First time WP7 user - initial impressions

mapexvenus

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First off: This isn't a rant about WP7, this is just a description of experience and honest feedback. The objective of this post is to seek advice from those that are more familiar with this platform. I an no newbie to mobility, but I am definitely new to WP7.

I am a phone geek and have always carried at least two phones. I carry an iPhone and until about 6 months ago also carried a Droid, which I replaced with a flip phone because I was utterly disappointed with the Droid X. I have always wanted to try a Windows Phone but 6.5 didn't attract me.

I decided to give WP7 a shot and picked up a HTC Trophy (Verizon) yesterday. I have updated to Mango and have had the phone for close to 20 hours now and I must say that I am somewhat disappointed. Here is some feedback:

What I really like:

1. Vibrant UI
2. Excellent email and calendar - probably the best, and I have seen email and calendar functionality on iOS 5 which is still not as good as what is on WP7

Unfortunately, this is all I have liked about the phone. Now for my list of disappointments:

1. Apps: Yes, I know that the Windows Marketplace has fewer apps, but I am going for quality vs. quantity. I don't see Pandora, Skype, Google Voice, or banking applications for Chase, Citibank, or any of my credit cards. This in and off itself is a deal breaker.

2. 'Behavioral' issues: For example: my camera turns on randomly, search turns on randomly

3. Data speeds: TuneIn over 3G sounds really bad. On my iPhone 4, the sound quality from the same app, over 3G, sounds fantastic


I am seriously thinking of returning my phone and giving this platform another 6 months before I revisit it. I may decide to get a HTC device of Motorola Bionic instead.
 
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selfcreation

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hey and welcome to the team :)

1. well all the apps you mention are coming at some point or an other

2. maybe u accidently hit your buttons? never had things randomly happen on my phone EVER ... maybe a problem with your phone....

3. just get a 4g wp7 ... lol .. surprise you getting better reception with the iphone 4 ...lol you need a Ihand just to get 1 bar..! lol

ihand_guy.jpg


I also assume you dotn have an Xbox and most of your eco system is MAC?? Cause you sure a **** don’t like allot of things about wp7 .. calendar… LOL .. ;)


you thinking of getting the bionic?? lol your complaining about your wp7 doing random things... get ready to HATE android. HAHAHA .. ;) battery pull and resets once a day cause of random bugs... but hey you can customize it :)

i hope you decide to stay with WP7.5 for the long run. i think you’ll find it much better then a APP launcher or a Bug machine. (iphone and android)

ether way ... good to have you on the team for the phew dayz (until you return your phone ) :)
 

scottcraft

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1. Apps: Yes, I know that the Windows Marketplace has fewer apps, but I am going for quality vs. quantity. I don't see Pandora, Skype, Google Voice, or banking applications for Chase, Citibank, or any of my credit cards. This in and off itself is a deal breaker.

2. 'Behavioral' issues: For example: my camera turns on randomly, search turns on randomly

3. Data speeds: TuneIn over 3G sounds really bad. On my iPhone 4, the sound quality from the same app, over 3G, sounds fantastic

The apps will come. They are coming rapidly, but this is still a young platform.

I've got a trophy and I've never had any problems with it. Maybe you could call Verizon and talk to them about it? I've found there customer service on the phone to be outstanding.

My wife has the iphone 4 on Verizon and it does get better voice and data reception than my trophy. When I used my droid I rarely used wifi around the house but it's pretty much a requirement with the trophy. I need to dial *228 and update the prl since I updated to mango. Maybe that will help me.

I'm very pleased with my phone. It is so fast and smooth. I don't care for the reception but I doubt I ever go back to an android phone. Best of luck with your trophy.
 

mapexvenus

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hey and welcome to the team :)

1. well all the apps you mention are coming at some point or an other

2. maybe u accidently hit your buttons? never had things randomly happen on my phone EVER ... maybe a problem with your phone....

3. just get a 4g wp7 ... lol .. surprise you getting better reception with the iphone 4 ...lol you need a Ihand just to get 1 bar..! lol

ihand_guy.jpg


I also assume you dotn have an Xbox and most of your eco system is MAC?? Cause you sure a **** don?t like allot of things about wp7 .. calendar? LOL .. ;)


you thinking of getting the bionic?? lol your complaining about your wp7 doing random things... get ready to HATE android. HAHAHA .. ;) battery pull and resets once a day cause of random bugs... but hey you can customize it :)

i hope you decide to stay with WP7.5 for the long run. i think you?ll find it much better then a APP launcher or a Bug machine. (iphone and android)

ether way ... good to have you on the team for the phew dayz (until you return your phone ) :)

Thank you for your reply. I want to stay with WP7 for the long haul, but it has to meet my needs. I have used Android quite extensively (until Froyo) and yes, the platform had its quirks then, and I am sure that it has its quirks now. However, it does have the apps I need including the data speeds I want.

You mentioned that I should get a 4G WP7 phone. is there one available now (on any network)?
 

tsaunders80

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Now I know this might seem like a stupid question but if you carry two phones why would it matter if the WP7 doesn't have some of the apps? Just use them on the iPhone, unless you are trying to replace our iPhone?

I would say the random stuff is due to having captive buttons. I have been playing a game where I have to turn the phone and I accidentally hit the search button. As for the camera there is an option to not allow it to be turned on from the lock screen (I think).
 

wpb211

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I too really want to have Skype on my phone (Samsung Focus) as will as Lync. I had Windows Mobile 6.5 and loved it - had a Skype app, Office Communicator, etc. So it felt like a step backwards in some ways to go to WP7 (which I ordered online the moment I could about a year ago). Of course, having a Skype app without multitasking would have been a very disappointing experience. now that multi is here, I look forward to how Microsoft might integrate Skyp and Lync.
I love the way SMS and Messenger are blended and I hope for a similar seamlessness with Skype.
 

mapexvenus

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HTC Radar 4G on tmobile this holiday season. No point if you dont have 4G, let alone 3G in your city.

Now I know this might seem like a stupid question but if you carry two phones why would it matter if the WP7 doesn't have some of the apps? Just use them on the iPhone, unless you are trying to replace our iPhone?

I would say the random stuff is due to having captive buttons. I have been playing a game where I have to turn the phone and I accidentally hit the search button. As for the camera there is an option to not allow it to be turned on from the lock screen (I think).

You ask a very relevant question. I would expect my second phone to have at least some of the key capabilities that I need, like access to banking apps, and a good data connection for streaming media, for example. Also, the iPhone is a work phone and tied to me staying in this job.
 

scottcraft

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Is the HTC Trophy the best phone for me to experience WP7? Should I be looking at the Focus (ATT) or HD7 (Sprint)??

I think it depends on which carrier works best in your area. I really like the trophy. I haven't played with the other two you mentioned. The one weakness the trophy has imo is less than stellar reception, which you have already noticed. Others on here can give you advice on the other phones. One thing I wouldn't do is lock myself into two years with the trophy.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express
 

incendy

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First off: This isn't a rant about WP7, this is just a description of experience and honest feedback. The objective of this post is to seek advice from those that are more familiar with this platform. I an no newbie to mobility, but I am definitely new to WP7.

I am a phone geek and have always carried at least two phones. I carry an iPhone and until about 6 months ago also carried a Droid, which I replaced with a flip phone because I was utterly disappointed with the Droid X. I have always wanted to try a Windows Phone but 6.5 didn't attract me.

I decided to give WP7 a shot and picked up a HTC Trophy (Verizon) yesterday. I have updated to Mango and have had the phone for close to 20 hours now and I must say that I am somewhat disappointed. Here is some feedback:

What I really like:

1. Vibrant UI
2. Excellent email and calendar - probably the best, and I have seen email and calendar functionality on iOS 5 which is still not as good as what is on WP7

Unfortunately, this is all I have liked about the phone. Now for my list of disappointments:

1. Apps: Yes, I know that the Windows Marketplace has fewer apps, but I am going for quality vs. quantity. I don't see Pandora, Skype, Google Voice, or banking applications for Chase, Citibank, or any of my credit cards. This in and off itself is a deal breaker.

2. 'Behavioral' issues: For example: my camera turns on randomly, search turns on randomly

3. Data speeds: TuneIn over 3G sounds really bad. On my iPhone 4, the sound quality from the same app, over 3G, sounds fantastic


I am seriously thinking of returning my phone and giving this platform another 6 months before I revisit it. I may decide to get a HTC Bionic instead.

1. I can see the apps being an issue for sure. Was a problem for me before BofA had an app but luckily they had a mobile web page that worked in the interim, possibly Chase, Citigroup etc have a similary web page you can pin to the start screen? I know it isn't really a fix but it is there when you absolutely need it. It also doesn't hurt to request a WP7 app from your bank if they have a support site or twitter/facebook account.

2. Camera launches with the camera button and Bing with the search button. I still accidentily hit these every once in a while but not a big deal to me as the use they have to launch when I actually need them greatly outweighs the few times I accidentily hit it.

3. I have both an Android phone and the Windows Phone and the data speeds seem identical to me. I don't use inTune though might just be they are using a compressed stream for their WP7 app. I would let them know through the app if it has a feedback button.
 

mapexvenus

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I think it depends on which carrier works best in your area. I really like the trophy. I haven't played with the other two you mentioned. The one weakness the trophy has imo is less than stellar reception, which you have already noticed. Others on here can give you advice on the other phones. One thing I wouldn't do is lock myself into two years with the trophy.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

I think I will try a Samsung focus on ATT and see if there is a difference.
 

mapexvenus

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In case anyone is still interested in my initial impressions of the phone (MTC Trophy / Mango), now that I have had the phone for close to 48 hours:

I am starting to like WP7, however I am still having trouble with the following:

1. Camera turns on for no apparent reason. I am 100% sure that I am not accidentally holding down the shutter button.

2. Haptic feedback when I don't need it.

3. Very poor battery performance.

4. 3G data speeds

5. Browser does not render Gmail like Android / iOS

6. Poor camera quality.

7. Apps need to be built to support multitasking, and many of them haven't been updated

I know that the apps that I am looking for (Chase, Citibank, Pandora) will eventually come to the device and that improvements will be made, so I may decide to stick with the platform, but not the device.

For the short term, are there any current generation WP7 devices that are better than the Trophy? I'd like to see if my WP7 experience is any better on other devices.

I figure that I can continue to play with other WP7 devices while waiting for the second gen devices to be released by ATT in Oct, and will then switch to one of those.

thanks in advance for the advice!
 

Clow

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You want some real problems do ahead and get a bionic. Which btw is made by Moto not htc

Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express
 

Clow

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In case anyone is still interested in my initial impressions of the phone (MTC Trophy / Mango), now that I have had the phone for close to 48 hours:

I am starting to like WP7, however I am still having trouble with the following:

1. Camera turns on for no apparent reason. I am 100% sure that I am not accidentally holding down the shutter button.

2. Haptic feedback when I don't need it.

3. Very poor battery performance.

4. 3G data speeds

5. Browser does not render Gmail like Android / iOS

6. Poor camera quality.

7. Apps need to be built to support multitasking, and many of them haven't been updated

I know that the apps that I am looking for (Chase, Citibank, Pandora) will eventually come to the device and that improvements will be made, so I may decide to stick with the platform, but not the device.

For the short term, are there any current generation WP7 devices that are better than the Trophy? I'd like to see if my WP7 experience is any better on other devices.

I figure that I can continue to play with other WP7 devices while waiting for the second gen devices to be released by ATT in Oct, and will then switch to one of those.

thanks in advance for the advice!

I don't see any of these problems...the os is still young and it already beats android and ios in most categories

Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express
 

mapexvenus

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I don't see any of these problems...the os is still young and it already beats android and ios in most categories

Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express

Which problems are you not experiencing? I already made posts about the haptic feedback whenever I make a call but no one has posted a solution.

As far as IE9 and Gmail go, the interface that I see is hard to navigate through (small fonts, and not really 'mobile' friendly). Looks very different than the mobile version of Gmail when rendered on iOS or Android.

My battery is 50% drained in 6 hours of very limited use (no phone calls, no browsing)
 

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