My windows vs Android experience

Felix Wong

New member
Apr 18, 2014
27
0
0
Visit site
I'm interested to hear more about the launcher and widgets you reference. I took a lot of time last weekend really de-googlefying my S8. While I'm now running as much of an MS experience on Android as I could get setup (Outlook, Cortana, Onedrive, Office, Groove, Arrow launcher, OneNote, To-Do, Skype Preview and Skype for Business, MSN News, MSN Money, MSN Sports, etc.) but....I REALLY miss Live Tiles and UI consistency. Can you share detail, maybe a screenshot, of what you've done with your UX?

Your original question was to EliteMikes, but here's a photo of SquareHome 2 launcher's live tiles on my Moto G4:

microsoft-edition-moto-g4.jpg

It is free, has no ads, and I do not have any of the premium features installed. Even without them, it can make Android's UI look and feel very similar to Windows phones.

To be honest, its "live tiles" using SquareHome are actually better than on Windows 10 Mobile. They are more configurable in regards to size, color, transparency, and even font size. They are more robust in that the notifications don't get "stuck" on the tile when you have read, say, an email or Instagram message, as they often did for me in W10M.

Even better, the notifications and badges clear on the live tile when you swipe away the notifications in the Notification Center! You can also "turn off" live tiles for applications, something you can do in W10 for PC but not W10M.

Some of my "tiles" are actually Android widgets. This includes the tiles for Photos, Outlook calendar, Groove Music, and MSN Weather. You can embed these widgets in the tiles and shrink them down as I did so they don't look totally ugly.

Here's a quick YouTube video I posted of SquareHome's tile flipping, badges, and notifications: https://youtu.be/OytBJXzIMn8

I have no association with the SquareHome launcher. I am only sharing my honest opinion as it has "saved" Android for me, being a Windows phone user/fan since 2012.
 
Last edited:

Drael646464

New member
Apr 2, 2017
2,219
0
0
Visit site
Your original question was to EliteMikes, but here's a photo of SquareHome 2 launcher's live tiles on my Moto G4:

View attachment 135515

It is free, has no ads, and I do not have any of the premium features installed. Even without them, it can make Android's UI look and feel very similar to Windows phones.

To be honest, its "live tiles" using SquareHome are actually better than on Windows 10 Mobile. They are more configurable in regards to size, color, transparency, and even font size. They are more robust in that the notifications don't get "stuck" on the tile when you have read, say, an email or Instagram message, as they often did for me in W10M.

Even better, the notifications and badges clear on the live tile when you swipe away the notifications in the Notification Center! You can also "turn off" live tiles for applications, something you can do in W10 for PC but not W10M.

Some of my "tiles" are actually Android widgets. This includes the tiles for Photos, Outlook calendar, Groove Music, and MSN Weather. You can embed these widgets in the tiles and shrink them down as I did so they don't look totally ugly.

Here's a quick YouTube video I posted of SquareHome's tile flipping, badges, and notifications: https://youtu.be/OytBJXzIMn8

I have no association with the SquareHome launcher. I am only sharing my honest opinion as it has "saved" Android for me, being a Windows phone user/fan since 2012.

that looks like a dogs breakfast. Can you at least kill the brown?
 

svknet

New member
Jan 31, 2013
159
0
0
Visit site
I switched from Windows Phone Lumia 830 to Android Moto Z Play. My observations below-

Apps: Surely better and consistent on Android compared to WP. E.g Facebook and even LinkedIn apps are way lot better on Android. LinkedIn search never worked for me on WP, but on Android it works flawless. Besides some of local apps are available only on Android.

Maps: Maps for my Country/City was very inconsistent in WP. It never detected my home location correctly. It display my location name as some other place which was 4-5 Km away from me. This location issue affected apps like Weather, cab booking (Uber) and e-com (Amazon) as all apps also detected my location incorrectly. Google Maps detects my location accurately.

Media Players: MX Player on Android plays almost everything without hang/lag while WP struggled to play some video formats.
 

Glenn Ruysschaert

New member
Jan 26, 2014
74
0
0
Visit site
I had the following Windows Phones/Mobile before switching to Android: Xperia X1 (WM6.1), HTC HD7, Lumia 920, Lumia 1320, Lumia 930, Lumia 1520 and Lumia 950XL. So safe to say I used WP/M a lot.

The 950XL was my last WP, before making the switch to OnePlus 3T.

How does it affect me as an app developer?
I published over 20 apps to the WP store, with several having thousands of users. None of my apps have ads, and there are only I think 2 paid apps among them. Even with all the user, the revenue on the store is abysmal. The other apps are a 'free to use, but donate if you can' model. And barely anyone donates, even if the app is rated 4+ stars on the store. So it's a good app, but people using WP just don't want to give money to developers. And no revenue on the store means no apps, so WP users are partially to blame for the downfall of WP. They don't want to spend money in the store but expect high quality apps from top developers, it just doesn't work that way.

I maybe made 100 euro in revenue from the store, but if I subtract the costs I made to make the apps I'm making a loss. If you'd count how much money it would've took to make the apps by average wages, I'm making thousands of euros loss.

So there isn't much incentive to build for WP or W10, as it will cost money instead of earning money.

Also, the API's are too restricted compared to iOS and Android. I develop apps for all three platforms, but will only be updating the Windows updates to fix major bugs. I'm now turning my attention to Android (and partially iOS).

What do I miss the most?
The live tiles, I'm using the Arrow Launcher by Microsoft on my 3T, but you just can"t compare it to live tiles. They're great for an at a glance view, and don't compare to Android widgets. The only upside of Android widgets is that you can interact with them, which is not possible with live tiles.

How about the notifications?
Notifications on Android are miles ahead, there's so much you can do with them. Developers can fully customize them so they have loads of functionality.
The phone also actually alerts me with traffic info, weather updates, ... that are reliable. Unlike Cortana who did it when she was in a good mood, the 3T does it always at the right times (when I actually need it).

Apps?
They're all there. And they work, very very well. No crashing, loading/resuming..., fully featured. There's no comparison to the WP apps.

Voice assistant?
Cortana is good, but Ok Google is better at tracking conversations. The only thing that doesn't work is saying 'Ok Google' when the screen is locked, because this only works on Google phones.

Camera?
Fast and works well, no loading/resuming... before it launches.

Glance screen?
Is also available, and is much more useful. The best feature about it is that you can draw gestures on the phone to perform actions. For example drawing a V on your locked phone (so screen is completely black) toggles the flashlight. Drawing || with two fingers play/pauses the music, > plays the next song, ...

Bluetooth?
Amazing. It actually works without having to reboot the phone. It always automatically connects within a reasonable time to things like my car, without having to touch the phone.
The best thing about it is 'trusted devices', these are bluetooth devices that stop your phone from locking. So for example when you add your car as a trusted device, you can double tap to unlock your phone while driving. It won't ask for your PIN or fingerprint.
When you disconnect from the car, you'll need to enter your PIN or fingerprint again to unlock your phone.

All in all, I wouldn"t turn back to WP unless it's at least as good as an Android, feature and app wise.
 

mturk1995

New member
May 29, 2014
5
0
0
Visit site
I switched to android for about 3 weeks, for apps off course, after the 3rd week i couldnt handle this awful os and switched back to windows mobile with my lumia 950 xl, i mean really all i need from my phone to capture great photos, no android does it, the z5 couldnt and its a high end phone, when i switched back, windows os is so flued and the camera never fails you im really sad for what is happening to this great os!
 

damonator98

New member
May 15, 2014
112
0
0
Visit site
Previous windows phones: lumia 520, 800, 820, 920, 640, 640 xl, 535, 630.
(Used ~4 years)

Previous android phones: Galaxy s1, Nexus 4, xperia z2, galaxy s3, lg g3.
(used ~1 year)

So as you can see I used both os'es enough to form an opinion.

I wrote about my feelings towards wp in lumia forum, so I'll keep it simple: Windows phone and wm10 are gorgeus,well designed (i just like this design language). Phones that carry it have some of the best designs out there (I really like those colors and polycarbonate for some reason). BUT. Yes there's always that 'but'. It's quite useless in 2017... Yes I said it, and although many state otherwise, as much as I like the design of phones and os, I can't deny the fact that it has completely lost to competition and is behind it. Things in the future may change, but as of now apps matter. And apps is excatly the reason all of my friends and last year also me, have abandoned wp. It lacks even the most basic apps like messenger now, yes, you can argue, that flagships in wm10 with 2gb ram have it. But I don't want to pay 200$ for a phone just to be able to use messenger while I can pay 50$ for galaxy s3, flash lineage os and have something similar to 920, but with apps and cheaper (yup, sammys design is inferior to 920, but again, for 50$, who cares?).
I was a big fan of wp, but it never really took of. It's not someones fault, this just happened, people didn't adopt it as much as they could.

I live in EU, so wp was quite a thing here and I could spot a lot of wps few years ago, but as microsoft was slowly abandoning wp, numbers started to shrink. Many off famous features like cortana were never brought to my region (I'm really upset about it), not even the english version for some reason *urge to swear a lot intensifies*. And many apps are restricted to us for the same unclear reason.

So one day I decided that I simply had enough. Started using android, and liked it really much (closer to stock, the better). I could tinker with my phone so much more (I'm that kind of guy that likes to set up my own clock in my favourite corner of home screen). I missed good parts of wp, but in android there's always something to replace thing you lack. I got really comfortable with android, but few days ago my G3 broke and i had to get back to lumia 630 and it's agonizing so far... It's good to look at but lacking to work with.

Summary:

Wp is lacking as of today, but I hope that one day it'll improve or at least vanish for good.
 
Last edited:

raycpl

Active member
Apr 6, 2013
6,107
16
38
Visit site
The one and only reason I'll ever get an android will be if I get a drone (or someone gifts me one)..

I have testing out a mavic pro... Sadly one can only attach an android or iPhone to the console as visual feed when piloting it

... !!
 

anton267

New member
Dec 2, 2011
18
0
0
Visit site
I'm still using a Lumia 950 as my primary phone, which means making calls, working with my company's Exchange-based email, calendar and address book, and using the camera for random shoots in my travels. BUT I need an extra device to assist me in covering the app gap and for this I am using a second device, an Android with a data-only SIM. First, I need a number of travel apps (Tripit, CWT, Kayak, Google Trips, App in the air, PackPoint, airbnb) which are either crippled or do not exist in Windows. Second batch of apps includes e-banking and NFC wallet apps which (in my country) only exist in Android or iOS. Without these apps I would have to carry around plastic credit cards or cash, and stand in bank queues. Third bach includes social media apps (facebook, swarm, pinterest, snapchat etc) which again are either crippled or do not exist in Windows. For example the ability for facebook live feed or 360 photos is amazingly popular in my cycle and I cannot be left out.
 
Aug 6, 2013
37
0
0
Visit site
Putting it simple, I left Windows 10 Mobile because Microsoft decided to develop a product for enterprises and I am not one. Enterprises need basic functionality so their workers can work (it's not designed so they can have fun). The OS is Damn pretty but Damn unstable and unreliable. The app gap was never an issue as most of the time we had alternatives that were even better than official apps. Windows 10 Mobile was a failure because MS thought about PC and Xbox One more than they did on Phones. That is understandable because PC and Xbox are great revenue sources... but they should have made a polished, enhanced version of windows phone 8.1 and label it as windows 10 Mobile that might have been better than this W10 Mobile atrocity.

Android is not perfect but it is definitely better than Windows 10 Mobile (Not better than Windows Phone 8.1 leaving apps apart) I decided to buy a Oneplus 3T and I am very happy with it. Would I return to Windows Phone? Sure, if they make good decisions as a matter of fact I am keeping a mid range Windows Phone just to see how they start making things better. Obviousy that phone will not be my daily driver but I will check the platform every now and then. Would I advise everyone to leave Windows Phone? Not at all, I think it is a personal decision, I think it is really a bad thing urging people to leave the platform... If you are comfortable, that's cool. If you're not... It's your choice whether you stay or not. Wise people would not even suggest it.
 

jcar302

New member
Mar 10, 2012
107
0
0
Visit site
I've been using a galaxy s7 for about 10 months now, from an 830.

The things I've liked better than windows phone is the available apps and the browser.

The things I miss are:
Dedicated camera button
Windows keyboard (at some point Samsung updated their keyboard and made the auto correct horrible)
Battery life is already degrading on the s7 and it's not even a year old
My 830 without a doubt beat the Samsung at Bluetooth, cell and wifi strength. I can no long talk in my basement without it breaking up, my Bluetooth to my stereo breaks up as soon as I go out my back door and in my driveway i'm consistently on the fringe of wifi where nothing will work.

I also miss little things like when you turn off wifi on windows phone, it asks when you want to turn it back on. On the galaxy s7, sometimes I forget for days.

As a media consumption device, the Samsung is better.
As a phone the 830 was superior.
 

rich_bryant

New member
Jun 3, 2015
7
0
0
Visit site
I think you can do better than SquareHome. On my Sony XPeria XZ, the swipe for apps list is extremely erratic and frankly, the tiles are quite ugly.

Here's that same XZ using Launcher 10.
lQ2K9pg.jpg

Silky smooth action, right-swipe is excellent, all the apps, dual-SIM doesn't break SMS messaging... The tiles are of course sizable down to teeny, up to double-wide and it does folder but this is how I like it. I don't even configure extra columns (although you can).

I'm happy with that. I'd still quite like to be able to attach Cortana to the left-most on screen button and have Cortana listen out for "Hey Cortana" but other than that.. yeah, I got exactly what I wanted.

EDIT - the XZ also has a dedicated camera button....
 

accursedvenom

New member
Sep 2, 2011
91
0
0
Visit site
I had a blackberry curve 8320 (I think), and then a storm that I unlocked to use on tmobile. I jumped at the chance to get an HTC HD7 when it launched. Stayed with it until 7.8 released. I enjoyed how snappy the os was. It was so easy to post to multiple places with the me tile. Then I upgraded to a lumia 521 with wp8. They changed that and I now had to use separate apps to post the same thing in multiple places.

At some point I upgraded again to a 925. Nice phone but same issues that I had gotten use to already after a few years. Only real downside was storage space and lack of an sd slot. Started having problems with it so I went to see about the HTC one m8 for windows. T-Mobile rep said they no longer sell it in store and it's not available on the web. Great. Settled for a one m9 running Android. Stuck with that for a year or two and now have a galaxy s7.

I like having the apps that wp never got or got pulled. I do miss it at times but I don't think I could go back after 4-5 years now.
 

occamsmonkey

New member
Nov 18, 2013
118
0
0
Visit site
I switched from a 950XL to a Pixel. I've been a Windows Mobile user since the Lumia 800. I've loved my phones and my OS SO MUCH. But I am not seeing the support, especially after Balmer's exit, that competes with the main players. Watching more and more apps fall off of the "Supports Windows 10 Mobile" list was getting to be too much. But then first-party players started giving me trouble. The keyboard has nosedived in usability with every successive update (it was best in 8.1, honestly. Autocorrect worked much better, choosing words worked much better...). Features keep dropping. It's becoming less useful every day. So I made the jump. I auditioned an iPhone 6s Plus for a bit (I know this is a luxury and most people don't get to, but I had the opportunity so I took it). I *hated* it. I can see why people like it, but the OS gets in the way far more often than it should. Sharing is a pain. Casting is a pain. The battery life on the 6s Plus was awful, too. Which is odd, because battery has been an Apple badge of honor for years. I returned it and just blindly plunged into the Pixel based solely on camera reviews. And it's been a complete net positive experience. Android used to be clunky and unpleasant to use. The newest version is a world apart. It's fast and mostly stays out of my way. Having access to apps as a first-tier platform is kind of amazing. Aside from a few hipster-ish companies in film making, everything is on Android. And it's far more stable than it used to be, and more stable than Win 10 Mobile (that's more MS's fault than Android's bragging right). I miss a few things. Especially the WM Outlook client. Nothing touches it. But I've heard since I left it's gotten a bit less awesome on WP anyway.

So would I recommend leaving? It depends on what you want out of your phone. But the writing is on the wall. It's probably not going to be a choice for much longer.
 

CyberAngel_777

New member
Sep 27, 2012
23
0
0
Visit site
Android slows to Lagdroid in a year - time to by yet another droid?
No!
These Droids are NOT what you are looking for [ Jedi hand wave ]

It's iPhone or Windows phone depending on your desktop: Mac or PC
Security:
It's iPhone or Windows phone
Usability:
Sailfish OS wins with mini apps the Android with Widgets, finally Windows phone with Live Tiles (pinned from many apps)
iPhone is a mere launcher icon feature phone resembling 100 USD Asha Models or old Nokia X
The app gap
depends on person... iPhone wins when Snapchat is your thing, Android lagging behind
Finnish university students can't use Windows phone apps nor UWP apps because developers did finally abandon Windows in Finland too.
They simply forgot the full Windows tablets as the most preferable device! - iDiots! - UWP support is a must!
Company usage:
PC & Windows phone - from HP! - or Mac & iPhone from Apple
Android? - A security flaw so bad that the CIO will be Retired (by a Blade Runner)
NOTE
These are just my (quick+short) opinions from my personal perspective AND as a consult since CP/M
 

SydneyTechHead

New member
Aug 23, 2013
2
0
0
Visit site
I've been a Windows Mobole/Phone user forever and finally gave up my 930 for a Samsung S8 with LED cover last week. So far been very happy.

Took a few days to get used to, but now got everything to my liking.

All my usual MS apps worked out of the box (except linking my outlook.com account to phone contacts for calls and calls - I had to copy them to my gmail account).

Had to Google how to answer phone calls after missing a few (you can't just press the green answer button - you have to swipe it to the middle of the phone!!)

I've set up Samsung Pay and it works a treat to tap and pay by credit card and scan my loyalty cards. No more wallet!

I can now use all those little apps like remote controls for my LG TV and uploading photos from my Nikon D750 SLR without thinking. I didn't really miss them before but a nice bonus.

I've realised how creepy Google really is stalking you everywhere you go. I don't really care about this and enjoying the benefits it gives you. Google Assistant has understood me perfectly so far. I could never even turn on Hey Cortana on my 930 (bug with conflicting language packs in Australia). Ironically she installs fine on my S8 but I'll probably never use her as Assistant seems so much more powerful already.

I'll keep a watching interest on MS developments, but doubt I'll be back in a hurry. They finally lost me!
 

Mihai N

New member
Mar 14, 2015
49
0
0
Visit site
I came to the thread again because the storage settings and SD card management in Android 7 sucks big time. I mean if I set the card as internal memory it doesn't show in file Explorer and you can't set download paths for saving files at all, when I set it up as external storage I had to choose the default write disk without being told what is saved where in each occasion, there was also up to several GB of space that was said to be occupied but not knowing what if was in File Explorer or Storage settings, and so on. I expected a lot more from the OS praised by so many and holder of 85% market share. It may have it positive points, but I want the W10M storage management back, not this clueless management and having to go through a jungle of folders to see where did an app saved files
 

Seth Glenn

New member
Dec 5, 2012
2
0
0
Visit site
Hello all!

I've been a big fan of Windows Phone/Mobile since about 2011. I loved my blue Nokia Lumia 920 and was a constant advocate for Windows Phone and why people should give it a chance. During the biggest portion of Microsoft's marketing for Windows phone 8 I was able to persuade several friends and coworkers to give it a try.

I came to Windows Phone 8 from iOS and an aged iPhone 4, and before that an iphone 3GS, so I have experienced Apples ecosystem, even though I was never fully in love with it. Having grown up a PC guy, and having an Xbox and a Windows PC, I was an early adopter of OneNote and SkyDrive, which later became OneDrive, so mving to Windows Phone for me was a dream. I absolutely LOVED the integration with the MS ecosystem, the contacts and ability to check on a person's facebook & twitter status, texts and calls all in one place on one live tile was amazing. I loved the xbox games that were exclusive like Halo Spartan Assault. If I did not have a first party app for something I was interested in, I found the best 3rd party apps that often were better that the Android/iOS alternatives: (MS's youtube, Mytube, 6tag, etc). My wife, who still swears by Apple, was not happy to lose facetime and imessage, which we used for video chat to see our young kids. I of course promoted Skype as the alternative, and it worked great, even if my wife complained. The "APP GAP" never bothered me really, as I use mostly the same 8-10 apps everyday, and mobile sites continue to get better and run faster as HTML5 becomes the norm, and we get away from flash.

I used my Lumia 920 for almost 4 years until it died. It survived 2 1/2 years with a crack in the screen, and was so durable I rarely used a case. When it died I switched to a newly released Lumia 950, and while I think Windows 10 Mobile is great, they did drop the ball on some things. I do believe Continuum is going to grow and be important to the MS ecosystem, just not sure in which ways. My Lumia 950 was great, until about 6 months ago. I started having intermittent battery issues. My phone would randomly restart when I was doing different things: Opening an app, opening my camera, unlocking my screen, the list goes on. It got to the point where it was happing 5 times a day sometimes. It didn't matter how full my battery was, though it did happen more often when lower than 50%. When it happened during a few calls, I finally bought a new battery. Unfortunately, I had to order it online, since MS does not replace batteries themselves. Believe me I tried. I went to the local MS store, and they said even if the replaced the phone, they had to use the old battery. They didn't even have them in stock for such a purpose.

I replaced the battery, and for a week, it was bliss. All was well again, until it wasn't. Random restarts started happening again. I did not want to get a new phone, and I'm still on contract with ATT to this day for it.(will never do that again; unlocked only from now on). But I use my phone for work, and having a phone restart in the middle of a work call can't be an issue. I started researching inexpensive Android phones pretty hard. Something I could buy outright and use until either a Surface Phone or something else comes out worth getting. I could have stayed in the Windows Mobile ecosystem, but as of Nov/Dec 2016 when this happened, MS had dropped even their own phones from their stores. Out of necessity, I was going to have to buy a new phone.

I finally found a phone that peaked my curiosity enough, and the price dropped enough during the holiday season that I bit the bullet, and bought an Android Nextbit Robin for $150 off Amazon; a phone that came out at the same time as the 950. It has almost the exact same specs as the Lumia 950 as well, a Qualcom 6-core processor, 3 GB of Ram, 32 GB storage, USB-C, a fingerprint reader, and as a bonus, 100GB of proprietary cloud storage. This is by far, the BEST specs I could find for that price, as anything else at that price was several years older than my 2015 Lumia, and less powerful. I also went with no name Nextbit, because their developers were already testing Android 7, keeping up with Google and Samsung. Their CEO also was very responsive on their forums, answering questions as he could. This company has since been bought by Razer, and I'll be curious to see where that leads, as a gamer myself.

First, I still have my 950, and it works well, but stays mostly plugged in and used in Continuum mode for my son to play Minecraft and other games on using a blue tooth keyboard and mouse, on a 20 inch screen. ;-)

Now, using my Nextbit Robin, I have spent almost 5 months in Android, running many Microsoft apps, and using their services when possible. Used Windows Central and also Paul Thurrott's great series of articles, Android for the Windows guy" as a base for setting up my phone. I use MS's Arrow launcher, sticking with it after trying several. I just can't get over how much it integrated with my MS apps, but it also is fairly intuitive. FOr example, a list of 'frequent apps' which for me clearly points to being a creature of habit, and using the same 10-12 apps most often that I did on W10M. Twitter, Instagram, Music/Groove, Camera, Mail, Facebook, Messenger, Reddit, Alarms.

I won't lie and say I haven't found other apps I didn't have access to previously. And in a lot of cases, those apps I now have access to on Android are sometimes a joy to use. Textra, for example, is my go to SMS app. I love being able to assign colors and names not only to individual contacts, but also to group texts as well. It also works as an overlay when I get a notification, and disappears again after I reply, putting me right back in the app I was using before. Sure, there are also loads of apps that I've tried and uninstalled as not necessary. Overall, while access to millions of apps can be great when searching for that one; it's not really needed all the time. And as such, I can safely say I would absolutely be interested in the next generation of Windows Mobile devices, be that some sort of Surface device, or something else entirely.

I would say to those who haven't switched, I like Android, but not necessarily more than W10M. It has it's own quirks and frustrations. Millions of apps in the Play store don't mean they are all better. I have to wade through 20 trash apps to find the one I want sometimes. But Android has definitely been the best switch for me, allowing me to stay integrated in the MS ecosystem. I use Onedrive AND Google photos to backup my pics/videos, because why not? I use OneDrive and Office quite a bit. Also, the MS Authenticator app is amazing, and can be sued for more than just MS accounts.

If you are forced to switch, or just curious, I'd recommend Android as the easiest to switch to. Use the aforementioned resources, and make it your own. As for me, I'll look forward to what Microsoft has to offer, whether in the mobile space or some new category of hybrid phones/tablets/pocket PCs, with excitement and anticipation.

Thanks, Seth
 

Drael646464

New member
Apr 2, 2017
2,219
0
0
Visit site
I haven't used win10 m yet, but it will be my next phone. I've been an android user (still use the tablets), and then a bb10 user (that runs android apps).

So instead of directly compare, which I can only do once I have tried win10m (Something I am glad that I will have the luxury of doing when the app store is likely to grow, and the possibly game changing for windows Cortana skills api is on its way) - I'll just describe my journey of disenchantment with android.

At first like most users I imagine, I was taken in by all the options for apps in the playstore, and the selection of launchers for customizing UI. I enjoyed the ability to root android, and get under the hood a little, change settings and so on, do backups, adjust partitions - some of those techy things I like to do to tweak experience and performance on windows machines.

The first that reared its head, was those launchers everyone loves - well they are literally the first thing to crash. Yes, it may reboot itself, as a default, but those things are as buggy as file explorer in windows 98. They are also pretty samey. You don't get wild control over how you access the internal system, it merely controls how you access apps and app folders. Which makes it functionally like an app launcher in windows, despite its effect on the appearance. It got dull.

The app selection, will I was very impressed with it at first, it turned out all that software was largely of an extremely low quality. Most of it was based around advertising, like the operating system and google ecosystem itself. It made the experience of using an android phone comparable to watching free to air tv, filled with continual little disappointments and blemishes to the experience. Some small number of apps won't run on all devices - there is very little development budget so supporting a variety of hardware is just not commercially of interest. Basically, if you want an app, and it doesn't work, nobody cares.
Between games that juice for cash, and apps that pop up advertsing, and the model of data collection and advertising the whole platform of google represents, I became quickly disatistfied. The platform, also felt like...it was designed for dumb people. Like the devolution of the personal computer. And not in a natural interaction sense of conversation, or intuitive gestures or hand movements. It was simple to grasp, but also messy and not natural at the same time. The UI of windows seems more 'centralised' and well organised IMO. (Not that everything is - the 2d the folder system we use for files - it was nothing like actually using a real folder, where spacial memory and special logic apply, there is much in computers that deserves being completely re-thought out from stratch).
The games were by and large pretty aweful, apart from the odd title, and some windows ports.
Touch itself, is a fatiguing motion, squinting at a tiny screen, less than healthy for the eyes. I came to value the tablet experience, as a very casual form of computing, over highly active use of a phone all day long. The phone being something I tend to use more now for checking emails or playing music than actively using for longer periods. Check or do, then move on. It gets little action unless I am using navigation or suddenly need to research something in the browser.

It was after I moved to bb10 (still on android with some tablets), that I finally realised, even with the ability to install many dozens of apps, something I often rushed to - I only used a small handful of them, basically, ever.

The more intuitive gesture system of bb10 (which windows 10 has now, as to a more limited degree does android), the centralised hub over the hodgepodge of android notifications, the ability to real time multi-tasking (which I realise no other mobile OS has), these helped re-inforce how hodgepodge the android UI was.

While you can now filter notifications with more control, and get them on glance, it still seems less than ideal for tracking vital messages and so on - why even mix "you've got an email" with "some stupid thing has updated and who cares" in the first place? And why put it on a top swipe down that is easy to mistrigger?. It lacks the simple, easy to trigger side of screen swype elegancy that BB10 and now windows 10 has (for things like the hub, close app, or in windows the task manager), even if it does use some of these motions, they seem poorly implemented by comparison.

And having installed what seems now like WAAAY too many apps on every device I've owned, getting excited about the possibility of doing this, and doing that, only to find, actually that's like ordering a lathing kit, a birdhouse DIY kit, an ab cruncher and a digital photograph keyring from ebay, for all the actual use I get out of it. Whether its pokemon go, or some new redundant chat platform that makes icq look dated, share economies that represent a falling of quality of service and regulation as much as they do a saving in pennies, a lot of it seems like hot air to me now.

And touch tech seems so thoroughly old hat to be now, I can barely understand the excitement which some older people approach apps and so on. Even how some people get excited about phones. They ain't flying cars. It's nice. Its a new toy. The novelty will wear off, and odds are it won't change your life.

My little BB, I'm keeping. Even when apps no longer work. You know why? that tiny little keyboard has been more use to be sending vital emails and texts, than fifty apps. And that's in an age where the hardkeyboard is a "spiffy new feature" on a tablet, but "an old dried up dustball' on a phone. Honestly people a f'n bizzare.

It occurs to me even, that with the limited number of thing I do, perhaps most people really don't even need an app store. Just basic tasks - browser, email, wifi chat, banking, gps, calculator, photo editor, social apps. Sure the other's might be handy to some, perhaps even very functional, but at least somewhat overrated, for having as options.

And when I saw googles more recent moves, to increase search result advertising, push away windows customers by making no UWPs and pulling chrome apps - annoying in your face stuff like popups on google search and youtube "recommending" chrome, I could see a creep that was impossible to deny.

Like 30 second advertising breaks on free-to-air tv turning into two minutes, the advertising model of google, with a totally captive and quite dependant audience would only turn into a monster the more you fed it. A slow creep of "how the heck did we end up here", that will eventually dawn on everyone, the way it did with free to air being replaced by cable, streaming and so on.

bb10 of course was lovely. A bit simple, but for a phone that's kind of expected for whatever reasons. But a fluid and intuitive user experience. But of course, with it no longer supported, the 4.4 android runtime will soon run its clock.

And as I mentioned I use like, hang on, let me count them. 6 installed rather than native apps. One of the only because aliexpress offers shopping specials via the app (its horrible to use next to tablet or desktop, so I select on that, and then switch to the phone to use the discount. lol really, the app is AWFUL, and very few people actually buy things via phones, according to market research). Most of the apps on by phone sit their like rows of cans of preserved food in a doomsday preppers basement waiting for a day that never comes. Like a cat lady waiting for her date.

I do get a lot more use out of apps on my windows tablet, and desktop, largely because those experiences are more enjoyable. My phone as exciting as phones sometimes seem to many, as a sort of boring tool device, that occasionally lets me waste time in a generally still dull way with the odd bus stop game, or social app.

My tablet my comparison is thoroughly exciting to me - the casual magazine like experience of browsing or social networking whilst reclining in bed, or on the sofa, entertainment on screen sizes I enjoy, games that wipe the floor with freemium android offerings.

I won't discount some useful things that software model has brought about. Ubers for people who get drunk in town, but don't mind a bit of touchy feely on the way home. Strangers basements to stay in whilst travelling. Nifty little apps that change your voice into a rap, or add rabbit ears to your photo (okay no I am kidding, there are some useful functions, for people who get use out of those functions)

But it feels like a phase. A phase that degrades in quality the more you use it. Like broadcast TV. Or facebook.

So I look to someone with a preferable vision of the future than that, or the jailcell apple proposes.

Although I watch the world with its move towards , say something like smart homes. And in the same way cars supplant walking, phones supplant having a sense of direction and to some degree in person friendship (and supplant a tolerance of silence and inactivity with an eternal restlessness of the heart),

I see smart homes eventually robbing people of the sheer will and know how to turn on a light switch. I see technology designed for convenience basically making people fat, stupid and incapable, in the very long term. A dystopia brought on by creature comfort desires. And I am a big fan of technology - It's just a shame technology isn't designed for us, in terms of out psychological, biological and evolutionary needs - but rather we are expected to adapt to it (impossible as that is without survival pressures), with the honey cloying call of "do less, think less, move less, speak less, we'll handle that" ringing in the ears of chronically overworked consumers grinding in a captalistic engine that thrives more on competition that quality or efficiency of outcome.

So while I'd like to be optimistic MS has a better vision for the technological future for consumers - I am not sure that consumer driven markets are capable of making the right choices for themselves, any more than a truck sized fat person has any likelihood of turning down that next slice of pizza or pie.
 
Last edited:

Mark Richey

New member
Dec 18, 2012
46
0
0
Visit site
I love Windows 10 Mobile and I am still updating my 950, as we speak. However, I have used Windows Phones in Japan, with no carrier support, no 4G support, lousy Here/Bing Maps, and mediocre searches. Since I was using an Apple 3Gs Sim card, cut to a MicoSim, cut to a NanoSim, I thought if I went to one of the Sim only carriers, I could get a card for my 950 that would support 4G. So I took a Nexus 5X down to Y! Mobile and got a great deal.

Long story short, the 950 still only got essentially 3G. What also surprised me, being new to Android, was how simple set up was. I had to tweak absolutely no settings, where as before, I needed APN for Softbank and was still unimpressed.

So I am still on the 5X, and actually am impressed with the ecosystem. I am running a blended system, with the Microsoft Arrow Launcher (I joined the Beta program) and tons of Microsoft apps, including ToDo, Office (I have a 365 account), news and weather, Outlook, and even Groove Music. But I also heavily rely upon G-mail and the Google Calendar. Part of the reason for this is my wife sports an Apple 7 and works for Google Japan, so I must use the calendar to keep up. To be honest, Google Calendar, and even some of Gmail are still superior to Outlook Calendar/Mail.

I am on Nougat 7.1x and despite having bought a new one, I have ditched my Band 2 for an LG Urbane. Microsoft Band app and the Band 2 on Windows phone are better than on Android, but I am very happy with a more smartwatch type device.

But there are things I miss. I bought the 950 on release (it runs great on the latest builds, but sucked out of the box) for the expandable storage. I miss that.

So I am still looking to replace the Nexus in the next few months. I have mostly been watching prices on the Xperia XZ. It has expandable storage, a great camera, and.....A dedicated camera button.

However, the LG G6 is also whispering in my ear. Tough call!

I bought one of the last Lumias. I don't foresee Windows 10 Mobile making any headway in Japan. It is an iPhone centric country. But I will continue to use the 950 - just not as my daily driver. To get the best navigation, maps, and 4G in Japan, I will stick with Android. Many wonderful choices, but after 5 phones, my heart is still in WP country.

Windows Phones:
- Toshiba Windows Mobile 6.5
- HTC Titan (Windows Phone 7-7.8)
- Nokia 920 (Cyan) Windows Phone 8-Windows 10 Mobile
- Nokia Lumia 930 (Windows 8-Windows Mobile 10) Runs great on Windows 10 Mobile
- Microsoft Lumia 950 (Windows 10 Mobile)
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
322,923
Messages
2,242,906
Members
428,008
Latest member
roche