Windows Phone 8.1 vs Android 4.4.2

[finbaar]

Look, WP stutters. I don't get this smooth reputation that it has garnered. And it lags terribly. In Android things open almost immediately but not so with my WP8.1 device.....

........resuming.

I will be running back to Android in the summer and I wont be looking back.

 

[chezm]

Look, WP stutters. I don't get this smooth reputation that it has garnered. And it lags terribly. In Android things open almost immediately but not so with my WP8.1 device.....

........resuming.

I will be running back to Android in the summer and I wont be looking back.

you must be using a low end model or have issues with your WP device because mine, even on 8.1 DP, runs smooth...no "stutters" or "lags terribly".

If you run back to Android make sure you go with a device that runs stock

 

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

He is talking about a os that is not even officially released (8.1) and isn't fully ready for the mainstream. So if you want to judge a os, keep it fair.

 

[tgp]

Look, WP stutters. I don't get this smooth reputation that it has garnered. And it lags terribly. In Android things open almost immediately but not so with my WP8.1 device.....

........resuming.

I wouldn't say that WP stutters, but I do see ...resuming way too much. WP has a lot of wasted time with animation and/or ...resuming. I do like how it's consistent though. It's not slow, and not fast. It's what I call mediocre, but acceptable.

 

[carlos12001]

I'm currently using a Nexus 5 running Android 4.4.2 as my daily driver. Am also using a HTC 8X running WP 8.1 PDP as my secondary device so I'm really platform agnostic. Here's my opinion..

Android 4.4 Is butter smooth for the most part. It's as fluid as iOS or Windows Phone. There's no noticeable lag. What makes Android famous for its 'lag' is the OEM's customizations. Like Touchwiz and Sense (to a lesser extent). The Nexus 5 obviously runs of vanilla android so I don't experience any significant lag.

In many ways, Android 4.4 is ahead of WP 8.1. There are more things you can do on Android then on WP. To me WP 8.1 = Android 4.1. Microsoft has done a great job with WP 8.1 but it still isn't as feature packed as Android 4.4.

Since using my Nexus 5, I've never missed any features on my HTC 8X except for the People Hub integration with FB and Twitter. Whatever I don't like on Android, I can simply download app to remedy my problem. Customization is an integral part of Android that I absolutely love.

Moving forward, I hope WP gets more customization options. e.g. setting default apps for playing music, videos web browsing etc.

Make no mistake though, I still support WP and will get one (probably the Lumia 930) in the near future. I would also urge WP fanboys to try out a Google branded devices to experience the real power of Android without any lags

My n7 was laggy, before the screen broke, Poorly made too.

 

[chezm]

I wouldn't say that WP stutters, but I do see ...resuming way too much. WP has a lot of wasted time with animation and/or ...resuming. I do like how it's consistent though. It's not slow, and not fast. It's what I call mediocre, but acceptable.

you're using a 520, my friend has one too and i would agree with you...but the higher end models perform MUCH BETTER in comparison. Not being defensive, we all see the "Resuming..." here and there...im seeing it a lot LESS on 8.1 DP L1020.

 

[AngrySprintUser]

That's the rub here. With WP8.1, MS is changing the things that made it different (integration), but don't yet have the apps to make up for it. Unless there's a huge influx of feature-laden apps, this is a tough nut to crack.

Integration was one of the major selling points for me on WP, but it looks like they're going away from that which is annoying.

 

[tgp]

you're using a 520, my friend has one too and i would agree with you...but the higher end models perform MUCH BETTER in comparison. Not being defensive, we all see the "Resuming..." here and there...im seeing it a lot LESS on 8.1 DP L1020.

I actually use a 920 as well, and that's what I was referring to. Like I said, it's not slow or fast. It's mediocre.

 

[Ezhik]

Hmm...
WP7.5 is like Gingerbread: a little old, but it was the golden standard.
WP8.0 is Honeycomb: not really there yet, but a sign of things to come
WP8.1 is Ice Cream Sandwich: the OS is beginning to show what it is truly capable of.

We still have a long way to go, but we've come very far. And although there are still gaps in things like app parity, they are getting filled, as the OS matures and people start to notice it.

I'd go out and say that the OS can easily be used by most people as their daily driver - although do stay away if you are using Google's ecosystem.

 

[MazoMark]

I wouldn't say that WP stutters, but I do see ...resuming way too much. WP has a lot of wasted time with animation and/or ...resuming. I do like how it's consistent though. It's not slow, and not fast. It's what I call mediocre, but acceptable.

I have both an Icon running DP 8.1 and a Moto X on 4.4.2, so I think I have good appreciation of both platforms.

I agree with your comment. WP seems to use transition too much. I just want the app to open, not watch the tile flip. That said, the user experience is very consistent and the integration with MS products is good. WP does a lot well, but it hasn't reached KitKat level yet in my opinion.

Areas where I think KitKat excels:

• Google Now is still better at giving me info before I need it than Cortana. I think Cortana is a fantastic beta, but it still needs a lot more functionality before I would find it as useful as Google Now on a business trip.
• KitKat notification center still the best. WP needs to add ability to delete individual mail messages - not an entire inbox.
• Settings - WP has no organization while Android is organizied into categories and alphabetized within categories. This is a simple fix and something WP needs to do in next update.
• Apps - WP has come a long, long way in the last 12 months in adding most of key apps, but they still are lacking in functionality. For example, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I've searched WP for a good podcasting app, and the best I've found is Podcast Lounge, and it wouldn't even make top 10 list on Android. Pocketcasts or Doggcatcher on Android have tons more functionality. I also listen to audiobooks on Audible. The WP Audible app just isn't as stable or reliable as the one on Android. The WP Audible app loses place in books on a regular basis.
• App store - I find it challenging to find apps on WP Store. Sometimes even when I know name of app, I have hard time finding it (and making sure it is the one I'm looking for and not a knock off). Maybe I don't know all the secrets yet of WP, but this seems to be a problem area.

Areas where WP wins:

• Mail app - I like how it keeps threads organized and makes it simple to delete entire threads. Far better than Android mail.
• Office integration - I use Office 365 for work and this really is great on WP.
• Camera - partly hardware, but also software as well. Nokia has done a fantastic job here.
• Nokia apps - almost of all of Nokia apps are top notch. Here Drive is very well done.

I will continue to use both WP and Android. I enjoy both platforms. I'm pulling for WP to continue to improve.

​

 

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

I believe that there is no real comparison.
Both has their pro's and con's
It all depents on what you do with it and how you use it.
And you cant count 8.1 in this race, becaus its stil under development and 4.4.2 isn't
Droid comes with many preinstalled apps, for those who use them its great but for others its called bloat.
The biggest handycapp of Droid is the OS itself, it almost needs a supercharged pocketcomputer only to run the OS smoothly.
The OS is only needed for the main operations of your Phone, to start a phonecall or to launch a app.
If your Phone already has a big load of running only the OS than it alsmost must have a deathstrugle of running a heavy app
A lot of apps in the GPlaystore dont even work correctly, not only because they are outdated or abandoned,
but there are to mutch differand kind of hardware.
Just look at the devices of one or two years ago, they hardly getting anny support.
I got a P5100 Tablet, also know as a tab 2, quite expensive but already called obsolete, no updates no support
The only way to keep them alive is trough custom roms, made by diehard fans and developers, not by Google/Android
Android is a nice OS, but in their race of succes they forget the ones who spend their money on the last years models.
I got two Samsung Gio's and a Htc desire, al in good shape, but almost useless, okay they are low end, but what with the S1 and the S2..the higher segment, they are also dead and buried by Google/Android.
Droid is good, but only for the highend models and for howlong? a year? ( if you are Lucky ).
Now i look at my cheapass L 520 Started with WP8 ( Gdr1 ) soon after that Gdr 2 Amber, and now running official Gdr3 Black and is in the race of WP8.1 and that for a 100$ Phone, Bravo MS they dont forget their last years models.
( just for the record it has run on WP8.1 DP, but downgrade it back to 8, had no issues on 8.1 ).
I like the freedom of Droid, only for sideloading apk files.
But hate their lack of support.
But tell me, if Droid is truly the holy grail and the answer to all things, why are people always driven to root there device or using a custom rom.
Is that because Droid is so great or does it really miss something.
I know the answer, because i have bein there.
There are a lot of apps who just don't work on a unrooted phone or tablet, call it a flaw in the system but it stil proofs that even Droid is not perfect.
Wp has its shortcommings, but the things that does work, works great, wish i could say the same about Android.

 

[Jazmac]

I'm currently using a Nexus 5 running Android 4.4.2 as my daily driver. Am also using a HTC 8X running WP 8.1 PDP as my secondary device so I'm really platform agnostic. Here's my opinion..

Android 4.4 Is butter smooth for the most part. It's as fluid as iOS or Windows Phone. There's no noticeable lag. What makes Android famous for its 'lag' is the OEM's customizations. Like Touchwiz and Sense (to a lesser extent). The Nexus 5 obviously runs of vanilla android so I don't experience any significant lag.

I have the HTC M8 in my house. Its running 4.4. I'm a big fan of the HTC M8. I can feel the tug of the device every time I see it. (my son owns one and he had a demo it gave to me for a few days) The M8 is really nice. However, even with all its quads and latest OS, there is lag, especially flipping between screens. Its not hardly noticeable, its noticeable! Doesn't mean the phone itself isn't bangin' because it is. But you can skip the "no lag" talking point because between the google's best effort in 4.4, they still can't do what MS has been able to do, in terms of lag. Even my one and only google tablet running pure ICS has lag

 

[DJCBS]

There's one VERY IMPORTANT feature that makes WP8.1 better than Android 4.4.2 KitKat:

- On WP8.1 you can securely save apps to microSD cards. Which means, if you have a low end phone, you can still usefully expand your storage. As of 4.4.2, Google screwed up Android and removed that ability from it. Which means Android phones running 4.4.2 KitKat can NOT save apps to the microSD card, which means low end phones are very very limited and even flagships like Sony's Xperia Z line, become suddenly less good. Because they released all the Xperia phones with 16GB which was OK since you had the microSD card slot. Except as of 4.4.2 that card slot became basically useless to actually expand the memory of the phone.

 

[Pierre Blackwell]

Like a lot of the commenters here, I'd have t agree with it being about perception. For example, if there wasn't a notification center for Andriod, how else could you have a fast and fluid way to be notified about your information? With WP you always had the live tiles which even before the action center provide more fluid information from that apps most important to you. Now with action center that is magnified with ease of access for wifi, airplane mode, and things like that. I've asked friends on both iOS and Andriod, how fast can you send out a group email to your closest friends on facebook, or see what your sister posted on twitter, while looking at what your wife posted on Facebook? That answer is you can't without opening both apps. Like one person posted, this is what makes WP unique. Somone mentioned about Myfitness Pal. I actually liked that app, but if you looked at Bing Health and Fitness, you might not want to use Myfitness Pal again. We are creatures of habit, and sometimes breaking those habits are harder then making new ones. WP doesn't have all the apps, and some of the renditions aren't as good, but they have some apps that are just flat out better. 6tag is better then instagram on any platform. Mix radio was so good on WP that Nokia made it available for Andriod, but it's still not better. Off line navigation on Here Drive and Here +. Drive mode native to the phone that turns on the moment you start you vehicle to shut off all incoming notifications. Cortana that even in beta is on par with Siri and Google Now. A photo experience that has been on top since Nokia released the 920 over two years ago. The best start screen display of any platfrom. If you noticed iOS 7 adoped flat displays, and the HTC One seems to have live tile like functionality.

To fully accept WP from Andriod or iOS you're going to have to fully except a different approach to what you're used to. A lot of people that I work with who have complained about Andriods myraid of apps included at purchase of the phone that you can't delete, or stoping certain apps from running in the background, or finding out how the widgets work. Yet, the shear look of how foreign WP looks, is enough to keep them with what they have dispite the complaints. Just like moving from Windows 7 to Windows 8. It seemed like such an evolutionary jump because of the appearance. As for apps like Hangout, the Rooms feature on WP is far more integratable and connected, you just need to have Windows Phones to show it.
I had a gmail account when I bought my first Andriod as you needed one to set it up. I really never used it, because I still had yahoo. I did like that fluidity that it seemed to have with everything else google. I had a hotmail account that I used a little with yahoo upgrading their service and when I purchased my WP I created a Live account. I like how easy I was able to integrate everything with my live account to include my outlook account which I used at work so things were easy to understand. Skype integrates completely with your MS account and with Cortana integration, it will start to show it's true potential. Another reason why I think WP got away from the whole Me tile integration was to open the doors for Skype messenger to take a more prominant role. We'll see.

The one thing I can say is while Andriod and iOS are on top, you best believe they hear WP coming up from behind.

 

[taymur]

I would like to click a link of lets say Instagram, that I found on twitter, or the IE, then wooop, Instagram opens by itself. rather than just opening a web page.of course that goes for all the apps. I whish all the apps worked like this.

 

[taymur]

I have the HTC M8 in my house. Its running 4.4. I'm a big fan of the HTC M8. I can feel the tug of the device every time I see it. (my son owns one and he had a demo it gave to me for a few days) The M8 is really nice. However, even with all its quads and latest OS, there is lag, especially flipping between screens. Its not hardly noticeable, its noticeable! Doesn't mean the phone itself isn't bangin' because it is. But you can skip the "no lag" talking point because between the google's best effort in 4.4, they still can't do what MS has been able to do, in terms of lag. Even my one and only google tablet running pure ICS has lag

My 920 lags a lot with WP8 and WP8.1. the only real smooth os was WP7, let us all WP fans just forget the lag argument, as it is no longer valid.

 

[Muessig]

My 920 lags a lot with WP8 and WP8.1. the only real smooth os was WP7, let us all WP fans just forget the lag argument, as it is no longer valid.

Sounds like you might need to give your device a hard reset. My 920 runs buttery smooth and always has.

 

[wpgeek820]

My brother has a Nexus 4 - no lag even after 8 months of use. Android isn't really that laggy when it comes to high end devices.

 

[Jazmac]

Sounds like you might need to give your device a hard reset. My 920 runs buttery smooth and always has.

Same here. My Lumia 920 with 8.1 still performs smoothly without lag anywhere. Yes, a hard reset might be in order.

 

[TechFreak1]

I might get an android phone and use it on the side to check what actually is now missing first hand. "To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy", or something.. cant remember the exact proverb LOL.