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

[andrantos]

I've flirted with thoughts of switching to Android or iOS but at the end of the day, I always come back to the thought that I really don't demand much from my phone... and the Windows platform (starting at WP7) has always given me everything I need... even with all the frustrating changes from version to version.

I have recently loaded a preview version of 10 onto my 830. On one hand, I like the consistency in UX between desktop and mobile. I think that's good leap. On the other hand, I am saddened to see yet more features removed and some of the more unique mobile UX cues dropped all together. I am saddened to see the less inspired UX choices (but I understand when the promise of what was done in WP7 was not iterated on successfully in WP8).

For example, in WP7, I remember really enjoying the native music app. It worked well with my Zune subscription, had a good UX while still being different than the usual. The WP8 version was buggy, wreaked havoc on the UX, and ultimately lead to me canceling my Zune/Xbox Music/Groove subscription. The WP10 version is far more useable but ultimately ditches that beautiful experience that WP7 did so well. Better than WP8, as useable as WP7 but far less inspired.

I also hate that all those built in integrations have slowly become deprecated. As a very casual social networking user, it was nice to get all those feed updates natively without having to open another app. I liked the fact that Cortana could almost usually know when I was attempting a local search as opposed to web search and that she could identify music fairly reliably.

 

[jesperbj]

I think I might switch from my Lumia 950. Biggest reason being horrible battery life. I might pick up the OnePlus 3 if it turns out to be good. If not, I guess I'll have to wait for a new Nexus. I feel the current Nexuses are great, however already pretty outdated. And I want something big, so I can't just pick up the 5x as a cheap solution.

 

[casab1anca]

Re: Moving On

So a hard reset may solve some issues? I have a Lumia 735 that came with WP8.1 pre-installed, will a hard reset send me back to WP8.1? Thanks in advance.

A hard reset is definitely worth a try if you're having issues. Pretty sure it won't send you back to WP8.1 (you need to use the Device Recovery tool to do that).

 

[anon(6078578)]

Although I was used to Android instead of iOS, I thought the same thing about WP. It was very confusing and messy looking. However, as I became used to it, I no longer thought that. I am now very familiar with all three OS's, and I do not think any of them are messy or confusing.

From my experience, a user's perception of "messy" and "confusing" has less to do with objective viewpoints, and more to do with what the user is used to and likes.

Whatever devices I have used, I just tend to adapt to whatever user interface they have, although Windows and Android certainly have a more useful UI than iOS when you take into account the live tiles or widgets.

I did install a Windows Phone Launcher on my android phone, just out of curiosity more than anything, but I have to say the novelty soon wore off and I went back to the stock home screen. I find a a couple of choice widgets here and there are just as good, if not better in some instances.

That's not to say I didn't like the tiles on Windows but I'm certainly not wedded to them.

 

[SleepyTheDon]

I left Android (Nexus 3) for an HTC Trophy. I must admit I jumped ship in Dec 2015 picked up a Note 5 then the S7 Edge and yes knowing that no matter what I'm looking for there is a 97% chance that I could find an app for it is a wonderful reassuring thing. BUT I found myself coming home to W10M (Lumia 950 XL [waiting on the HP elite x3] )and falling in love all over. For me my phone of choice is a Windows Phone because they work and they work well and yes the so called "app gap" does hurt a lot I am certain that if DEVS create UWApps they will be happy with the results and so will the few WP owners and hundreds of millions of Windows desktop owners. Hey DEVS "If you build it they will come"

 

[Snapperlicious]

I'm really curious when people say that Android is messy. In what kind of messiness is Android having? Icons, or the user experiences with apps? TBH, showing the WP tile screen to someone coming from Android / iOS can be a hell more messier to them. Perhaps your definition of "messy" is due to being unfamiliar with the new OS?

I gotta say, as a proud owner of an S7 edge, a device that I truly enjoy, the menu system is quite "messy". I am not sure if this is what was being referred to, but as a whole the OS seems a little disorganized. Don't get me wrong, I will take what I get with Android any day over what iOS offers, or the bug fest I had with W10 mobile, but I think the comment is at the very least mostly fair.

Also, it is up to the developers to provide the icons. MS recommends providing an icon with a transparent background so that the user settings create the look and feel, however, they do not enforce it. If MS would enforce the transparent background on icons, that would be ggrreeeeeeeeeaaaaattttt.

Don't enforce it, just allow the user to choose. For instance, some Android widgets allow you to choose a background or transparency.

 

[Snapperlicious]

Re: Moving On

In other news, today's Instagram update is great news for the ecosystem (even though I don't use the app myself). When was the last time we got a major app update right on the heels of iOS/Android? Facebook really seems to be investing in W10 and I'm hoping that others will follow suit.

Speaking of Facebook, I really miss the Facebook contact sync from Windows mobile. It's a disabled feature in Android. I guess that's one advantage of having MS write the app rather than the 1st party. I have to wonder if this is currently working in iOS.

 

[anon(8057870)]

I switched from 920 to a $150 Letv android. The apps are amazing. Skype is out of the world especially group calls. Outlook is also excellent . Dont ask me about other apps , now I know what I have been missing n struggling in the wait for a good windows phone with good apps. I miss tiles. but rest of the things compensate it. If I had some way to make it look like a start screen it would hav been perfect. But then just the Microsoft apps only made me happy enough. Now I understand people annoyed with Microsoft . If at all they made their own apps good on win mobile !!! For now its android all the until those apps are made better n a surface phone comes out!!

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Snapperlicious]

Whatever devices I have used, I just tend to adapt to whatever user interface they have, although Windows and Android certainly have a more useful UI than iOS when you take into account the live tiles or widgets.

I did install a Windows Phone Launcher on my android phone, just out of curiosity more than anything, but I have to say the novelty soon wore off and I went back to the stock home screen. I find a a couple of choice widgets here and there are just as good, if not better in some instances.

That's not to say I didn't like the tiles on Windows but I'm certainly not wedded to them.

I find myself in the same boat. At first, I was a little undecided about Android, but I was so happy to have something stable that I pushed on. Once I learned the OS well, I found that I am just as happy with Android as I was with WP8.1. I do miss a few things from 8.1, but I also gained a few things that I didn't have with WP. We'll see if this continues over the next year and beyond. I originally liked iOS at one point too, and now I can't stand it. It's too rigid and lacks the flexibility to feel like I can make it my own.

 

[casab1anca]

Re: Moving On

Speaking of Facebook, I really miss the Facebook contact sync from Windows mobile. It's a disabled feature in Android. I guess that's one advantage of having MS write the app rather than the 1st party. I have to wonder if this is currently working in iOS.

The People app and linked contacts are something WP has always done very well. On the three occasions I tried the iPhone, I always had trouble syncing Facebook contacts properly: it only ever synced about half my contacts, and within those, only some would have a Facebook profile link or Messenger link. It seemed completely random how it picked which contacts to sync.

 

[11B1P]

So today my phone has chewed from 100% battery down to 7% in four hours. Id like to think its because of all the use but it cant be that, I check instagram 3 times and the rest of the time it was asleep in my pocket. I did a few restarts (well the phone did, because it crashes..). So I pulled the battery out, let it sit for a minute, and turned it back on. Now its doing what it does every time, tells me there were sim changes (there never are) and i need to restart. Every damn time i turn my phone on!

You understand, there are lemons built in every batch of electronics, right? You understand you may just have a bad phone that needs to be replaced? You have some extreme issues that I've not seen mentioned from other users.

 

[libra89]

You understand, there are lemons built in every batch of electronics, right? You understand you may just have a bad phone that needs to be replaced? You have some extreme issues that I've not seen mentioned from other users.

This is true, but at the same time, it is fair to not want to try again after dealing with this. I don't know how much Callum paid for the phone (neither is it my business) but I would be really disappointed if I paid $500+ for a phone (honestly, 400+) and it is a lemon. Depending on the phone, I may or may not want to try again.

I'll be honest, my first Nextbit Robin was a lemon and I started venting my frustration with Android right off the bat saying that I'm team iOS (for the moment). The Amazon sale and uniqueness of the phone made me want to try again, though. (It's such a cool phone!) Otherwise, I get a lemon and that's a wrap for me. Some people are way more optimistic with lemons than I am. All of the ones I have had, I have returned and didn't get the phone again.

 

[editguy]

This is true, but at the same time, it is fair to not want to try again after dealing with this. I don't know how much Callum paid for the phone (neither is it my business) but I would be really disappointed if I paid $500+ for a phone (honestly, 400+) and it is a lemon. Depending on the phone, I may or may not want to try again.

I'll be honest, my first Nextbit Robin was a lemon and I started venting my frustration with Android right off the bat saying that I'm team iOS (for the moment). The Amazon sale and uniqueness of the phone made me want to try again, though. (It's such a cool phone!) Otherwise, I get a lemon and that's a wrap for me. Some people are way more optimistic with lemons than I am. All of the ones I have had, I have returned and didn't get the phone again.

So, what happens when you get a lemon from every major manufacturer? You give up on smart phones? It's not a happy experience when it happens but every time you buy an electronic device you risk getting a lemon. People think Apple is perfect, but look at all of the refurbished devices for sale in the Apple store. They're not refurbished if they were good from the beginning.

 

[libra89]

So, what happens when you get a lemon from every major manufacturer? You give up on smart phones? It's not a happy experience when it happens but every time you buy an electronic device you risk getting a lemon. People think Apple is perfect, but look at all of the refurbished devices for sale in the Apple store. They're not refurbished if they were good from the beginning.

I think that's very unlikely. As I said for me, it depends on the cost of the device. Something that is $100-200, I would buy again in hopes that it wouldn't be a lemon, if I happened to like it. Actually refurbished phones aren't all bad, sometimes they just are because customers decided that they didn't want them in the 14 day window after buying. This happens for every phone.

 

[wgs84]

Actually refurbished phones aren't all bad, sometimes they just are because customers decided that they didn't want them in the 14 day window after buying. This happens for every phone.

I was going to say that. Refurbished devices aren't just defective devices that get repaired. They could be, but refurbished devices can also be - among other varying reasons that exclude defects - customer returns because the customer changed his/her mind. They can be brand-spanking shiny and new and unused, but legally may not be labelled as new since they were opened. I love buying refurbished and reconditioned units. They're cheaper, tested to make sure they work, works exactly the same, and you're reusing something instead of buying a new thing that has to be remade to restock.

 

[Lundon44]

After living with Windows Mobile and only Windows Mobile since 2005 I'm ready for a change of scenery. I dipped into the iOS and Android worlds very temporarily a few years ago and was quick to rush back to WM. But now I feel it's time for a change.

There's a 100% chance that I will be switching from my 950 XL to the Galaxy Note 6 this summer. I was originally concerned there would be some apps or experiences I would lose moving over but after a quick search of the Google Play store I learned the transition should be very simple. Outlook email is available to me on Android. As well as the entire Office suite. All the current apps I have pinned to my home screen are available on Android and in some cases, much better versions of these apps. I was always worried I would be giving up one of the best cameras on the market but it seems Samsung is right up there now too. So really I'm not losing out on anything. USB-C will be coming. Quick charging will be there. Wireless charging is very likely. More accessory options are also enticing to me. There's millions of phone cases and battery cover options for Samsung phones. While my current options are stuck with Mozo. Who's paying almost $90CAN for a phone case?? Not me.

I'm just tired of the bugs. Tired of an OS that is constantly feeling unpolished or playing catch up to other OS'. Every iteration of WM is a reboot. My 950 XL has been nothing but problems since October. Sure, it could likely be a lemon but I've had my large share of issues with various WM devices over the last 5 yrs. I feel I'm always and will always be a beta tester on this platform. Anyway, I'm looking forward to trying something new and more refined. I will miss some of simplicity but will soon realise how much I've been missing out on. I'm curious to see what this Surface phone will look like next year but more concerned about the OS and it's app ecosystem.

 

[anon(6078578)]

Basically what this thread reminds me of, is an old saying "A change is as good as a rest" meaning that now is as good a time as anyway to at least take a proper break from Windows Phone, especially as Microsoft itself seems to be on Hiatus. Only by experiencing another platform as your main driver, and looking from the outside in, can you determine if you've been using Windows Phone for the right reasons or you're merely sticking with it because of inertia and perhaps a bit of FOMO.

 

[Joe920]

determine if you've been using Windows Phone for the right reasons or you're merely sticking with it because of inertia and perhaps a bit of FOMO.

And perhaps a bit of misplaced brand loyalty.. At least that's how it kind of feels to me. Still sticking it out with the 950XL but I do get jealous when I see daily app updates on my iPad and my backup Android phone.

 

[libra89]

Basically what this thread reminds me of, is an old saying "A change is as good as a rest" meaning that now is as good a time as anyway to at least take a proper break from Windows Phone, especially as Microsoft itself seems to be on Hiatus. Only by experiencing another platform as your main driver, and looking from the outside in, can you determine if you've been using Windows Phone for the right reasons or you're merely sticking with it because of inertia and perhaps a bit of FOMO.

Agreed. This is exactly why I started my trials with Android and iOS. I did it to see if I would ride with Windows Mobile/Phone...and oh I thought that I would. Additionally, all of these app updates (some for apps that I actually use) are coming out for Windows 10 Mobile, but my phone is on Windows 8.1 (officially). The only option to keep it official is to buy a phone with native W10M, which I tried the only one I wanted to try (with Band 12 too). Didn't work out for me. Not interested in the other 3 options (650 doesn't have Band 12, wasn't even interested in the 950s).

 

[mschmi02]

I decided to leave WinPhone for Android... I've been on WP since WP7, having owned a Dell Venue Pro, then a L810, L925, L1520, and finally a L640. I've also had my wife along for the ride, she's had the HTC one (can't remember model #), L810, L925, L635 and L640. I wanted the platform to succeed... but it is dead. Maybe I'll take another look if/when a surface phone comes out, but frankly the reasons I was on WP in the first place was becuase i was heavily invested in the Windows env with PC, XB1, etc. and i wanted the best phone to integrate with my existing devices... but then MSFT made the other platforms just as easy to integrate, and in some cases even better than WP. Good luck guys, I'm out... bought a Nexus 6 used for $200, we'll see how it goes, and I'll always have a pile of WP to go back to if I end up hating Android