Re: Is there something unique left in windows phone ?
I really struggled this time around with whether to stick with Windows Phone or to bail and go over to iOS (Android just isn't an option, IMHO). I weighed a lot of different options from app availability to OS functionality. I ended up sticking with WP and getting the 950.
My biggest complaints still come in the way of apps, which every WP user feels and is tired of hearing people complain about. In particular, I'm an Amazon Prime member and I can't utilize Amazon Music or Amazon Video on my phone. That's just one of dozens of examples of the lack in the WP store that really should be addressed. Now I understand that Windows has a small percentage of market share and most developers are going to flock to where the money and the users are, but Microsoft should at least be able to have some pull with the big guys like Amazon to deliver some of these apps. Opening up the Windows Store on my phone is, frankly, depressing. With the exception of a few gems here and there, the apps and games all feel like the same ones I've been seeing in there for the last 4 years. I really don't see how MS can expect to do anything worthwhile with this platform until they have a strategy in place to deal with this as it will be the top reason people bail and the top reason people refuse to switch over from another ecosystem.
The OS seems much more polished than any of the betas I tested, but it's not without it's frustrations. The social media integration into the contacts seems to have taken a step backwards, for one. And don't even get me started on Windows 10 Facebook on my 950 - it's got a lot of issues. Where's my cover photo on my live tile? Why do I have to turn off contacts all together to not see everyone's birthday on my calendar? In general, I notice a lot of live tiles working sporadically and not updating correctly, I still have a lot of app crashes and my camera has some issues with not always capturing photos properly.
Overall, I like Windows Phone. I've been a fan since I switched over from iOS in May of 2011 - they've made a lot of advances but have taken many steps backwards, as well. I can deal with OS bugs, that's life. I'm afraid that if they don't make some significant strides in the app gap, though, it will be difficult to make the same decision at the end of this contract.