What is your final Windows Phone?

[Jez Corden]

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

 

[Drael646464]

950, still have it. Apps really aren't a problem, I spend more time on my PC, and when about in the world, I prefer to be in it.

I had an odd journey with smartphones. Started on Android, hated the freemium software, the ads, found it low quality. Went to blackberry, loved the OS, but it was dying. Went to Windows 10 mobile.

Music on the Lumia is good quality, even if the apps aren't quick perfect, there are the standard social media, navigation works well, the browser works well, games if you get bored at the bus stop. Appointments, emails, chat.

Things I've actually missed? Banking app. Decent battery life. That's about it.

Unfortunately, features have died off already, like PC integration. Whatsapp is ending support (but might still work?). The kicker is in a year after the end of support, photo syncing stops working, that's something I'll actually care about.

Things that are actually hard to replace? Cortana handsfree in the car. Can live without it, but was good.

That incredible photo quality, that really only is matched by modern premium phones that cost a bundle. I've had to research like a crazy person to find anything comparable at a similar price to what I purchased my lumia for.

Live tiles, not just seeing your notification count, but seeing the actual content of your appointments, emails etc. I use that all the time, and it's an experience changer. Plain icons will feel like a total downgrade.

The sad thing for me about my smartphone journey is I'd HAPPILY take a smart feature phone with the right feature set. Like KaiOS with hard qwerty keys and a good camera, with a banking app- that'd do.

All it really needs beyond existing KiaOS devices is a decent means of messaging, and better hardware (more storage space, and better camera). They already have like google maps, basic social media, all that.

I don't actually want to nurse a large, fragile, battery draining computer monstrosity in my pocket, who's abilities I rarely exploit. I'm not running AI in my pocket, playing all day FPS, or doing anything actually that demands CPU power really. It's like having a ferrari, but only driving it at 10km/h, and using it as a cargo carrier.

I'd like my life to be simpler if anything, more human. When I walk, I like to watch things. Or talk to people. Technology is a tool, it should disappear into the background, only coming out when it's needed or wanted.

When I leave the house I'd rather carry less, carry lighter things. But as yet, people like me, have no recognition in the market, outside of the little Nokia banana phone, who's hardware features are sadly basic.

The 'dumb phone' has only moved forward in poor countries, for old people, and for backup phones, despite 'tech cleansing' becoming a rising trend along with minimalism.

I'll likely reluctantly move to a xiaomi running lineage, but only because the phone I really want, doesn't exist; a basic toolkit that does all the essentials, and can work for an amateur photographer, without the unweildy large screen or smashable glass, or 'oh it's amazing it lasts a day' pathetic battery life.

 

[saqib qureshi]

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

Awesome article. The windows phone articles never get old!
When I cracked my red 1520 I got the elite x3, for all the reasons you say, it was pretty damn cool - but not enough, with bad camera and still not as sexy as the lumias. I went on eBay and got another 1520, felt a whole lot better...it's an eye catcher, now that I'm on Android I have yet to find something as sexy and perfect as the 1520, especially on wp 8.1.

 

[Mikael Olsson]

When my L930 sort of died, the L950 was already one year old and the Elite X3 was on its way. I managed to hold out till th X3 was released, which in Sweden happened during an IT trade show. So I asked HP and Ms representatives of the future of WP10 and got question marks for answers.
No way I was spending that type of money on an X3 with those answers. So I bought an L650 while I waited for Windows Phone's guarding angel to come.
That saved me 7000 SEK (750 USD) and some disappointments till new year 2017/2018 when the Swedish Bank system killed an all mighty ID app on WP10 in Sweden. The I had to cross over to "the other side".
So my last Windows Phone was a Microsoft Lumia 650. Certainly not the best mobile phone I've used, but a reasonably choice at the time.

 

[Arif Patel2]

For me, I had am still using 950XL. It is a great phone and just too bad it is now end of life. I had gotten a OnePlus 6T last Christmas but it got stolen in Jan-2019. So, had to switch back to the 950XL. The 950XL is a great business phone. My wife does not like it because she can't install all her 'silly' apps. Also, like the fact that I can open the back and easily swap out the SIMS/DATA card. It is a very good phone for use in Africa where we all have multiple SIM cards. When I was using the OnePlus 6T, I had missed the live-tiles features, wireless charging, head-phone jack and the ability to easily swap out SIM cards. Sadly, I will have no choice but to retire my 950XL by the end of this year. Probably, will get a OnePlus 7 to replace it.

 

[Jelmar Andree]

Re: Lumia 930 and lumia 95 and the last I use at home. For now I use the Sony Experia ZX2 compac

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

 

[Jelmar Andree]

Re: Lumia 930 and lumia 95 and the last I use at home. For now I use the Sony Experia ZX2 compac

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

 

[scien]

Mine last windows phone was lumia 925, best phone ever

 

[Casaboontha]

The last period of Windows Phone I used the HTC Mozart, the Nokia 920, the 930 and finally the 950.

I must say I have enjoyed those years apart from the last months, no more updates of the OS and Apps and App support dropping lime flies. The UWP approach could have had better momentum, the company I worked for made food use of that. We where able to get traction both on the mobile platforms and the desktop and we still do.

 

[aximtreo]

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

Nokia Icon 929. Loved it and still do. Not my daily driver now but still active.

 

[wallyac77]

I had the 1520 but it was the all black and my oldest used it up until about a year ago when the screen broke.

 

[Ryujingt3]

The HP Elite X3. I thought it was great.

 

[Yahia Mostafa]

Lumia 650

 

[Andrew Hurt]

I am still rockin’ my Microsoft Lumia 950 XL. That thing coupled with Continuum has come through for me in a pinch multiple times. I’ve tried Apple iPads and phones and I just end up using them for fun stuff and never getting any work done. There’s always something on an iPad that keeps me from getting done what I really need to. I really miss all my synced information and working in the Microsoft ecosystem. I really hope Microsoft is not completely done with some type of phone/mobile device (as in forever, I know they’ve killed mobile). I say push forward with ARM and turn out a surface go mini 6” with phone functionality (with improved battery life of course).

 

[GothardJ2]

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

For me, it was the Lumia 950. The battery life was horrible, the OS experience became next to unusable, and I had to switch over to something more reliable. Switched to an LG V35 ThinQ. This phone has its own issues, but at least the battery works all day, and the OS runs "smoothly"

 

[worldspy99]

Alcatel Idol 4S with Windows was the last one for me (August of 2018 was when I stopped using it). I used it mainly as a Media Player as apps started to wither and die one by one.

Lumia 950 was my last daily driver till Jan 2017 and then I switched over to the first generation Pixel.

 

[Nikholas Pappas]

What was the last Windows Phone you used (or are still using?)

For me, it was the HP Elite x3. As good as it felt and looked, the OS experience had become so bad, I had to finally make the switch over to Android.

I used the Lumia 950 until switching to the OnePlus 5.

I travel a lot for work so I need a Dual Sim phone. When OnePlus introduced the 5, it was perfect timing for me to upgrade and I was happy enough with that phone that I just upgraded to the OnePlus 7 Pro

 

[Klinestine]

Still running a Nokia Icon in white. Got a unused one in black in my desk as a backup for when i break this one. Love the phone, (well maybe not the battery life) but i can tell Verizon is working to try and get me off of it. Places I used to get great signal, now take forever to do anything. A couple of the app i use the most are starting to break as well (Facebook,IG, Spotify etc.), which sucks. Pandora still works great though. and all the ones I use for work. The camera and the interface still work great too.

I really don't want to switch, but i pretty sure that by the fall verizon will have forced me out. I'm sure soon im gonna start getting calls from some tech guy to tell me i'm an ***** and that i need to switch before they cut off my number.

I still hold that both apple and android are failures of design from the point of the interface. 10 years ago, a grid on a blah background made sense based off the ability of the phones. but not in 2019. If you tried to present that as a design thesis in any college for something different, they would laugh you out of the room.

 

[raycpl]

My phones.. 920 (black) - 830 (orange) - 720 (yellow) 1520 (two reds & a yellow) & , and lastly a black 950XL

Always tried to own a 1020 but ot was always unavailable.. so it was 920 then, and was probably the most groundbreaking/innovative phone I own.. However, the 1520 was my fave. Large as it was, it was a joy to use..

The 950XL is a standby device.. Great camera. I keep my Office365 on it, and having Continuum on it made it indispensable when I travel. The camera is still good.

I'm on a Nokia8.1 now, its zippy, durable battery & workman-like. I do miss wireless charging & unsurprisingly continnuum

 

[camaroz1985]

Last daily driver was 950. Still have a 640 and 650 that I break out occasionally.