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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mine last windows phone was lumia 925, best phone ever 😊
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.
Nokia Icon 929. Loved it and still do. Not my daily driver now but still active.
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.
The HP Elite X3. I thought it was great.
Lumia 650
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).
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"
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.
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
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.
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
Last daily driver was 950. Still have a 640 and 650 that I break out occasionally.
Last Windows phone for me was the Alcatel Idol 4S. Other than the camera, a very good phone. But the camera, some OS bugs, and the lack of a few particular apps finally pushed me to switch to Android in June 2017. Been happy there since.
Currently using my Lumia 950 XL as my daily driver. However, that won't be my final Windows Phone device as I had set my eyes on the legendary Lumia 1020.
Lumia 950 was my last Windows phone. Overall, pretty disappointing device after spending 2 years using a 1520, although I really loved continuum and used it daily for years. So many missed opportunities, Microsoft. So many....
Last Windows phone?
For the life of me I can't remember [emoji54]
It's probably still around here someplace though.
Switched to W10M after years on android...bloat, bugs, ads, rapid battery drain, etc. which drove me to Win10M in 2016 when I switched from Sprint to TMo. Purchased an Idol 4S on sale and enjoyed everything except the camera. After 8 months of use the battery started failing, randomly dropping from 50% to low battery. Moved backed to android with V20 and start having same old android issues. F that. Moved back to W10M in August 2018 with new 950XL purchased on ebay for $250. Still working great today and continues to be my daily driver. Hoping for a small ARM W10 device with capability to text and make calls. Otherwise, I will settle for a free iPhone from my employer.
Yeah, I was the same, came from android originally. I'm hoping you can somewhat avoid ads these days, but that's what's always struck me about the system, it's like a bad website, the whole thing is funded by ads, the apps and the OS itself.
Well that and the UI. Nothing is centrally organised particularly well. Unfortunately, it's all I've got when support goes to poop. I couldn't really do apple either, so going to have to lineageOS.
I didn't have a Windows phone when Microsoft was pushing the OS very hard.
In the last years, I got a 640 XL and instantly loved the WP OS. (Not the phone, it's slow.)
If Microsoft reboots WP with a Windows on Arm-based kernel, I might even get a Microsoft phone for regular use.
I miss my Lumia 1520 also.
Haven't heard of lineageOS... Did some research and it appears to be successor to Cyanogen. Bingo! I used to run cyanogen on my Samsungs. Loved it when I could get it installed and functioning properly. Rather do that than Apple.
Nokia Lumia 830, an overpriced midrange phone, but still the last Nokia-branded Microsoft Lumia. The software updates ruined it for me, and that’s why I bought it, because it was 10 ready. Edge never worked properly, then the lack of app support did it in. Even Bill Gates had an Android phone and MS was putting out Android apps before apps for 10 mobile. I finally threw in the towel and got an Honor 7x. Have all the MS apps on it. Runs MS Exchange and O365.
950 XL in the collection. Gets periodic use and will not be sold.
Last one that I used: Elite X3
Still have 99's Idol 4S.
My 830, 650, 950 reside in a dark place. Pulled out the 950 (last to purchase) a couple of weeks or so ago only to find out the enthusiasm for the platform has all but vanished. Too much of the same old that we had gripes about in the past are still present, essentially the OS never got to a point of maturing as MS gave up before allowing it to do so.
On Android now being very happy having no desire to replicate anything WP whatsoever.
That's spot on... . the "affordable flagship" I still keep mine on house WiFi. for YouTube music & browsing. It was a nice little phone though. I thought it worked better on W8.1M than W10. The back camera doesn't work anymore, unfortunately. I found it was much better on 8.1 than WM10.
Agreed, nice little phone and yes it definitely worked better running W8.1M. Was my second most/longest used Wp/WP (Ativ S takes the crown here) w/camera holding its own quite well. Aside from being gimped running W10M it's still fully functional.
Mine was the Idol 4S
The Lumia 1520 currently. Although it's a media device only. No phone or texting in use. Contemplating on how to get another 950 xl though too. They are great devices for media consumption. Phone calls, messaging, or other essential apps just can't even compare to Android or even Apple anymore .... Is really sad to see Microsoft give up so easily.
My wife & I have just moved from Lumia 830 (her) and Lumia 950 (me) to Android 9.0. On both of our Windows phones, we had been having increasingly frequent problems with apps and with the cameras, so we decided to finally shift. We are still both fully into the Microsoft ecosystem so our first installation was the Microsoft Launcher. Although we liked the intuitive, 'pc-like' UI of Windows mobile, we do now appreciate the option to have a very clean start screen. The key factor, however, is function over form. We now have four generations of Windows phones that various members of our familyhave owned over the years, sitting in a drawer; All Lumias: 520, 625, 830 & 950. The 520 I have been using for years as a (very robust) alarm clock that can handle being knocked into the tiled bedroom floor most mornings, the 625 just died, but I use it as a paper-weight, the 830 we haven't yet decided on its repurposing, and the 950 has now replaced the 520 as an alarm clock (and occasional media player ). However, we are going to offer the 830 & 950 to our local red cross if dcotors abroad can still use them. RIP Windows mobile, gone but never forgotten, but we're all forced to seek green pastures. Before embarking on the Windows mobile journey we had Android phones, so at least these days we can keep our involvement with Google to a mimimum! 😊
Lumia as a alarm clock? I haven't downgraded my 830 or 950XL to that extend yet. Haha!
That's because I have one of these babies, a Nokia 6303 classic. It last more than a couple of months on a full charge!!
My last daily was a 640 early 2016. My last model to tinker with was a 950 last year.
Those suckers would survive being cooked in a microwave oven I bet. The sad part is that you could bout phones like the Nokia 8110 1G or 4G in a drop test against any phone made in the last 10 years and they would be victorious.
Wont be surprised at all, this 9yr old 6303c is a solidly built. The removable back battery cover is a piece of stainless steel!!
I had a 6303i. The look and feel of that phone was superb. A Nokia at their peak. Happy days, thanks for reminding me. I just looked on Amazon and found some for sale at around the price I paid more than a decade ago. I can almost feel that beautiful, cold steel in my hand right now.
If anyone is interested in buying some windows phones send me a PM. Have available hp elite x3 with dock and OEM rugged case and dock, mint condition. Lumia 950 black with display dock. Lumia 1520 16 GB black at&t branded but can be unlocked. Lumia 640 black at&t branded. PM me for pics, need them gone.
Nokia Lumia 929. Use it occasionally and will never be cast aside. DD is the iPhone XS Max. Good phone but not a WP for sure.
The last one I actually used was the Elite X3. Sold it a few months after I bought it. It was a great phone, but it came out as I was moving away from WPs towards Android. I always wanted an Elite X4 running Android or Windows 10.
There are a couple of elite x3 v2 (x4) prototype phones floating around (w10m) . It had an aluminum frame same screen size but lower resolution (fhd). Maybe hp will make one now in following suit with Microsoft?
I'm still with my Acer Primo, I just can't bring myself around to putting it out to pasture. I have my T-Mobile Digits SIM in it to keep my call logs and text messages current. I've been using an iPhone XR for a while now and I hate it but it beats Android (for my tastes). It's possible I look into the 1+ 7T next week when it falls in the hands of the Magenta Morons.
Matter of fact, the Acer is getting the 10B update right now. Imagine that, Microsoft is keeping its promise with bug and security fixes. The end is nigh.
The update went through without a hitch for once. Afterward, I got fresh Store updates for Xodo (excellent cross-platform PDF app), Dropbox and Fitbit. Kudos especially for Fitbit, they haven't quit on us yet.
The mighty Lumia 950 XL was my first and last Windows 10 Mobile, but damn it was love at first sight. What a phone and what a camera and that design was and is just so beautiful.
Nokia Lumia Icon. Have had it for over 5 years. I take it out occasionally, charge it and check for updates. Still my favorite of all the phones I have had.
Microsoft 950, retired just last month. Even with a new battery, it needed daily charging and when the main camera began having focusing issues, I decided it was time. But actually, I am attempting to resurrect my Lumia 640 to use at times that I don't want to risk damaging my new phone. So maybe that'll be my last windows phone? :wink:
1520 :(
And yes after all these years, I still have the melted Lumia 920 that was featured years ago in Windows Central news :(
950xl
The Lumia 950XL, which is chugging along just fine. The lack of whatsapp didn't bother me after whatsapp pulled support for WM10. But the current pandemic highlighted an ugly truth ever prominently. Most people have become accustomed to convenience above all else. Thus instead of apps facilitating communication, it's become the other way round people have to facilitate apps to communicate. So if you don't have an app, you're excluded even though there are other apps work without issues such as Viber, Telegram (Unigram) even good ole sms.
So unfortunately due to necessity have had to switch platforms.
Now using Xperia 10 with Sailfish X lol. It's been afew days but so far it's been a decent experience. Really missing the live tiles though.
950 XL was the last one I actively used. I bought the 7 inch Cube Windows Phone to play with, but it was unusable as a phone here in the states. I still play around with my old 640 XL from time to time though.
Lumia 640 after my 950 went nuts. Then I switched to a "refurbished" (screwed up) Galaxy S7. Spoiler Alert, Android sucks. I have been fighting the urge to drive a hammer through the screen for a year and a half.
Today I had my old 950 charging and my S7 kept dropping calls. I stuffed the SIM in the 950 and it was like heaven for a while!!!
Over the years I used a number of WP/WM devices. IIRC, my first one was a Nokia Lumia 710. That was actually a sweet device at the time. After that I had a couple 920s. I really liked that phone, but wow was that thing a brick! It was very heavy, but good and solid. I bought a resold a number of 521s as well. I do not recall ever using one though. I also might have had some other WP/WM devices that I don't remember.
My last Windows phone was a Lumia 650. I was not using WM as a daily driver anymore, and a colleague who was still using it needed a replacement. I sold him my 650, and that was the end of an era for me. I'm not even sure when this was; maybe late 2017/early 2018?
I had the 720, 1020, 1520, and lastly the 950XL. I miss the live tiles.
Hp Elite X3