A bridge too far...for now...

[ret18057]

All,

Well, boxed it up and sent the Icon back today, this particular devices just wasn't for me. Why bother reporting that here? To say thanks to all of you who took the time to help me. What IS going to happen is me getting another WP phone (as soon as one drops for VZW <ahem> ATIV SE). I love the OS, and was learning to live with the app situation, knowing it will improve, someday. You guys got me through the Android withdrawls, and my S4 already doesn't look as snappy and shiny as it used to, so bring on the next iteration.

The phone itself was nice enough, good feel and external design, but the whole lack of LED/notification thing was just a bridge too far. I never could get past having to pick it up just to see if I missed a call. But thanks to the simplicity and design of the OS, I will be back to WP (not to mention all your help).

So know I know WP is right for me, just not this WP.

Thanks all, and be well.

 

[Jazmac]

Good luck. Everybody gets wobbly knees going to a new platform and they all have their trade offs. I'm a little bit befuddled about an indicator light being a bridge too far though. But its a new platform for you and unless you commit to it, almost anything could be a stumbling block. I think we've all been there. For me there is only one platform I care to use as my daily driver. For me it works. I don't miss indicator lights since phone calls always show up in the call count. Text messages show up there too. But just the same, be well.

 

[reidbp]

Indicator light was holding me back a lot (per my other post,) and so far hasn't been as much of an issue as I thought. I really like an indicator light, but I check my phone often enough I feel like what's the difference between 1 minute and 10 minutes.

 

[Jas00555]

Why couldn't you just make it so the text message icon showed up on your lock screen or glance screen?

 

[ret18057]

Why couldn't you just make it so the text message icon showed up on your lock screen or glance screen?

'Cause we don't have Glance on the Icon...it's not just a LED, though, guys, it the lack of ANY notification. And I get it;s not a big deal for all. My main point was to thank the community, and to say I'm down with WP now.

 

[Jas00555]

'Cause we don't have Glance on the Icon...it's not just a LED, though, guys, it the lack of ANY notification. And I get it;s not a big deal for all. My main point was to thank the community, and to say I'm down with WP now.

oh yeah, I forgot about that. Either way, you can make the notification show up on your lock screen and just view it that way, but if saving an extra second means returning a phone, I'm not one to judge.

 

[tcedwards]

All,
The phone itself was nice enough, good feel and external design, but the whole lack of LED/notification thing was just a bridge too far. I never could get past having to pick it up just to see if I missed a call. But thanks to the simplicity and design of the OS, I will be back to WP (not to mention all your help).

Good luck! Hope you come back soon!
Just wondering, if Glance was available on the Icon would you have stayed?

 

[TrueMetalGeek]

I've had my S4 for a year and still never bothered to know how the blinking light indicates what kind of message, missed call etc as I just always bump the power button and check that way. LOL! So I guess that wouldn't be much of an issue for me. LOL

 

[Vmartinez39]

The thing that really bothered me about Samsung devices is not having an LED notifications. I own a GS2 and when it was my daily driver, I had to flash a custom ROM that would light up the capacitive buttons for notifications. When CM9 came out it was a blessing until CM11 discontinued the LED option. I was upset. Around that time I stopped using GS2.

Well besides that point. I know the Icon doesn't have GLANCE. I own the Lumia 928 and before the BLACK update, it too didn't have glance. It was annoying. Now that I have glance, it shows messages, emails, missed calls. I'm very sure Icon will have this in a future update but just not right now. I get where you are coming from.

As for me my daily driver is still Nexus 5. My secondary phone is Lumia 928. I want to get the Icon. I'm slowly dipping my toes into the WP8 and learning it. Only thing holding me back to swap SIMs is the browser. Its terrible. UC Browser is an improvement to IE but looks weird and loads slow on some sites its maddening.

I can actually swap no because I ported to Net10 and everything works there, MMS, SMS, Data. But ever since I found the STARZ, ENCORE, MTV, and other media streaming apps. Its the Apps. I can live without them but the Browser is just really abysmal on WP8. Please BLUE better fix this stuff

I would move to my Lumia, but I'm slowly adopting it. You jumping head first was brave but I'm sad to hear it didn't work out. Sorry about that dude. Hope you do come back.

 

[mtalinm]

true, the browser really is terrible. that persistent bar taking up 10% of real estate drives me mad, not to mention no reliable back button.

 

[Jazmac]

I've had my S4 for a year and still never bothered to know how the blinking light indicates what kind of message, missed call etc as I just always bump the power button and check that way. LOL! So I guess that wouldn't be much of an issue for me. LOL

Exactly. Which is why I think the journey on route to the bridge is where the OP had issue. The indicator light was just the simplest to explain. This is the problem with these carriers changing the drop dead date from 30 days to 2 weeks. Some will need more time to make adjustments.

 

[anon(4054009)]

oh yeah, I forgot about that. Either way, you can make the notification show up on your lock screen and just view it that way, but if saving an extra second means returning a phone, I'm not one to judge.

How do you do that without Glance?

 

[Starrbuck]

How do you do that without Glance?

By pressing the power button.

 

[ret18057]

Good luck! Hope you come back soon!
Just wondering, if Glance was available on the Icon would you have stayed?

It's not you, it's me...seriously, it may well be the way I use the phone. The Icon was my second phone, I have one I have to carry for work, so I didn't keep it clipped to my belt or in my pocket. Last night, after the conversion, I had my S4 on the Qi charger on the counter, and the ease of just walking by and "glancing" (no pun intended) down and being able to tell if I needed to pick it up was a feature I decided was worth switching back. In the car, I have a magnetic mount (awesome, by the way), and when I get in and out I can "glance" at the phone and see if I missed anything. Not unplug it, power it on, check, plug it back in, remount it. Big deal? Naw, I know, but convenience was key. Honestly, if there were no more WP on the horizon for Verizon (nice, eh?), I would have learned to live with it. But since there are, I can wait for one that better suits me. Whomever was responsible for the lack of Glance on this overlooked a small but significant population of users, and that's too bad.

But I'll be back, just in a different WPC forum.

Thanks

 

[Chris Mooney]

ret18057 your pic kills me....I'm gonna miss you just because of that......and I love my Icon....

 

[bayanii]

I think if the icon had glance you would still be here. Why Nokia! Why no glance for the icon! Its the feature I miss! Pooorrrrr quuuuueee!

 

[bayanii]

Poorrrrr que!

 

[savagelizards]

All,

Well, boxed it up and sent the Icon back today, this particular devices just wasn't for me. Why bother reporting that here? To say thanks to all of you who took the time to help me. What IS going to happen is me getting another WP phone (as soon as one drops for VZW <ahem> ATIV SE). I love the OS, and was learning to live with the app situation, knowing it will improve, someday. You guys got me through the Android withdrawls, and my S4 already doesn't look as snappy and shiny as it used to, so bring on the next iteration.

The phone itself was nice enough, good feel and external design, but the whole lack of LED/notification thing was just a bridge too far. I never could get past having to pick it up just to see if I missed a call. But thanks to the simplicity and design of the OS, I will be back to WP (not to mention all your help).

So know I know WP is right for me, just not this WP.

Thanks all, and be well.

Sorry you left, bro. As a WP newbie coming from android, I understand where you are coming from. I am going to tough it out and see what happens. I do hope you come back.

There's a lot I like about this phone, and the continued press about WP 8.1 makes it seem like after the update I will have a brand new phone and more of a level playing field. Yes, there will still be an "app gap," but the browser should be fixed, notifications added, etc., and more. Who knows? Notifications could be better than with android. After all, they have had years at this point to study how android works and how people use it.

Microsoft is not without resources of their own, and they have certainly increased their development schedule of late with Windows. Now that they are merging WP and RT together, app development should get a boost, and they are drawing WP closer to the center of their development efforts. The new Microsoft has stated that their focus is on mobile and the cloud. I have continued to be pleasantly surprised by them over the last year, and their new Microsoft stores will bend over backwards to help support their products. I believe that they see WP customers in particular as the type of early adapters that will help spread knowledge and interest in Microsoft products to the general population.

They're not wrong either. After I got my Surface Pro, about a half-dozen of my friends and co-workers got one. And I have gotten lots of compliments over my new Icon, particularly from my iPhone friends that are lusting after my bright, roomy screen.

So roughly two weeks into WP with the icon, I am down to needing notifications, a good system clock that won't burn my screen on my night stand, and a better Words with Friends app. WP 8.1 should solve the first two, and the new cross-platform RT/8.1 app development should get Zynga to quickly fix the third.

I am a glass is half full kinda guy, so this will be like getting a brand new phone - again - in about a month. How could I walk away from a plan like that?

 

[savagelizards]

I think if the icon had glance you would still be here. Why Nokia! Why no glance for the icon! Its the feature I miss! Pooorrrrr quuuuueee!

I think it's not going to come, and I have some reasoning behind that thought. It's too much for me to post again here, but you can see more at http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-icon/267641-glance-reason-icon-delayed.html.

Hopefully 8.1 notifications and Cortana will make Glance more of a minor issue.

 

[ret18057]

UPDATE

I know I must sound like a mental patient, but after spending a couple days with the S4...I had to un-box the Icon and fire it back up. I just like the OS such much, and the screen pops, so I am going to give it a go. In fact, my Olde Lady's 14 days is up tomorrow, and she announced she is keeping hers as well. So, I apologize for the bipolar in-out, but I am just hoping that 8.1 delivers. Don't get me wrong, I still have major disappointment with aspects of the phone (GLACE, DAMMIT), but I guess I'll just knuckle in and hope for the best.

Sorry to bother, and forgive me in advance for all the dumb azz WP questions I am sure I will have...