Would you recommend WP8?

[rowlie]

Always loved my windows phones, HTC Touch, HTC HD2, HTC HD7, HTC Titan and Nokia 920. Yesterday friends were asking ?would I recommend Windows 8? Being honest NO. It may look great but, tiles frequently don?t update, late notifications, MS servers constantly overwhelmed and terrible battery drain. When Windows phone 7 came out it was innovating, unfortunately now, what was once the future is now plagued with issues.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'll go with depends.

If someone is after all the apps then I would say no, don't go for a WP as you'll be disappointed. Also if they planned to use it as a portable computer, than definitely no.

However, if that wasn't a major concern of theirs and they wanted just wanted a phone that did the basics, then yes I would direct them to WP. It has gotten a lot better over the year I've had it and I suspect once WP8.1 comes out it will be a lot better. There are some things to iron out but I'm pretty confident that will be taken care of.

 

[aximtreo]

Yes, I would definitely recommend WP8 as an OS. Forget the apps for a moment. It's like buying a new stereo system. Most people make the mistake and buy the amp/pre-amp (IOS, Android) first. Then they add a set of speakers and wonder why it doesn't sound as good as they had hoped. Well the answer is, buy a great sounding set of speakers (WP8) first and then the apps will only sound and operate better.

Probably not a perfect analogy but I firmly believe that if the OS doesn't appeal to you; the apps won't either.

 

[ilovenokia]

The is a specific way for each smartphone OS to get the job done, WP8 doing the job little bit different.

ask your friend what he is expecting to get out from WP8, he can watch movies listen to music & work with different types of supported files like Microsoft office, PDF and so on.
let your friend play with a WP8 and then he get an embrasure about it.

 

[lexinoo]

I think its a long way behind the other two to be honest,and I am starting to doubt it'll catch up.

 

[WinU]

Windows 8 on a desktop NO. Tablet Yes (I have a surface rt) Phone Yes. (Lumia 920 here) I would definitely recommend it. I think the UI and the operating system is great. And will continue to get better. Forget the apps. They will come along plus half the time they aren't needed the mobile websites work just as well. For the tiles not updating at times. So what. Click on the app and get it updated. It's better then the apps crashing constantly like Android. I actually turn off most live tiles to help save battery. Which my battery is fantastic 1-2 days per charge and wireless charging rocks. If having some major battery drain, go to settings and shut off Tap+Send. Really helps and not needed. Can turn on when you would actually go to use it. Also there is no need to really kill apps on windows 8 or have some app killer program. I try to stay slightly disconnected therefore all the notifications aren't that important to me though. The phone is simple, fast, pictures are great. No problem with calls or text (word prediction is pretty good). I could go on and on really. Office, skydrive, etc. I really think windows 8 is fantastic. I've used Apple and Android before I ever came to Windows too.

 

[techiez]

Yes, I would definitely recommend WP8 as an OS. Forget the apps for a moment. It's like buying a new stereo system. Most people make the mistake and buy the amp/pre-amp (IOS, Android) first. Then they add a set of speakers and wonder why it doesn't sound as good as they had hoped. Well the answer is, buy a great sounding set of speakers (WP8) first and then the apps will only sound and operate better.

Probably not a perfect analogy but I firmly believe that if the OS doesn't appeal to you; the apps won't either.

Its just not about the apps, its push notification system is just horrible, I've heard MS is revamping its entire notification system hopefully it getsbetter and also ms needs to iron out other issues soon.

 

[Chris_Kez]

The answer is always "it depends on who is asking". Why would someone join this forum just to write a post saying they would NOT recommend Windows Phone? Thanks for contributing to the community.

 

[a5cent]

I've heard MS is revamping its entire notification system hopefully it getsbetter and also ms needs to iron out other issues soon.

May I ask where you heard that? Source? I've given up trying to find out which link in the reliability chain is causing the MPNS problems. I'd truly like to learn more.

 

[tgp]

If I'm asked for a recommendation, I thoroughly grill the user to find out what they need to to and what they are expecting. I am not a ****** of any one OS, and I try to be as objective as possible. If they only need to do basic stuff like browsing and email (very casual emailing) I will recommend either WP or iPhone, depending on what size device they prefer. Anything more than that I'll probably recommend a high end Android if their budget allows. If they use Facebook that will eliminate WP. Any business use (heavy email, Skype, VPN) and I'll recommend iPhone or Android.

 

[a5cent]

Mr LaRue, Chris and tgp got it right. It depends. A lot of people have been burnt recommending WP devices. If your recommendation is bad, you'll have to deal with your friends scorn for the duration of their cellular service contract, which can be even less pleasant for you then for the person that got stuck with the wrong device. Recommending WP can be both good and bad, depending on the potential buyers needs, but assessing those needs can be quite a task and is never without risk of missing something. One of the biggest risks is that most consumers are technophobes who have no idea what they want from a smartphone OS until they see it.

Rather than recommending WP, it's better to state what your own needs are, and then explain why WP is the right OS for you. These days, that will usually come down to softer factors that are harder to quantify (e.g. UI consistency across OS and apps). The types of obvious features that most consumers think about ("can it do X"), aren't WP's strengths.

Outside the U.S. , WP can make sense for people that are on a budget. IMHO it's only at the low end where WP starts to shine. Inside the U.S. , where the true cost of a device is hidden in the ridiculously expensive monthly service bills, I don't see why anyone would choose a Windows Phone (over high-end Android or iPhone), that doesn't care enough about technology to research the issues for themselves. For those people not interested enough to do the research themselves, I think it's a safer bet to stick with the mainstream devices... most of the time.

 

[tk-093]

Terrible battery drain? Are we talking about my Moto X?

 

[Editguy1900]

I'm recommending it to everyone I know. I think it's a capable system as is but, for it to grow, it needs an increased user base. Unfortunately, what I keep running into is that when these people go to their carriers, they try to talk them out of getting it and recommend iPhone or Samsung instead. Just yesterday a friend went to get a Lumia 928 on Verizon and, they not only tried to switch them, they lied at first and said they didn't have one in stock. When they realized they were going to leave without buying, they suddenly "found" one. They said it was the first one they had ever sold (I don't believe that, either).
If I end up with an upset friend, so be it. They shouldn't have asked for my advice :smile:

 

[TexasDude]

I would recommend Windows Phone 8 to 100% of people asking when compared to Android, and 95% of people comparing to iOS. I no longer trust Google's motives and ambitions with users data, and am very perturbed that they are forcing everyone to Google+. Before you flame me on that, I have been an Android user since Eclair, and have recently given up on Google. I was a VERY strong supporter until recently. I can't recommend something to someone that I don't trust myself, but I know not everyone cares about Google's privacy mining.

I don't like Apple either, but I do think that there are certain people that will prefer iOS, simply because it's what they are used to, or they want to be like other people they know. To me, this is still the Windows vs. Mac deal, some people are just die hard Mac fans, and nothing will ever please them other than a Mac (or iOS).

For everyone else, I am very comfortable recommending Windows Phone, but I have to say, I think I would only recommend Nokia at the moment. Nokia is building an ecosystem, while the others seem to just be throwing the OS on an existing phone platform just in case it takes off. The app market is growing a lot right now, and I don't see that slowing down any time soon. Where Windows Phone shines for me is battery life and low hardware requirements. I own a 521 running GDR3, and am astounded that I use less than 4% an hour, even when I actively use the phone a lot of times. Turning off background apps/settings is also much simpler in WP, which is part of the reason I can keep my battery use down. I can't believe how a low end phone can run so smooth with 512 ram... Amazing! And I have no issues with memory. I can't say the same for the Android phone with ICS that my 521 replace.

 

[Andreas H]

I did recommend WP8 to two of my friends and they switched from IOS. To be honest, I regret that now. Both are switching back and I can totally understand them. As said in numerous threads before, WP is lacking some basic features the average Joe or Jane are used to on the other platforms. I came from Android and sure, I do miss some features as well but I'm more tolerant than your average consumer because of my interest in mobile phones and techy stuff, I think. This is the reason I can't recommend WP. The majority of people just want their phone to work as expected and sadly, in the current state, WP doesn't. I'm sticking to the OS because I think its fast, fluid and beautiful and I've learned to live without the missing features. Recommend it to others? Maybe in a year or two, I'm afraid.

 

[Sanket Vaghasia]

Nope. Not at all. I was misled to believe microsoft can change. WP8 fails to deliver even small useful features like separate audio toggles and tries to match up Android & iOS?? It lacks the apps so there's that. There's no jailbreaking! There's tons of bugs which MS is known for. Last but not the least, you don't get update like Apple does and also each update is a teaspoon worth of features. Why can't the company give major update already? I'm so leaving WP8 as soon as I get the chance!

 

[TaliZorah]

I have my reasons for loving WP and im not an app junkie which seems to be the biggest knock on WP. Im honest with people on what the OS can and cant do. I let them decide.

 

[bozza72]

yes

 

[omgitsnick]

Just look at it this way: Android for the Google user, iOS for both users, and a WP for a Microsoft user. It all depends what services they rely on, but switching services is fairly easy as long as the other offer a similar service (eg. Office Hub and Skydrive = Google Docs and Google Drive). So if I were to recommend WP, I would, but only if they use Xbox Music and Video, Office, and play Xbox games, with these they can extend the experience across Microsoft products. Apps are becoming less of a problem because the big names are coming, and surely the rest will follow. With an iPhone it's a different story since both Google and Microsoft support this platform with whatever they can throw in because of the large user base.

 

[broar94]

I don't recommend wp to anyone using WhatsApp, fb or is an app person, WhatsApp has bugs, fb has toasts notifications issue. But if person is looking for a phone for simple tasks or taking photos ill reccomend it. Otherwise its android or iPhone