Hello all! Relatively new to the forums, and I just wanted to share my experiences and opinions on WP8 to help those who are still on the fence. The title is a little misleading as I've played and tinkered with both iOS and Android devices before, but this is the smartphone I've actually owned. Anyway, on with the review!
To start things off: UI
Definitely loving the live tiles on my 920, its definitely a breath of fresh air compared to other UI's I've seen. The tiles are great for showing info, but it does bother me that they only update every thirty minutes. It kind of defeats the purpose, and I guess I realize now why folks would like a notification center. And, as aesthetically pleasing as the tiles are, there's one big thing that I've found: they're hard to organize. Yes, you can customize the sizes as much as you want, but I'd like to see some kind of divider tile that separates different sections of my start screen. Small complaint, but I'd like to see it addressed. Aside from those little issues, the UI is smooth and responsive.
Next: Customization
Middle of the road indeed. I've been trying phones at my store for ages now, and WP8 seems to fit between iOS and Android. I love the three tile sizes, as it really does let you prioritize what's on your screen. I can see this OS being a big hit with Apple users who are afraid of Android's craziness but want a bit more customization. I do wish that third party alternatives could be found on the app store for certain stuff, like a third party keyboard or media player. Custom notifications are also lacking, something I found extremely annoying since that's a feature I could find even on my old feature phone. I don't recommend this OS for anyone who likes to tinker with every single aspect of their phone; this OS definitely has a more iOS like feel than the open-sourcedness of Android. If Microsoft made things just a bit more customizable, they can attract a lot of Android users.
Third: Performance
Like buttah! Animations are smooth, apps run relatively smoothly, and multitasking is just ok for my needs. Definitely need a better way to exit out of apps! Also found that my phone tends to freeze sometimes, something I didn't wanna see from a flagship. Typing this on my 920, it froze twice. Not much to say beyond that.
Lastly: Phone functions
What's a phone without the phone? This is one of my biggest complaints. Basic functions like the phone+contacts take a lot of time to use. Where's the speed dial? The smart dial? My feature phone had these! Yes there's apps for that, but I shouldn't need them for something so basic.
Final Words
I really really like this OS. Great OS for first time smartphone users. I really feel like there's a lot of stuff missing though. When I pit my 920 against my sister's One X, it still seems like WP8 is an infant OS competing with a mature one. Of course, it is new so I hope the coming updates bring Wp8 up to par with Android and iOS. It certainly has potential!
To start things off: UI
Definitely loving the live tiles on my 920, its definitely a breath of fresh air compared to other UI's I've seen. The tiles are great for showing info, but it does bother me that they only update every thirty minutes. It kind of defeats the purpose, and I guess I realize now why folks would like a notification center. And, as aesthetically pleasing as the tiles are, there's one big thing that I've found: they're hard to organize. Yes, you can customize the sizes as much as you want, but I'd like to see some kind of divider tile that separates different sections of my start screen. Small complaint, but I'd like to see it addressed. Aside from those little issues, the UI is smooth and responsive.
Next: Customization
Middle of the road indeed. I've been trying phones at my store for ages now, and WP8 seems to fit between iOS and Android. I love the three tile sizes, as it really does let you prioritize what's on your screen. I can see this OS being a big hit with Apple users who are afraid of Android's craziness but want a bit more customization. I do wish that third party alternatives could be found on the app store for certain stuff, like a third party keyboard or media player. Custom notifications are also lacking, something I found extremely annoying since that's a feature I could find even on my old feature phone. I don't recommend this OS for anyone who likes to tinker with every single aspect of their phone; this OS definitely has a more iOS like feel than the open-sourcedness of Android. If Microsoft made things just a bit more customizable, they can attract a lot of Android users.
Third: Performance
Like buttah! Animations are smooth, apps run relatively smoothly, and multitasking is just ok for my needs. Definitely need a better way to exit out of apps! Also found that my phone tends to freeze sometimes, something I didn't wanna see from a flagship. Typing this on my 920, it froze twice. Not much to say beyond that.
Lastly: Phone functions
What's a phone without the phone? This is one of my biggest complaints. Basic functions like the phone+contacts take a lot of time to use. Where's the speed dial? The smart dial? My feature phone had these! Yes there's apps for that, but I shouldn't need them for something so basic.
Final Words
I really really like this OS. Great OS for first time smartphone users. I really feel like there's a lot of stuff missing though. When I pit my 920 against my sister's One X, it still seems like WP8 is an infant OS competing with a mature one. Of course, it is new so I hope the coming updates bring Wp8 up to par with Android and iOS. It certainly has potential!
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