So i finally tried WP.

[Tre Lawrence]

I get what folks comparing are doing, but to be fair, each platform has some anchor features that will appeal to different users.

I love widgets, and use them heavily, but I don't consider the lack of such on WP8 to be an insurmountable issue. I like the OS, the UI and budding ecosystem.

WP8 is getting there; MSFT better not abandon it!

 

[Geodude074]

That's nice dear, enjoy sacrificing quality for features that almost no one uses on a regular basis. Our OS can only grow, yours was built on a shaky foundation and they're just throwing more garbage on it.

WP8 doesn't even have features for people to use on a daily basis. I'd rather have the choice to use these features, than have no choice in the first place.

The only direction for WP8 to move is upwards, since it's AT THE VERY BOTTOM.

Explain to me how Android was built on a shaky foundation. All you're doing is trolling with no facts.

Show me with evidence how WP8 is better than Android. Just take 15 seconds of your time and make a video like I did.

 

[mv740]

i always wonder why android user say root = feature. Isn't android supposed to already give them access to almost everything ? normally when i compare feature, i compare those that a 100% noob would understand. rooting is great for hardcore user like us but for the everyday user, im sure they dont even know what it really mean.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

i always wonder why android user say root = feature. Isn't android supposed to already give them access to almost everything ? normally when i compare feature, i compare those that a 100% noob would understand. rooting is great for hardcore user like us but for the everyday user, im sure they dont even know what it really mean.

I actually think improving the stock experience is where Android has improved the most. Root takes it a bit further.

There was a time, IMHO, root was necessary to get basic (again, IMHO) functionality from an Android device. That's mostly changed. Midst Android users are not rooted, and never will.

But I do consider the ability to obtain administrator privileges a HUGE privilege, even if there are pros and cons.

 

[Geodude074]

i always wonder why android user say root = feature. Isn't android supposed to already give them access to almost everything ? normally when i compare feature, i compare those that a 100% noob would understand. rooting is great for hardcore user like us but for the everyday user, im sure they dont even know what it really mean.

You don't need to root Android to have many features available on Android, that aren't available on WP8. Features like customizable backgrounds, different lock settings (patterns, continuously changing passwords), notifications on the lock screen, widgets, a file manager, and the ability to move files and folders around.

Once rooted it gives you a ton of features not available to noobs, like overclocking, using a different kernel, new launchers, new ROM, etc. Also, some apps require your phone to be rooted to work properly since those apps need root access to your root files.

 

[z33dev33l]

WP8 doesn't even have features for people to use on a daily basis. I'd rather have the choice to use these features, than have no choice in the first place.

The only direction for WP8 to move is upwards, since it's AT THE VERY BOTTOM.

Explain to me how Android was built on a shaky foundation. All you're doing is trolling with no facts.

Show me with evidence how WP8 is better than Android. Just take 15 seconds of your time and make a video like I did.

I no longer have an android phone for comparison. I sold them all before the hardware became dated three weeks after release. Android is an inferior OS because even on two quad core processors it lags incessantly to a point well beyond what is reasonable, it's so fragmented that on my last android phone (the nexus 5) I couldn't play at least half of the mid to high end games on the google flagship phone. One of the few decent ones that I could (Ravensword) force closed repeatedly until I downgraded the game to a previous version. This was not an issue on my previous One X. It will never be fully GPU accelerated because of the hardware variations available and even as recently as yesterday there was a virus on the play store under a false Flappy Birds game.All that trouble on a device that exists to steal your information? No thanks.

 

[undulose]

I no longer have an android phone for comparison. I sold them all before the hardware became dated three weeks after release. Android is an inferior OS because even on two quad core processors it lags incessantly to a point well beyond what is reasonable, it's so fragmented that on my last android phone (the nexus 5) I couldn't play at least half of the mid to high end games on the google flagship phone. One of the few decent ones that I could (Ravensword) force closed repeatedly until I downgraded the game to a previous version. This was not an issue on my previous One X. It will never be fully GPU accelerated because of the hardware variations available and even as recently as yesterday there was a virus on the play store under a false Flappy Birds game.All that trouble on a device that exists to steal your information? No thanks.

I think you are heavily bashing Android here. I have the Nexus 7 but my games run smooth (Asphalt 8, PSP Emulator). Nexus 5 has a better hardware than this but I agree that some apps that have no Android Kitkat support will be buggy. I experienced that before with the app MX Player.





Sent from my Nokia Lumia 1520 (RM-937 Malaysia) using Tapatalk

 

[Geodude074]

I no longer have an android phone for comparison. I sold them all before the hardware became dated three weeks after release. Android is an inferior OS because even on two quad core processors it lags incessantly to a point well beyond what is reasonable, it's so fragmented that on my last android phone (the nexus 5) I couldn't play at least half of the mid to high end games on the google flagship phone. One of the few decent ones that I could (Ravensword) force closed repeatedly until I downgraded the game to a previous version. This was not an issue on my previous One X. It will never be fully GPU accelerated because of the hardware variations available and even as recently as yesterday there was a virus on the play store under a false Flappy Birds game.All that trouble on a device that exists to steal your information? No thanks.

Really? I have a Nexus 5 and it is by far the most fluid phone I've ever used. Virtually no lag, web pages load instantly and I can scroll and zoom without a hiccup.

I'm an avid mobile gamer, I have a Moga Power Pro, I have a huge buttload of controller optimized games. And let me tell you, the SD800 is the best SoC so far for mobile gaming, bar none. On Android it works flawlessly.

Your one bias experience with Android is not a good representation of Android as a whole.

And if you were having trouble with multiple applications running at the same time and taking up too much resources, there's an option in the Developer Options called "Don't keep activities". It destroys every activity as soon as the user leaves it. Meaning, it will function very similar to WP8 with no apps running in the background until you return to it.

You really needed to explore Android more before bashing it. Seems more like user error to me.

Oh, and for all my years of using Android, I've never gotten a virus. I also don't know and never heard of anybody ever getting a virus. The ONLY sources who claim Android is vulnerable to malware are from antivirus companies trying to sell you their software, and of course Microsoft and Apple.

 

[z33dev33l]

Really? I have a Nexus 5 and it is by far the most fluid phone I've ever used. Virtually no lag, web pages load instantly and I can scroll and zoom without a hiccup.

I'm an avid mobile gamer, I have a Moga Power Pro, I have a huge buttload of controller optimized games. And let me tell you, the SD800 is the best SoC so far for mobile gaming, bar none. On Android it works flawlessly.

Your one bias experience with Android is not a good representation of Android as a whole.

And if you were having trouble with multiple applications running at the same time and taking up too much resources, there's an option in the Developer Options called "Don't keep activities". It destroys every activity as soon as the user leaves it. Meaning, it will function very similar to WP8 with no apps running in the background until you return to it.

You really needed to explore Android more before bashing it. Seems more like user error to me.

Oh, and for all my years of using Android, I've never gotten a virus. I also don't know and never heard of anybody ever getting a virus. The ONLY sources who claim Android is vulnerable to malware are from antivirus companies trying to sell you their software, and of course Microsoft and Apple.

I was an avid android user and even a developer for a few years, even when I got my first HD7 I kept it as a backup and continued developing for them until Nokia got in the game. To write it off as user error is laughable. It's nice that an emulator works well, I should hope so as that's purely GPU based and the PSP didn't call for much. Gameloft is one of few developers who actually optimizes their games so of course they'll work well, try something frm one of those companies with one big game or so (I suggest Ravensword, only reason I kept an Android phone as long as I did.) As for running too many apps, on my nexus 5, I ran Facebook and kik simultaneously and crashes would ensue as well as lag when swiping between screens. It's simply not stable enough for a casual user who knows their stuff.

 

[Geodude074]

I was an avid android user and even a developer for a few years, even when I got my first HD7 I kept it as a backup and continued developing for them until Nokia got in the game. To write it off as user error is laughable. It's nice that an emulator works well, I should hope so as that's purely GPU based and the PSP didn't call for much. Gameloft is one of few developers who actually optimizes their games so of course they'll work well, try something frm one of those companies with one big game or so (I suggest Ravensword, only reason I kept an Android phone as long as I did.) As for running too many apps, on my nexus 5, I ran Facebook and kik simultaneously and crashes would ensue as well as lag when swiping between screens. It's simply not stable enough for a casual user who knows their stuff.

I wasn't talking about an emulator. If you look in the MogaPivot app and the TegraZone app, they each offer a library of controller optimized games. That's what I was referring to. By the way, Android offers a huge library of native controller-optimized games that WP8 can only dream of.

If you seem to be having so many problems but I'm not, I certainly would contribute it to user error.

It's funny that you bring up Facebook, because the Facebook app for WP8 is LAUGHABLY BAD. Missing updates, missing pictures, missing statuses, etc. I'd rather have an app for Facebook, written and developed by Facebook, than just a hash up from Microsoft because Facebook can't be bothered to write one for WP8.

 

[chezm]

Wow, the trolls have strolled in eh LOL....holy geez. (looking above)

Nice article TC, i was an avid WP user for some time but late last year switched to iPhone 5S in hopes that WP9 would address some of the issues i have with the WP platform. Still, i agree a lot of the OS has a fresh style thats unmatched and i hope WP grows past its current potential.

 

[ithehappy]

But objectively, I'm struggling to find a single reason why I would choose WP8 over Android.

Well for me the reason is those random Force closes and sudden freezes. I mean I know it sounds like just two silly reasons, but when you are in the middle of something, like writing an email in the web browser, and that email is kinda long, then sudden FC of the browser and that's it. I mean it happened with me so many times, that I have given up. (Please don't say try another browser, there is not a single browser on Play I haven't tried!). Also sudden freeze of the device. Suddenly TS stops responding, and sometimes it comes back within some seconds, and sometimes no option other than a manual reboot.
And I will not speak about the lags, Android, by any means, on any given hardware, LAGS. If anyone has a problem to agree with that I certainly don't care. And that Vanilla thingy is just Google's nonsense to attract more kids, nothing else. People have this imaginary thinking that Google phones, with pure Vanilla experience are much faster and smoother, I am talking about Nexus etc lineups, that's just so laughable. My colleague has bought a Nexus 5 last month, and I traded my S4 with him, and after just 3 days I gave him the device back. That device was Good Lord! That display!! :/

 

[Geodude074]

Well for me the reason is those random Force closes and sudden freezes. I mean I know it sounds like just two silly reasons, but when you are in the middle of something, like writing an email in the web browser, and that email is kinda long, then sudden FC of the browser and that's it. I mean it happened with me so many times, that I have given up. (Please don't say try another browser, there is not a single browser on Play I haven't tried!). Also sudden freeze of the device. Suddenly TS stops responding, and sometimes it comes back within some seconds, and sometimes no option other than a manual reboot.
And I will not speak about the lags, Android, by any means, on any given hardware, LAGS. If anyone has a problem to agree with that I certainly don't care. And that Vanilla thingy is just Google's nonsense to attract more kids, nothing else. People have this imaginary thinking that Google phones, with pure Vanilla experience are much faster and smoother, I am talking about Nexus etc lineups, that's just so laughable. My colleague has bought a Nexus 5 last month, and I traded my S4 with him, and after just 3 days I gave him the device back. That device was Good Lord! That display!! :/

That's ironic, because I was just playing Kingdoms & Lords on my Lumia 520 the other night, and it froze on me. I couldn't even turn it off with the power button, I had to take the battery out to reset it. Imagine if it didn't have a removable battery - that would have been a nightmare. I've never had a complete freeze like that on ANY Android device.

When I first started using WP8, I thought it was more stable than Android. But after having played with my Windows phone every day for over a week now, I'd say that WP8 is just as stable as Android 4.4.2. I have a Nexus 5 and I can't recall the last time it froze up or forced closed anything on me. I did download one app that would not open and forced closed whenever I tried to open it, but that was it.

The thing with Android is, it can only grow more stable with each new version. 4.4.2 is the most stable and efficient version of Android yet. And KitKat is optimized to run on 512 MB of RAM, so my gf's Moto G which has 1 GB of RAM feels just as fluid and responsive as my Nexus 5 which has 2 GB of RAM. WP8 on the other hand will never grow beyond its limitations. The fact that you can't move one file to another location is a complete deal breaker for me, as it makes my Windows phone absolutely USELESS for work.

Touchwiz I'm not a fan of. I prefer my Android to be vanilla.

 

[Skinnyman9000]

What are people doing to their android phones to cause lag? The lower spec phones maybe, but then my trial 520 lagged too.

I've got a Nexus 4. Tried WP as I was tempted to switch, but its just not there yet so I'm going for a Nexus 5.

 

[z33dev33l]

I literally didn't have any apps up aside from Kik and the browser and it lagged incessantly and switching into kik caused a full crash. I've never used an android phone that,I didn't have to pull the battery at least once every 48 hours.

 

[Geodude074]

I literally didn't have any apps up aside from Kik and the browser and it lagged incessantly and switching into kik caused a full crash. I've never used an android phone that,I didn't have to pull the battery at least once every 48 hours.

Did you try not using KiK anymore?

Every time I play Kingdoms & Lords on my Lumia 520 it crashes.

 

[z33dev33l]

Did you try not using KiK anymore?

Every time I play Kingdoms & Lords on my Lumia 520 it crashes.

Kik is the only way I stay in contact with some friends. In your case, you're playing a high end game on a low end device that it was not optimized for. In mime, I'm trying to run an app that worked perfect even on my old G1 that is regularly updated on flagship hardware and it causes crashes. That is a testament to how Android works as opposed to Windows Phone.

 

[trinkner]

I'm currently using a Nokia 808 on Symbian. My wife has a Lumia 521, and I've used it a lot to see if I like WP. I've owned an Android in the past.

I moved from Android to Nokia (N82, N8, now 808) because of the fantastic cameras with xenon flashes. On the N8 and 808, I've really appreciated the rock-solid and fast multitasking OS. It's like Android without the lags. Sadly, Nokia let Symbian die.

The main real reason I am considering a Windows Phone is for the quality of the Nokia cameras. No Android or iOS phone has a camera that comes close to the 1020 or 808. Unfortunately, that means I'd have to adopt WP. After using my wife's 521 over the past month, I thought I could deal nicely with WP. I like the aesthetics and most of the apps I want exist already. But then I started doing more research into the type of usage I'd want from my phone (and which I can't test on my wife's phone, since I'd ruin her set up.)

The problem for me is that forum after forum lists the many ways that the WP OS is buggy or is missing core functionality taken for granted on other OSs.

Key bugs:

1. Duplication of music files and amazing hurdles to put music onto your phone's memory and SD card. This is a complete deal breaker for me, as I'll have around 80GB of music on the phone and use the phone as much as an MP3 player as a communications device.
2. Duplication of photo images.

Key deficiencies:

1. No sound profiles.
2. No way to automate sound profiles (I need my phone to automatically go silent and then back to normal at different times each day, according to my weekly schedule).
3. No differentiation between sound volumes (I know this should be coming in 8.1).
4. Too much screen real estate given to overly large Metro titles. I like the concept, but wish the title fonts were smaller. Often on my wife's phone I feel claustrophobic because there isn't enough real estate given over to content. I seem endlessly to be scrolling.
5. IE is awful. I dread it when WP apps launch IE to show their content.
6. WP seems to be trying to be a gamer or kid's phone, with the emphasis on xbox. I like games, too, but don't use an xbox. Why do I need to see "xbox" on key apps, like music or videos? This isn't really a deficiency in functionality, but a marketing oddity. By all means have an xbox app, but don't conflate the xbox brand with listening to music on the phone.
7. WP's APIs are too locked-down. I've read probably 100 app pages on the WIndows Phone Store, and so many user comments ask developers for features the developers can't deliver because the APIs aren't available.
8. NFC capabilities show promise, but are nearly useless because of the lack of APIs. If you want to use an NFC tag to put your phone to silent, for example, you as the user still have to press a confirmation button, which takes away the whole point of automating through NFC.
9. No file manager. On Symbian and Android you can move files around to your heart's content. I realize that MS wants to protect the user from deleting system files, etc. Still, MS could let us manipulate our own data files, while still walling off access to system files.
10. Inability to attach arbitrary files to an email. This one really mystifies me.
11. No ability to use .m3u playlists. Again, these work just fine on Symbian and Android.
12. Most apps are updated far less frequently on WP than on Android. As said by others, the WP apps typically have fewer features than on Android.
13. The Windows Phone store allows for user comments, but not for developers to respond. I really like how Google has allowed developers to respond to every user review on the Play store. This allows developers to improve users' experiences, and also gives the prospective app buyer a sense of how responsible a developer is.

There's a lot to like about WP. The aesthetics are truly lovely. The phone (even the 521) is relatively fast. The live tiles are pretty, and seem useful (although I get identical functionality from home-screen widgets on Symbian).

I guess my overall feeling is that Google cares more about the user experience. They're constantly tinkering with their product to improve it. Microsoft has created a very pretty OS, but I feel like they'll constantly be stepping in my way to prevent me from doing what I want to do. I also feel like MS is not responsive to user requests, or at least not quick at it. It does sound like 8.1 will address a lot of users' biggest concerns, so that's a step in the right direction. I don't like the notion of Google using my usage data, and for that reason I'd love to go with a WP. But the inconveniences and bugs listed above seem too much to deal with.

I'll stay on my 808 until WP 8.1 comes out. Maybe enough APIs will be exposed to allow developers (or me) to create automated sound profiles. Maybe MS will fix the music file duplication bug, although they acknowledged it long ago and haven't fixed it over the past several OS updates. Maybe another manufacturer (Sony?) will finally come out with a cameraphone to rival Nokia.