be stable, solid...and kinda cool. It's a really good phone and OS possibility,...so Microsoft, will you stabilize and not let us down?.
PS- I like my 1520. I am considering getting another one. Not banking on Surface Phone rumors for one reason. Surface 1. Surface 2...good. Band 2...better than Band 1 (which was really good), but phone...may have to wait.:straight:

 

[eddydu]

I actually sold my lumia 1520 (used for 2 years) to get a galaxy note 4. Reason is because the apps on android work way better and have more features then windows phone. (For instance there is an app called Kakao talk which lets you do voice, video and text, where the windows phone only lets you text.) There is too much of an app gap. I do have a lumia 640 which I bought for $29.99 at best buy where the deal is still going on. Windows 10 has a lot of bugs fixed from previous versions, but it needs to be able to compete with Android and IOS in terms of App variety, and also another thing, it should be a little more open to google drive and docs.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I actually sold my lumia 1520 (used for 2 years) to get a galaxy note 4. Reason is because the apps on android work way better and have more features then windows phone. (For instance there is an app called Kakao talk which lets you do voice, video and text, where the windows phone only lets you text.) There is too much of an app gap. I do have a lumia 640 which I bought for $29.99 at best buy where the deal is still going on. Windows 10 has a lot of bugs fixed from previous versions, but it needs to be able to compete with Android and IOS in terms of App variety, and also another thing, it should be a little more open to google drive and docs.

That's cool because you'll be able to use your 640 to see what is fixed and what app improvements happen.

 

[polaromonas]

I've been a long time WP user as well (Samsung Focus > L920 > L930) but I recently switched to iPhone 6. The reason being that L930 just has TERRIBLE battery life. I know iPhone 6 is no 6s when it comes to battery life, but it is wayyy better. And obviously, the apps.

I do miss W10M though. Even it's pretty much half-baked at this point. The UI is an inconsistent mess, the one hand usability is gone, app crashes all the time, etc. But Cortana is that much better on Windows and she is a lot more useful than Siri. WordFlow keyboard on W10M is also hands down the king of software keyboard for me. I have Swift keyboard on the iPhone, but word prediction on that thing is nothing compare to Windows, and iOS' stock keyboard is just ok. One other thing I do miss about W10M/WP is linked contact. I lost so many contact coming from Windows because iOS won't group my contacts with social medias like Windows does.

But until MS REALLY put its weight behind the platform, I think I'm going to stay away from W10M for now. It's not practical at this point to live in "Appconomy" on a mobile platform with no apps. MS needs to debug and optimize W10M, as well as match the OS's API list to that of the iOS. It needs that Islandwood bridge and incentive programs that will convince dev to port their apps over.

 

[houkoholic]

Seriously, now you are saying that the comparisons are unfair due to flagships? I'm not even running graphics intensive games! How is that unfair for refreshing files and documents from onedrive if they are on the same networks? Does it really take lots of power to refresh files? Ain't suppose windows phone apps should be more efficient than any Android phones out there? Microsoft should really go back to their drawing board and redesign the apps for windows phone.

Games depends on GPU, normal app performances, especially when it comes to waking up from standby and refreshing from the background depends on CPU and RAM, not GPU. Your comparison is dumb by comparing an entry level phone with the lowest amount of RAM and the slowest CPU to two top of the line highend flagships - with the iPhone 6+ still easily dominating in single thread execution performance over other Android flagships (THE most important factor for crunching everyday apps). End of. Also Xiaomi excels at selling highend spec phones for bargain prices (eg selling flagship at other competitions midrange price, midrange spec at rivals entry level price etc), so raising that as somehow "proof" of your argument is doubly dumb.

I have a 950XL which I can run against a high end Xperia Z4 tablet, a Sharp SH-02G phone (it has a SD801 and 3G of RAM) and an iPad Air 2 - they are all my own devices and all set up to access my MS stuff (I live in MS ecosystem - I use Outlook mail, OneDrive etc) - and I can tell you the MS apps runs just as well on my 950XL as the Android and iOS versions. Actually the Sharp runs the slowest because it is bog down by unoptimized OEM bloat after 1 year of usage.

What I find is that the MS apps aren't "better" on the other devices - they are roughly equal - in fact I can say Outlook and Calendar is best on W10M, just like MS promised. It's the third party "essentials" like Twitter and Facebook that blows on W10M and that's what's dragging down the ecosystem and makes it hard to stay or get people to switch.

 

[EasilyTheBest]

I love windows phones but I am close to switching mainly because of a lack of automated home apps like thermostat, lights etc.

 

[Vojtech8808]

Hi all, I switched two weeks ago from Windows phone [L925 and L640] to android phone Honor 7 [I had never used android phone until now].
The main reason was my current location, I live in Shanghai and windows phones and local app are just not supported here, which is a shame. So far, I am very happy with Honor 7, great battery, Huawei Emui system is good, fast, responsive and brings great extra features, lets see if it will stay like this for a while, but overall I don't regret the purchase, cost vs quality is very good. Also all MS app I used on Lumia, are on play store.
I am planning to keep my l640 with my home country sim card and see what will happen with future updates.
Love the surface pro 4 device.

Vojtech