Just picked my Focus up

[falconeight#IM]

Installed a 16GB SD card and its on. The phones software is very smooth. Makes everything else out look like a dinosaur. Im excited!

 

[maverick96]

Installed a 16GB SD card and its on. The phones software is very smooth. Makes everything else out look like a dinosaur. Im excited!

I just got the focus as well and its amazing!!! I cant believe how fast and smooth it is... WOW!!!!!!!!

 

[sirkirby]

Microsoft has a real winner here without a doubt! And Samsung really delivered an amazing launch device with the focus. Its shockingly light, it actually took me off guard when i picked it up... especially in comparison to my HTC Evo phone.

I also have an LG E900 (Vodafone) as well, and that is also a very impressive windows phone 7 launch device. Really solid aluminum construction, very much feels like the iphone with its polish and feel. But even with that said i personally prefer the Focus, its hard to beat that super amoled screen. And it worked out pretty well for me since my wife prefers the LG anyway

 

[sklein382]

What phone are you switching from?

I have a 3gs and I'm reasonably happy right now, but I'm not sure that I want to stick with Apple for another contract cycle. My main issue with Apple is given how bulky iTunes has gotten over the years, it is getting to be a pain to have to deal with syncing with that program. Syncing over wireless on WP7 sounds amazing, and Zune Player on Windows seems noticeably cleaner than iTunes based on some limited experience with it.

Aside from the copy/paste multitask everyone else writes about and is forthcoming, are there any noticeable things missing from the Focus? Really I'm just asking if you are moving from a dumbphone to the Focus this seems like a no brainer, but is it worth it to use my upgrade on the Focus when I have a pretty solid but not perfect alternative?

 

[Daniel Rubino]

I have both the HD7 and Focus and have tried all the WP7 phones.

Focus is the best. The screen, speed, build, etc. are all just excellent. The HD7 is real nice too, but the Focus edges it out, imo.

 

[sirkirby]

What phone are you switching from?

I have a 3gs and I'm reasonably happy right now, but I'm not sure that I want to stick with Apple for another contract cycle. My main issue with Apple is given how bulky iTunes has gotten over the years, it is getting to be a pain to have to deal with syncing with that program. Syncing over wireless on WP7 sounds amazing, and Zune Player on Windows seems noticeably cleaner than iTunes based on some limited experience with it.

Aside from the copy/paste multitask everyone else writes about and is forthcoming, are there any noticeable things missing from the Focus? Really I'm just asking if you are moving from a dumbphone to the Focus this seems like a no brainer, but is it worth it to use my upgrade on the Focus when I have a pretty solid but not perfect alternative?

I would say that you will be really happy moving from a 3gs to the Focus. I have several friends who are switching from iPhone 4 to the focus as I type this. Basically its a lot like the iphone was 2 years ago. I wont do a few things you may be used to (yet), but it does many other things that no other phone/platform can do. Zune & Xbox Live are big ones, but there is a lot more in the platform other than the amazing design that you will see as a significant upgrade. I personally had a 3g and a 3gs when i switched to my droid phone, but that was really just to abide my time until the wp7 launch.

 

[falconeight#IM]

The iphone and android don't compare. The new windows os makes them seem old overnight. Its so smooth, the facebook app are perfect and emails come quick and are easy to manage. I really love this phone.

 

[evilrobot]

I agree. I've had an iPhone 3GS, a MyTouch 3g, a Nexus One, and a Dell Streak. All three Android phones had annoying issues due to the fragmentation on that OS. The 3GS was pretty good, but I'm not a huge Apple fan and can't stand iTunes. I absolutely love the Focus so far - it makes all of those phones seem like yesterday's news to me.

 

[rijc99]

I had a iPhone 4 And just sold it after playing with my new Focus with 32GB card. I'm still waiting for a few apps to come to the platform. I knew I was going to keep the Focus when after playing with it for 30 minutes I went back to pull some info from my iPhone i felt the UI looked extremely dated.

 

[electricbopeep]

I got my Focus yesterday. I intended to get it on Monday but I was so turned off by the customer service at the ATT store (they didn't know anything about the Phones and tried to show me Android phones after I had made it clear I was there for WP7)that I couldn't give them a sale/commission with peace of mind. The customer service and WP7 setup was better at the store that I visited yesterday, so I went ahead and purchased. I already had my sd card but I'm holding off on installing it.

I'm loving the Focus. Not as solid as the HTC Surround but not as low quality as some have made it out to be. I was definitely more impressed with the hardware in person, although I don't find myself ogling it like I normally would a shiny new gadget. I've been using the HTC Touch Pro for 2 years (with NRG rom for over a year) and the Focus and Windows Phone 7 is a nice step up, to say the least. I've also been (begrudgingly) using an iPod Touch 2g for almost a year and it feels very outdated and inferior compared to the Focus's gorgeous, large screen and WP7's innovative UI.

I started using smartphones back in '06 with the Palm Treo 650 and switched to the HTC 8125. I've had a love-hate relationship with Windows Mobile throughout the various incarnations that I experienced on the Samsung BlackJack II, HTC Touch, and Touch Pro. I vividly remember wanting a Windows Mobile version of the iPhone (and discovering the HTC Touch and WPCentral as a result). This has been a long time coming and Microsoft has made an excellent, distinctive, solid effort with WP7.

ETA:So the initial euphoria wore off and I'll have to retract the "excellent and solid" comment. The platform's approach is innovative and has the potential to be excellent but it's definitely not solid. Inconsistencies and oversights abound. I always thought as WinMo devices as what I use to "get stuff done" (I'm actually thinking of a more frank word for "stuff" but I'll avoid profanity) and Windows Phone isn't up to par (yet). I know this is a 1.0 product but I think microsoft's new philosophy about smartphones remains to be seen.

 

[ptb127]

I played with a Focus and Surround today and the Focus's screen is amazing. I am just torn between the heavier more solid feel of the Surround over the lighter feel of the Focus. However, it's not as "plasticky" as some are making it out to be. I think the Verizon Fascinate is far more "plasticky" then the focus. It's seem like a great device overall and am probably going to pull the trigger on.

I got my Focus yesterday. I intended to get it on Monday but I was so turned off by the customer service at the ATT store (they didn't know anything about the Phones and tried to show me Android phones after I had made it clear I was there for WP7)that I couldn't give them a sale/commission with peace of mind. The customer service and WP7 setup was better at the store that I visited yesterday, so I went ahead and purchased. I already had my sd card but I'm holding off on installing it.

I'm loving the Focus. Not as solid as the HTC Surround but not as low quality as some have made it out to be. I was definitely more impressed with the hardware in person, although I don't find myself ogling it like I normally would a shiny new gadget. I've been using the HTC Touch Pro for 2 years (with NRG rom for over a year) and the Focus and Windows Phone 7 is a nice step up, to say the least. I've also been (begrudgingly) using an iPod Touch 2g for almost a year and it feels very outdated and inferior compared to the Focus's gorgeous, large screen and WP7's innovative UI.

I started using smartphones back in '06 with the Palm Treo 650 and switched to the HTC 8125. I've had a love-hate relationship with Windows Mobile throughout the various incarnations that I experienced on the Samsung BlackJack II, HTC Touch, and Touch Pro. I vividly remember wanting a Windows Mobile version of the iPhone (and discovering the HTC Touch and WPCentral as a result). This has been a long time coming and Microsoft has made an excellent, distinctive, solid effort with WP7.

 

[raremage]

Picked up my Focus today. Haven't had much time exploring it yet but so far I am pretty impressed. My most recent phones were an iPhone4 and a BBTorch. Still trying to figure out the workflow on the Focus but the display is gorgeous (easily compares well with the retina display) and very pocketable despite the screen size. Speed and responsiveness is outstanding so far!

 

[falconeight#IM]

Picked up my Focus today. Haven't had much time exploring it yet but so far I am pretty impressed. My most recent phones were an iPhone4 and a BBTorch. Still trying to figure out the workflow on the Focus but the display is gorgeous (easily compares well with the retina display) and very pocketable despite the screen size. Speed and responsiveness is outstanding so far!

I went through the same phones you have add a captivate

 

[gibbyhome]

Have you tried the Dell Venue Pro ? and if so
would you take that over the HD7?

 

[deadlast]

Got my Focus yesterday. Ditched my gimped iPhone 3g with the iOS4 OS.

Any WP7 phone makes iPhone look like a dino OS

 

[Fightin Loon]

I had the Samsung Captivate. It was a nice phone, but I hate Google. So I returned it. I used the 3G and I didn't mind it. I like Apple. However, I wanted something faster than the 3G and I like MS. I have a 360 and I liked WinMo on my Treo.

I'm more than happy with the phone. Yes, it doesn't have a lot of stuff that I would like (and yes, I do use copy and paste a lot!), but it does what I need it to do. I can't wait until Bing Maps is improved and has turn-by-turn, but so far, I love my phone.

 

[falconeight#IM]

I returned my focus. I love the OS and think I will buy again once it gets a update and some apps. I live off of gtalk thats my only problem no useful IM apps. Im really sad though.

 

[netdev]

I've been on my Focus since last week. So far no major complaints. I came form the Droid and iPhone 3G before that. The thinness of the handset and the brightness/quality of the Super AMOLED screen are what sold me on the Focus over the other launch offerings.

 

[Fightin Loon]

I returned my focus. I love the OS and think I will buy again once it gets a update and some apps. I live off of gtalk thats my only problem no useful IM apps. Im really sad though.

I don't use that many apps. I mainly played games on my iPhone. Now, I just love playing with the tiles and stuff just to see how fast the phone really is. I don't use gchat or anything else. I just send text messages. I don't know anyone who does IMs anymore.

 

[falconeight#IM]

I don't use that many apps. I mainly played games on my iPhone. Now, I just love playing with the tiles and stuff just to see how fast the phone really is. I don't use gchat or anything else. I just send text messages. I don't know anyone who does IMs anymore.

I use gtalk to communicate with family. That way I don't have to pay for text messaging. Don't get me wrong the phone is second to none. I just bought to early for myself. Once it has been developed more then I will consider it again. The OS is seriously handicapped. It defeats the purpose of a smartphone if it is limited in so many places. Takes very long for apps to load, no cut and paste, no good apps, only alerts you get is text and email. Its just very early for me and I think 6.5 had more to offer. I hope it does well, and applaud anyone who sticks with it.