Best phone ever? seriously?

[mtf1380]

One other thing:

I saw on a TV commercial the other night where the Large Advertiser acutually had a Windows APP listed next to the other guys (Apple & Android), I have to say - This was indeed encouraging.

 

[Krystianpants]

^ This hits the nail on the head for why I made my purchase but also is the source of my own frustrations. Continuum feels able but falls short of what I need from it. I was really hoping to see more support for more advanced software (beyond Office 2016) but it seems that there are significant limitations for the moment. I've resorted to going back to my laptop and due to that has back-burnered my use of the Lumia. It will be returned:unhappy:

What apps do you need to be able to convert fully?

I think Twitter is coming soon, facebook already supports it but a better version is coming. MyTube for youtube supports it. A lot of apps I use. I find Edge is still a long way away from being able to fully function on desktop let alone in continuum. Unless fixing the desktop will also fix continuum. Office apps I don't really use at this moment but they are good and the free 1 year office 365 is great. Skype has some support through the messenger client. I kind of like dailymotion which is a sort of youtube alternative. There's also Readit which I use quite a lot for my redditing needs. So there's some good support. But all it takes is 1 app and you're back at your laptop hehe.

 

[Krystianpants]

For what it is worth, I just went from Build: 10.0.14267.1004 (nothing but trouble for me); to Build: 10.0.14283.1000, last night - and boy am I glad I did, everything is work great so far. I have not tried music over Bluetooth yet, so I don't know if that is fixed yet or not, but everything else seems to be humming along. It seems that I can actually start using it as the tool I purchased it for: I can access Onenote quickly; I can load Files on my SD card and view them, quickly; just uploaded a big File to Onedrive, and had immediate access to it via Excel on my 950XL... Best Build for me thus far, by far - this is the phone I wanted when I first purchased it...and it is STILL going to get better

You came VERY close to losing me Microsoft, but KUDOS, all is forgiven.

Signed: a VERY HAPPY CAMPER!

Cheers!

That's the funny thing about these builds. I had nothing but issues on the latest one for redstone. So I rolled back to the production .164 build and am happy. Though the redstone build was faster and smoother, it also had way more crashing, battery drain and other issues.

It's like everyone has different experiences on different builds even with the same hardware. I think it's MS and all the region separation that they do. I can't think of anything else that would make such a big difference. It's why I always stay on united states region and language. Canada one is a joke if you go to the store. There's barely any ratings/reviews for anything. They need to make it global and just make the price different.

 

[mtf1380]

That's the funny thing about these builds. I had nothing but issues on the latest one for redstone. So I rolled back to the production .164 build and am happy. Though the redstone build was faster and smoother, it also had way more crashing, battery drain and other issues.

It's like everyone has different experiences on different builds even with the same hardware. I think it's MS and all the region separation that they do. I can't think of anything else that would make such a big difference. It's why I always stay on united states region and language. Canada one is a joke if you go to the store. There's barely any ratings/reviews for anything. They need to make it global and just make the price different.

Poppyfinger: my initial reaction to Redstone was to throw the phone out the window (no pun intended), I was so damn frustrated, not to mention that ALL the bugs came out from under the wood work while I was on a business trip, and NEEDED to rely on my phone. I was also having to Soft-Reset my phone almost every morning to get it to respond. But as of last night (updating to OS: 10.0.14267.1004).... I see a big fat glimmer of hope (fingers crossed).

Cheers!

 

[darth furious]

That's the funny thing about these builds. I had nothing but issues on the latest one for redstone. So I rolled back to the production .164 build and am happy. Though the redstone build was faster and smoother, it also had way more crashing, battery drain and other issues.

The latest build was a little better than .164 for me until I reset my phone and reinstalled the backup. Now it is very smooth and only has occasional crashes. You had a fresh install of the last build and it was smooth. Maybe a fresh install of the latest build will be smooth. Your comparisons are not quite apples to apples unless you do a fresh install every upgrade.

 

[PhineasTD]

What apps do you need to be able to convert fully?

I think Twitter is coming soon, facebook already supports it but a better version is coming. MyTube for youtube supports it. A lot of apps I use. I find Edge is still a long way away from being able to fully function on desktop let alone in continuum. Unless fixing the desktop will also fix continuum. Office apps I don't really use at this moment but they are good and the free 1 year office 365 is great. Skype has some support through the messenger client. I kind of like dailymotion which is a sort of youtube alternative. There's also Readit which I use quite a lot for my redditing needs. So there's some good support. But all it takes is 1 app and you're back at your laptop hehe.

AutoCAD and BIM to get specific, but there are a few support softwares that I also need. I'd expected some manner of crossover as is present on iOS...but there's nothing substantial. My purchase was specifically business oriented, and as Microsoft really pushed this device (950xl) as THE mobile device to handle a business, I was intrigued. It really is my own fault for jumping right in without giving a little time to the platform and doing more research. In my head I'd figured that, like Apple, if it's present on the desk top then there'd be some manner of representation on the mobile side. For my own instance such was not the case.

 

[Krystianpants]

AutoCAD and BIM to get specific, but there are a few support softwares that I also need. I'd expected some manner of crossover as is present on iOS...but there's nothing substantial. My purchase was specifically business oriented, and as Microsoft really pushed this device (950xl) as THE mobile device to handle a business, I was intrigued. It really is my own fault for jumping right in without giving a little time to the platform and doing more research. In my head I'd figured that, like Apple, if it's present on the desk top then there'd be some manner of representation on the mobile side. For my own instance such was not the case.

Ahh since Autocad 360 and BIM20/20 are built for windows 10 I thought they would support continuum. The new updated autocad does allow editing. But if you're looking for the full complex app, it may happen with project centennial, or it may not. We shall see what they say during build 2016.

 

[PhineasTD]

Ahh since Autocad 360 and BIM20/20 are built for windows 10 I thought they would support continuum. The new updated autocad does allow editing. But if you're looking for the full complex app, it may happen with project centennial, or it may not. We shall see what they say during build 2016.

The functionality of Autobench software on the Windows phone leaves much to be desired. The UI isn't really 'functional' but more a trial and error hair pulling endeavor that left me very frustrated. I'm sure support for Continuum will at some point be viable, but considering the potential complexity of designs and the demands made by the software itself, that support will be limited just as it is in iOS. I had really counted on working through continuum and being capable using my phone to gain quick access to layouts. It popped my bubble to find out otherwise.

 

[mrmobileperformance]

See, it is missing a lot of stuff, but wait for build 2016.

Here's the thing though. I use my phone as my primary pc at this point in time. I have the dock connected to my monitor, keyboard, mouse. I just plug the phone in and start using it. Leaving somewhere? unplug phone and go. The best part is the dock was charging it. Anything I can't use I rdp into another PC. But it seems now more and more of the apps I use are starting to support continuum. At this point I only have a few apps that i'm waiting for continuum support. It will become fully functional to me. And more features will be added hopefully like window snapping for multiple apps on screen, etc.

That to me is a huge factor. I thought continuum would be useless and wouldn't change anything. But you really don't grasp it until you start using it and more apps start supporting it. It's no longer just a phone. Just like 2-in-1 laptops were no longer just laptops. It has a lot of potential.

And believe me at first I was a bit disappointed but it seems that all these apps are starting to come out recently. Funny thing is it's leading up to build. And build will apparently have some crazy announcements. Heck even spotify is going UWP.

I already know MS is working on OnePay. And this will support all major credit cards for tap to pay.
They are also working on a data only sim which would be really useful for my dual sim unit. I can keep 1 sim with provider as pay by minute and use data for everything else including skype.

The way things are going I don't think there will be a huge app issue eventually. I think most of the big guys will move over. Considering all new PC's/hybrids/laptops are coming with windows 10, it makes sense. And you could say developers won't publish for the phone, but it seems people are actually doing it. And they are doing it while windows phone shares are dropping. I think it's because of continuum. Normally they probably wouldn't have done it if this feature wasn't available. But I think developers see a lot of potential in it. And they saw how the 2-in-1 hybrid laptops eventually started taking off like crazy and are now the biggest sellers in the world of PC. The same thing could happen to these phones, especially as they gain more power. I mean my phone is running the snapdragon 810 and everything runs great. The 820 is so much more powerful, especially the gpu. And there are games that support continuum. Games like World of Tanks which are pretty high fidelity. Developers also know that 2017 is going to be a huge turning point for tech because of the better processes being developed for building low power cpu/gpus. Intel will definitely pull something together with MS. AMD is even targeting the low power market. So having really powerful 2-in-1 phones is going to happen. It will be a new category, just like the current 2-in-1's. That's why MS doesn't care about "phone" share. They aren't trying to create another phone.

I think, you're getting your hopes up too much. Windows Phone/Windows Mobile may never attract enough developer attention to make it a viable platform. You remind me of when I had my MacBook Pro, and every year I told myself: "This is the us Mac users will get Blu-ray. But it never happened. After a couple of years of "Steve" deciding what I was allowed to have on my computer, I abandoned the Mac platform.

Sent from mTalk

 

[misc_images]

Interesting.

VVM is working on O2 for my 6 plus but when try registering on the 950, I get a txt back saying carrier setting not available.

Perhaps its a call to O2????

 

[misc_images]

I went to an event yesterday, and while everyone was snapping photos with their iPhones and Galaxies, they all returned it to their bags when they saw my shots.

agree - the camera is something special

 

[misc_images]

the 2 are so intrinsically linked though.

NFC payment is a feature of phone but is so dependant on other things, i.e merchants.

 

[misc_images]

I have an iPhone thanks.

the point of the discussion was to raise significant flaws in MS's strategy of product development and bug fixing.

 

[misc_images]

Yes if many of the distinguishing features of the phone were not functioning and people believed it was the best phone - ever.

yes its good, but the drawbacks are too much for me to use it daily (personal preference I know). BUT, I do keep it and hope that the features get delivered and it becomes the killer phone it should be.

MS could really be on to something here with the integration across platforms with W10.

 

[misc_images]

Not quite, but I see your point.

NFC payments are advertised as a feature - but the network behind it isn't available
driving mode - a feature advertised but there is, in my view, a significant UX bug/defect preventing the feature being the complete package
VVM - again, a feature advertised which I cant get working despite having the feature on another phone - same sim card and same network. Perhaps this is a network issue though.
Printing - a feature of the phone - in my view not being able to print from emails is a core feature that should be available in any smartphone these days. Not connecting to many new WiFi printers is a significant drawback.

 

[misc_images]

Agree completely

 

[Mr Hyde]

For what it is worth, I just went from Build: 10.0.14267.1004 (nothing but trouble for me); to Build: 10.0.14283.1000, last night - and boy am I glad I did, everything is work great so far. I have not tried music over Bluetooth yet, so I don't know if that is fixed yet or not, but everything else seems to be humming along. It seems that I can actually start using it as the tool I purchased it for: I can access Onenote quickly; I can load Files on my SD card and view them, quickly; just uploaded a big File to Onedrive, and had immediate access to it via Excel on my 950XL... Best Build for me thus far, by far - this is the phone I wanted when I first purchased it...and it is STILL going to get better

You came VERY close to losing me Microsoft, but KUDOS, all is forgiven.

Signed: a VERY HAPPY CAMPER!

Cheers!

If you're happy with your phone now I'd suggest you either leave the insider program or switch to the pre production ring. Fast ring builds are more likely to be buggy and the next one might ruin your experience. If you're at a lower ring and see by posts on the forum that a fast ring build is stable you can always switch and pick up the update. But if you install a buggy one because you stayed in the fast ring, you'll be either stuck with it till the next build or you'll have to roll back which is a pain in the butt.

 

[Krystianpants]

I think, you're getting your hopes up too much. Windows Phone/Windows Mobile may never attract enough developer attention to make it a viable platform. You remind me of when I had my MacBook Pro, and every year I told myself: "This is the us Mac users will get Blu-ray. But it never happened. After a couple of years of "Steve" deciding what I was allowed to have on my computer, I abandoned the Mac platform.

Sent from mTalk

I hear you. But it's the Desktop version of windows that will draw developers. And as I said they will make the mobile version. They are doing it now! A lot of apps are even supporting continuum. So I'm not just being optimistic, I'm seeing it happen. And I'm seeing it happen when Mobile shares are lower than ever. Which means developers are taking their chances. They could just publish for the desktop and they could leave continuum out. But honestly, continuum is the biggest thing to happen to phones. Whether others have tried it or not. This is not ubuntu, it's windows and has way more appeal. And the tools being provided are also part of the appeal. But ultimately mobile devices have come to a point where you can do a lot of work on them. Desktops are typically used for gaming or more productive work. There's less reason to buy a full desktop for a lot of people. But people will always be buying phones and if they can replace their desktop and phone with a good 2-in-1, then why not? And what's going to make that happen are the apps. These phones have not flooded the market yet. The current ones out sort of show what can be done. And everyone agrees that this is a really cool feature with a lot of "Potential". Even reviewers who really bad mouthed the new lumia phones all agreed continuum is the coolest feature and can become a big thing.

MS has been focusing on Desktop and Visual studio for a reason. If you gain enough users on Desktop and then you make tools easy to use. Developers will come.

You're more likely to buy an app if you can run it on xbox, your phone and windows 10 machine. Or if you can run the app in your phone and then connect your phone and run it in desktop mode. I sure as heck am more likely to buy an app in this sort of scenario. I already buy apps/games on my lumia 950xl. This will just make purchases more likely for me.

This is much different than the macbook pro. It's always been sort of niche in the desktop/laptop market. My guess is Apple will eventually merge their OS like MS. Even google is working on it. Heck Android N already has code in it for desktop like windows. A real platform is device agnostic. What Apple has is a phone platform, and that's it.

Anyways I don't think that I'm "hoping". I think this is the future. Even before this sort of thing happened, years back I used to tell my buddy how one day you will likely have only 1 device that does everything. And MS is actually going that route. And for gaming. You could create a gaming dock for a phone. Much cheaper than buying a full brand new PC. Those users who aren't super techie to be able to build a great gaming PC are more likely to buy an easy to use extension. Again, we will see where things go. But the current state of phones has really reached its limits. Some of the things that are used to battle for share are new screens, better cameras, etc. But really most cameras are good enough for people. Take the recent WP article with the camera show down. All 4 phones performed really well. S7 was probably the best in a lot of scenarios followed by the lumia 950. But if you take those pics and post them on instagram or show them to your friends. They will enjoy them either way, regardless of whether they can see detail way off in the distance. So what's next? Probably screen tech using POLED with flexible designs. Chips are getting more powerful but is anything really taking advantage of it? Continuum could take advantage of it. Otherwise you play a game on a snapdragon 810 vs. an 820, I don't think you will even notice the difference. Games adjust to your specs.

 

[Krystianpants]

The functionality of Autobench software on the Windows phone leaves much to be desired. The UI isn't really 'functional' but more a trial and error hair pulling endeavor that left me very frustrated. I'm sure support for Continuum will at some point be viable, but considering the potential complexity of designs and the demands made by the software itself, that support will be limited just as it is in iOS. I had really counted on working through continuum and being capable using my phone to gain quick access to layouts. It popped my bubble to find out otherwise.

Well AutoCad just updated their app the other day, so have you tried it? But again you're right for complex things, there may be other solutions. Like having the cloud do your computing for you through virtualization. Sort of like HP elite phone will have for enterprise customers. But this software was built for the x64 desktop environment. And I'm sure it took a really long time. Putting it on ARM is not an easy endeavor. That's why MS needs to make it easy. We still haven't reached that point yet. But chips are getting faster while consuming less power which makes it a possible reality in the future. I think 2017 is going to see some breakthroughs with process manufacturing. We are really in the beginning stages of the phone as a PC solution. And as an early adopter we can't expect it to run perfect from the time of purchase. But honestly it has improved from the time I purchased it. Nothing was really running continuum except office. Now a bunch of my favourite apps are supporting it. And I'm hoping build will have some nice announcements.

I'm not one of those windows users who has been running the phone since its first iteration. I only decided to try windows because the 520 was so dirt cheap it was either I buy dinner or the phone, hehe. And that's where I really fell in love with the tile interface. But I tried everything else and am always open to moving over to another solution if it fits my needs. I'm not a "******" as they call them. I do what works for me. And we all have different needs. If your needs aren't met you can wait till they are or go where they are met. And I think for the most part people should go where their needs are met. So I don't understand people who complain about Windows phone but keep buying them lol.

 

[mtf1380]

If you're happy with your phone now I'd suggest you either leave the insider program or switch to the pre production ring. Fast ring builds are more likely to be buggy and the next one might ruin your experience. If you're at a lower ring and see by posts on the forum that a fast ring build is stable you can always switch and pick up the update. But if you install a buggy one because you stayed in the fast ring, you'll be either stuck with it till the next build or you'll have to roll back which is a pain in the butt.

Mr Hyde; your advice is sound, and a practice that I have followed - I read what the more knowledgable have to say before jumping in...and for those fine soles, I do thank. And I thank you, for your magnanimous advice ;^)

Cheers!