Nexus 5 owner thinking of upgrading to the Lumia 1520

[lsquare]

I have been thinking about buying the Lumia 1520 since it was launched. Unfortunately the AT&T carrier branding and the removal of qi wireless charging put me off. I have been using iOS for a long time. My last 3 phones is the iPhone 5, Nexus 4, and now the Nexus 5. Every platform have its pros and cons. Windows Phone have always had my attention because I'm a Windows user and I use a lot of Microsoft's services like Hotmail. Obviously Microsoft is going to do a much better job integrating their own services with their own operating systems (Windows or Windows Phone).

Now that I can buy a Lumia 1520 with no carrier branding, qi wireless charging, and US LTE bands, I've been thinking about Windows Phone again. I like how the Lumia 1520 have expandable storage. That's perfect for that long road trip or when I'm on the plane and want to watch movies or listen to music. In terms of multi-tasking, is Windows Phone more similar to iOS or Android? Most of the core apps that I need or want is available for Windows Phone, which is great.

If I do upgrade from the Nexus 5 to the Lumia 1520, just what else will I be getting that I can't get on Android besides what I have mentioned already? I do love that Here Maps can be downloaded so I can use it offline. That's a pretty big advantage over Google Maps considering how inflexible its offline mode is. As stated before, tight integration between Microsoft services and Windows Phone is a major plus. What about Internet Explorer for Windows Phone? Is it as powerful as Chrome (tab and history synchronization between desktop and mobile)?

In terms of travel apps, what are your must have applications for Windows Phone? I know the selection will not be as extensive as on either iOS or Android.

Thanks!

 

[anon(7900571)]

which colour are you going for your Lumia 1520 ? Lumia 1520 is a big boy with a beast processor , full HD display which is perfect for watching movies on the go. Windowsphone8/88.1 supports true multi tasking. I am not sure about android but its very similar to iOS(you do not have split screen feature / multi window ) using here maps offline data is a breeze. Using Lumia 920 with windows phone 8.1(all perfect with some bugs that are manageable ). Yes IE11 mobile on windows phone 8.1 supports browsing history/tabs/saved passwords across all your windows 8.1 devices. It will also sync your theme/accent colour :smile: I use Bing travel which also syncs across my windows 8.1 notebook and Lumia 920.

 

[mike13ftw]

I think WP8/8.1 freeze the apps in the background and it not like android . My opinion if you like the size of the 1520 then go for it because it has much better battery than nexus 5 . But if you play with roms , root and customization then stay with your nexus

 

[lsquare]

I think WP8/8.1 freeze the apps in the background and it not like android . My opinion if you like the size of the 1520 then go for it because it has much better battery than nexus 5 . But if you play with roms , root and customization then stay with your nexus

No, I don't even play with ROMS or even customize my Nexus 5. I didn't really like Apple's implementation of multi-tasking. Android's implementation is much better and it's similar to how a desktop OS works. Battery life is ok and in fact it's comparable to my old iPhone 5, which is surprising considering what Apple said about their implementation of multi-tasking.

The Lumia 1520 does have a bigger battery so it might actually allow me to last an entire day with heavy usage.

 

[lsquare]

which colour are you going for your Lumia 1520 ? Lumia 1520 is a big boy with a beast processor , full HD display which is perfect for watching movies on the go. Windowsphone8/88.1 supports true multi tasking. I am not sure about android but its very similar to iOS(you do not have split screen feature / multi window ) using here maps offline data is a breeze. Using Lumia 920 with windows phone 8.1(all perfect with some bugs that are manageable ). Yes IE11 mobile on windows phone 8.1 supports browsing history/tabs/saved passwords across all your windows 8.1 devices. It will also sync your theme/accent colour :smile: I use Bing travel which also syncs across my windows 8.1 notebook and Lumia 920.

It's unfortunate that the non-neutered version of the 1520 is finally available now. I fully expect an upgraded version of the 1520 to be available later this year. Already the Snapdragon 800 is going to be succeeded by the Snapdragon 805 with 3GB of RAM.

 

[oditius]

Windows Phone have always had my attention because I'm a Windows user and I use a lot of Microsoft's services like Hotmail. Obviously Microsoft is going to do a much better job integrating their own services with their own operating systems (Windows or Windows Phone).
Thanks!

They switched Hotmail/Live to outlook.com now. I own the Neutered/Gimped AT&T 32GB version myself. (I also have a 16GB red one as a backup) But no Qi doesn't bother me. (Does the Nexus 5 have Qi?) I have a PMA case on mine so I can charge wirelessly. I use Chrome on my PC, but IE11 or UC Browser on my phone. There are several others. IE does sync, I just don't use IE on the PC so I didn't realize it. (Thanks Games Goblin)

 

[Games Goblin]

In Windows Phone 8.1, your tabs and favorites will sync between Windows Phone and Internet Explorer 11 on your desktop

 

[Psycorp]

I switched from a Nexus 4 to a 1520. Love the camera, screen and OS. Hate the BUGS. The ones I have trouble with are popping sounds on video playback/seek and phantom tap bug.

 

[jjb4430]

I went from N4 to L1520 via L810 and L521.

My suggestion would be to get a L520/521 get the dev preview on them and test it out a bit. The functionality isn't as robust as you are going to be used to, but 8.1 gets it much closer. My motivation for moving was to extricate myself from the google ecosystem. If you go into this expecting an iOS or Android experience you'll be disappointed. I enjoy the Windows Phone experience now, but have to admit I nearly switched back a few times early on. The one thing that keeps me from recommending it to friends and family is the music/media playing experience, it is terrible or at least no where near as good as iOS/Android so if that is paramount functionality to you it may be wise to wait. The good news is that piece was broken out from the OS so they can update it more regularly, I expect music playback/storage to be a much better experience in 6 months.

TL;DR: Try it, but hedge.

 

[manicottiK]

In terms of multi-tasking, is Windows Phone more similar to iOS or Android?

As with most things WP, it's in between, but closer to iOS.

Apps are essentially either on-screen, which means that the app is loaded in memory and is getting CPU time, or off-screen, which means that the app is loaded in memory, but not getting CPU time. Off-screen apps are quick to resume since they're already in memory. Also like iOS, certain functions to support GPS tracking and audio streaming, are available even while an app is off-screen.

Unlike with iOS, WP supports a concept called background tasks. Don't think of "background" as off-screen, think of it is as "without my involvement" or better yet, think of it as what developers call it: periodic tasks. Apps can have a special section of code and can ask the OS to run this special section every 30 minutes (roughly, the actual timing is +/- 10 minutes). These periodic tasks can only run for 25 seconds at a time and can only use a small amount of memory.

Lots of apps that claim "Live Tiles" are using periodic tasks to update their tiles every half hour. Some apps take advantage of a cloud-based server companion to push new tiles whenever. While the latter has the advantage of timeliness, those cloud companions can't know phone-specific information such as its current location (to update weather tiles) or power level (for battery tiles).

What about Internet Explorer for Windows Phone? Is it as powerful as Chrome?

IE 11 is good, however, since it isn't based on webkit (like Safari and Chrome are), which many web developers focus on, some sites don't work right with respect to touch. Microsoft is trying to address this, but it's still sometimes an issue.

 

[lsquare]

They switched Hotmail/Live to outlook.com now. I own the Neutered/Gimped AT&T 32GB version myself. (I also have a 16GB red one as a backup) But no Qi doesn't bother me. (Does the Nexus 5 have Qi?) I have a PMA case on mine so I can charge wirelessly. I use Chrome on my PC, but IE11 or UC Browser on my phone. There are several others. IE does sync, I just don't use IE on the PC so I didn't realize it. (Thanks Games Goblin)

It's the same thing as Hotmail/Live Mail users were migrated over to the new Outlook mail, but allowed to keep their old usernames.

The Nexus 5 does have Qi built-in. Qi seems to have momentum and most Android devices support them. Heck, most Windows Phone supports Qi if they had incorporated wireless charging.

 

[lsquare]

In terms of apps, what are the unique apps for Windows Phone that could possibly entice new users to the platform?

I really do love the Metro interface and that in itself is a draw to Windows Phone.

 

[Ezhik]

If you use any Google services, you are in trouble, as Google does not support Windows Phone.

The OS itself uses iOS-style multitasking, which I personally don't really like.

IE these days is actually pretty good, but sites do still have problems - mostly coming from the fact that web devs often only support webkit browsers such as Safari and Chrome.

 

[Games Goblin]

In terms of apps, what are the unique apps for Windows Phone that could possibly entice new users to the platform?

Well, thats a new one! Most of the time people who switch from other platforms ask which apps are missing on WP. As for unique apps, I cannot say....well um Halo Spartan Assault maybe?

I really do love the Metro interface and that in itself is a draw to Windows Phone.

If you want to do a 'long test drive' of WP before laying down your money on a 1520, get a 520 for $59 from the Microsoft store and use it as your main device for a few days.