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

[Rellek]

I've owned a HTC Mozart, Huwaii W1, Nokia Lumia 920 and now Lumia 950, since 2010 a loyal user, but I'm switching to iPhone, I'm done with it.
Spending 600euro's for an OS what's gotten worse instead of better and faster just sucks.

My comparison with WP8.1:
MS Mobile 10 feels slow and unreliable
Features are missing (where the *** is panorama with my superdeluxe camera?)
It's buggy: spontanius reboots, never had that with WP8.1
Updates are coming so slooooow
Support is disappointing (don't take much serious with their universal solution: "Try a software reset")
Apps are getting worse and less instead of better and more over the years

If you like waiting for features that may never come and being a guinea pig using a beta OS, MS Mobile 10 is the way to go.

 

[permo]

Hey all!
I am a WP-user since 920 and walked through a 1520 and now 950XL. With the build Redstone 14295 most functioning good. The only app that troubles me is the MarineTraffic that crashes every time. Beside that all is working very well and are looking optimistic about the coming updates. Even if MS Build 16 not comment on WM there will be focus on the mobile OS; I believe and agreed with many on this forum that hardware development will be fased out but the software will still be developted. Still I am very pleased with my 950XL and don't regret buying it at all. It is a great device and the apps I want to use is there except Snapchat and that don't bother me at all! But I do understand people that is leaving WM because of troubling devices and lack of apps- but I also ask for those critisising WM that there are people that love their WM- devices and think their devices are great! Thanks!

 

[scampbird]

I'm a 1020 user right now, having had 920 and various HTC Windows Phones. I'm done, Myerson's comments from Build were further confirmation that I need to switch fairly soon. I will be going to Android, which is the lesser of the two evils available to me IMO.

I feel the whole Windows 10 strategy is in tatters. Nobody asked for rapid-cadence operating system releases. People want stable OSs that work properly. By all means add app features, but updating the core OS every few months is insane and appears to have given them the excuse to release any old shoddy cr*p whilst telling users "don't worry, we'll fix it later". Muppets.

 

[sanjaypal]

Very great reply.
Actually I am also in dilemma to switching to Android but I really don't want to leave WP but very much disappointed from WP.

 

[ioioos]

Well, 24 hours is a long time in tech.

Yesterday, I was in a dilemma as to whether to stay the course with Win 10 Mobile, but the talk at Build has made my mind up.

When one of the biggest Companies in the world says its not focussing on its mobile phone platform right now, its basically giving up without wanting to lose face and say it. They have more than enough resources (or partners) to carry the line forward, but they have simply chosen not to.

They clearly don't want to concede defeat, but their actions (or lack of) speak volumes. 'Mobile First' clearly means cross platform, and not Lumia. They gave more screen presence to android/ios than they did to Win 10 mobile. Couple that with the lack of marketing for the Lumia lines and its obvious its a dead end they don't want to admit to.

MS mobile solutions will live on, but its clearly going to be cross platform app based and not hardware. I'm sure the Surface Phone will emerge, but I think it will be sold as a pocket computer solution in a similar vein to the Elite or higher, but I think the dream of Win 10 mobile being the '3rd mobile phone OS' is over. MS can simply take the revenue from Nokia patents and software solutions. In a way, its going back to what they did best.

I think those that are happy with their 950's and app selection have nothing to worry about (its still a good phone). I don't see MS pulling the rug, I just don't see them trying to play catch up in hardware and apps.

I think, sadly, I'll be jumping ship today. I hope I'll jump back one day, but it depends where the long term strategy takes them. I don't need my phone to be a mobile computer solution, I need it to be a smartphone.

 

[anon(5969054)]

Well, 24 hours is a long time in tech.

Yesterday, I was in a dilemma as to whether to stay the course with Win 10 Mobile, but the talk at Build has made my mind up.

When one of the biggest Companies in the world says its not focussing on its mobile phone platform right now, its basically giving up without wanting to lose face and say it. They have more than enough resources (or partners) to carry the line forward, but they have simply chosen not to.

They clearly don't want to concede defeat, but their actions (or lack of) speak volumes. 'Mobile First' clearly means cross platform, and not Lumia. They gave more screen presence to android/ios than they did to Win 10 mobile. Couple that with the lack of marketing for the Lumia lines and its obvious its a dead end they don't want to admit to.

MS mobile solutions will live on, but its clearly going to be cross platform app based and not hardware. I'm sure the Surface Phone will emerge, but I think it will be sold as a pocket computer solution in a similar vein to the Elite or higher, but I think the dream of Win 10 mobile being the '3rd mobile phone OS' is over. MS can simply take the revenue from Nokia patents and software solutions. In a way, its going back to what they did best.

I think those that are happy with their 950's and app selection have nothing to worry about (its still a good phone). I don't see MS pulling the rug, I just don't see them trying to play catch up in hardware and apps.

I think, sadly, I'll be jumping ship today. I hope I'll jump back one day, but it depends where the long term strategy takes them. I don't need my phone to be a mobile computer solution, I need it to be a smartphone.

WHO CARES ON WHAT DEVICES THEY SHOWED IT?

They showed of things for DEVELOPERS. NOT TO SELL PHONES.

Why show the features with a mobile device when you can show the same with a desktop device??

EVERYTHIGN YOU SAW WILL ALSO COME TO MOBILE IT IS THE SAME OS.

You guys are really stupid if you still think in form factors. WINDOWS 10 = WINDOWS 10.

Sorry for the capitals but this is getting annoying.

 

[ioioos]

Sorry, but I think you are living in the world of 'jam tomorrow' promises. You just started another thread and most of your post centres around what might come, rather than what will or what is already here.

The personal mobile tech sector is alive and well now, and people don't need to hold out for the potential next best thing, particularly when it never seems to arrive.The items you mention that have more of a chance of arriving (bots, Hello, etc) will come to the MS app suites, not exclusive to Win 10 mobile devices, so android / ios users will also get the benefits.

Most people care for apps, but they have stuck with Win mobile on the promise the apps were coming. They are now shrinking due to the MS change of direction. The market share is plummeting.Citing livetiles as a bigger pull than major app availability or OS stability is plain silly. It like saying a car colour is more important than how it drives.

I have no problem with people loving or leaving the platform, but you just need to look at the shrinking market share to get an idea of where things are heading. When a fan site (we are all MS fan, otherwise we wouldn't be here) finds its most active thread is 73 pages of concern or disillusionment with the mobile phone platform, then there is a major problem.

You are right, Windows 10 = Windows 10. That is the MS future, its just not going to be the '3rd Mobile Phone Platform'. That ship has sailed and MS just drilled a hole in the bottom of the Lumia boat.

 

[anon(5969054)]

Sorry, but I think you are living in the world of 'jam tomorrow' promises. You just started another thread and most of your post centres around what might come, rather than what will or what is already here.

The personal mobile tech sector is alive and well now, and people don't need to hold out for the potential next best thing, particularly when it never seems to arrive.The items you mention that have more of a chance of arriving (bots, Hello, etc) will come to the MS app suites, not exclusive to Win 10 mobile devices, so android / ios users will also get the benefits.

Most people care for apps, but they have stuck with Win mobile on the promise the apps were coming. They are now shrinking due to the MS change of direction. The market share is plummeting.Citing livetiles as a bigger pull than major app availability or OS stability is plain silly. It like saying a car colour is more important than how it drives.

I have no problem with people loving or leaving the platform, but you just need to look at the shrinking market share to get an idea of where things are heading. When a fan site (we are all MS fan, otherwise we wouldn't be here) finds its most active thread is 73 pages of concern or disillusionment with the mobile phone platform, then there is a major problem.

You are right, Windows 10 = Windows 10. That is the MS future, its just not going to be the '3rd Mobile Phone Platform'. That ship has sailed and MS just drilled a hole in the bottom of the Lumia boat.

You still don't get it sigh.... There is no shrinking market share. It is growing. Fastes growing OS ever. Remember? Windows 10 = Windows 10. Get it??????

 

[caesar500]

I made the switch last Friday to the iPhone 6s Plus. So far so good. I didn't like how the 950 XL was handled last year and found it a bit insulting to charge for a device with an unfinished OS and little carrier support. It seems like it would not behoove a developer to make apps if the phone is being put out there for mass consumption. A good friend of mind has the 950 XL and it will get better, but I could not wait any longer, because of apps for work, etc. Also, Terry Myerson's admission that phones are not the priority last year cemented my decision last week. I do not think phones have been the priority since Nadella took over. The strategy is part of the long game, but the execution has been off. Maybe next year things will pan out.

 

[lorettaboy]

It's been one hell of a ride, but I decided about a week ago to switch to Android and purchased a Samsung s7 edge.
Here is my upgrade path: QTEK 910, HTC Touch Pro, HTC Touch HD, HTC TyTN II, HTC HD2, Samsung Focus, Lumia 520, Lumia 900, Lumia 920, Lumia 930.
Over the years I've had a lot of fun with windows based phones but the last few years have been painful to say the least. Two weeks ago I dropped my 930 and cracked the screen. I live in Canada so upgrading to the 950 would have meant purchasing it outright since none of our carriers have the phone. Also contributing to my decision is the lack of apps. Snapchat is a big one for me, as was my banking app. Hopefully Microsoft will do better with their mobile strategy in the coming years but until then I will be waiting and watching.

 

[henrykins111]

Windows 10 on phones is not going to be just regular Windows 10 ever, or at least not for a while. Phones simply lack some of the hardware to do that. Even with the UWP design, not all UWP applications are universal. There are already plenty of desktop-only UWP apps, with phone users left ignored. Because the fact of the matter is there are still features of design that need to be accounted for when you are building an application for desktop but also want to include mobile users in the experience. It is more than just checking a box.

 

[libra89]

Sorry, but I think you are living in the world of 'jam tomorrow' promises. You just started another thread and most of your post centres around what might come, rather than what will or what is already here.

The personal mobile tech sector is alive and well now, and people don't need to hold out for the potential next best thing, particularly when it never seems to arrive.The items you mention that have more of a chance of arriving (bots, Hello, etc) will come to the MS app suites, not exclusive to Win 10 mobile devices, so android / ios users will also get the benefits.

Most people care for apps, but they have stuck with Win mobile on the promise the apps were coming. They are now shrinking due to the MS change of direction. The market share is plummeting.Citing livetiles as a bigger pull than major app availability or OS stability is plain silly. It like saying a car colour is more important than how it drives.

I have no problem with people loving or leaving the platform, but you just need to look at the shrinking market share to get an idea of where things are heading. When a fan site (we are all MS fan, otherwise we wouldn't be here) finds its most active thread is 73 pages of concern or disillusionment with the mobile phone platform, then there is a major problem.

You are right, Windows 10 = Windows 10. That is the MS future, its just not going to be the '3rd Mobile Phone Platform'. That ship has sailed and MS just drilled a hole in the bottom of the Lumia boat.

Thank you, you have said what I was thinking in the best way possible to crise. To me, it becomes bad when apps that are important to you leave the platform. It doesn't make sense to just dismiss that point altogether when it is an important one.

Lol...

Ohh I forgot to say that Paul Thurrott has some articles that helped me with my move to iOS and using Microsoft apps/services.

https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/ios/63362/iphone-for-the-windows-guy-use-your-microsoft-accounts

https://www.thurrott.com/mobile/ios/63337/iphone-for-the-windows-guy-getting-started

http://winsupersite.com/onedrive/tip-backup-all-your-smart-phone-photos-onedrive (that might be a little dated, so I'm going to offer one more) https://support.office.com/en-us/article/OneDrive-for-iOS-FAQ-08d5c5b2-ccc6-40eb-a244-fe3597a3c247
Jump down to "automatically save photos and videos to OneDrive", and be sure to disable using iCloud for photo backup (unless you want to use iCloud).

 

[explosive0]

Went into the Apple store and picked up an iPhone 6s Plus two. It's a far cry from perfect, but sweet Jesus, is it fluid...and it just works. Preordered the new iPad for giggles and listed my SP4 in the Market Place. Good luck all, until we cross paths again.

 

[jlabelle]

Whaouu, there are as been a lot of negative talk on those 73 pages thread. I must admit being surprised by how many people think that grass is universally greener elsewhere.
I have been an iOS user myself until the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Then I switched to Windows Phone (the 920, what a great device at the time).
But I always stay up-to-date as my wife had always an iPhone (iPhone 6 for the time being) and an iPad (iPad Air 2).
So I know exactly how iOS is working and I must admit being surprised by some of the poster making it out to be a far superior device or being condescendant about us, poor Windows mobile user.
Make no mistake, iOS has a great portfolio of applications, that is for sure. But since W8 days, Windows mobile as much (MUCH) more applications and much better one. I am surprised that people were able to live with the app deficiency then but not anymore today where there are much smaller gap as before.

Also, Windows phone still is an happy medium, offering for me the best of both world :

• it has the great upgrade support, simplicity of use, universal interface accross all phone that you find on iOS
• and it has some of the flexibility of Android and hardware wide choice

My nefew has a OnePlus phone ... which is still on KitKat ! Only 2% of phone have Marshmallow and only 35% Lollipop. So while Android hardware are nice, you do not have timely upgrade because every manufacturer feels entitled to add their own bloatware and UI changes for the sake of it.
And for people switching to the iPhone, I think you have to have some courage to stomach purchasing 970€ (here in Europe) for a phone that has no wireless charging, no quick charging, a small screen compared to its footprint (and not as good as the 950), a poor camera without hardware button to launch, no double SIM, no extension possible.

And while Android and iOS have more / better apps in total, Windows 10 mobile have plenty and even some gems and nice application.
But the most important is that it remains the mobile OS that integrates best with Windows PC / laptop which are ... 93% of the users !
Synchronization of bookmarks, reading list, settings, sending SMS from the PC, Cortana, OneDrive (even if I have OneDrive on iOS, I have to launch it regularly to have the pictures backed-up otherwise it is killed in the background), one store where you pay once the application and have them, with the same UI on all your devices...

I mean, there are also a lot to love about W10 mobile and which is unique or as good and seamless as what you can have between an iOS and Mac hardware. And there is still nothing like the Surface Pro (or Surface Book) on Apple side (or Google one).

Last point : while my 950 has been very buggy at the beginning, it is now (since January at least) absolutely rock solid. This thing work. I have also changed the back to a Mozo leather brown cover casing that give it a very premium look while keeping thickness minimum because it does not come on top of the phone.

All in all, I can understand people switching from a 50$ Lumia 520 to a 1000$ iPhone 6 and being impressed. But for me, I have absolutely 0 envy at all toward the iPhone 6 of my wife (well, it is not true, I envy one thing : extension support in Safari with LastPass working with the TouchID, that is really sweet !).

 

[ioioos]

You still don't get it sigh.... There is no shrinking market share. It is growing. Fastes growing OS ever. Remember? Windows 10 = Windows 10. Get it??????

I do get it. I just don't agree with you on what is important.

U2 have the most downloaded album of all time, but you won't find many people singing it's praises because it was a forced download and not a reflection of its quality. You are trying to bundle the laptop / desktop downloads in with the phone, and they are not the same thing yet in user functionality terms, despite the labelling.

I think Windows 10 is excellent on my desktop and laptop. Its now on my phone and I can't do either what my PC can do, or what an android/Apple mobile device can do. Therefore it currently fails in both aspects.

Windows phones have become the Betamax/ HD DVD, where Android/iOS are VHS/Blu-ray. Both sides have qualities, but one side killed the other off by giving the customers what they want now. This is reflective in both the Lumia mobile phone sales drop and the lack of emphasis given at Build.

There is no point living in a developer bubble. A product either delivers, right now, or doesn't. Universal apps will happen, but I think it will take years to gain traction. I think the future MS ecosystem looks promising, but that is going to centre around desktop/laptop/tablet, XBOX, eventually, probably TV and AR communication.

But this thread is not about the MS ecosystem, its about people abandoning Windows phones, due to their inability to deliver the right level of functionality and quality in the marketplace.

 

[libra89]

<snip>
Make no mistake, iOS has a great portfolio of applications, that is for sure. But since W8 days, Windows mobile as much (MUCH) more applications and much better one. I am surprised that people were able to live with the app deficiency then but not anymore today where there are much smaller gap as before.

And while Android and iOS have more / better apps in total, Windows 10 mobile have plenty and even some gems and nice application.
But the most important is that it remains the mobile OS that integrates best with Windows PC / laptop which are ... 93% of the users !
Synchronization of bookmarks, reading list, settings, sending SMS from the PC, Cortana, OneDrive (even if I have OneDrive on iOS, I have to launch it regularly to have the pictures backed-up otherwise it is killed in the background), one store where you pay once the application and have them, with the same UI on all your devices...

I mean, there are also a lot to love about W10 mobile and which is unique or as good and seamless as what you can have between an iOS and Mac hardware. And there is still nothing like the Surface Pro (or Surface Book) on Apple side (or Google one).

Last point : while my 950 has been very buggy at the beginning, it is now (since January at least) absolutely rock solid. This thing work. I have also changed the back to a Mozo leather brown cover casing that give it a very premium look while keeping thickness minimum because it does not come on top of the phone.

All in all, I can understand people switching from a 50$ Lumia 520 to a 1000$ iPhone 6 and being impressed. But for me, I have absolutely 0 envy at all toward the iPhone 6 of my wife (well, it is not true, I envy one thing : extension support in Safari with LastPass working with the TouchID, that is really sweet !).

The app gap is based on your region and the apps you use. In some regions, there is barely any app gap. In the United States, there is one for sure, but how deep it goes depends on your wants and needs for a smartphone.

I think you have to have some courage to stomach purchasing 970€ (here in Europe) for a phone that has no wireless charging, no quick charging, a small screen compared to its footprint (and not as good as the 950), a poor camera without hardware button to launch, no double SIM, no extension possible.

Wireless charging is not a big deal to some people, I have never had a phone with it. The only phone I had with it, I never used it.
Quick charging is a very recent thing, again, not that important to me. It's nice but I never had any Lumias with it either, so indifferent.
As for the screen, it's all personal preference so anything I say is pointless.
The camera of the iPhone is not poor at all. Okay, it's not as good as the 950, but it is a solid camera for almost anyone.
Dual SIM is not something I ever wanted in a phone, so again, indifferent.
As for no sd card support, there are Lumias that do not have it too, in addition to some Android (even the top ones, so eh). For me, I never used it so no loss.

I say all that to say that those things are important to you, but it's not "crazy" to not find those things to be important.

 

[anon(9668900)]

I'd recently posted on Reddit about WP users in India. Then came Terry Myerson with his grand statement about WP not being the thing they're working on this year. Meanwhile google is going all out and advertising even Google search on Android phones in Indian TV. Everyone's using Android. I used to see Windows Phones before, now they're gone. Almost no one has them. It makes literally no sense that in a market like India there's no Windows phone to buy right now (no one who has ₹40,000 is going to buy 950, they're going to buy an iPhone 6 instead).

Yes, they're not going away any time soon in PC. However, in mobile, it's gone. The premium folk will only buy an iPhone, and the others will only buy an Android. There's no way someone is buying a SD212 device when there's a bunch of SD410 devices selling like hot cakes for the same price. No one's really making Windows phone apps any more (not even UWP apps, except for Flipkart, they generally make apps for everything under the sun) At this point, I'm only stuck with my Lumia 730.

 

[jlabelle]

The app gap is based on your region and the apps you use. In some regions, there is barely any app gap. In the United States, there is one for sure, but how deep it goes depends on your wants and needs for a smartphone.

Definitely. For instance, I live in Switzerland (and I am French). On Windows mobile, I have app for the Lunch Check, for the waste system and calendar of my town and many other very local things. So I do not feel this app gap as people may feel it in US or other region

Wireless charging is not a big deal to some people, I have never had a phone with it. The only phone I had with it, I never used it.
Quick charging is a very recent thing, again, not that important to me. It's nice but I never had any Lumias with it either, so indifferent.
As for the screen, it's all personal preference so anything I say is pointless.
The camera of the iPhone is not poor at all. Okay, it's not as good as the 950, but it is a solid camera for almost anyone.
Dual SIM is not something I ever wanted in a phone, so again, indifferent.
As for no sd card support, there are Lumias that do not have it too, in addition to some Android (even the top ones, so eh). For me, I never used it so no loss.

I say all that to say that those things are important to you, but it's not "crazy" to not find those things to be important.

Never said people were crazy not to find them important. But what I find amusing is that the people that are dismissing such feature are always the people that never used them.
Good camera is not important with OIS, larger sensor... until the iPhone got a better one.
High resolution screen and/or bigger screen are not important ...until the iPhone got one.
AMOLED is not important ...until the iPhone will get it in 2017.
Wireless charging is not important ...until the iPhone may get it on the iPhone 7.

You see the pattern. Once again, I have an iPhone 6 at home (and the 6S is pretty much identical) and I know the difference so I have come to appreciate those features like many Android users appreciate them.
Just for the record, just have a look to Displaymate and GSMArena factual assessment of the screen which is very much best in class with the Samsung Galaxy one as well. And again, I have an iPhone at home to compare with (even the iPhone 6 screen is excellent in absolute term).

Now, that is all good but this is not the hardware alone that keep me on Windows mobile but the workflow I have.

Some very simple examples :
- I can store a favorite place on a map and make location reminder based on that with Cortana. With iOS, it is a mess to do and I cannot do people related reminder
- I can use my phone while travelling abroad as a GPS (thanks to offline map) so I click on the location field on the calendar event, it goes in the map, I navigate there, when arrived, with one clic it proposes me to store my car parking location (with picture and note if I want). And the iPhone, it is only possible very recently with Google Map. But I cannot setup Google Map as a default map application so I have to copy the location from the calendar and copy-paste in Google Map. Also, I have to use a 3rd party app to store my car parking location but cannot navigate back because the 3rd party app does not support offline map (not shared by map application like on Windows mobile)
- my contact application aggregate all information from Twitter / Facebook / Skype / LinkedIn / Gmail...in one single contact sheet, automatically, peaking the picture when it finds one, the birthday, the corporate phone number... On iOS, you have to do that manually so basically, you are not doing it !
- Search is universal. It is the search icon, always there, working if I dictate or if I right (because I do not want to disturb people). I do not need to launch Shazam, I can make reminder in writing and search like Spotlight by dicting. I do not need to remind which type of things I can do with Spotlight or Siri, speaking or dicting, it is simple and straightforward.

I mean, I have thousand of small examples like this that make for me Windows Mobile (and Windows phone prior that) so much more efficient than iOS. So when you combine the better and more efficient workflow and better hardware from Windows phone compared to the iPhone but a better upgrade support / simplicity / security and uniform UI compared to thousand of Android different phones, you have something unique that has its place for some.

 

[Erfan226]

Re: W10M release dates? Answers inside...

If you call Windows 10 perfect, then you have seen nothing perfect in your life. It's a themed 8.1 with privacy stealing with 0 innovations. There are too many different UI it's not even consistent. There is seperate Settings and Control Panel (it sounds even funny). With disgusting design it is one of the worst operating systems ever. Inspired by Windows 95 I think. Also slower than 7, 8 and 8.1. Why would someone install it? I think they wouldn't install if Microsoft didn't force and install silently in background without even asking or "Get Windows 10 now" popups didn't keep appearing everywhere. Unfinished operating system is pushed too hard as if people were test subject.
Tell me what made you say android has the weakest security?? Because it's funny.

oh dude...i wasn't forced to install win10, i decided to install it on my own.
actually what is funny is that u are saying it's slower than win 7 and 8!!!
It is the fastest windows that have ever been made...i have Ubuntu installed as second OS. It boots in almost 10 seconds and win 10 boot longs just as Ubuntu and i haven't see any lags or freeze or slowness while working with it.(I use modeling softwares on win 10 and it's perfect btw!)

 

[libra89]

Definitely. For instance, I live in Switzerland (and I am French). On Windows mobile, I have app for the Lunch Check, for the waste system and calendar of my town and many other very local things. So I do not feel this app gap as people may feel it in US or other region



Never said people were crazy not to find them important. But what I find amusing is that the people that are dismissing such feature are always the people that never used them.
Good camera is not important with OIS, larger sensor... until the iPhone got a better one.
High resolution screen and/or bigger screen are not important ...until the iPhone got one.
AMOLED is not important ...until the iPhone will get it in 2017.
Wireless charging is not important ...until the iPhone may get it on the iPhone 7.

You see the pattern. Once again, I have an iPhone 6 at home (and the 6S is pretty much identical) and I know the difference so I have come to appreciate those features like many Android users appreciate them.
Just for the record, just have a look to Displaymate and GSMArena factual assessment of the screen which is very much best in class with the Samsung Galaxy one as well. And again, I have an iPhone at home to compare with (even the iPhone 6 screen is excellent in absolute term).

Now, that is all good but this is not the hardware alone that keep me on Windows mobile but the workflow I have.

Some very simple examples :
- I can store a favorite place on a map and make location reminder based on that with Cortana. With iOS, it is a mess to do and I cannot do people related reminder
- I can use my phone while travelling abroad as a GPS (thanks to offline map) so I click on the location field on the calendar event, it goes in the map, I navigate there, when arrived, with one clic it proposes me to store my car parking location (with picture and note if I want). And the iPhone, it is only possible very recently with Google Map. But I cannot setup Google Map as a default map application so I have to copy the location from the calendar and copy-paste in Google Map. Also, I have to use a 3rd party app to store my car parking location but cannot navigate back because the 3rd party app does not support offline map (not shared by map application like on Windows mobile)
- my contact application aggregate all information from Twitter / Facebook / Skype / LinkedIn / Gmail...in one single contact sheet, automatically, peaking the picture when it finds one, the birthday, the corporate phone number... On iOS, you have to do that manually so basically, you are not doing it !
- Search is universal. It is the search icon, always there, working if I dictate or if I right (because I do not want to disturb people). I do not need to launch Shazam, I can make reminder in writing and search like Spotlight by dicting. I do not need to remind which type of things I can do with Spotlight or Siri, speaking or dicting, it is simple and straightforward.

I mean, I have thousand of small examples like this that make for me Windows Mobile (and Windows phone prior that) so much more efficient than iOS. So when you combine the better and more efficient workflow and better hardware from Windows phone compared to the iPhone but a better upgrade support / simplicity / security and uniform UI compared to thousand of Android different phones, you have something unique that has its place for some.

I understand where you are coming from here. I do agree that it is annoying that there's something in the iPhone and it's suddenly great, I think that's dumb.

I personally am indifferent on screen sizes, the phone has to be small for me, so I am probably the worst person to talk here. All of your other points are solid though, I just enjoy how iOS just works.