Is the icon still worth it?

[svtfmook]

i have had windows phone in the past, 7.2 i think, which was ok, but really immature in windows phone's life.

anyhow, i have a 2014 moto x now with a moto 360 watch. i like android, have had many many android devices. however, the x's camera is a potato.

anyhow, i have an update on one of my lines and amazon still has the icon listed and available. thinking of getting it.

i'm not too concerned about "app gap", i don't have many apps on my phone now, just use it for music, facebook and taking pics when i'm out and about. i have gone from ios, to android, to windows phone, to android, to ios, to andoid+ios, so i'm not concerned about a new ecosystem. i'm more concerned about the camera at this point in my life with having 3 kids, and motorcycles, and i am always at various meets and events.

so right now it's a toss up between the lg g3 and the lumia icon. if i go with the g3, i know i can still use my 360 and will not miss anything as far as "apps" and basically nothing changes for me. however, the camera has mixed reviews. i can go with the icon and trust the camera, but lose my 360.

also, is there a good xbmc remote app? i also use my phone to control my media player.

also, hows music/calls over bluetooth. this is something else that my x struggles with. i cannot stream music to my car's stereo without skipping. and calls over my cars stereo sound like i'm underwater and the other person cannot understand anything i say.

 

[ven07]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I can tell you that the 930 is still a relevant device Denim has improved the picture quality and the phone is in line for the official W10 update when it rolls out. All in all that makes it a good deal as far as our own OS is concerned

Edit: This should give you a good idea Cranking it up to 11: before/after Lumia Denim and LC5 imaging comparisons

 

[Aaron Yawn]

The ICON is a great phone and the camera takes great pictures. I have had one for a year now, coming off the 920 before that. I will say though that although the quality of pictures are great, both the Lumia camera and MS stock app are slow to take pictures and Lumia camera even after denium lags and gets resume lag a ton. I stopped using it altogether last week due to that. If you are considering moving to WP again I suggest waiting for Win10 flag ship or even HTC M9 WP to come out, although the camera supposedly is lacking on that device as well. Good luck in your search. I love WP and the pictures I get are amazing when I am able to take them fast enough.

 

[ven07]

HTC M9 WP to come out, although the camera supposedly is lacking on that device as well

This!!!! Tbh the cam issues that phone has could be solved with a future update tho

 

[Games Goblin]

If you are invested in the android ecosystem, switching over to wp will be tough initially - main problems are lack of/outdated apps (instagram, youtube) etc - but this is solved by using excellent 3rd party apps in the wp store. If you are really thinking of switching to WP now, the icon is a good phone with a great camera. The denim update has improved the phone a lot (especially the camera start up time).

 

[svtfmook]

If you are invested in the android ecosystem, switching over to wp will be tough initially - main problems are lack of/outdated apps (instagram, youtube) etc - but this is solved by using excellent 3rd party apps in the wp store. If you are really thinking of switching to WP now, the icon is a good phone with a great camera. The denim update has improved the phone a lot (especially the camera start up time).

like i've said, i've switched before from ios, to android, to wp, to android, to android and ios (current). i'm as invested in windows ecosystem as i am in android's. i'm trying to think of the apps i use on android regularly, which are:
phone
messaging
music player
camera
browser
facebook
email
gallery
maps
facebook messenger
youtube (but not so much)
tapatalk
kodi remote

that's pretty much it, lol. except the huntington mobile banking app, which i will miss taking pics of checks to deposit.

 

[gapost]

It's a good phone, but not worth an upgrade. If you want one, find a used one to buy.

 

[dkediger]

If my Icon gave up the ghost tomorrow, I would do my damndest to find another one before accepting another phone....

 

[Christopher Senn1]

As far as flasgships go and Verizon Icon is head of the pack.
Not sure what all this fuss is about the 630,645, 782, etc etc.(with no flash cameras) is. But people cant recommend the Strongest Windows Phone?
ICON is probably the best windows phone to date. HTC has more battery but 5mps camera, and 1020 has better camera but worse processor. Plus Icon has the ability to be always on and can ask cortana a questions without needing to hit the power button.

The camera works amazing at night and I think at 20mp and theres like 5 mics. Go on ebay and buy one for $200 used and in mint condition.

My only problem with Windows Phone is the lack of some mainstream apps. So embarrassing to admit you cant use an app that 99% of the world can use. Plus I loooooove google maps. Search, direction, and yelp ratings, info, hours all in one. The Here app is crap. This shutter nonsense is that it takes about .5 seconds to take a pic as opposed to .2 secs. Rather take one good pic than 5 crappy pics anyways

 

[OwenDL]

The Icon is an amazing, phone. It's sleek, has a great feel to it, is still being updated and the camera is astounding. It's also very, very durable.. I'm amazed mine hasn't gotten a cracked screen yet.

The only way it could get better was if it had SD card support, but regardless it's still one of the best Windows Phones out there.

 

[mtalinm]

agree, still highly satisfied with my ICON more than a year later. no other phone tempts me, except maybe the Droid Turbo with its 20MP camera and 2-day battery life.

my fruit-phone friends are constantly astonished at the quality of my pictures & especially 4k video.

too bad MSFT wasn't in a position to give away the OS back when their first phones debuted. that was the only way to compete with Android, but they weren't willing to make the move.

 

[worldspy99]

Camera is really good on the Icon/930. XBMC Remote works just fine with Kodi once it is paired up correctly, not as intuitive as Yatse on Android but still works well.
I would buy it used if possible and save the upgrade for another device from any OS of your choosing.

 

[red1wj]

I have had the Icon for over a year, and now with Denim its a whole different device. I read replies about problems with the camera. All I can say is they either do not know how to use it properly, or they have a defective device, or they are idiots, or some combination of all of these. When you mentioned your kids is the reason I replied. I tell everyone I so wish I had this phone (with Denim) 5 to 7 years ago. Pictures and videos would have been so much better I am disappointed just thinking about it. The product is worth the price for the camera alone, and it fits into your pocket. 4K videos, unbelieveable sound recording live images, rich capture, and "press and hold" camera button feature gives you ten seconds of 4K video automatically. Anyone who says the camrea is slow to start or time between pictures is slow has a defective camera, wrong software, or they have not read the manual and advanced photography instructions, or they are idiots, or some combination. If I lost or broke this phone I would buy another even used until a new flagship is released that provides an even better camera. Post picture and video editing on the phone is almost magic (well not really) but compared to what else is out there, it seems like it. Miracast, Cinemagraph, Lumia Moment select (I use all the time) kicks ***. This is a great product that Verizon's crass, Microsoft's lack of commitment , and Nokia's ineptitude ruined long before it's time was due. I recommend getting the phone.

 

[dksf42]

I have had the Icon for over a year, and now with Denim its a whole different device. I read replies about problems with the camera. All I can say is they either do not know how to use it properly, or they have a defective device, or they are idiots, or some combination of all of these. When you mentioned your kids is the reason I replied. I tell everyone I so wish I had this phone (with Denim) 5 to 7 years ago. Pictures and videos would have been so much better I am disappointed just thinking about it. The product is worth the price for the camera alone, and it fits into your pocket. 4K videos, unbelieveable sound recording live images, rich capture, and "press and hold" camera button feature gives you ten seconds of 4K video automatically. Anyone who says the camrea is slow to start or time between pictures is slow has a defective camera, wrong software, or they have not read the manual and advanced photography instructions, or they are idiots, or some combination. If I lost or broke this phone I would buy another even used until a new flagship is released that provides an even better camera. Post picture and video editing on the phone is almost magic (well not really) but compared to what else is out there, it seems like it. Miracast, Cinemagraph, Lumia Moment select (I use all the time) kicks ***. This is a great product that Verizon's crass, Microsoft's lack of commitment , and Nokia's ineptitude ruined long before it's time was due. I recommend getting the phone.

I totally agree ... plus, I would add ... the 1080p AMOLED screen is the BEST! I can clearly read anything down to the smallest text.

AND ... back in stock at the Microsoft store Buy Nokia Lumia Icon for Verizon - Microsoft Store

 

[red1wj]

yeah I left off the screen due to my long winded response, but yes the screen is best I have ever seen. I am really surprised it's back on the market (Amazon, M/S store). I am ordering one for my son's trip to Alaska. Thanks for the update.

 

[BSobotta]

I would get one if I was on Verizon. I am not sure what the cost is through Amazon. Anyways, there is nothing better with WP hardware IMO.

 

[TrueMetalGeek]

Try Craigslist.

My daughter had the HTC 822 for a while then I gave her my Samsung S4 when I got the ICON.

She wanted a Windows Phone again after using the Samsung Android device.
So we found an ICON for under $200 on craigslist and she has been using that for the past 4 months or so.