Why did you go with WP8?

[C LaBelle]

I have owned an iPhone since they first came out. It was awesome and was very capable. Last year I started becoming more and more dissatisfied with it. You have to pay for EVERYTHING. Customization was lacking so I jailbroke it. I was finally able to change what I wanted and get what I wanted, but it was like living in the shadows. It just turned dull.

My wife was due for an upgrade on her phone (iPhone 3GS) so we went to ATT to upgrade her to the 4S since the price had come down (right after the 5 launch). While she was talking to the rep I wandered around playing with different phones. The one that really caught my attention was the Lumia 920. The screen was vibrant, the colors bright, the size was just right, the features were better than the iPhone, the price was unbelievable, the camera was awesome, and it was just different. I tried it out for about 20 min while my wife talked. They didn't have the iPhone in the white so we left empty handed and intentions of returning two days later to get her phone. Those two days I couldn't stop thinking about the 920. My iPhone 4 just seemed dull and boring.

We returned to ATT two days later to pick up the iPhone 4S and while they were doing the paperwork I wandered back to the 920 and played some more. Again it just captivated me, for 15 more minutes. When my wife was done and had her new phone ($99) I had decided to upgrade mine to the 920 (also $99!).

I didn't really know what I was jumping into and while we were doing the paperwork I almost got cold feet. Jumping ship from Apple seemed like such a big change. All my music, photos, contacts, now I have to switch everything over! What a nightmare right?! Nope. They transferred my contacts right then and there (including details such as home phone numbers, emails, addresses etc.), music was moved when I got home with the Windows phone transfer program, email accounts synced, and I was ready to go in a few hours. It was pretty painless. The built in and included features are worth way more than the $99. With an internal storage of 32GB, built in wireless charging, Nokia Drive (GPS app included!), Nokia Maps, Nokia Music (like Pandora), and the great camera it really is a great value. The apps included here would have to be purchased if on another platform, a special case bought for the wireless charging, and a microSD card bought to get this kind of storage on some other phones.

Looking back I wish I had done it sooner. My 920 is so refreshing, different yet competitive, unique, and functional. Yes there have been some growing pains with some apps not available yet but they are coming. I think what really sold me on Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 is when I got my Asus tablet. The two systems are nearly the same. It's so nice having everything working together, I don't have a different operating system for every gadget anymore (except for my desktop PC which is still running WinXP, I plan on getting a Win8 desktop in the future). I think MS is on to something with the entire ecosystem. Everything working together, integrating together, complimenting each other really is nice to see and really makes functionality just work. It just makes sense, and it's about time!

 

[Traderhorn]

Hi went with WP8 as i have WP7 lumia 800, now have 920 a brilliant phone, its a very good system an improvement on WP7 and it just works for me,does the basics very well, calls/texts/ E Mails and browser is ok, now BBC I PLAYER app has arrived ten out ten,
if Nokia did not make WP8 i would not be using it,

 

[ClixT]

Because I could experience the fluidity (if not, better than) of IOS, and I could make it "mine" like an android, but less complicated.

 

[Mellifluous]

I came from a Blackberry, which was great for the keyboard but annoying for browser, battery pulls and everything else. I was also an early iPod touch user and felt I knew iOS and Blackberry enough to want to try something different.

Windows Phone's swipe interface appeals to me, it's more dynamic than iOS and interesting to use. It's also very functional, and great for the purposes I need it for. Calls are crisp and clear. Texting is simple. The email and calendar are both superb, and being able to swipe to view events as a task list is very useful in calendar. The keyboard has been lauded as the best touch keyboard out there by some tech blogs, and this is probably true - the keys are just right, the auto words above the keyboard that appear as you type are really useful, and being able to press on letters and get extra options is another nice feature.

Overall there's tons to like, and Blackberrys are nice and all but WP's interface and being able to pin what you want exactly where you want is much more functional in my opinion.

If you get a Nokia, Nokia phones also come with lots of useful bonus apps to enhance photography, music and navigation experiences.

 

[zokstar]

I chose to try WP8 because I just wanted some different and new. At the time I had a galaxy nexus with only 16Gb storage, and I use my phone as a media player so I needed more storage. This is one of the reasons I went with the L920. 6-7months later I now have 3 Win8 devicee (Desktop, Surface Pro, 920)

 

[X0LARIUM]

If you hop around on the internet, you will see two words being used for describing WP. Fast and Fresh. That, IMO, says it all.

 

[o4liberty]

I started off with the HTC Trophy then the 822 now I have the 928 and couldn't be happier! Window devices are simple but cover all that I need on a daily basis. The one big factor for me is how smooth they work with no issues like android and blackberry.
Sent from my RM-860_nam_usa_100 using Board Express

 

[Troyseph]

I love having everything accessible in SkyDrive at anytime on any device. I started with the Trophy, then Radar 4G, then Lumia 710, then Lumia 920, and now I am playing with the simplicity of the Lumia 510. Nokia, by far, has been my favorite manufacturer. Their camera tech can't be topped. I can't wait to get the 925 in T-mobile. Let me know if you have any questions. I can REALLY speak to the OS.

 

[anon(6038817)]

Is there a "phone calls only" feature built into WP8? Basically, I want to be able to silence all notifications but still allow phone calls through. Is this easy to do in WP8?

 

[Troyseph]

It isn't a feature in WP8. You could accomplish it my going into the ringtones + sounds settings and selecting (none) for the sounds for emails, text, and alerts.

 

[berty6294]

Xbox Music

 

[ChouPigu]

Please pardon the blogorrhea.

I started with an iPhone 3GS. Had it all of a week, before I decided I hated playing in Apple's walled garden. Broke the contract, paid the hefty penalty, and still sold it for a small profit.

Went to a Droid X. While at the time, it was top of the line, it began to show it's age real fast. It became slower and slower, more and more a pig. No amount of SBFs would remedy that.

Got a Transformer tablet to try and assuage my growing discontent with the platform.

Got a Surface Pro at launch, and my journey toward the dark side began. The Android hate started to flow through me. The TF gathered dust. The DX was nearly skipped across many a pond.

Even so, the Lumia 928 was a hard sell. I first saw it on vacation at a Windows store. Sexy, yes, but I had platform anxiety. What about Google Maps? Youtube? I heard the Windows store sucks. I have no idea how to use this thing!

After a week of agonizing indecision, I finally said "screw it," and jumped in head-first. That was one week ago, and I'm glad I took the chance. I'm amazed at how fast and responsive it is, and how well integrated the entire experience is. I either don't miss my old apps, or have already found replacements. My journey is complete.

I can't say I won't ever go back. I can't promise I won't get the 7 month itch again, but I was never as impressed with either iOS or Android as I am with WP8. It's simple, like iOS, yet elegant like neither.

I'm still learning the device and platform, and I'm sure I'll have many stupid questions to ask you guys in the near future. Thanks.

 

[anon(6038817)]

Do any of you have experience with the Nokia Lumia 521 and would you recommend it as a good phone for people who want to give WP8 a try without breaking the bank?

 

[tgp]

Do any of you have experience with the Nokia Lumia 521 and would you recommend it as a good phone for people who want to give WP8 a try without breaking the bank?

Yes and yes. But remember it is locked to T-Mobile. If that's OK, the 521 coupled with T-Mobile's $30/month plan means you can't experience WP8 for a better price!

 

[Troyseph]

I just got the 521 on T-mobile and love it. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles as the 925, but if you like it, then just pickup the 925 when it comes out in about a month. The T-mobile network is getting better and better, and I use the WiFi calling feature when I am in the office and hone, due to low signal at these locations. People said the screen wasn't good and the camera weak, but the screen is great and the camera is good.

 

[medway01]

I never planned on getting a windows 8 phone, I was deep in to android as all my family have androids. Before last Christmas I had a play with aa demo windows 8 phone in a local store, I was impressed with its speed but to be honest, I thought it may be a store con, you know, show the top line model to show it off, well at my age I consider all the angles

A few weeks ago I read something MS said about its phone, how people will be able to type in a windows phone, I cant remember the exact wording but it caught my attention because at the time my android was a pain to type on, it also had low call volume compared to my old but dead wilfire s. So I thought about windows phone for a few days but resigned myself to sticking with andoid and its quirky ways.

By chance I was walking past a store and spotted the W1 on offer so went to have a look and a play, I dont need top end phones with top end cameras because I own a few top end cameras after playing with the W1 for a while I was hooked, the keyboard just worked and was nice to use, the audio volume was enough for me to hear and the speed, wow, it was fast. I bought one knowing only to well it will be different from android and knowing it will be missing a ton of stuff that I was used to using, vpn for one thing and the android app to test the wifi, I use that a lot as it saved me digging out the wifi analyser, its ok for a quick and dirty test, sadly on windows 8 phone thats never going to be ported over so I'm stuck carrying two phones sometimes. Ok its handy to keep my hand in with android I suppose and windows 8 phone isnt that hard to learn and at least it works in the most part for calls, text and email and once the fights over with the music app, ( Think I won that one ) music as well, I dont engage in social media that much.

Another thing is I dont have to worry about security so much, for now the apps are secure and there is little possibility of some nasty exploit being used through an app. I didnt know how secure this was till after I got my phone, I see it as a bonus really.

 

[baseballbert]

In the summer of 2011 got tired of waiting for the next iPhone. Kept making trips to an AT&T store to demo phones.

I knew I didn't want an Amdroid phone (great devices, just wasn't for me), or a BB (loved my Curve, still best text/email phone Ive had yet, but wanted something newer), and slowly but surely WP grew on me. The more articles i read, the more I wanted to give it a shot.

Picked up a Focus, then the 900 to a 920!

 

[lesd777]

After I was given a Samsung Focus, I was truly amazed by how smooth the wp7 OS ran. I then ran the android S2 skyrocket for almost a year(still a great phone) but kind of missed the WP OS, so at wp8 release I had to have it. Still enjoying my 920 every day.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I got tired of the battery life issues with Android as a daily driver and was already disinterested in iOS. I was choosing between WP and BB at the time. While I liked BB, I wanted something more modern and enjoyed the visual aesthetics of WP. From the Mozart to the Focus S to HTC Titan to Lumia 810 + 8X, I've been validated in my choice with choosing WP as my daily driver. Very satisfied.

 

[anon(6038817)]

This decision is turning out to be more difficult than I expected.

I'm taking a serious look at the Lumia 928, BlackBerry Q10 or Z10, and iPhone 5. (I'm so over Android after having a Galaxy Nexus for a year. It's not in the picture for me.)

I can see the good and bad in each platform, and I wish I could just take the best elements of each and create my own "super smartphone".

A week ago, I was set on going BlackBerry. But after reading the WPCentral forums and product reviews, Windows Phone 8 is really growing on me.

Last night I started making my own side-by-side comparison chart between the Lumia 928, BB Q10, BB Z10, and iPhone 5. I was kind of surprised by what I've come up with so far.

On paper, the BB10 devices have the best overall hardware and the best OS, yet they have the weakest app support. iPhone 5 has the weakest hardware (by today's standards) and dated OS, but the best app support. The Lumia 928 is somewhere in the middle. And that right there is a big reason I might go Windows Phone.

The more I research, the more I think Windows Phone really has the potential to explode in popularity as a mobile computing platform - especially as it matures over time. And if it does gain that momentum, it will be because it has found that sweet spot - that balance between form and functionality, between communication/productivity and content consumption.

Of all the platforms I've been researching, I think Windows Phone has the most potential. The question is...will Microsoft do things right and harness that potential? Or will they miss the boat like did with Zune?

If I can feel confident enough in Microsoft's ability to sustain and grow Windows Phone into the future, then I will gladly give it a try and adopt it as my next smartphone of choice.