What is the advantage anymore of WP over iPhone?

[TonyDedrick]

To an iPhone? Must be something new since the last time I was using (iPhone 4s)

No. I've been dragging and dropping to idevices since 2008, when I had a iPod classic, then a 3GS, and then a iPod touch. If we are talking strictly through iTunes l, you only have to check the box labeled "Manually Manage Music and Videos" or something of the sorts. Anytime I've owned or used one, that box is the first thing I check.

 

[kristalsoldier]

See, MS has different policies, Google, apple have different.
Google doesn't want its official apps for WP, we don't have it. MS on the other hand wants that even on other OS people should use their services, hence it provides services to other OSes. MS is being good to all(in a way), but as WP users we complain because we want those good services to be on WP only, people on other OS shouldn't get it(that's our mentality)
If I was MS, I would be doing the same thing.
Make all the people happy & not just WP users.

Actually, that is a contradiction in terms. If WP users are unhappy then "all the people" are not happy because the former is a sub-set of the latter.

And, anyways, I think the majority of WP users don't have a problem with MS services/ wares being available on other OSs. The problem arises when MS prioritizes their software and services for other platforms and lets their in-house platform lag - or so runs the argument.

 

[neo158]

Actually, that is a contradiction in terms. If WP users are unhappy then "all the people" are not happy because the former is a sub-set of the latter.

And, anyways, I think the majority of WP users don't have a problem with MS services/ wares being available on other OSs. The problem arises when MS prioritizes their software and services for other platforms and lets their in-house platform lag - or so runs the argument.

That's been my point all along. I have no problem with Microsoft services, Cortana aside, being on other platforms but Microsoft always seems to get their priorities wrong. Not focusing on their own platform will be the death of Windows Phone, we'll have to see what Windows 10 brings but I suspect it will be to little, too late.

 

[steve_w_7]

The answer to the OP's question is simple:

If you simply just text, make calls, browse, rarely game, take random pictures or selfies & just use social media then any cheap smartphone is better then an iphone. With the savings you can go on holiday for a few days and have a cheap smartphone; however if you want a cheap smartphone plus stand out of the crowd then simply get a Lumia 520 or 620, these can be had for as low as ?20 (second hand) to ?50 (brand new).

You nailed it! Windows Phone has set themselves up as the cheap, third option. I'm not sure if that was their plan all along, but sadly that is the perception of most people I know. If you're over 17 years old, a cheap colorful plastic phone isn't very appealing when there are alternatives.

 

[matt john2]

If you've grown tired of Windows Phone, then sure, give the iPhone a go to break the monotony. Both platforms has its pros and cons - you still get as much with the iPhone as with a WP, maybe a bit more.

My reasons for sticking with WP over iPhone is:

1. iPhone is too expensive and I really don't like Apple's attitude with the pricing and the bendgate fiasco
2. WP has a very unique and stylish design
3. Nokia's excellent cameras
4. Nokia's bold and durable designs

Well as far as I'm concerned, Nokia is gone. There is no more Nokia spirit living inside the new upcoming windows phones. No more great quality products, no more " I have a Nokia ". It is now Microsoft which to be honest disappointing company, they've got the change but they keep on avoiding it. So its pretty much a goodbye to windows phone to me or most of us, AND HELLO to my long hated company APPLE.*applause

 

[steve_w_7]

And, anyways, I think the majority of WP users don't have a problem with MS services/ wares being available on other OSs. The problem arises when MS prioritizes their software and services for other platforms and lets their in-house platform lag - or so runs the argument.

I have really evolved in my thinking over the past few days regarding this. If you are deep into the Microsoft ecosystem, the fact that everything they offer is also offered on other smartphone platforms is actually quite liberating. For me, personally, this means that I no longer have to wait around for Microsoft to release a high end phone on my carrier (Tmobile). I can easily leave Windows Phone with less disruption than there would have been in the past.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I have really evolved in my thinking over the past few days regarding this. If you are deep into the Microsoft ecosystem, the fact that everything they offer is also offered on other smartphone platforms is actually quite liberating. For me, personally, this means that I no longer have to wait around for Microsoft to release a high end phone on my carrier (Tmobile). I can easily leave Windows Phone with less disruption than there would have been in the past.

Exactly! Could not have put it better!!!!

 

[techiez]

See, MS has different policies, Google, apple have different.
Google doesn't want its official apps for WP, we don't have it. MS on the other hand wants that even on other OS people should use their services, hence it provides services to other OSes. MS is being good to all(in a way), but as WP users we complain because we want those good services to be on WP only, people on other OS shouldn't get it(that's our mentality)
If I was MS, I would be doing the same thing.
Make all the people happy & not just WP users.

WP users are frustrated coz many of MS apps are better on IOS & android, it includes lync, skype & office( as per the latest updates).
MS is services company agreed, but WP should be prioritized, is it too much to ask, leave aside business apps such as office, lync & skype, why even age of empires is being launched on ios and android? doesnt make sense.

 

[steve_w_7]

Go ahead and switch, its a free world afterall. Then try windows phone 10 when its already available

True, it is a free world. But I think that comes back to my original question. When I switch to iPhone, what incentive would I have to come back? Will Windows Phone 10 suddenly make it impossible for me to run Microsoft Apps on my iPhone? A more realistic scenario would be, by the time a flagship WP10 phone is available -- easily 6 months from now -- I will still have my Microsoft apps, but will have a more difficult time giving up what I had gained on the other platform.

 

[realwarder]

HERE Maps offline mapping is a bonus. Not sure if Apple provides that now.

Integration with my desktop and tablet PCs (IE Favorites/Passwords) and Onedrive - love that camera photos upload and are available everywhere and everything is just built in.

Windows = much less lock in. E.g. music purchased in iTunes was proprietary formats and DRM. Dislike the slow iTunes required for music/movies. Hated the fact that iMessage locks your phone number into itself.

Nokia's did have better cameras but the new iPhone looks good too.

It's a personal choice thing. I like the UI experience and live tiles etc. And cheaper pricing of Windows. But you have to go where you want to!

 

[techiez]

You nailed it! Windows Phone has set themselves up as the cheap, third option. I'm not sure if that was their plan all along, but sadly that is the perception of most people I know. If you're over 17 years old, a cheap colorful plastic phone isn't very appealing when there are alternatives.

I think their low end strategy is correct one, that is the only thing that will plug the app gap, I agree many 920 & 1020 users wont have a phone to pick for their upgrade, but then if a flagship comes how many Ms would sell? a few thousands perhaps.
L520 is the most selling WP and 535 is the perfect successor, this would help them increase the marketshare which has been stagnant since long, let them reach critical mass and devs will hv to notice it. and wait for W10, post W10 the flagship problem should be solved.

 

[David Ginsburg]

I have run into the same thought process over the last few months. I have a 521 and 925 on T-Mobile. My 521 works fine and my 925 was working until a few weeks ago. The phone wouldn't charge, then it would, then it wouldn't.

I bought a Galaxy S5 and am now getting used to it. I might have looked for a high end WP8/WP8.1 phone but all T-Mobile offered is the 635. I use all the Microsoft services on the S5. I use the outlook.com app and can attach multiple files, not just pictures. I can reply to emails and attach files. I really dislike the interface of the S5. I haven't found a way to use the widgets to present the info on one simple screen like my 925. I also really like the way WP8.1 is consistent all throughout the operating system. You have the 3 buttons that tell you what the icons do and bring up more choices. On Android I have to hold the icon down to figure out what it does if it's not easy for me to figure out on my own.

As much as I like my 925, I would like a phone that just does a little more. My OneDrive is great on Android, my E-Mail great through the Outlook.com app. I can even respond with different aliases which I couldn't do before.

I kinda felt like when I was convincing my wife to give up her Palm Pre 2 and move to WP7 or Android. She wanted to do more with her phone but loved the Pre interface. I feel the same way. I want to do more with my phone, but really love the WP8.1 interface and operating system. I hope the rumors about allowing Cortana to Android are true. Google now is really good for info and functions, but Cortana would be a welcome addition that I would use. Besides the OS, it's the only thing I am missing.

 

[HeyCori]

Roughly any advantage that WP has over the iPhone hasn't changed in the past four years. The app situation is indeed a lot better but that's about it. It's hard to judge OS features because they continually leap frog each other. The next WP update will bring a ton of new features and WP users will brag about what other phones can't do. Then Apple will release iOS* in the fall and WP users will be jealous of all the things WP can't do. Rinse and repeat. Personally, I still find live tiles far more useful and intriguing than iOS. Infact, the OS bores me pretty quickly. The WP UI continues to be one of (if not the biggest) reason I stick with WP. I've designed a nice, simple start screen with everything I need in one place. And the apps that I rarely use/need are neatly tucked away in the app list. I did the same thing with my Windows 8 tablet. It's really nice and makes the entire experience more enjoyable. And there are a few other things, like not being forced to use iTunes, but other than that, iOS continues to hold all the cards.

 

[prasath1234]

Simple cost nothing in India iphone cost you a fortune because we don't have carrier system as in developed countries for students like me wp is great os although it lacks apps it is still good for its cost.Only if you are not a app freak you can tolerate this os .ios is out of reach for many.There are droids but most people got fed up with ads in every application nd ram specs.For android only flagship will suffice for users.Those who are in tight budget would go for WP because it is bearable in low end or mid end even after years of use.That is not case with android in low or mid end years later.
From Windows phone

 

[flapadlr]

I took his comment to be more to the point of being required to use iTunes to sync music and podcasts and upgrade the phone.

 

[Steven Land]

• Xbox on the phone - which means not only can I play fun games on my phone, but I can earn Xbox Achievements as well.
• Metro UI - in my opionion it's easier to use than iOS on iPhone and being able to really customize your Start Screen is handy!
• Cortana - no need to use iPhone for a digital assistant anymore. Also having the AI character from Halo as you digital assistant is way cooler than having Siri.

 

[trainplane]

A lot of people brought up good points. Windows Phones OS sits between the rigid, parental, and directed experience (my way or the highway) of the iPhone/iOS and the free, open and sometimes insecure (Wild West) nature of Android. iOS and Android are the two extremes and WP gives users somehting different. It is closer to Android than iOS though. If they allowed other app Stores, opened up their API more, and have more in phone dev options like Android, it would be much closer to Android.

 

[TechFreak1]

You nailed it! Windows Phone has set themselves up as the cheap, third option. I'm not sure if that was their plan all along, but sadly that is the perception of most people I know. If you're over 17 years old, a cheap colorful plastic phone isn't very appealing when there are alternatives.

The low end is where the growth is, proven by the fact most of windows phone 8 growth came from the Lumia 520. Plus
Most teenagers don't think for tomorrow but only for the present, if they did then they would not be shelling out top dollar for an Iphone or the latest iteration of the galaxy series. The build quality of the low end Nokia phones are not that bad, much better than some android phones in the same price bracket.

 

[AngrySprintUser]

My first smartphone back in 2010 was a Windows Phone. I've never used an iPhone or Android device.

I was hanging out with a friend of mine last night and he was showing me his new iPhone 6. I'll have to admit that I was pretty impressed - especially with the hardware. In my opinion, Apple has finally nailed it with their design. They finally have a decent sized phone and they have borrowed all of the elegant design that Nokia pioneered. I have the 925, which I love. iPhone 6 is basically the next logical progression of the 925 as far as design goes.

The one thing that he was really interested in, regarding Windows Phone, was Cortana. I got to show her off a bit so that was cool and he was pretty impressed.

However - after playing around with his iPhone - for the first time, I have started thinking about switching over. I started thinking about what I would miss if I left WP for iPhone. The only thing that I could think of was Cortana. iPhone has all the apps and has a gorgeous high-end flagship phone -- available on my carrier (Tmo). Office is there. MS has developed a One Drive app for iPhone so that won't be a problem. Windows Phone has pretty much abandoned the hub concept, so that differentiator is gone. And now they will be getting Cortana. I can just get the iPhone, switch over to iMore, and I don't feel like I would miss a beat.

As I am sitting here right now, I can't think of a single reason to stay with Windows Phone. And the weird part about it is I'm not even sad about it. In fact, I'm kind of excited!

What am I missing?

There isn't, which is why I just got a Galaxy S5 and I'm very happy with it. It's not even that WP is moving at a snail's pace, but it's almost like they have no idea what they're doing over in Redmond.

What is the point of all those commercials comparing Cortana to Siri if anyone can get Cortana now?

 

[WDavis4692]

I don't know. I've often entertained the idea of trying out an LG G3. Heaven will burn before I waste my money on an iPhone. Not when the latest android flagships are so damn sexy for half the price.

Microsoft just seems a bit of a mess lately. This slow 8.1 roll-out is disgusting (even though I've got 8.1 I've been waiting yonks for Denim). The music app, 10-20 updates later, is still lacking gapless music playback despite it being one of the prime requested features. It just feels like WP is a super low priority for MS, shoved on the backburner. They're so damn focused on Cortana that they're neglecting the rest of the OS.

I don't even want a new flagship, but with Christmas on its way, not having a new flagship; in particular a 1020 or 930 successor available ON ALL NETWORKS just confuses me.