What is the advantage anymore of WP over iPhone?

[Vaibhav Sundaresan]

What do you need a file manager for? I own a Lumia 1520 and have seen no big need for it. To hide files? The iPhone app for hiding media contents is by far the best I have used in ANY platform. Not even close.

Mediocre camera? LOL. There are multiple scenarios where my iPhone 6 Plus with OIS beats my Lumia 1520. Overall the Lumia might have a slight edge, IMHO, but to call it mediocre? Silly.
No camera button. Volume doubles as a shutter button on the iPhone.
No manual focus. FALSE. You can manual focus on the iPhone. And it works smoothly. And there are a gazillion apps to help you unleash your iPhone, turning it into a mini dslr.
Non removable battery. The iPhone's battery life is waaaaay better than my Lumia 1520.
Bends easily. Now, you are beginning to sound desperate.
No Xbox games. Let me guess, you've never used an iPhone before. Go check the app store. EVERY app or game that is worth being called an app is on there. And they are far better on iOS than they are on WP. Even Xbox games.

From your list I can tell you've not used an iPhone in a long time or maybe never. Lumias have some strong points, which is why I still carry one, but those aren't it.

See my reply to above.
If you see the amount of WP users who have clamoured on WP user voice site for a file manager, you wouldn't be saying this. Seriously, you want to connect to your PC everytime you want to manage your files? This is 2014.
No issue for you if you're rich, but I think its foolish to pay $200 extra for the same phone with double the storage. Also, Apple can't put in a $1 sd slot in a 700$ phone? Doesn't make sense.
The 1520 camera absolutely smokes the iPhones camera, but again that's just MO.
It's not the same as a 2 step shutter button which you can half press to focus, and does pocket to picture faster than iPhone.
Proof that iPhone has manual focus? Like in Lumia camera? I'm doubting it because even Android doesn't support this feature.
The 1520 has a larger battery than the iPhone, and I like removable batteries as I can easily carry a spare even the 1st one runs out.
It does bend, and you're the one starting to sound desperate.
I've checked, and in case you don't know, WP smokes ios in India in terms of app quality and availability.
Even my $20 Nokia dumbphone has Bluetooth ftp, sd slot, removable battery, file manager, fm. Apple can't put this in a 500$ phone? Shame.

 

[neo158]

Haha �� I like it when iFans get desperate trying to defend their costly purchase. Every single fact of yours is false.
Most WP lack fm? Lie. Except for Lumia 620, none of the Windowsphones lack fm. Also the OS supports the feature unlike ios. Tune in radio needs data, so your essentially paying for something that is already free? How is that more advanced than WP? Even my $20 Nokia dumbphone has fm. Apple can't put that in a 700$ Phone? Shame.
FYI, the new x30 Lumias ship with MS apps like files and News preinstalled. Also WP is the only OS to have an official file manager, from MS, unlike ios and Android. If you go to windowsphone.com and search for file management, even MS recommends it's own app. I don't see that situation on ios or Android?
Sd card support-WP OS supports sd cards, ios does not. So you have a choice on WP to get a phone with/without an sd slot. No such option on ios.
WP has had Bluetooth ftp since WP 7.8, and the capability has very much increased since 8.1,OOTB. Are you kidding me?
Source for this micro USB change in iPhone? Is not there at present, so what I said stands true.
Tell me, would a normal person jailbreak his phone to get MTP?No. ios doesn't support this ootb.
WP has camera button support, ios doesn't. End of the story. And excuse me, but the newly released 930 and 830 have camera buttons? Living under a rock I suppose?
All WP, even the Lumia 520 supports manual focus. Wrong �� again!
WP offers the choice of a removable/nr battery, ios does not.
Bends easily - Design Flaw, exactly, so what's wrong with my statement, and why move on? It's a serious thing if a company can't make a properly designed phone after a whole year.
That's only 2,I can show you a thousand more on WP.
Conclusion-WP offers choice and VFM, ios does not.

Ah, so I'm an iFan now, way to go on jumping to conclusions there without any proof. All of your answers focus completely on the Microsoft Lumia and NOT Windows Phone in general, therefore my original answers still stand!!!!

 

[N_LaRUE]

Ah, so I'm an iFan now, way to go on jumping to conclusions there without any proof. All of your answers focus completely on the Microsoft Lumia and NOT Windows Phone in general, therefore my original answers still stand!!!!

You forget most people on this forum think Lumia = WP. All other OEMs are zero sums to these people. HTC, Samsung and the rest might as well not exist. Unfortunately MS has done nothing to squash this idealism and will probably propagate it now as a manufacturer.

 

[jonnaver]

You can't change your financial forte overnight. Rome wasnt built in a day, but changing Rome to New York is what some are expecting. That too will take time. Why would MSFT shift everything to WP and ignore software output to everyone when they're making their money from software?! Trust me, as a WP user for 5 years I to get a little put off by seeing MSFT software products being better optimized on other phones (iOS, Android). However you have to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. 2015 will ultimately prove to be a year of reckoning for WP. MSFT is really banking on the "One Windows" to rule them all theme and if it's a hit (which I think it will be) the phone variant of windows just might be the biggest beneficiary. Imagine and iPhone user who uses Office, Bing, and if it happens Cortana because they're all available. That person might be more inclined to look at what more Windows has to offer. You compound that with those who own other Windows running devices. Without having MSFT software on other OSes, what would give someone reason to entertain WP?

Windows Mobile first appeared in 2000 as*PocketPC 2000. It was renamed to its present title in 2003. It came in several editions (similar to its desktop equivalents) and mainly targeted business and enterprise consumers. Its peak was in 2007 when it was the most popular software on smartphones in the U.S., but it dipped in the following years. In February 2010, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 to supersede Windows Mobile (copy/paste from Wikipedia)

To keep things in perspective, the first iPhone appeared in 2007 followed by the first android device in 2008. MS has had just as much time in mobile as anyone else to "change Rome to New York"

 

[spaulagain]

Windows Mobile first appeared in 2000 as*PocketPC 2000. It was renamed to its present title in 2003. It came in several editions (similar to its desktop equivalents) and mainly targeted business and enterprise consumers. Its peak was in 2007 when it was the most popular software on smartphones in the U.S., but it dipped in the following years. In February 2010, Microsoft announced Windows Phone 7 to supersede Windows Mobile (copy/paste from Wikipedia)

To keep things in perspective, the first iPhone appeared in 2007 followed by the first android device in 2008. MS has had just as much time in mobile as anyone else to "change Rome to New York"

Windows Mobile to Windows Phone is just two completely different animals. Using their early versions of Windows Mobile to suggest they've had plenty of time is just silly.

Apple revolutionized the market when they launched the iPhone in 2007. From 2007 on, the market has been completely flipped on it's head. Anything that existed in the industry before 2007 was made obsolete overnight.

Since WP was launched 3 years after the iPhone, it's very fair to say MS has had a lot less time to add features, and make it as powerful as Android or iOS.

 

[jonnaver]

Windows Mobile to Windows Phone is just two completely different animals. Using their early versions of Windows Mobile to suggest they've had plenty of time is just silly.

Apple revolutionized the market when they launched the iPhone in 2007. From 2007 on, the market has been completely flipped on it's head. Anything that existed in the industry before 2007 was made obsolete overnight.

Since WP was launched 3 years after the iPhone, it's very fair to say MS has had a lot less time to add features, and make it as powerful as Android or iOS.

While I'll agree that they're different beasts, the fact remains that MS has been in the mobile sphere for a very long time. That they chose to scrap wm and start over and then do it again to wp7 isn't an excuse, it's poor decision making, planning, organization. Yes the market was flipped on it's head. Who failed to respond to that in a timely manner? Blackberry and Microsoft. I don't believe it's fair to say they've had less time considering the resources they have at their disposal.

Are you aware that Android when it was first developed was all set to launch with hardware and software more similar to the Blackberry devices of the time? This was just prior to the launch of the iPhone. They scrapped the whole thing and redid it based on the success of the iPhone and did so quite rapidly. That was two years prior to WP7. MS took 3 years just to go from wm to wp7.

In my opinion WP has now reached a state of being an OS that rivals iOS and Android. The problem now is the timing of it. They needed to be where they are now about 2 years ago and I think they could have easily achieved that under better leadership. Now due to timing they're faced with battling against firmly entrenched mind share.

 

[spaulagain]

While I'll agree that they're different beasts, the fact remains that MS has been in the mobile sphere for a very long time. That they chose to scrap wm and start over and then do it again to wp7 isn't an excuse, it's poor decision making, planning, organization. Yes the market was flipped on it's head. Who failed to respond to that in a timely manner? Blackberry and Microsoft. I don't believe it's fair to say they've had less time considering the resources they have at their disposal.

Are you aware that Android when it was first developed was all set to launch with hardware and software more similar to the Blackberry devices of the time? This was just prior to the launch of the iPhone. They scrapped the whole thing and redid it based on the success of the iPhone and did so quite rapidly. That was two years prior to WP7. MS took 3 years just to go from wm to wp7.

In my opinion WP has now reached a state of being an OS that rivals iOS and Android. The problem now is the timing of it. They needed to be where they are now about 2 years ago and I think they could have easily achieved that under better leadership. Now due to timing they're faced with battling against firmly entrenched mind share.

Have you met Microsoft? Ya, they don't move fast. At least not in the past. MS up until the past few years has been a massive ship that has moved very slowly and had a hard time making strategic changes quickly.

So yes, MS failed to change quickly enough.

To be fair, it wasn't just Microsoft and Blackberry, we had WebOS, Palm OS, etc.

And you mention Android taking a massive shift. That was the case, but Android was also a complete mess when it launched. Literally, a disaster. The reason it took off was not because Google put time and money into, but because the OEMs and Carriers put money into it. Because it was open source, other companies could leverage their own resources and business concepts. Shaping Android into the clusterfvck it is now. That's why you see Google scrambling now to repair and unify Android.

Apple is the only company in this industry that has had a solid, continuous strategy throughout it's mobile platform.

 

[jonnaver]

Have you met Microsoft? Ya, they don't move fast. At least not in the past. MS up until the past few years has been a massive ship that has moved very slowly and had a hard time making strategic changes quickly.

So yes, MS failed to change quickly enough.

To be fair, it wasn't just Microsoft and Blackberry, we had WebOS, Palm OS, etc.

And you mention Android taking a massive shift. That was the case, but Android was also a complete mess when it launched. Literally, a disaster. The reason it took off was not because Google put time and money into, but because the OEMs and Carriers put money into it. Because it was open source, other companies could leverage their own resources and business concepts. Shaping Android into the clusterfvck it is now. That's why you see Google scrambling now to repair and unify Android.

Apple is the only company in this industry that has had a solid, continuous strategy throughout it's mobile platform.

Fair enough, I pretty much agree

 

[tgp]

Windows Mobile to Windows Phone is just two completely different animals. Using their early versions of Windows Mobile to suggest they've had plenty of time is just silly.

Yes, but it also negates the argument that WP should be excused because it's younger. Its developer is Microsoft, who was not exactly the new kid on the block at WP's release. They had, and still have, double the experience time-wise in mobile than both Apple & Google.

Using their early versions of Windows Mobile to suggest they've had plenty of time is just silly.

No it's not. Microsoft has been in the mobile business for 14 years. Even if they started over in 2010, the previous 10 years' experience should mean something. You're basically saying that it doesn't.

 

[Byrese]

"I have one word for you: iTunes. That **** is awful."


X-box music is far worse. So bad, in fact, that I have stopped listening to music on my phone altogether.

I don't know what's the big fart about X box music. It does the job for me. Does iTunes allow you to stream any song or album for free? I'm asking seriously as I haven't used iTunes in years.

 

[Byrese]

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?

I do agree that going away from the hub idea and overall OS integration was a mistake. That was a main difference between the two OS.

 

[EBUK]

Each to his own! If an iPhone floats your boat, set sail in it. Personally, I thing the iPhone 6 has a horrible design, and even the iPhone 6 users I know agree to some extent. It doesn't fit well in the hand, it is far to shiny and slippery, so unless you put a protective cover on it, expect it to slide out of your fingers quickly.

The interface isn't great either. You can't remove unwanted icons. At least with WP and Android I can remove icons from the home screen, keeping it neat and tidy. But that aside, price is a consideration, surely. For the price, Windows Phone is very competitive.

Being new to Windows Phone, having defected from Android, I don't know what the hub is/was, so I can't comment on it.

I can confidently say that I would never buy an iPhone; I may buy another Windows Phone, and I many return to Android. It the OS - and hardware - do what I want, then that is the system I will chose.

 

[steve_w_7]

Tom Warren wrote a great article on this very subject on The Verge today. Microsoft?s Android and iOS focus leaves Windows users in the cold | The Verge

Here is a snippet:

"Microsoft is sending a clear message that it wants to reach consumers on popular mobile platforms. That?s an understandable move, but with a lack of a true Windows Phone flagship this holiday and hints that unique features like Cortana will make their way to Android and iOS, it leaves Windows Phone in an odd spot. If all of Microsoft?s core apps and services work better on Android and iOS, it makes Windows Phone a lot less appealing. If Microsoft can?t even make good apps for Windows, there's not a lot of hope left for third-party app developers to build for Microsoft?s mobile platform. Couple that with the Windows tablet and phone app gap, and the future looks increasingly bleak. Appealing to Android and iOS users might be Microsoft's goal, but there's only so long Windows users will remain loyal."

I couldn't agree more.

 

[fatclue_98]

I couldn't agree more.

I couldn't agree less. MS needs to appeal to other platforms and gather feedback. The mistake will be NOT applying the lessons learned into Windows 10.

 

[steve_w_7]

I couldn't agree less. MS needs to appeal to other platforms and gather feedback. The mistake will be NOT applying the lessons learned into Windows 10.

Obvious statement. But what does that have to do with the subject of this thread?

 

[steve_w_7]

I don't know what's the big fart about X box music. It does the job for me. Does iTunes allow you to stream any song or album for free? I'm asking seriously as I haven't used iTunes in years.

I don't know if iTunes allows streaming, but in the very near future, neither will XBM.

Microsoft is ending free Xbox Music streaming | The Verge

 

[fatclue_98]

Obvious statement. But what does that have to do with the subject of this thread?

I was responding to your post in which you agreed with the quote you inserted. I disagreed and stated my reasoning, isn't that the way it's supposed to work?

 

[spaulagain]

Yes, but it also negates the argument that WP should be excused because it's younger. Its developer is Microsoft, who was not exactly the new kid on the block at WP's release. They had, and still have, double the experience time-wise in mobile than both Apple & Google.



No it's not. Microsoft has been in the mobile business for 14 years. Even if they started over in 2010, the previous 10 years' experience should mean something. You're basically saying that it doesn't.

The previous 10 years don't mean anything. That's exactly what I'm saying. All the methods and concepts implemented before the iPhone were made irrelevant and obsolete. The iPhone completely changed what it meant to have a PC as a phone, or smartphone.

At the point, every company who had been in that mobile market for the previous 5-10 years needed to start from scratch. The systems they had built up were truly not even close to matching the iPhone or even adaptable.

That's my point. Every company had to start from scratch after the iPhone was launched. Throwing away all their previous experience. It's why Android was completely changed, it's why BlackBerry finally came out with their overhaul a couple years ago. It's why Palm OS and others essentially washed out, etc.

Should Microsoft have responded quicker to the iPhone? Yes. Was the 10 years of experience they had before WP7 relevant and applicable to their new OS? No, not at all.

 

[tgp]

The previous 10 years don't mean anything. That's exactly what I'm saying. All the methods and concepts implemented before the iPhone were made irrelevant and obsolete. The iPhone completely changed what it meant to have a PC as a phone, or smartphone.

At the point, every company who had been in that mobile market for the previous 5-10 years needed to start from scratch. The systems they had built up were truly not even close to matching the iPhone or even adaptable.

That's my point. Every company had to start from scratch after the iPhone was launched. Throwing away all their previous experience. It's why Android was completely changed, it's why BlackBerry finally came out with their overhaul a couple years ago. It's why Palm OS and others essentially washed out, etc.

Should Microsoft have responded quicker to the iPhone? Yes. Was the 10 years of experience they had before WP7 relevant and applicable to their new OS? No, not at all.

I don't agree, but your opinion is just as valid as mine.

Assuming that your opinion is correct, what was Microsoft doing from 2007 - 2010? Why did they keep developing Windows Mobile? Google supposedly started over completely and had something ready in a year or less. There are video clips on YouTube of Steve Ballmer laughing at the iPhone and Android, which I suppose indicates that Microsoft thought they had a winner with WM, but soon discovered that consumers thought otherwise.

And wasn't WP7 basically WM with a new UI? I thought that they used the same kernel, hence the change with WP8.

Sent from whatever device I happen to be using today using Tapatalk

 

[fatclue_98]

Should Microsoft have responded quicker to the iPhone? Yes. Was the 10 years of experience they had before WP7 relevant and applicable to their new OS? No, not at all.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you on this one a bit. Yes, Microsoft was slow in responding to the game changer that was the iPhone, no argument there. When the HD2 was released it showed what WinMo could be on a device with a modicum of RAM and a capacitive screen. WP7 was still WinCE-based and as such, had the "heart and soul" of WinMo in a fluid, eye-pleasing and refreshing OS. MS effed the pooch by stripping all the functionality of WinMo and setting it back a decade. The original 2G iPhone had no MMS, no cut-n-paste and no tethering among other things. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, thought this was a good idea and reverted to that as well. At least WP7 had MMS. Remember all the "wah wah" (I love that) from WP7 users for not having the same features they enjoyed on WinMo? It wasn't until Mango that we got internet sharing and cut-n-paste back. It wasn't until 8.1 and Update 1 that we got file managers and BT PAN tethering back, respectively. I know I'm in the minority that thinks that WP7 was better at scrolling, much more fluid and faster with most tasks in spite of single-core processors and low RAM. So to say that MS was justified in scrapping their past experience is mistaken, IN MY OPINION.

I understand that WP7 could not be sustained going forward with the hardware limitations of the newer high-res screens, LTE demands, etc. But I can't help but think which was a bigger mistake, WP7 and its crippled functionality or failing to upgrade WinMo until the NT kernel-based WP8 was ready? WinMo had a ton of apps at the time 6.5 was deep sixed and could have held down the fort sufficiently until WP8 was ready. With shells like SPB around, I'm sure a modern-looking UI wrapper could have been hashed out to compete with Android and iOS during that time. Maybe I just miss all the extraordinary things WinMo could do that the others couldn't at the time. Whatever, I'm ready for some flaming.