So, after all, do you like your Windows Phone?

[Parishrut]

I got my new Lumia 525 a few days ago and I really don't know what to make of it. Perhaps an extended period of use and comparing it with the Androids of my friends would enlighten me.

But one thing is certain. The phone never makes me go, "Ah! What a wonderful OS! Glad I bought a Windows Phone!" unlike many of the Windows Phone users I have taken recommendations from.

The whole of the OS and the apps feel very closed down and one dimensional. The games are as good as anywhere else, but apps are below par. The lack of website apps is frustrating. Even one of the big features of the phone, the Microsoft Office app, is way too minimal. Same goes for all Microsoft apps and the apps that came with the phone, like, say, Outlook; it does not even give the the basic functionality of selecting 'all' the messages so that I can mark them as read, and I end up with a '999' counter on the live tile! Same goes with IE. There are a lot of other issues.

So, do you love your Windows Phone? What is it that like about your Windows Phone?

 

[Athull]

I've been using the 620 for over a year now and yes initially I didn't find the is as exciting as many said it was but once i spent a month or two with the phone i started loving it for the fact of its simplicity.
I did have some very annoying missing features initially, like lack of notification centre and quick toggles but with 8.1 running on my phone now all those features are added and what's more u got the witty and funny Cortana to spent time with when ur bored.
The best part of owning a WP was the feeling, that I am being part of a loyal community which is growing slowly and steadily and I get to be a part of it in every step it takes.

 

[prasath1234]

I love Windows phone but not lumia 820. It is the worst.mid range phone in the world.its maybe because of pathetic battery backup.otherwise I love Windows phone .

Sent from my C2305 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[Athull]

I love Windows phone but not lumia 820. It is the worst.mid range phone in the world.its maybe because of pathetic battery backup.otherwise I love Windows phone .

Sent from my C2305 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

620 is even worse lol, but I don't mind it that much since I have a charger by my side just abt everyday.

 

[christos michalopoulos]

Sold iphone 5s for NOKIA lumia 1520. Best phone i ever had.

 

[prasath1234]

Hmm but I believe phone should have good battery backup or else so called smartphone is myth.

Sent from my C2305 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[prasath1234]

From hereafter i will only go for smartphones that has battery life of 1 day with all day internet connectivity.I learnt a lesson from lumia 820 alias wall hugger.:thumbdown::banghead:

Sent from my C2305 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[Ian Too]

Parishrut, it really sounds like you are trying to judge too soon and trying to compare Windows Phone to Android. WP is not Android and that is one of the good things about it. WP is meant to be more restricted than Android because one of the biggest security flaws in mobile computing is reading this post. Apple recognised this and Microsoft have followed their lead because the VAST majority of users really don't need the 'freedom' to do things they don't even understand.

I find your comment about Office to be bizarre. I deal with a lot of documents and while it is useful to be able to start or edit a document on a phone, I wouldn't want to restrict myself by writing through the tiny screen of a mobile - and I use a Lumia 920. Do you like eyestrain? Also, what word processing options are there on Android that compare to Office on WP?

I will never own an Android device. Part of the reason for that is that I don't want to be exposed to malware and 97% of mobile malware is on Android, which has become the new Windows: ubiquitous, clunky and unsafe. It proves the old adage that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Reason two is bloatware; when the Galaxy S4 was released there were complaints that on a 16GB device, over half of that was taken up by the OS and Samsung's own software, which hardly anyone uses. You can always fit an SD card, but haven't you just forked out on a phone? Surely the device should meet your needs, not Samsung's? Windows Phone is free of this junk. However, by far the biggest reason for not getting Android is Google. Do you really want Google to track your movements, all the while leaking that to the NSA, GCHQ or whatever organisation that can use it? Do you really want Google scanning your email so they can build a profile of you to target you with advertising? In George Orwell's 1984 the enemy was the state, but couldn't it be any organisation with a vested interest? I'm not saying Google are evil, but they are too intrusive and I'm not going to give them the opportunity to become evil.

Whether you like WP, Parishut will depend less well on how good it is, but on whether it meets your needs. I am a practical man and have little patience with gimmicks and things that go wrong. My main use for my Lumia is to help me run my life and for that I need a really good calendar, because I work a rotating shift and need to know months in advance whether I'm at work on a particular day to book that day off for a concert or family event. Using Outlook.com I can program my rota as a series of appointments which repeat every nine days and this calendar is automatically synchronised with my Lumia and all my PCs. It all works without any hiccups and I have multiple calendars for different thinks like Formula 1 or the British Touring Car Championships which I can share with my friends and it all just works.

Below is proof of the pudding: This picture shows part of my WP start screen. You can see the local weather, how many emails I have to read, how many of certain podcast episodes I have to listen to, a week view of my appointments with the light block showing when I'm at work and other tiles showing information I want on a background I designed myself. Of course the tiles are live, So you can't see the list of my next five appointments or the current weather conditions or even more headlines than onscreen.

I have made Windows Phone work for me. I have what I want in a way I can personalise on a system run by a company I feel I can trust.

Why wouldn't I be happy?

 

[Iron Mew]

Voted "not very pleased".

It meets the absolute minimum requirements for functionality and for this reason it's usable, but it has nothing above said bare minimum. It is a system made for Joe Average, and if average needs are all you have then you'll probably be pleased. However, if your needs exceed those, then you won't be able to satisfy them.

Here's an example: using Android I can replace the stock keyboard with any number of different ones, and many of those use more efficient typing systems than bad ol' qwerty. Here's another one: if you're often near a computer and you'd like to use its physical, full-size keyboard to quickly type Whatsapp messages on your phone, on Android all you do is download an app on the phone, one on the computer and sync them up. On WinPhone you can't ever type on anything that isn't its stock keyboard - it doesn't even support bluetooth ones.

Now, keyboards are my own personal peeve against WinPhone, but even if you're satisfied with the stock one there are still many other limitations on WP (just one off the top of my head is the lack of a file manager).

WinPhone is a system for the tech-illiterate. In that niche it works perfectly - you can't miss specific features if you don't know you want them in the first place. But if you have a tech-friendly attitude it'll probably disappoint you in one way or another.

I intend to give my 520 to my mom soon and switch back to Android. It may be less efficient and messier, but I can do what I want on it.

 

[kylezangel]

For me, windows phone keeps on surprising me, and with 8.1 on, I don't think I'll ever change. Back last year I was getting my second smartphone. I had been previously been using a blackberry curve 9300(ugh) and felt it was time for an upgrade. So looking at all the local stores, it was fun seeing all the good stuff. But because of my budget, there weren't many options, mainly lagdroids that felt cheap. So I gave up. A month later I saw the windows phone interface on a 520, and I was astounded. A clean, fun, colorful UI, no lag at all, and most importantly, budget friendly. So I got it. And was pleased. But wanted more. So this year I got a used 820. Sure it had a scratch on the screen, but as an upgrade, it was astounding. Faster and beautiful. And now in a new school, it stands out among the androids and iPhones, and I actually like that.

And now rocking 8.1, I'm happier than ever. Sure, battery life could be better, but for me, all the major boxes are ticked. Photography, colorful, DIFFERENT.

So now I wait in anticipation as Nokia/MS prepares their next line of phones, and with any luck, I'm sure I'll be astounded. And if I'm not? Well, there's always the 1520 to start saving for. #morecolorful

 

[thron]

First month just passed with WP, my 3rd smartphone.
I've had Samsung & Blackberry.. WP is by far my favorite.

 

[Edward_g]

I like my Windows Phone more every day. Don't want a green robot or a fruit phone.

 

[rabit1]

I Like it a lot compared to Android or IOS. But can sometimes also be annoying as it's missing a lot of thing.

- Just yesterday I was trying to access my network folders, but WP doesn't seem to have this feature. I think it should've been built-in.
- App choices
- IE is too simple

 

[LockOnTech]

Have my lumia 521 for a few months, i like it. This has to be the most amusing phone i own, this is my first windows phone; it is defiantly more amusing than other operating systems i used.

 

[sumton]

i love my windows phone and im happy with it but i want more, in another word i want to know what will they add in the next version :smile:

 

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

Don't like my 625 at all. I'm still waiting for the next generation 1520 that will hopefully be released in Canada. Until then my Lenovo ThinkPad 8 will have to keep me happy. Just hoping for phone to pc texting with the 8.1 update. That would make things better.

 

[L Beezy]

I love my L920 with WP8.1 and waiting for a dedicated upgrade of it. I use it as my daily driver over my N5 and iPhone 5c simply because I it does exactly what I need it to do on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I love my N5 and my 5c is great too (which technically it's not mine anymore because my 12 year old has taken it over as if it's hers--iPhones are a pre-teen and teenage fad I've noticed).

I left Apple for Android because I got tired of jailbreaking just to get the functionality I wanted, and I was getting tired of rooting Android just to get decent stability, so I decided to get a WP--which for me was a little bland, besides the live tiles, until GDR3 came about and now 8.1 has made it significantly better. I can see myself continuing my trek with WP for some time.

 

[DJ FatCat]

Yes, but could be better. Expectin' more from the forthcoming WP8.1 :smile:

 

[christos michalopoulos]

I just love ❤ my Lumia 1520 and I found MSFT os intuitive and beautiful. I just wish that my outlook mail stops stuck syncing.

 

[Aniket Mhatre]

I love my Lumia 620 alot but now I am switching to Lumia 920 for better specs and for better gaming performance.