I really love Windows Phone 8, but the manufacturers and carriers are driving me nutz.
I like having a replaceable battery. I love having a lot of storage. I need at least 32GB, but when I'm limited to that, I spend far too much of my time having to micro-manage my storage. I feel comfortable in 64GB. I'd really like 128. And don't bother trying to convince me that streaming is an adequate solution. Data caps, no WiFi where I work, and nothing beats being lost someplace with no data coverage, and not being able to use the maps app because your phone's so stingy for space, you couldn't afford to download the map.
My solution to this has been a Lumia 521 with 72GB (built-in 8 and the 64GB expansion). With a couple of minor gotchas, it's quite adequate for what I want.
Except that it's an entry level phone with so little RAM (512MB) that running a large-ish app kicks the background audio streamer out. There I am, happily listening to my audio book, and I'm curious about the weather, 'cept as soon as I open my "HD" weather app, the sound stops. Great. Thank you.
I want a high-end phone that actually acts like it's high end: Either expandable storage or enough options to make everyone happy. Note that you can get an iPhone in 3 different sizes, and if they offered a 128GB model, it'd be a no-brainer for me to switch back. I want either real-world two day battery life, or the ability to carry a spare battery (and I'm not talking some huge external case with a battery built in. I like taking my phones bareback).
I want a decent camera. I want enough RAM that I don't have issues getting apps started, or having my background players killed for the space. 1GB sounds good; 2 sounds even better. I want a decent screen. But strangely, the high end phones are missing high end features, like storage or replaceable battery, whereas the cheapest phone has them (and little else).
And most of all, I want it on the carrier of my choice! This drives me nutz.
I'll pay off-contract prices, so I've been sorely tempted to get a Lumia 928, even though it doesn't have a replaceable battery and it doesn't really have enough storage for me, but since I'm on T-Mobile, I'm not even sure I can get reliable 3G coverage. Where I work has been refarmed; where I sleep hasn't. (And Verizon is arguably the better carrier, but to the tune of $1000 more over 2 years of service.)
I would have bought a 920, but AT&T refused to sell me one off-contract, prompting me to move to T-Mo and getting an HTC 8X. Which, by the way, is so starved for storage that I've never been able to use it as music or book player. The 1020 likewise looks interesting-ish, but AT&T exclusive makes it a no-go for me. I really don't miss my $110/month AT&T bill that comes with fewer minutes and slower data.
I'd like the 925, but T-Mo, as they are wont, pulled the bone-headedest move, ever, by limiting the storage to 16GB. It's like they don't really want people to buy them.
So, I continue to carry two phones: the 8X as the phone with the good screen and good RAM, and the 521 as the audio player and GPS device.
Because no one wants to sell a phone that's actually high-end AND WP8 at the same time.
I like having a replaceable battery. I love having a lot of storage. I need at least 32GB, but when I'm limited to that, I spend far too much of my time having to micro-manage my storage. I feel comfortable in 64GB. I'd really like 128. And don't bother trying to convince me that streaming is an adequate solution. Data caps, no WiFi where I work, and nothing beats being lost someplace with no data coverage, and not being able to use the maps app because your phone's so stingy for space, you couldn't afford to download the map.
My solution to this has been a Lumia 521 with 72GB (built-in 8 and the 64GB expansion). With a couple of minor gotchas, it's quite adequate for what I want.
Except that it's an entry level phone with so little RAM (512MB) that running a large-ish app kicks the background audio streamer out. There I am, happily listening to my audio book, and I'm curious about the weather, 'cept as soon as I open my "HD" weather app, the sound stops. Great. Thank you.
I want a high-end phone that actually acts like it's high end: Either expandable storage or enough options to make everyone happy. Note that you can get an iPhone in 3 different sizes, and if they offered a 128GB model, it'd be a no-brainer for me to switch back. I want either real-world two day battery life, or the ability to carry a spare battery (and I'm not talking some huge external case with a battery built in. I like taking my phones bareback).
I want a decent camera. I want enough RAM that I don't have issues getting apps started, or having my background players killed for the space. 1GB sounds good; 2 sounds even better. I want a decent screen. But strangely, the high end phones are missing high end features, like storage or replaceable battery, whereas the cheapest phone has them (and little else).
And most of all, I want it on the carrier of my choice! This drives me nutz.
I'll pay off-contract prices, so I've been sorely tempted to get a Lumia 928, even though it doesn't have a replaceable battery and it doesn't really have enough storage for me, but since I'm on T-Mobile, I'm not even sure I can get reliable 3G coverage. Where I work has been refarmed; where I sleep hasn't. (And Verizon is arguably the better carrier, but to the tune of $1000 more over 2 years of service.)
I would have bought a 920, but AT&T refused to sell me one off-contract, prompting me to move to T-Mo and getting an HTC 8X. Which, by the way, is so starved for storage that I've never been able to use it as music or book player. The 1020 likewise looks interesting-ish, but AT&T exclusive makes it a no-go for me. I really don't miss my $110/month AT&T bill that comes with fewer minutes and slower data.
I'd like the 925, but T-Mo, as they are wont, pulled the bone-headedest move, ever, by limiting the storage to 16GB. It's like they don't really want people to buy them.
So, I continue to carry two phones: the 8X as the phone with the good screen and good RAM, and the 521 as the audio player and GPS device.
Because no one wants to sell a phone that's actually high-end AND WP8 at the same time.