Trying to Convert a friend from Android to 950xl

[M4cc45]

Whilst I agree with some of your points I'd say the UI is the best part of the phone. When everything works it's very informative at a glance (i.e. the weather cycling through, the number of emails you have, LinkedIn views / invitations, etc.).

The Apps I've noticed are getting better. Whether people will keep developing on the platform is the interesting part. Whether there is a 'Surface' Phone or such like will depend on the platforms life. I understand getting rid of the Lumia brand and trying to go for something else but it's whether they're getting to get rid of WM10 altogether, which would be a mistake, or take it down a different path and allow companies to install it with there Apps (basically the Android model).

There are merits to both paths but the hardware has been awful on looking at these forums with overheating, etc. so to get rid of that element and get there software to more devices makes sense.



M.

 

[mtf1380]

I have an idea; buy what YOU like, and what works for you.

 

[SL2]

- Messenger, the heck...I just don't care.

- Spotify (yes it was fast and I am gonna miss it)

Try messenger beta, a nice improvement. (set your region to Germany if you haven't already and search in Store)
Works REALLY good on my 1020.

Spoticast may be worth a try.
Spoticast for Spotify is the only Windows 10 UWP app you need for streaming music | Windows Central

 

[John Christopoulos]

As I stated before, I was using it....but for a while now I cannot log in...it just stucks at the login screen..... (I cannot even add the password)

Same with the Win 8.1 app..

 

[Ian_Superfly]

WHY would you do this to someone you call a friend?

The only thing he will gain with the 950/W10M is Continuum but the list of things he will lose is almost endless.
(And, Android has their Continuum in the works and the same might come for iOS)

 

[TonyDedrick]

Unless you're being paid by Microsoft to do so, why waste your time?

 

[ZantReve]

Personally, you should never try to get a real friend to use an OS that may not suit their needs. Honestly, I feel like you should just back off and let that person make their own tech choices. This friend will understand what he/she need out of a mobile device and get one that suits their personal tastes. Windows Mobile doesn't have all that much to offer to Android users. Especially an Android User who utilizes Google Services, uses third party keyboards, and have a nice selection of apps to chose from in the Play Store.

 

[Kar98]

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

 

[MorganRW]

Honestly I would tell your friend to wait for Surface Phone early next year. I have the 950 and while I am pleased with it, it very much feels like a beta product and not finished or polished. Have your friend wait for the polish and quality of a Surface Product. Pushing him to anything now may leave a bitter taste in his mouth and cause him to never try the product again. I love Microsoft and use all their products but the phone just isn't there yet.

 

[tgp]

Pushing him to anything now may leave a bitter taste in his mouth and cause him to never try the product again.

I personally believe this is at least one of the reasons Microsoft is not marketing W10M devices. It is not yet in a state to impress iPhone and flagship Android users, and Microsoft is fully aware of it. It would have a high probability of permanently souring them.

 

[bigwils36]

Lads I'm pretty nee to windows phones tbh but do you lads no how to get apk files working on the 950. I got this phone for this reason and I have just found out they have stopped supporting apk??

 

[Summer_Moon]

Lads I'm pretty nee to windows phones tbh but do you lads no how to get apk files working on the 950. I got this phone for this reason and I have just found out they have stopped supporting apk??

It hasn't supported APK for quite some time now. It was one of the early early builds of Windows 10 Mobile that allowed it. You aren't going to get them to work.

 

[bigwils36]

Ok cheers mate. I have just noticed a massive security flaw in the 950, to bypass the retina and passcode on the unlock screen all you do is press the camera button and then back button then you are on the desktop?? Is this a flaw or do I have a setting that's allowing this.

 

[Zerodrag]

Are you sure it's actually in locked mode? There's a sign-in option that lets you set the delay before needing to enter an unlock code/retina scan.

 

[chinni subhash]

You would have selected ask me password after one minute option and then when you do as you said it works like that. It is not a flaw.

 

[Summer_Moon]

Ok cheers mate. I have just noticed a massive security flaw in the 950, to bypass the retina and passcode on the unlock screen all you do is press the camera button and then back button then you are on the desktop?? Is this a flaw or do I have a setting that's allowing this.

I tested this and I did not find the same case on my 950XL. You sure Windows Hello didn't recognize you right before you pushed the camera button? Also, if the phone hasn't locked yet (like you have it set for require PIN after 5 minutes) then your situation you described will work. To prevent that you can have it lock immediately once the screen goes off.

 

[cracgor]

Honestly I would tell your friend to wait for Surface Phone early next year. I have the 950 and while I am pleased with it, it very much feels like a beta product and not finished or polished. Have your friend wait for the polish and quality of a Surface Product. Pushing him to anything now may leave a bitter taste in his mouth and cause him to never try the product again. I love Microsoft and use all their products but the phone just isn't there yet.

This 1000 times. I hated my 950xl so much I would consider leaving Windows desktop computing to stay away from it.

 

[trivor]

you didn't get a discount on this overpriced generation of Windows Phones (950/950XL) why should you get a discount on the next generation? Windows phone is where WebOS was 5 years ago and the only difference is Windows Phone will only stay alive as Long as MS wants it to. There is no other reason for it to exist. If you're willing to put up with a declining app base, poor support and poor selection of hardware then you'll be fine. My latest phone, the 940, is a very nice phone but I could never use it as my daily driver. My main missing apps are sports apps to follow Baseball, Hockey and Football. Also, on Android I have full support for both ecosystems (MS and Google) with no compromises while on Windows Phone I have no support for Google (especially Google Drive - I use it about equally with OneDrive).

 

[fgaudet]

MSFT collects a ton of data on me with my consent, but their privacy statement clearly states that they will not use that data sell me advertising.
Unlike GOOG, who makes their living off of it. If you use Android, you are the product, no the devices or services they sell to you.

This was one of the major reasons I chose Windows Phone back then, along with no virus/malware and it's very different than the other two.

It's now been about 10 days that I reluctantly switched from my Lumia 830 to the Big Brother Google land with a Moto X Play, running Android 6.0.1. I'm a total noob on Android...

Here's what I miss most from WP :
- Glance : omg, I miss this. I set it to always on with the L830 and knowing what my next calendar appointment is just by looking at the phone is so useful. I know some Androids have something similar, but the Moto X Play doesn't and I don't want to root it (yet)
- WP Start menu UI / live tiles : this is so much better than the dead grid layout of app icons on Android. Android widgets are bulky, using up all the screen real estate for little information compared to the WP tiles, imho.
- Hands-free SMS dictation - I've not found how to do this yet on Android
- Photo tile, contact tile : again, widget do this, but not as elegantly as WP
- Notification count badge on tiles: yes, some 3rd party app and launchers do this on Android, but it's not there by default on the Moto X Play
- I much prefer the native W10M mail client to what I've experienced so far on Android
- Driving mode with auto replies to text

So why did I switch?
Hardware issues :
- My L830's microphone stopped working, calls could only be answered in speakerphone or Bluetooth. Ordered replacement parts but it changed nothing
- battery was not holding up so good anymore; ordered a new one but it never arrived

Availability :
- In Quebec, Canada, it's near impossible to get a WP from a carrier today, let alone a flagship
- mid 2017 is way too far off for me to endure my L830 in it's current state

App gap :
- Egde : ugh. Some sites don't render, some insultingly report "your browser is not supported/too old", and some render bad or ever slowly
- the RBC bank app for WP feels like an unfinished school project. It gets the job done but is just unpleasant. The Android version is very polished, more functional and can deposit cheques via photo. Same for Tangerine bank app.
- Microsoft's own Account app : not on WP. Miles better than the Authenticator app on WP
- Accuradio : no app on WP
- Waze : unsupported and dysfunctional on WP
- Olympus camera app : not on WP, only 3rd party apps and only 2!
- Any local event/store/whatever apps are just never available on WP, case in point : "Mtl en histoire"
- Most apps on Android have a better quality feel, better animation, etc. Doesn't stop them from crashing though
- W10M still has some stability issues; some apps insta crash, loading/resume still prevalent

Overall, I feel I've lost some productivity moving from WP to Android, but I was stuck between a void and Android or iPhone... I'll give Android a chance, but I really hope W10M comes around. I'll be back.

 

[cracgor]

Here's what I miss most from WP :
- Glance : omg, I miss this. I set it to always on with the L830 and knowing what my next calendar appointment is just by looking at the phone is so useful. I know some Androids have something similar, but the Moto X Play doesn't and I don't want to root it (yet)
- WP Start menu UI / live tiles : this is so much better than the dead grid layout of app icons on Android. Android widgets are bulky, using up all the screen real estate for little information compared to the WP tiles, imho.
- Hands-free SMS dictation - I've not found how to do this yet on Android
- Photo tile, contact tile : again, widget do this, but not as elegantly as WP
- Notification count badge on tiles: yes, some 3rd party app and launchers do this on Android, but it's not there by default on the Moto X Play
- I much prefer the native W10M mail client to what I've experienced so far on Android
- Driving mode with auto replies to text
.

I find that I use the widgets very little after switching and really use the notification cards a lot more like live tiles.

Dictation should work the same. If you are in messenger and click the text area, the microphone shows up on my keyboard to click and dictate. You could also use Google Now with the command, "Text {person} {message}." I'm not sure if the MotoX play supports the command "OK Google" to hands free launch Google Now (like Hey Cortana).

You should be able to switch your default mail client in android to Outlook.

Having something similar to driving mode in Android would really be nice. The one I used from my carrier did not turn off easily enough, so it would stay off when I was done driving for awhile.