What (small) Windows phone 8 should i get for my wife?

[JustinusMaximus]

Hi,

I'm in a dilemma. My wife always had iPhone. Next month she can get a new phone (on contract). BUT, i talked her into Windows Phone 8, only before i knew there were no good iPhone alternatives.
She doesn't care about screensize, she does care about the sharpness (so good resolution). She wants the device to fit in her hand, and want to used the device with the same hand.

Are there actually any Windows 8 Phones that have a "smaller" screen with good resolution and modest size? According to her whishes, the iPhone looks like the better choice, but i'd realy like to implement Windows Phone 8 in the family. So i can use Rooms etc.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Vaas]

Depending on if your on AT&T or Verizon, the 820 and 822 are the smaller Nokia phones.

 

[JustinusMaximus]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Im from Europe, so no real special i think.
But the 820, is almost as big as the 922, still feels like a brick.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

If pricing in your country is like in the UK (or maybe you're there too), the HTC 8S is a good choice. It's very cheap sim free (?225) which means you can go for a cheaper contract, it's smaller than the Nokia phones at 4" and comes in different colours. Even at this price you're still getting a quality phone with a dual core processor and MicroSD support.
The only thing is I haven't seen a review for it yet so there's no way to know about battery life or camera performance (no FF camera by the way).
Hope this helps.

 

[scottcraft]

The HTC 8X has a 4.3 inch screen, but it is very slim in the hand. Much slimmer than my 822.

 

[Tahiti Bob]

On a side note, if she's really happy with an iPhone I'm not sure you should make her switch for your own convenience. She will likely lose a few apps she's used to and get issues with some things you wouldn't care about yourself.
My girlfriend uses android and I know the way she uses her phone she wouldn't be happy with WP8, not right now anyway. The only advice I give her is to always go for a Nexus to get the best experience possible with that OS.
Think about it, you know your wife loves her iPhone

 

[abhibh]

I agree with Tahiti Bob. Let her first use WP8 for a few days and see if she is actually ready to shift. Then you can opt for 8S which i think is an amazing phone in terms of design and size. Consider the resolution is just 800x480 so make sure she gets to use the 8S in store before buying.

 

[hopmedic]

Hi,

I'm in a dilemma. My wife always had iPhone. Next month she can get a new phone (on contract). BUT, i talked her into Windows Phone 8, only before i knew there were no good iPhone alternatives.
She doesn't care about screensize, she does care about the sharpness (so good resolution). She wants the device to fit in her hand, and want to used the device with the same hand.

Are there actually any Windows 8 Phones that have a "smaller" screen with good resolution and modest size? According to her whishes, the iPhone looks like the better choice, but i'd realy like to implement Windows Phone 8 in the family. So i can use Rooms etc.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Well, So far there have not been any WP8 devices announced that are small. But If small is what you're looking for, there are a couple of WP7 devices out there, like the Lumia 710, and the Lumia 510. The 710 is a T-Mobile (US) device, and I don't know if it is available in the UK. The 510 is a Chinese device, AFAIK not yet released, but I'm thinking not likely to be in UK, and it would definitely be a step down, in all aspects (other than having the WP OS). There are older phones as well. The HTC 7 Trophy (I think that's what they called it over there - I had the Verizon Trophy) has a 3.8" screen, slightly bigger than the iPhone's. But none of these is going to have the pixel density of the iPhone's, so you're not going to get the sharpness that it has.

The Lumia 800 has a 3.7" screen, but again, we're talking about a 480x800 screen, so not the pixel density of the iPhone, but not a fine screen, though.

As far as Family Room, these being WP7 devices, it is my understanding that the only feature of Family Rooms that does not work is chat, and the other features beside calendar work "best" on WP8, but also, these devices will be upgraded to WP7.8, so I'm expecting that the Family Rooms will be implemented - I would be sorely disappointed in Microsoft if they aren't, as that isn't something that requires any special hardware.

I wish I could tell you more, but I'd also keep my eyes peeled for the next wave of phones - look at spring, I would expect. Nokia in particular has talked about hitting all levels of the market, not just the high end, and they have - the 510, 610, and 710, for instance.

 

[JimboJones2268]

There are no super high spec small Windows Phones right now.

The HTC 8S has a small footprint but is thicker than an iPhone. Its screen is 4" but will have nowhere near the quality of an iPhone retina display. It is lower resolution and does not use the absolute latest and best screen technology. I suspect the screen will be good, it just wont get near retina displays. The camera is likely to be average. Again, it will be ok, but as it is only a 5 megapixel unit without a particularly large lens I would not expect miracles! On the positive side, it is very cheap.

The HTC 8X is the next smallest overall. It is a fair bit larger than an iPhone and is quite a bit taller even than the iPhone 5. But it is not a monster large phone. The screen is fantastic and matches the iPhone. The camera is great and it is a very high end device. It is probably the best option in your circumstances.

2 other options for me would be a Nokia Lumia 800 - high end specs other than the screen which is fairly poor, but a good device and a good size. Or, leave her with her iPhone!

 

[Tahiti Bob]

I think for someone who might already be reticent to switching, suggesting a WP7 phone is just making things worse. These phones are not running the latest OS and we don't know when 7.8 will hit. Even worse, we don't know for certain what 7.8 will offer when it hits. There are already apps that are WP8 only and again we don't know for sure how this will change in the future. Getting a dated phone on a new contract is asking for trouble so I would steer clear of the 610, 710, 800, Trophy, etc.
Your most reasonable options if the 820 is too big are the 8S and 8X but the 8X although slimmer has the same size screen as the 820. Or... let her upgrade to a new iPhone.

 

[marbla]

Having made the move from an 800 to a 8x I'd choose the 8x. It just feels less bulky than the 800 due to the tapered sides. I think despite the niggles due to the very recent release wp8 is the way to go now. Plus in Germany it's quite bit cheaper than the 920 (rightly so).

 

[gsquared]

I'd recommend waiting a bit to see what the other manufacturers come out with. Nokia and HTC are not the only companies with Win 8 phones on the way.

 

[Hammered Pizza]

Is the HTC 8S being released in Germany? 4" screen, and currently the cheapest Windows Phone handset available. No FFC or NFC, but these aren't necessities to everyone. Expandable storage too.

 

[socialcarpet]

There isn't really anything that fits the description of what you are looking for yet. The 8S is neutered with 512 MB of RAM and a low res screen. The Nokia 820/822 have the same 800x480 screen. The Nokia 920 and HTC 8x are both enormous compared to an iPhone.

I think it is probably inevitable that Nokia and perhaps someone else will release a smaller phone with premium specs to compete more directly with the iPhone. Especially for Europe where the Lumia 800 was far more popular than the 900. Most Europeans don't want the silly super-sized tablet sized phones some of us in the States do.

For right now though, there would have to be a compromise one way or the other.

 

[independentvolume]

If the 8s screen is as good as the 820s it's not an issue. Especially on devices this small.

 

[hopmedic]

Yeah... there's just nothing yet. Best bet to wait and see what comes in the spring, which I'd guess is a likely time for the next wave of devices.

 

[iamtim]

Does SHE want a WP8 device? Or do YOU want her to have a WP8 device?

If it's the latter, get her an iPhone. She'll be happier which means you'll be happier.

If it's the former, as a prior iPhone user (3G/3GS/4), the Nokia 820 - while a bit heavier - is the most iPhone-like in form factor (I settled on the 820 after using a 920 for a week and an 8X for a week). While the resolution is not as sharp as the "retina display" on the 4 and 5, it's sharper than the 3G and 3GS. The 920 is much heavier and much bigger, while the 8X is very light (for me, it was almost too light) but has a very 3G/3GS-like rounded back. They're all very good phones, though.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to this: if she (or anyone else, for that matter) actually wants an iPhone, she should get an iPhone. If she wants a Windows Phone, the differences between the various Windows Phones and the iPhone won't matter.

 

[paulm187]

Wait till spring, there are yet more phones to come from Nokia and I'm hoping there will be atleast another model out.

 

[brmiller1976]

I find it's best not to "force" an OS on a user. If she really wants iOS or Android, I'd go for one of those.

You might want to try exposing her to the 8S and L820 to give her some context, but the choice should ultimately be hers, IMO.

 

[oldpueblo]

About time to bump this thread, anything new coming to the US on AT&T? My sister in law has decided the 920 is too big for her small hands. We'll probably drop to an 8x, but she might want to go even smaller. Any new Nokia or HTC device coming soon since the 8s didn't make it here?