Terrible review from TechRadar

[Jazmac]

I disagree with the OP that this is a terrible review. I think that for people who are android / ios centric, as these two are, this is how they all know Windows Phone. Not just these dudes, which I think are a couple fakers, but all of them. They know pressing an icon launches an app. A tile isn't suppose to do that and when the app runs, they get brain freeze and these two fakers get lock jaw at the same time.

These two fake "struggling" with everything about Windows Phone from the size the the processor, the weight and color, swipe to the apps list, size of the tiles everything. They clearly are ios/android centric and know next to NOTHING about this operating system or what those that own this OS want or need. They freely admit what we all know that Windows Phone doesn't need the amount of power a typical android device needs to do the SAME THING but they don't celebrate that at all. It too is a problem. Say what?? How?

We've heard the missing apps story but they fail to suggest what's missing. I mean, I know, but these cats don't. These "carcinogens" remind me of those self-centered "plastic" women reality shows where they brag they won't buy a $500 dollar pair of shoes because the $1000 dollar shoes HAS to be better simply because it cost $500 dollars more. These two are extremely ignorant about this device and seemingly devices in general.

800 vs 801? Seriously? Even a story written for Android Authority written March of this year admit THEY can't even find a difference between the two but these two geniuses insist 801 is better and they don't say why? Why? Because they don't know. So why would anyone accept technical advice from these two? Least of all the hordes of average people buying smart phones. They could give a dang about 800 vs 801. Beyond that, these two don't live here so they don't know what Windows Phone is about to even have a cogent discussion.

The silver lining I found in this wasted 15 minutes is even though neither can understand why Windows Phone rocks, they have not successfully made a case against it IMHO. But even better, Garret did answer the big question at the 4:15 mark, John asked Garret, was the Nokia 930 better than the Samsung S5? After a lot of stammering, he admits yes it is. Woot!

 

[Joel DSO]

I was surprised at how fair the review was, they are right, it doesn't stand out supremely, but I think its definitely got enough to compete quite evenly. I think they did kinda say that it is on the same level as the other flagship devices, except that it was released a few months later.
I do wish they would have mentioned the video and audio recording, as I am sure that is where the 930 does stand out, I mean its got Dolby 5.1!!! other than that, the main reservation I have against the phone is that it is literally a ICON with a different colour and WP 8.1 pre-loaded

 

[Joel DSO]

I thought that they actually quite liked the phone, I mean, to quote "it feels like a Nokia". I think they meant that in the way that it just feels plain reliable and sturdy, not at all fragile, the way the 3310 did when it came out.

and to me, that is a huge compliment, because I think that it was exactly that feel that made Nokia so hugely successful with feature phones! and its awesome that they have managed to bring that feel to smartphones

 

[a5cent]

A review is good if it is informative, factual, reasoned, fair and if the reviewers make a conscious effort to judge a device from as many angles as possible... not just based on their own personal preferences.

Based on this, I think the review was okay. It wasn't a great review, as they spent a lot of time conveying relatively little information, not to mention that what they did convey was often just a lot of "vagueness". Still, it was better than many other reviews, where you can tell a lot of negativity stems solely from the lack of an Apple logo. They also tried hard to specify the target market, and while I probably would define the target market a tad broader then they did, "people who are already familiar with WP and looking for the best possible WP hardware to match" is at least not too far off. One of their strongest negative points was the late release date, and I don't think that is unfair. I'd agree that this device should have been available world wide six months ago, or at least the current off-contract price needs to be lower than it currently is.

I agree that both reviewers appear to be purposefully avoiding all of WP's strong suits, but then again, it can be argued that this was a device review and not a WP8.1 review. The site is in general too "consumery" and not technical enough for my tastes, so I have no idea how they usually handle things, but as long as they are consistent and always just scratch at the OSes surface in their device reviews, then I'd be fine with that.

 

[falconeight]

Fanboying is not going to move this os forward. Just because you own, want, to prefer a certain brand of phone doesn't meant that its doing good. Look at what happened to blackberry. If you go over and look at crockery you will see a period of time where anyone and everyone who had something negative to say got banned. Now fast forward to today and they are lucky to still be alive. We can't go down that road. WP8 didn't need a pulldown menu. It needed to be evolved and made fresh. They should have stuck to integrating everything into the phone. Facebook, twitter, messages, and all other social media should be integrated into the hub. That was the greatest part about windows and its slowly going away. Microsoft also needed to develop a eco system similar to iOS.

 

[thecaringkind]

Personal preference is a HUGE part of the decisions people make when it comes to their choice of phone. I am a big fan of Windows Phone and its overall aesthetic however I do wish that Microsoft would pick up the innovation just a tick. For instance, looking at the HTC One M8, and the LG G 3 I see two very cutting edge pieces of hardware that have distinct design languages that make the phones really stand out. I love my Lumia Icon and its built like a TANK, but the overall design aesthetic is a bit stodgy. The former phones have unique features and designs that add to the overall appeal of the devices, whereas the Nokia Lumia Icon has solid internals, a very good screen and camera that in and of themselves may not appeal to the masses as effectively as some of the other flagship android devices available right now.

Frankly, I'm getting a little impatient waiting for a Microsoft branded flagship device that can go toe-to-toe with the best that Android or Apple have to offer. They can do it, they just need to get it done much sooner rather than later.

 

[badMojo69]

LOL Black Berry was doomed from the moment they ignored the iPhone.
For BlackBerry leaders, success paved way for failure - CBS News

Microsoft too can be accused of sitting on their *** for far too long, but this time I honestly think with new leadership they have a game plan and will execute. With 8.1 they are on par technically with iPhone and once they merge the OS with RT they will be on par with Android.

Oh and most people are lemmings anyway. While I was buying LG phones all I heard was how crappy LG was. Now with the release of the LG G3 everyone is all on LGs jock. Buy what you like and screw what others say.

 

[rdubmu]

Out of Curiosity which app(s) are you missing?

For work: ip cam viewer, none of the windows phone ones work, I have also have asked the developer to make one (Robert Choi) also smg app and a couple of others. They are all on android and iOS but are not on Windows phone.

For home: most banking apps. I would have to use IE to access them. I do bank with Wells Fargo and they did release an app but I am missing apps from other banks I do business with.

Also: qsrsoft doesn't work well on mobile IE. The click down menus disappear very quickly while on safari on iOS or chrome on Android it works like it is suppose to.






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[godse573]

So here's my argument. What if when apple release their iPhone 6 they reveal that it has the same specs as a Nintendo 64, but it runs like a well oiled machine zipping and zooming faster than ever before. Is the hardware going to deter customers? Definitely not. So what really is the "old hardware" argument really about?

Does the 930 load apps quickly?
Yes
Does the 930 play HD video fluidly?
Yes
Is there any lag in gameplay on any game?
No

So what really is the argument? That all of our devises branched from the same basic idea and hardware? Should the hardware be more than a couple of months old, it still works, very well. Ok, newer devises run with a snapdragon 801. But do they need it? Probably not. The old hardware argument has been around since the stone age, never once being relevant.

 

[hidayat225]

So here's my argument. What if when apple release their iPhone 6 they reveal that it has the same specs as a Nintendo 64, but it runs like a well oiled machine zipping and zooming faster than ever before. Is the hardware going to deter customers? Definitely not. So what really is the "old hardware" argument really about?

Does the 930 load apps quickly?
Yes
Does the 930 play HD video fluidly?
Yes
Is there any lag in gameplay on any game?
No

So what really is the argument? That all of our devises branched from the same basic idea and hardware? Should the hardware be more than a couple of months old, it still works, very well. Ok, newer devises run with a snapdragon 801. But do they need it? Probably not. The old hardware argument has been around since the stone age, never once being relevant.

I totally agree. Why do Apple get away not having the latest Snapdragon or highest megapixel while Nokia is being trashed at even though they have one of the best low light cameras.

 

[hidayat225]

And the only reason I think Nokia decided to use the latest processor was the lovely features like living images and probably the screen technology.

 

[Vitor Salvatore Pierce]

Guys, what I heard, it was only truths.

 

[cjono]

I totally agree. Why do Apple get away not having the latest Snapdragon or highest megapixel while Nokia is being trashed at even though they have one of the best low light cameras.

Probably because in most if not all testing Apple comes out on top in terms of GPU performance and at times CPU despite being a dual core CPU. Granted its custom designed, but that is why no one gives apple crap regarding that.

Not too mention all the best mobile games are designed for iOS first and that ios8 will have metal (going to lead to some incredible games that will be iOS exclusive) and you have a very compelling device.

Its funny that MSFT should be leading the gaming side with Xbox Live integration, they really missed the boat on that one.

 

[DuncanF62]

Also: qsrsoft doesn't work well on mobile IE. The click down menus disappear very quickly while on safari on iOS or chrome on Android it works like it is suppose to.

Similar problem on RT. The solution is to tap and hold which "pins" the drop down menu,

 

[rdubmu]

Similar problem on RT. The solution is to tap and hold which "pins" the drop down menu,

This works, thank you so much! I just tried it on Metro IE on my surface pro and it works

 

[hasasimo]

Personal preference is a HUGE part of the decisions people make when it comes to their choice of phone. I am a big fan of Windows Phone and its overall aesthetic however I do wish that Microsoft would pick up the innovation just a tick. For instance, looking at the HTC One M8, and the LG G 3 I see two very cutting edge pieces of hardware that have distinct design languages that make the phones really stand out. I love my Lumia Icon and its built like a TANK, but the overall design aesthetic is a bit stodgy. The former phones have unique features and designs that add to the overall appeal of the devices, whereas the Nokia Lumia Icon has solid internals, a very good screen and camera that in and of themselves may not appeal to the masses as effectively as some of the other flagship android devices available right now.

Frankly, I'm getting a little impatient waiting for a Microsoft branded flagship device that can go toe-to-toe with the best that Android or Apple have to offer. They can do it, they just need to get it done much sooner rather than later.

I could not disagree more re aesthetics. Nokia is a veritable juggernaut in that department. From the Lumia 800 on through the 1520 and 930, the fashion-forward Lumia line is head and shoulders above the competition, and it's collection of design awards is no coincidence. The only OEM that may even be in the same galaxy is Sony. Aesthetically speaking, it's like comparing a European sports car to a bland, run-of-the-mill Asian sedan for me.

 

[Great deal]

So here's my argument. What if when apple release their iPhone 6 they reveal that it has the same specs as a Nintendo 64, but it runs like a well oiled machine zipping and zooming faster than ever before. Is the hardware going to deter customers? Definitely not. So what really is the "old hardware" argument really about?

Does the 930 load apps quickly?
Yes
Does the 930 play HD video fluidly?
Yes
Is there any lag in gameplay on any game?
No

So what really is the argument? That all of our devises branched from the same basic idea and hardware? Should the hardware be more than a couple of months old, it still works, very well. Ok, newer devises run with a snapdragon 801. But do they need it? Probably not. The old hardware argument has been around since the stone age, never once being relevant.

The issue I have is the price they are charging for old technology. The point is also that MS are trying to 'compete' with Android and Apple, they desperately need market share, we all know that the 930 is not the device to take on the best from the other 2, far from it. Its an average device and not really worth upgrading over a 920. I forgive them though as its one of Nokias last devices before MS start having much more control, and godamn it needs it! 920 had crazy battery/heat issues, 1020 same and colour issues, 930 from what ive read has same overheating issues and bad low light pics compared to the 920! and they want to charge you top dollar! NOOO no no nooo.

 

[a5cent]

Probably because in most if not all testing Apple comes out on top in terms of GPU performance and at times CPU despite being a dual core CPU. Granted its custom designed, but that is why no one gives apple crap regarding that.

I think it has more to do with the sales pitches made to the fan bases.

Apple never directly talks about specs. They may say a device is 60% faster than last generation, but they never speak of core count or GHz. They tend to pitch the hardware indirectly by showing what it can do.

Contrast that to the Android space, where different hardware OEMs compete against each other, while using specs as a primary part of the sales pitch. Here, it's considered self evident that more cores is always better. In the Android space, the hardware is in itself considered to be a fundamental part of the value proposition, whereas in the Apple arena it's more the whole package that counts.

Most of the tech press aligns themselves with one or the other view.

In a way, the iPhone having "only" two cores even protects it from directly being compared to Android devices, because it just doesn't fit in with the popular belief that more cores is always better. Rather than change that belief, which for many would amount to admitting that they just don't understand CPU technology, it's more comfortable to just ignore that part of the iPhone.

To sum up, it's the very different sales pitches, the different types of geek cultures, and the tech press aligning themselves with one or the other culture, that leads to Apple devices being judged/reviewed differently from Android devices.

 

[amdybg40]

I think it has more to do with the sales pitches made to the fan bases.

Apple never directly talks about specs. They may say a device is 60% faster than last generation, but they never speak of core count or GHz. They tend to pitch the hardware indirectly by showing what it can do.

Contrast that to the Android space, where different hardware OEMs compete against each other, while using specs as a primary part of the sales pitch. Here, it's considered self evident that more cores is always better. In the Android space, the hardware is in itself considered to be a fundamental part of the value proposition, whereas in the Apple arena it's more the whole package that counts.

Most of the tech press aligns themselves with one or the other view.

In a way, the iPhone having "only" two cores even protects it from directly being compared to Android devices, because it just doesn't fit in with the popular belief that more cores is always better. Rather than change that belief, which for many would amount to admitting that they just don't understand CPU technology, it's more comfortable to just ignore that part of the iPhone.

To sum up, it's the very different sales pitches, the different types of geek cultures, and the tech press aligning themselves with one or the other culture, that leads to Apple devices being judged/reviewed differently from Android devices.

Spot on, and is exactly why the press quote 64bit as a means of making the iPhone comparable to quad core droid devices.

When review sites go for the easy job and compare cores and megapixels to highlight a good phone, the Apple product suddenly doesn't stack up, so they have to change their stance and bang on about 64bit "future proofing" so as not to bash the Apple product as seeming under powered (which it isn't)

Trouble is, the 930 is unwittingly drawn in to the Core battle and with the S5, G3 and new Xiaomi Mi4 available with 805 CPU's, it only makes the Lumia look worse on paper to the consumer.

 

[Coreldan]

That's a good point though, if 930 would've remained dual core, I think in some ways it would've gotten to "Apple's level" of "it doesn't need quad core" and they wouldnt have made much of a fuss about it. However now that the CPU is basically comparable, but still worse to the high end Androids, they get automatically compared.

Not saying they should've remained dual core, but still.